Gary Gentile — Deep Wreck Diver Text by Michael Menduno. Photos courtesy of Michael Menduno and . Black and white images are by Joel Silverstein.

Gary Gentile not only helped Pennsylvania, explains pioneer deep , but the early development “ also documented its art and of deep wreck diving and the impact that is a matter craft, in addition to his finds so the advent of mixed that others may follow in his gas technology was of mind, not footsteps. They are big shoes, having on the com- munity. You can find physique.” err, fins to follow. The 66-year his writings and photo- explorer and author has made graphs at www.ggen- over 2,000 dives tile.com. (—ed.) including more than 200 dives “Deep diving is a mat- on the Andrea Doria, and has ter of mind, not phy- published 58 books—38 on div- sique.” Gary Gentile ing including his best sellers, should know. As one of the pioneers of deep The Handbook, wreck diving, Gentile, Exposed, and a 20-year veteran, Dive Guide series, has logged over 1,000 along with 17 science fiction decompression dives— 70 on the Andrea Doria novels. He has also published alone—and spends six more than 3,000 photographs. months out of every The man is truly prolific! year diving wrecks from the eastern seaboard His latest book, NOAA’s Ark: the Rise of to the in the Fourth Reich, which was released in the . May 2013, details the National Oceanic When he’s not div- wreck diving circles. tell a pioneer from the arrows in his Quiet and self-directed, with a ten- and Atmospheric Administrations efforts ing, Gentile, 44, father of one, is busy at Long regarded as one of the crazies, back,” Gentile’s depth is easily recogniz- dency to keep to himself, Gentile gained to expand and restrict access to divers the library researching lost ships, giving Gentile began his deep diving career able. With a well-worn pair of notoriety through his protracted six-year and sportsman to the U.S. National lectures, or writing. With 16 titles under back in the early 70’s, and was regu- Pros strapped to his console, double battle with the federal government to Marine Sanctuaries. It’s a battle that his belt, including seven science-fiction larly making hour hangs before recrea- over-pumped Gen 100s, a Luxfer Slim 30 dive the USS Monitor, a civil war ironclad, Gentile’s been fighting for nearly three novels and two new shipwreck guides on tional divers could even pronounce the pony, a 300-foot decompression reel, 16 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, decades since his successful six-year bat- the way, Gentile’s writing is as prolific as “D-word.” Since helping put together his and a rust-covered BC that’s seen its , which was declared tle with the federal Government to dive his 200-feet plus working dives. One of his first charter to the Doria in 1974, he’s had share of flooded corridors, Gentile is as a National Marine Sanctuary in 1975. the USS Monitor back in the early 90’s. books, Advanced Wreck Diving Guide, a lonely sojourn waiting for the rest of the comfortable shooting turrets alone at 250 Recounts Gentile, “It’s what I call bureau- Here is this 1991 interview reprinted in its which covers everything from decom- industry to catch up. Perhaps it finally feet as he is explaining, in methodical cratic territoriality. The people at NOAA original form from aquaCORPS N3 DEEP, pression techniques to artifact recovery, has. detail, the history and stature of a ship who are working in the Marine Sanctuary Gentile who now resides in Jim Thorpe, has become almost a bible in serious Like the old adage, “You can always he’s planning to dive. Program feel they own the wreck. They

