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San Pablo / Russian Freighter
 Pensacola, FL
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Max Depth: 91-100ft/28-30m
Average Viz: 41-50ft/12-15m
Entry Type: Boat
Bottom Composition: Sand
Aquatic Life: Plenty To See
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Rating: 4.33 by 18 divers
Spring: 71-75°F/22-24°C
Summer: 81-85°F/27-29°C
Fall: 76-80°F/24-27°C
Winter: 66-70°F/19-21°C
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San Pablo / Russian Freighter is a boat accessible salt water dive site, located in Pensacola, FL. This dive site has an average rating of 4.33 out of 5 from 18 scuba divers. The maximum depth is 91-100ft/28-30m. The average visibility is 41-50ft/12-15m. This dive site provides bathrooms and airfills.
30° 11.333’ N 087° 13.057’ W
The S.S. San Pablo was a refrigerated cargo steamer built in 1915 in Ireland. The ship had three decks and a steel hull. It’s length was 315 feet and she had a 40 foot beam. Prior to World War II, the San Pablo was owned by Central American merchants and mainly shipped fruit between Caribbean ports. Like all other merchant vessels, during World War II the San Pablo became a target for the German submarines who sought to disrupt commerce worldwide.
In May 1942, a U-boat intercepted and fired on San Pablo as she sailed near the Yucatan Channel. The San Pablo was unarmed and so frantically maneuvered in an attempt to outrun the submarine. Finally, the Key West command center bluffed the Germans by radioing that air support was on the way. The U-boat submerged which allowed the San Pablo to escape to safety in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.
Unfortunately, the San Pablo was not safe for long. While unloading cargo at the same port in July, the German submarine U-161 fired two torpedoes which struck the San Pablo midship. The ship quickly sank, killing all 23 men aboard. The masts and superstructure remained above water.
In early 1943, the ship was raised and towed to Tampa for repairs. However, the War Shipping Administration declared the San Pablo a total loss. She was then towed to Panama City and sunk in September 1943 for use in target practice (Cover Story). Later it was decided that the ship was a hazard to navigation, so it was destroyed by explosives.
Capt Gene from Wet Dream told us the ship did not sink accidentally after WW2 torpedo damage in Costa Rica, and being towed toward a Mobile AL shipyard when she just sank. Instead, she was a target ship for a secret OSS operation to test a remote-control speedboat loaded with explosives and scuttle charges (and which could be disguised as a local fishing boat complete with fake engine noise and exhaust smoke to defeat the axis hydrophones so as to sneak past their harbor defenses) which had forward-looking television broadcast back to a control station (on a B-17 just above) who could "see" and steer her and work the throttle by radio control. Well, it worked just fine, check out the waterspout when the submerged charges went off on starboard side midships on the PABLO:
Video of test and wreck;
floridapanhandledivetrail.com/san-pablo.htmlLink to story;
floridapanhandledivetrail.com/san-pablo.htmlThe wreck is now mostly debris, but the boilers and stern section are somewhat intact. The wreckage sits in 75-85 feet of water less than ten miles from Pensacola Pass. Many fishermen frequent the wreck which has attracted a large marine community. Grouper, snapper, cobia, flounder, and schools of baitfish frequent the wreck. Many consider the spot great for photography and visibility of 100 feet has been reported at times.
This wreck is also known locally as the "Russian Freighter", but nobody knows how the San Pablo came to called this
Nice dive but pretty much destroyed except for the Boiler which has the tallest relief on the wreck. But lots of fish and usually see a shark of or two
YouTube;
youtube.com/watch?v=C_H6KGJaa9k