Dove on a wreck off Key West last month, found a massive crack in the hull

Was doing a maintenance dive on the Wilkes-Barre wreck near Key West about 3 weeks ago. Got down to around 100 feet and noticed a hairline crack running along the port side near the bow. It was maybe 8 feet long and looked fresh, like someone had bumped it with a boat anchor or something. I reported it to the local dive shop foreman but he shrugged it off. Has anyone else seen structural issues on wrecks down there or am I overthinking this?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbarac671mo ago

Cracks happen all the time in those old wrecks. Could just be settling.

jamie_price29d ago

Tracked it down with a local corrosion expert and it turned out to be anchor damage, not settling, so I'd say trust your gut on it. @barbarac67 might be right about cracks being common, but fresh ones near the bow can spread fast if there's hidden rust underneath.