45 X-RAY MAG : 59 : 2014 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO profile Gentile local people—the people in dive clubs— techniques and looked at me as a madman. I’ve gotten developed my back on the boat many times only to own, just like eve- have people say to me, “What were you rybody else does. doing down there? Why were you just Wreck diving tends hanging on the anchor line?” to be an evolving People didn’t know anything about sport; everybody decompression dives. And those who who gets into it did didn’t approve because I was doing looks at what other long decompressions. It wasn’t that I people are doing liked decompression diving; it was that I and adds his own wanted more bottom time. I was willing little improvements. to sacrifice for it. I got into that as well. I was really How did you get trained in decompres- fortunate to get sion? in with a group of expert divers. I had the good fortune of falling in with a small group of divers who were doing Would you say that deep decompression dives. At the time, deep wreck diving deep was considered 160, 170 feet. as practiced today That was the group I first dove the Doria is fairly safe? were there. And that’s just one area. The with back in ‘74, and we took a lot of same is true all around the country. flak for it. People looked at us as crazies Absolutely. It’s much safer than it was. because we were doing dives no one Of course, it all depends on your level Communication has been a problem, else would do. of expertise. The people that are serious then? That’s how I picked up most of my about diving deep wrecks and doing don’t want private sector encroach- Interestingly enough, Gentile’s July early experience in the water—the things decompression are as comfortable with A real problem. Most wreck divers are ment. They look upon it as their wreck, victory dives on the Monitor were con- I wasn’t taught in courses. I studied their what they’re doing—probably more just doing their own thing. They’re not and they view me—the public—as a tres- ducted as practice runs for a deep dive comfortable—than the seeking publicity; they’re not in it for an passer.” on the Ostfriesland, a German battleship common tourist diver ego trip (some are, of course, but most But the Monitor battle was more than lying in 380 feet of water, which he and who dives to 25 feet, but aren’t). So, there’s not a lot of publicity a struggle for the diving public’s right his diving partner, Ken Clayton, success- only goes to or the about it. of access; it became a struggle for the fully conducted on mix a month later. Caribbean once a year, recognition of technical diving as well. His motivation? “It’s about freedom,” and is out of shape. Would you say it’s a competitive field, NOAA refused the 11 permit applica- explains Gentile, “a battle I’ve been people looking at what others are doing tions filed by Gentile and others on the fighting all my life. There will always be How many serious wreck and wanting to be the “first” or wanting grounds that diving the wreck, which lies people who’ll tell you, ‘You shouldn’t divers are there? to be acknowledged? That’s certainly in 220 feet of water, was too dangerous be doing this. It’s dangerous. It can’t be the case in the community. using ordinary scuba, placing it beyond done.’ That’s their problem. I just want to I’m finding, as I travel the limits of . live my life the way I want to and for me, more, that there are It’s funny, when I first got into diving, I Gentile’s court victory earlier this year that’s what these dives are all about.” many thousands. For thought it was the greatest sport in the and long-awaited permit to dive the example, when I first world because everyone was working Monitor was a professional and personal aquaCORPS: Gary, you’ve been on the traveled to the Great with everyone else, and everyone was vindication. The verdict? NOAA’s stand- cutting edge of wreck diving for 20 years Lakes a couple of years trying to see that everybody had a good ards were deemed antiquated and and you were one of the first people to ago, I discovered a safe dive—no competition. I very quickly failed to account for advances in diving dive the Andrea Doria back in 1974. Did whole new group of found out that wasn’t true. technology and techniques. Furthermore, you take a lot of heat for your diving wreck divers I had never There were people who wanted to be the court found that Gentile and his col- back then? known existed. I was the first to discover a wreck, or the first to leagues were wrongly and improperly astonished at how many collect an artifact. Artifacts have ruined classified as recreational divers. Gary Gentile: My entire diving career, the good deep wreck divers more friendships than anything I know.

