Jay Dorman
Wreck · Pompano Beach also known as pompano wreck trek,wreck trek (pompano
26° 13.855' N 80° 04.027' W
Advanced Open Water Max 78 ft Avg 70 ft Hot Drop
Today PMPoor
Details
Advanced Open Water
Minimum recommended certification
- Max depth
- 78 ft
- Average depth
- 70 ft
- Access
- Hot Drop
- Sea state today
- AMPoor PMPoor
Video
🎥 Dive & Beyond
Pictures 1
Where it is
26° 13.855' N 80° 04.027' W
Next boats to this site 0
No confirmed trips to this site are listed yet.
Operators that dive here
Best Gas
Gas prices
| Diluent tank | $35.50 |
| O2 tank | $10.00 |
atm
atm
Gas prices
| Aluminum 80 | $10 |
| Steel HP 100 | $10 |
| Steel LP 85 | $10 |
NDL at is
24 hr min surface interval
Always use a dive computer
Wreck Details
Sunk February 28th, 1988
Schooner
130 ftLength
20 ftBeam
Site description
This wreck sits just south of the Alpha and marks the start of the Pompano Wreck Trek. Most of the hull is broken apart and divers may only recognize part of its bow that points south.
Marine life is very abundant in this site and is very common to spot lemon sharks and Goliath groupers circling around the wreck.
There is no opportunity for penetration and divers typically hover over the wreck on their way to the next wreck in the trek: the Alpha.
Route & typical conditions
Route
More often than none, this dive is conducted as a drift dive. Diver shall maintain north course and they will have an opportunity to visit all the wreck in the trek. All wrecks are very close by which eliminates the need to keep clear headings when diving this site.
Typical conditions
Currents can be strong in this site and typically north. If so, the Jay Dorman is the first wreck where operators may drop divers. Visibility can range from 40 to 60 feet - occasionally more, but strong currents shall be present if so.
Wreck history
The steel hull schooner, launched in 1938 by Camper and Nicholsons, has an interesting history. It was originally given to Vietnamese Emperor Bao Dai by the French government after World War II, seemingly as an attempt to appease the puppet leader. For most of its existence, the yacht operated as a charter boat out of Antigua.
As for its name history, the yacht has gone through a couple of iterations. Initially named “Panda” in 1938, it later became known as “Jay Dorman” when it became a dive site.
Speaking of the dive site, it was named after Jay Dorman, a 23-year-old who tragically lost his life in May 1987. Jay and Randy Barber sought shelter under a tree during a storm on a Fort Lauderdale golf course, but unfortunately, they were struck by lightning. The Jay Dorman now rests underwater as part of a small cluster of other vessels intentionally sunk as artificial reefs. Divers can explore this site, along with the Qualmann Tugs and the Alpha, although all these wrecks have deteriorated due to hurricanes, they still offer a rewarding diving experience.
