Robert Edmister
Robert Edmister or Cape Gull
Fort Lauderdale Dive Sites
The USCG coastguard cutter known as the Robert Edmister wreck is located just 1 mile offshore of Fort Lauderdale and only a few hundred meters south of another wreck the Jay Scutti.
Fort Lauderdale – Wreck Diving
The cutter was built at the coast guard yard in Curtis Bay in 1953 and was launched under the name Cape Gull.
During her working life she was used as a search and rescue vessel and took her part in guarding the coast from drug smugglers.
In 1984 she sunk after a fire engulfed the ship and she was to a local business man from Fort Lauderdale Dale Scutti who bought the cutter in memory of a friend Robert Edmister who had been a champion of the environment. In December 1989 the Cape Gull was renamed and sunk a few hundred meters from the wreck Jay Scutti a ship Dale had purchased in memory of his son.
The Cape Gull was a 95 foot steel hulled cutter and now sits in 70 feet of water. She originally landed in a sandy part of the water facing north to south and was developing nicely with growth and marine life becoming established. The wreck had easy access and penetration but was severely damaged during Hurricane Andrew.
She can be seen by snorkelers and is considered a novice wreck dive.
Fort Lauderdale Scuba Videos
One of the attractions of Fort Lauderdale scuba diving is that you will be able to take underwater photographs or underwater videos such as the one below.The waters are warm and clear so you will be able to get some good shots.
This video was taken at the Robert Edmister wreck and you can see she remains intact and is great to explore. This video also gives you an idea of what to expect when scuba diving in Fort Lauderdale. (Press the button second right on the bottom of the video player to see it in full screen)…
Terence’s Log
As you can see in the video above although damaged by Hurricane Andrew this wreck is still an interesting dive especially for novice wreck divers.
The whole area around the wreck is teeming with marine life and you will not be disappointed on this dive. The shallow waters also makes it ideal for underwater photography and underwater videos.