46 X-RAY MAG : 59 : 2014 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO profile Gentile which the diving is conducted. you say most wreck divers are well equipped? What are the skills and expertise required to be a serious wreck The average wreck diver diver? isn’t equipped—not for tech- nical diving. But you have Number one is awareness. There to understand that the aver- are a lot of potential in age wreck diver is still the wreck diving that can be cre- kind of person who dives on ated simply by being unaware of a weekend once or twice a them. For example, entanglement month. He doesn’t get that in monofilament—fishing nets—is many dives under his belt. a very serious problem for wreck He’s under economic con- divers. straints and probably won’t After awareness, I would say be buying the top-of-the- it comes down to experience. line regulator or BC. He buys When you talk real wreck diving, equipment he can afford. On the other hand, a certain diving tends to be done in an you’re talking about a combina- Most of these divers are amount of competition is prob- uncontrolled environment. There tion of penetration, deep diving, diving wrecks in the 80 ably good. It means people are are a lot of factors that can com- and decompression diving. Put to100-foot range, and a few interested in exploration and are promise safety. Storms can kick up all three together and you’ve got in the 100 to130-foot range. willing to go out and do some- very quickly at sea when divers quite a package. Then there are the people thing—take action. That helps are in the water; currents can You have to be an expert who are diving 130 feet and advance the sport. come in when divers are decom- at decompression diving. And beyond. You’ll find that their pressing. A lot of things can go you’ve got to have the proper equipment, generally speak- It’s my impression that the cave wrong. It’s the changeable condi- equipment for each one of those ing, is far superior to the diving community is generally tions that wreck diving necessar- disciplines, including emergency so-called “tourist divers” run- better organized than the wreck ily encounters—being out there back-ups, like decompression ning the shallow wrecks. diving community, and, I would in the ocean or on a boat—that reels and ponies. Shallow wreck diving is guess, has a much better safety compromises safety. There are a Equipment is important. That’s essentially the same as reef record. Is this true? lot of injuries just on the boat— something you learn only through diving in terms of the kind getting on, getting off—that kind experience. Get out there and do of expertise that’s required. If that’s true, I think it’s mostly of stuff. All in all, I think it’s prob- it; find out what equipment is nec- It’s when you start doing because of better communica- ably true that the safety record essary for decompression when things—recovering artifacts, tion among cave divers than among cave divers is better. But it an anchor line breaks loose, for inflating lift bags, penetrat- among wreck divers—commu- doesn’t have so much to do with example. You can’t stage bottles ing wrecks, getting into nication of techniques. And that the diving as it does with the like you can in a cave, so you’ve decompression—then you’re means safety efforts would natu- condi- tions under got a problem there if you want talking about a different rally evolve faster. to set up a deep dive. And, like area. Then you really need But there may be another fac- the caves, you can’t come right the proper equipment. tor involved in the safety to the surface. So, once you gain issue. By and awareness and then gather expe- In your book Advanced large, wreck rience, you also need to be prop- Wreck Diving Guide you talk erly equipped. a lot about equipment tech- niques and methods. How Would did you develop those?

I can’t claim to have developed all wreck diving community when writing. those tech- those techniques were being Some of the things I worked on Model of the niques. I was developed. What I can claim myself, but it was an evolutionary USS Monitor part of the credit for is setting them down in process. To make a decompres-

WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

47 X-RAY MAG : 59 : 2014 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO profile ...if you really want to Gentile accomplish something, How about you? you need to switch to We dove another battle- For me, it’s an historical event. I’m a ship last year in Washington. researcher and I’ve written about the Personally, I’m a wreck mix. And that’s my That was 290 feet. It was Ostfriesland in my upcoming book, diver. My goals are to be concern: accomplish- sunk in 1924 as a naval tar- of Virginia. I get a great deal able to use mixed gas ing something. Not get. of satisfaction out of doing research; to get to a wreck, not concluding that, yes, a wreck is sup- to gain the expertise in just getting there and You did it on air? posed to be in such-and-such a location, mixed gas diving itself. saying you did it; but then going out there and verifying and Yep. We did it on air, down identifying the wreck to prove that my You mentioned that doing something when to 290 feet. I personally research was valid. That’s what’ll give me “deep” used to be con- you get there. felt that it was pretty close the most satisfaction on the Ostfriesland; sidered 160 or 170 feet. to stretching the enve- to actually locate it from when it was lost What’s considered deep today in the lope. Beyond that, if you really want to in 1921. serious wreck community? accomplish something, you need to There’s also the minor satisfaction of switch to mix. And that’s my concern: conducting a deep dive like I’ve never These days 200 is not considered deep accomplishing something. Not just get- done before. But if you were to ask Ken in the crowd that I dive with. A 200- ting there and saying you did it; but Clayton, who I’ll be diving with, the same foot dive…is something you talk about doing something when you get there. question, he would give you a different between bites of a sandwich. “Oh, 200? That’s what we’re planning for the answer. I think Ken’s answer would be Okay.” If one of them jumped in the Ostfriesland. that his satisfaction will be to dive deep- water, and you told him he would be div- er. Mine is not; I’m coming from the his- sion reel, you’d look at what someone tom tables for accelerated decompres- ing 200 feet, he’d say, “Okay,” glance What do you hope to accomplish? torical perspective of actually being on had said and say, “That’s good, but I can sion times, are still being worked out. at his tables to refresh his mind on what that wreck. And I don’t mean driving an add this and make it better.” Then some- decompression schedules he’d be using, one else would look at it and say, “Yes, How about mixed gas? and then go do it. What I’m seeing as but let’s do it this way.” deep these days is 250-foot plus. Now I saw the development occurring; I was I think mixed gas diving is going to be we’re talking deep. in the middle of it. I remember one time the wave of the future in wreck diving trying to retrace who actually developed because people are already reaching You’re planning to dive the Ostfriesland. the idea of making a decompression reel or exceeding the limits of air diving, and Would you talk about the project? with the disks on the end to prevent the yet, they still want to venture further to rope from coming out around the pins. the deeper wrecks. The only way to do The Ostfriesland is a German battleship No one knew. It had evolved; no one it is with mixed gas; at least, it’s the only that was brought to this country as part had any awareness of who had done way to do it and remember it! of reparations after World War I. The it. It was a group effort that was done did some tests on it incrementally. What do you see as some of the advan- and had it sitting in dry dock until Billy tages of mixed gas besides “remember- Mitchell decided to use it to prove to the Do you think recommended procedures ing what you saw”? Navy that Army bombers could sink Navy and techniques will eventually evolve? capitol ships. So, in 1921, the Ostfriesland I’ve had a very curious thought about was towed some 70 miles off the Virginia Yes I do. Most of the procedures in mixed gas. It’s clearly the wave of the coast and Billy Mitchell successfully sank Advanced Wreck Diving Guide are now future, but for some people, I think it may it with an aerial bombardment. the lowest common denominator. That also become an end in itself; becoming Its position had been lost since that book is not the end result. It’s a take- proficient in managing the technology. I time; nobody cared about it. But it’s off point for the next generation, and see people wanting to do mixed gas div- been relocated, first through historical I expect to see evolution coming from ing as much to do the dive as to see the records, and then by taking the boat out that. In fact, the sport is evolving already. wreck. They want to do something that there and checking the various fisher- Some of the things we’re doing now, like other people haven’t done. That’s what men’s LORAN coordinates that coincid- using to add a safety margin in the new frontier is all about; to do some- ed with the records. It appears to be in decompression—mostly for deep diving— thing that other people haven’t done. some 380 feet of water, so it’s definitely a

or using decompression and cus- That’s exciting; a real challenge. mixed gas dive. COMMONS WIKIPEDIA Historical image of the SMS Ostfriesland

48 X-RAY MAG : 59 : 2014 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO Work hard. profile Work hard to gain the Gentile experience necessary to thing this means to us is that we have to is Shipwrecks of North came, it wouldn’t have come back to the anchor line. Carolina. That keeps do what you want to do. been so emotionally diffi- me busy when I’m not Everyone can enjoy these cult to handle. That’s why What will your total decompression time diving. As for diving, experiences if they’re will- I think the first thing peo- be? I’m still adventuring ple can do is to take a looking for dives that I ing to put in the time. course or read up on the Two hours and 15 minutes. haven’t done before. Just gain the expertise to literature that’s available Not necessarily wrecks so they can practice on That sounds pretty reasonable. It’s prob- that no one has seen, do them safely. their own. ably not any longer than a lot of your but photogenic wrecks Of course, there’s only a deep air dives. that I haven’t seen. My emphasis is pho- certain amount you can do in a course; tography. It’s hard sometimes for me to most of what you learn has to be gained We did a two hour and 45-minute say that. My interests are split between in the field. You’ve got to get out there decompression on the Monitor. After a adventure and photography; I blend the and do it. That means getting in the 25-minute bottom-time on air, we used two together. Sometimes I feel guilty hav- water a lot, practicing techniques, doing

