Florida Keys · United States · Wreck · Artificial reef
USCGC Bibb
Coast Guard cutter on her side at 40 m, in constant current
Area photo: NOAA (Maya Walton) · Public domain
A 100-metre (327-foot) Coast Guard cutter sunk as an artificial reef in November 1987, about six miles off Key Largo and just outside the coral reef tract. She came to rest on her starboard side at roughly 40 m, and the site runs consistently strong current, so operators treat her as a dive for experienced divers only.
Also known as USCG Bibb, Bibb Wreck.
Where it is and how deep
24.9952° N, 80.3795° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
Everything about the plan is set by depth and by current. The published figure is about 130 feet (40 m) to the wreck, past normal recreational limits, so the dive is a question of how much of a 100 m cutter (327 ft) you can cover before the computer calls it rather than a tour of the whole ship. Descend on the mooring line rather than free, and be settled on the structure before you start moving along it.
Current is the site's defining condition rather than an occasional inconvenience: the reason operators reserve her for experienced divers is that the flow here is consistently strong. Pull yourself down the mooring line, stay on the structure where there is something to hold, and come back up the same line rather than losing it and drifting off into open water. She is the sister ship of the USCGC Duane.
The wreck
- Vessel
- USCGC Bibb
- Type
- Coast Guard cutter, sunk as an artificial reef
- Length
- 100 m (328 ft)
- Sunk
- 1987
- Cause
- Deliberately sunk as an artificial reef
- Lies
- On her starboard side in about 130 feet (40 m) of water
The Bibb is the sister ship of the USCGC Duane. She was sunk as an artificial reef in November 1987, placed just outside the coral reef tract about six miles (10 km) off the island of Key Largo. Rather than settling upright she came to rest on her starboard side, and that is how she still lies, at a depth of about 130 feet (40 m).
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Florida Keys: Winter cold fronts (December-February) bring choppier seas and cooler water; April-August offers the calmest conditions, though hurricane season runs June-November.
Know before you go
- Consistently strong current: descend and ascend on the mooring line, and stay on the lee side of the hull where the structure gives shelter.
- About 40 m to the wreck leaves very little no-stop time and no margin for a slow ascent; plan gas and deco before the dive, not on it.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the USCGC Bibb?+
She lies on her starboard side at about 130 feet (40 m). That is past normal recreational limits, and combined with consistently strong current it makes the Bibb a dive for experienced divers.
Sources
- USCG Bibb (Wreck) — Scubago
- USCGC Bibb — Wikipedia
In The Logbook
- Ships sunk on purpose, and where to dive themWrecks · 14 min read
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