Panama City Beach · United States · Wreck
USS Chickasaw
A 1908 steel-hulled tug from Pensacola, lying in 21 m of water
The Chickasaw is a steel-hulled tug built in Pensacola, Florida, in 1908, now lying in 21 m (70 ft) of water off Panama City Beach near the SAB buoy, a mark the local charter boats know. At 33 m (107 ft) long with a 6 m (20 ft) beam, it is a small hull, and little more is published about it.
Also known as Chickasaw.
Where it is and how deep
30.0821° N, 85.7794° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The Chickasaw lies in 21 m (70 ft) of water near the SAB buoy off the entrance to St. Andrews Bay, a spot the local charter boats know. The tug is 33 m (107 ft) long with a beam of 6 m (20 ft), a small hull next to the 56 m (185 ft) Black Bart and USS Strength, the supply ship and minesweeper also dived off Panama City Beach.
The hull is steel, built in Pensacola, Florida, in 1908. Little else is published about the wreck: no source found gives how or when the tug sank, its condition on the bottom, the current or the marine life, so the dive is best planned with the charter crews who run boats to it.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Chickasaw
- Type
- Steel-hulled tug
- Length
- 33 m (108 ft)
- Built
- 1908
- Cause
- Unknown — no published account of the sinking has been found
- Lies
- In 21 m (70 ft) of water near the SAB buoy off St. Andrews Pass
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 | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Panama City Beach: April to October is the main diving season; January and February bring water down to about 15 °C (59 °F).
Dive videos
SCUBA Diving the Chickasaw Wreck · We Sea Kings on YouTube
Sources
- USS Chickasaw — Scubago
More dive sites in Panama City Beach
An upright supply ship with a swim-through wheelhouse at 12 m
A three-storey structure with swim-throughs from 21 to 30 m
Shore entry from the car, with drift and night dives on the channel side
A war-veteran minesweeper broken in two, with a swim between its halves
Similar dives elsewhere
Wreck
C-54 Agustin Melgar wreck
Loreto Bay National Park · Mexico
A WWII minesweeper sunk for divers, with easy penetrations
A scuttled navy hull in about 18 m of island water
A 1940 Lunenburg schooner scuttled for divers at 17 m
Wreck
Dredge #906
Milwaukee & Port Washington · United States
Upturned 1956 dredge barge with room to swim beneath it