computers and O2 as a safety factor. ing an adventure without taking pictures. the diving, gaining the experience—you It’s like having a good time without any- can’t get that from a book. You just have ROV on it. I’m a person who enjoys the contained. On air, you go down, come There’s some complicated logistics. thing to show for it, so I always temper to go out there and do it. ■ experience of being there myself. I want up, and decompress on your own air. myself. I want to share those adventures to be on the Ostfriesland myself. But once you get into mixed gas div- Mixed gas diving is complicated, and with other people. Writer and technologist Michael ing, in order to not have to decompress complicated means expensive—much Menduno published and edited aqua- What are some of the planning issues for something like four hours or more, more expensive. But remember, what What’s your advice for the people who Corps: The Journal for Technical Diving you’ve had to confront in putting togeth- you’ve got to go we’re talking about is are interested in expanding their wreck (1990-1996), which helped usher tech er the dive? into an acceler- not just your everyday diving skills? diving into the mainstream of sports ated decompres- Mixed gas diving is compli- adventure. It’s not for diving, and coined the term “techni- The most difficult part was planning the sion schedule that people who just sit at Work hard. Work hard to gain the experi- cal diving.” He also organized the first mix, staging, and decompression. The requires multiple gas cated, and complicated means home and watch the ence necessary to do what you want to Tek, EuroTek and AsiaTek conferences, initial step was arranging for the gas mix; switches during the expensive—much more expen- boob tube. It’s for the do. Everyone can enjoy these experienc- and Forums 1.0 and 2.0. Dr Bill Hamilton worked with us on that. I ascent to several kind of people who es if they’re willing to put in the time. Just Menduno, who is based in Palm Springs, see Bill and others like him as being the nitrox mixes, and sive. But remember, what we’re want to go out and gain the expertise to do them safely. California, USA, remains an avid diver.

guiding lights on the evolution of mixed finally O2, based on talking about is not just your experience something gas diving in the future because they’re custom tables. everyday adventure. It’s not for that not everyone can From a practical point of the ones that are providing us with the It means you have. We’re willing to view, how should people wherewithal to do it. I’m not the expert need surface sup- people who just sit at home and do what is necessary go about doing that? on it. I rely on his expertise, just as I rely on port personnel: sup- watch the boob tube. It’s for the to have that experi- the captain’s expertise to run the boat port divers who are ence! There are not a lot of out there and locate the wreck. going to go down kind of people who want to go courses, but there are It all has to be put together. But once to 100 feet to clip out and experience something Are you going to some. I know several dive you do, the dive itself becomes relatively off the nitrox bot- take pictures on the shops teaching wreck div- simple because there are no narcotic tles and have the that not everyone can have. Ostfriesland? ing courses and actually effects. It’s just like making any other oxygen hoses ready We’re willing to do what is nec- showing people how to dive, except it’ll take you longer to get for our 20-foot stop. Unfortunately, we make a decompression to the bottom. Once you get there, you’ll It means you’re no essary to have that experience! don’t have a camera dive. So, you don’t have feel just as comfortable as you do on a longer just jumping that’ll go that deep. to do it the way I did it the 100-foot dive. off the side of the boat, going off on your first time; suddenly finding own, and coming back with your dive What are your personal diving goals over myself in decompression, As I understand it, you’ll be making a done. There’s a lot of set-up when you the next 12 months? scared to death because fairly short dive to that depth. get there and you can’t do the set-up I’d never done it before. yourself. Aside from the Ostfriesland trip, I’m in If I’d done it a half Eleven minutes. But the complication We’re taking clip-on stage bottles, of the middle of writing two books: one is dozen times when it didn’t comes in that you’re no longer self- course, as a back-up. But the biggest a science fiction novel and the other count, when the real time USCG / WIKIPEDIA COMMONS The SS Andrea Doria sinking after collision in the Atlantic, 1956

49 X-RAY MAG : 59 : 2014 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO