A great video! To quote Rick… “A Cleo Street Barge dive under less than magnificent conditions.”

Click here to see Ricks video.

Orange County chapter of the organization is forming!

California Ships to Reefs (CS2R) will be holding a public workshop on June 19th to discuss the formation of an Orange County chapter of the organization which is dedicated to creating artificial reefs for recreational divers along the California Coast.

The workshop will be held from 6-10 p.m. at the at the Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, CA.

CS2R was founded with the goal of making the Golden State a world-class diving destination. It’s seeking interested community members to help further the goal of providing artificial reefs-formed by sinking environmentally cleaned vessels-that will improve the health of ecosystems along the coast, provide new SCUBA diving and sport fishing resources, and introduce new economic opportunities for local businesses.

People from all walks of life–not just divers or fishermen–are encouraged to attend the workshop and learn about the goals and plans of CS2R.

Help is needed from volunteers with experience in event planning, fundraising, surveys, canvassing businesses for support, speakers, governmental relations, permitting, and veterans relations (primarily Navy/Marines).

During the workshop, information will be provided on the proposed methodology for creating the reefs, and the current status of the organization and its projects. The remainder of the workshop will be devoted to information on how individuals new to the organization can help make the CS2R vision a reality.

Information about specific organization committees is also available on the CS2R website at

www.cs2r.org/CS2R_Committees.aspx. Interested parties are encouraged to visit this link and learn more about the various committees

 California Ships to Reefs (CS2R), Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit Public Benefit Corporation formed to make the Golden State a world-class diving destination is pleased to announce that Dale Sheckler, publisher of California Diving News and organizer of the largest consumer SCUBA show in the United States, “SCUBA Show 2008″ is repeating 2007’s very successful event by designating CS2R as the beneficiary of this year’s Casino Night on June 21, 2008.

The Sunken Treasures Society of Los Angeles is hosting a very important informational and organizational meeting for California Ships To Reefs on Saturday January 26th from 10:00am to 3:00pm on the waterfront in San Pedro.  The location is the Boardwalk Cafe next to Ports-O-Call Restaurant in Ports-O-Call Village at 1150 Nagoya Way.  There will be no charge for the event but lunch will be available for purchase.  There is plenty of free parking and if you wish to make a day of it bring the family too, there will be plenty for them to do while you are in the meeting.

California Ships to Reefs is embarking on a fundamental change of direction. We have been making progress in many areas but the climate around the surplus ships in California is changing quickly and we are currently adjusting course to meet that change HEAD ON. Dick Long, who was the leader of the Yukon project in San Diego, has stepped up to lead the charge and organize our team of volunteers to “make it happen”.Dick needs a cohesive and energetic group of volunteers to complete all the tasks necessary to achieve our goals. YOU are that “Army” of necessary people. In order to sink ships, and WE KNOW you want to sink ships!, we need those of you that are interested in the program but have been waiting for an opportunity to join in …so join in NOW and lead this program in the future. NOW is that time! We need people from virtually every walk of life — we have a job for everyone.

Dick has identified and enlisted the Senior Vice Chairs who will coordinate the committee work. Each committee will have a charter to define the work to be accomplished, with resources required and the final goal defined. We need you to fill in the blanks and achieve these goals! We are identifying Committee Chairs depending on people’s availability and desire. Any committees that we cannot fill from within, we will start to look outside our current volunteers for appropriate people to help get the job done. So pass the word on to your friends and people you think could be interested!

Our goal is to develop every aspect of the project, and to create a systematic method of reefing surplus ships and have it up & running in the next few months! Let’s Get it Done! We are working to get the first vessel into the pipeline in 2008.

This is a unique task never before done… YOU will make it happen. Remember, the Yukon project had over 2000 volunteers. That was one ship & they did all the work. We are talking about a pipeline of ships.

We are all going to get together to provide MORE information and start the work…get prepared… This is a very unique opportunity Where YOU define the path… YOU create the system to sink ships…

I arrived at Cleo Street at 6:30 a.m. to meet Jim F who had suggested this dive site last week. He was the diver that reminded me about the anniversary of the Foss 125 going to the bottom on this date.  There were already a few divers looking over the site and I managed to get one of the last parking spaces. Jim F and I went to the staircase and liked what we saw. Even though the tide was low, the sea level was only about a foot below high tide.

We managed to be the first two divers in as the others were waiting for friends to arrive. We used Rich Parkers navigation tips on the South Coast Divers site (here’s the link) and descended within 20 feet of the wreck. Jim and I followed around the perimeter and then came down the hull over what we though would be the keel. We spent about 25 minutes at the wreck before turning around to come in.

On our exit we bumped into Alberto Mantovani from DiveNav and eDiving. Alberto has just finished mapping the Yukon Wreck for his online dive simulator. He’s offering to do the same for the Foss 125 as part of the 50th anniversary commemorative. It was good to meet him making the dive to the wreck today.

Right behind him was Rich Parker and the South Coasties who hadn’t made the regular SCD Catalina. Rich had brought South Coast Divers to Cleo Street for an anniversary dive, too. I told him I’d stick around the site and talk to him about my plans over lunch at Husky Boy’s diner, a post dive haven for Laguna Beach divers.

Finally making it up the stairs, Jim and I changed out of our gear. Right behind us were some of the guys from OC Fun Dive, a north Orange County dive group. They were heading out and couln’t join Jim and I for breakfast right on the corner of Cleo and PCH, at the Orange Inn.  The Orange Inn is the perfect place to stop for breakfast, or a sandwich, after diving the wreck.

After breakfast, Jim and I ran into Jose from the Fun Dive guys who was on his way to Shaws for a second dive. I shared the 50th anniversary idea with him and he said he’d bring it up with the rest of his group.

By that time the South Coasties had come out and we all met up at Husky’s. Rich took me to school on the history of man-made reefing in California and said he’d help me out putting this project together where he could.

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement. I’m looking forward to working with all of you to make this happen.

November 17, 2008 is the 50th anniversary of the Foss 125 sinking just off the Laguna Beach coast. Although there is not much left of the barge, it is still a good dive. This site is dedicated to supporting the activities of all those interested in commemorating this anniversary and to support creating diveable reefs in Orange County from environmentally cleaned, retired war vessels.