2022. 6. 25 | Wreck of USS Hogan, San Diego
On Saturday, I joined Bill, Geoff, and Malte on a trip to the wreck of Hogan. The wreck lies at the bottom of about 110 feet near the US-Mexican border. The dive condition at Hogan can vary dramatically. Recently, the upswelling has brought clear water to the near shore. I had a good feeling that the visibility at the wreck would be excellent.
We headed out from Shelter Island at around 8:30 am. Beyond Point Loma to the open sea, strong surface winds made the ocean choppy. But the voyage under the bright sun was pleasant. Finding the wreck and dropping the anchor was easy. Geoff and I geared up and headed down first.
Despite the rough surface, just a few feet underneath the water was quiet and peaceful. I swam to the anchor and descended slowly. The first 30 feet of water was brownish with poor visibility. At about 50 ft, numerous tunicate salp chains showed up. Recent upwelling had brought a lot of salps to the shallow water, but these chains were many times longer than I had seen. Below the salp chains, the visibility opened immediately from soup-like to 60+ feet of clear water. The wreck came into view.
I paused for a moment to orient myself. The anchor was in the middle of the wreck sitting on the sand. I looked for the deck, which, in my opinion, is the most magnificent structure of the wreck. I turned to it, seeing the giant structure with a massive cloud of blacksmiths hovering in front of it. It was a breathtaking moment.
I swam to the deck, observing its structure, colorful decoration, and the shoaling fish. I made a few circles around the deck and enjoyed every moment of nature at its best.
Time allowed at the wreck was short. Soon I had to leave.
I met Bill and Malte on the anchor line during the ascend. The wind was strong on the surface, and the boat was rocking, an entirely different world from what was beneath it. After we were all back on the boat, we decided to stay for the second dive. After all, it was rare to see such excellent conditions at the wreck.
In my second dive, I decided to visit the bow. Only small pieces of wreckage are left on this side of the wreck. Though no schools of blacksmiths, I noticed abundant juvenile fish hovering above the wreckages. Suddenly, the otherwise lifeless wreckage became alive. I cruised toward the bow. Near the end, I turned back to the deck again. What a great dive on this wreck.
Back to the boat, we were all happy to have stayed for the second dive. The ride back to the dock was bumpy and wet, but all worth it with such a great trip. ◆
I have been to the Hogan many times. Here are the two trips I saw large schools of fish at the wreck:
Here is another trip when I encountered large schools of fish at the same wreck: