Panama City Beach · United States · Wreck
USS Strength
A war-veteran minesweeper broken in two, with a swim between its halves
Photo: Thespis377 · CC BY-SA 2.0
USS Strength is a World War II minesweeper that saw action off Iwo Jima and Okinawa, then served as a training hulk for Navy salvage divers before being sunk with explosives off Panama City in 1987. The 56-metre hull lies in under 24 m (80 ft) of water, broken in two where the bow separated, and divers swim the gap between the sections.
Also known as Strength.
Where it is and how deep
30.0323° N, 85.7069° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The boat runs 5.75 miles (about 9 km) out from St. Andrews Pass to the minesweeper. The wreck lies in less than 24 m (80 ft) of water, so the whole hull is within reach on a single recreational dive. Strength is 56 m (184.5 ft) long with a beam of 10 m (33 ft).
The bow has separated from the rest of the ship, and the main route of the dive is the swim between the two sections of the hull. Divers can tour one section, cross the gap and work along the other. For years the hull lay on its side, until a hurricane in 1995 righted it.
The wreck
- Vessel
- USS Strength
- Type
- Naval minesweeper
- Length
- 56 m (184 ft)
- Sunk
- 1987
- Cause
- Sunk with explosives after service as a Navy salvage training hulk
- Lies
- In two sections, bow separated from the hull, in less than 24 m (80 ft)
USS Strength was a World War II minesweeper that saw action off Iwo Jima and Okinawa, where she survived both a midget submarine attack and a kamikaze raid. Later in life she served as a training hulk for Navy salvage divers in Washington, D.C., and then in Panama City. She was sunk for the last time in 1987 and lay on her side for years before a hurricane righted her in 1995.
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
USS Strength Panama City Beach October 4, 2009 · pcdivecenter on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the USS Strength wreck?+
The minesweeper lies in less than 24 m (80 ft) of water off Panama City, in two sections where the bow separated from the hull.
How far offshore is the USS Strength?+
The wreck is 5.75 miles (about 9 km) from St. Andrews Pass and is reached by day boat.
Sources
- USS Strength - Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail — Florida Department of State
- Dive Locker — Dive Locker
- Dive Sites of the Panama City Beach, Florida Area — Panama City Diving
Photo credits
- Pale spotted sea cucumber lying on a dark silty surface in green water by Thespis377, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
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
Wreck
A 1908 steel-hulled tug from Pensacola, lying in 21 m of water
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