DIVE STATS

DEPTH:  120 Feet to the Sand

LENGTH: 188 FEET in length

Sinking Date:    MARCH 3, 1986

YOUR DIVE OPERATOR NEWS

IN MARCH OF 2007, THE Captain hook’s DIVE Team APPLIED FOR A GRANT THROUGH THE PADI PROJECT AWARE PROGRAM TO INSTALL NEW MOORING BUOYS ON THE THUNDERBOLT.  THE “OLD” BARRELS WERE GETTING WATERLOGGED AND WERE SINKING MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO MOOR UP TO THE STRUCTURE.

THE DIVE TEAM ORDERED ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT AND SET OUT TO POSITION THE BUOYS AT BOTH THE STERN AND BOW OF THE THUNDERBOLT.  THE FIRST ATTEMPT WAS ABORTED AFTER IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ROPE INSTALLED WOULD NOT WITHSTAND CONTINUAL RUBBING BY FISHING LINE AND THE NATURAL STRETCH OF NYLON ROPE WOULD PRESENT A PROBLEM WITH MOORING AND THE POSITION OF THE BUOY RELATIVE.  WIRE CABLE BECAME THE NEXT CHOICE AND THIS PROVED TO BE THE SOLUTION.

ON JUNE 12, 2008, OUR TEAM LEAD BY MIKE O’REILLY SET OUT TO FINISH THE PROJECT AND INSTALL THE ONE REMAINING BUOY.  THIS EFFORT BECAME MORE OF A CHALLENGE THAN WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE, BUT THANKS TO THE PERSEVERANCE OF OUR DIVE TEAM AND IN PARTICULAR MIKE O’REILLY OUR PROJECT LEADER THIS PROJECT WAS FINISHED.

THESE BUOYS ARE IN PLACE AND THEY HAVE SAVED THE WRECK CONSIDERABLE WEAR AND DAMGE BECAUSE OF THE MOORING CAPABILITY.   BELOW ARE SOME OF THE PICTURES RELATED TO THE INSTALLATION OF THE BUOYS.

WHAT MAKES THE T-BOLT A GREAT DIVE

The waters off Marathon are home to the wreck of Thunderbolt, a 188-foot cable layer that later served as a research vessel to explore the electrical energy of lightning strikes. The local dive community purchased Thunderbolt, originally named Randolph, and sank it intentionally as a dive attraction March 3, 1986, in approximately 120 feet of water 6.5 miles south of Duck Key Channel in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

ONE THING ABOUT THE THUNDERBOLT THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE AMOUNG THE WRECKS IN THE KEYS IS THAT IT HAS BEEN UNDERWATER FOR NOW OVER 23 YEARS.  IT HAS 23 YEARS OF MARINE GROWTH ON IT.

IT HAS BECOME HOME TO A WEALTH OF MARINE LIFE AND SOME VERY LARGE FISH.  IN THE PAST YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN GOLIATH GROUPER IN THE 600 TO 800 POUND SIZE CRUISING THE STRUCTURE.  GAMEFISH OF ALL TYPES VISIT THE T-BOLT AT SOME TIME DURING THE YEAR, WITH SAILFISH IN THE JANUARY AND FEBRUARY MONTHS,    TARPON ARE FOUND ON THE STRUCTURE DURING THE MARCH AND APRIL MONTHS AND PERMIT SOON COME IN AFTER THAT.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO VIEW BIG CUDAS, THE T BOLT SHOULD BE THE DIVE YOU CHOSE FOR THAT.

SPEAR FISHERS REGULARLY VISIT THE T-BOLT BECAUSE TI OFTERN YIELDS SOME NICE BLACK GROUPER AND BIG SNAPPER INCLUDING CUBERA AND SOME MUTTONS.

THE T-BOLT IS AN ADVANCED DIVE WITH 120 FOOT TO THE SAND BACK BY THE PROPELLERS.  THERE IS OFTEN CURRENT ON THE STRUCTURE OR AT THE SURFACE WHEN YOU ARE MOORING TO THE BUOY.  ONCE YOU LOG SOME DIVES IN AFTER YOUR OPEN WATER CERTIFICATION, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE THUNDERBOLT DIVE, YOU WON’T REGRET IT.

The vessel is referred to as the queen of the Marathon wreck fleet.

OUR APPROACH TO DIVING THE THUNDERBOLT

OUR APPROACH TO DIVING THE THUNDERBOLT IS SIMILAR TO MOST OF THE OTHER DIVE SHOPS IN THE AREA.  THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE DO DIFFERENTLY HOWEVER.

OUR NORMAL THUNDERBOLT DIVE TRIP IS THE FIRST DIVE IS ON THE WRECK AND THE SECOND DIVE IS ON A SHALLOWER REEF.

WE ARE FLEXIBLE HOWEVER.  WE OFTEN DO A DOUBLE THUNDERBOLT DIVE TRIP WHERE BOTH DIVES ARE ON THE THUNDERBOLT WITH THE PROPER TABLES.

WE ALWAYS HAVE A DIVEMASTER IN THE WATER THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE TO FOLLOW OR NOT for no extra charge AND WE PROVIDE A WATERPROOF MAP OF THE VESSEL THAT YOU CAN RECORD YOUR DIVE AND USE AS A GUIDE AROUND VESSEL.