A Historic American Vessel

The USS Rankin was built by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company and launched on December 22, 1944. Measuring approximately 459 feet long with a 63-foot beam, she was designed to transport troops, equipment, and supplies during major military operations.

During World War II, the Rankin supported operations in the Pacific and earned a battle star for her service. She participated in the Okinawa campaign, transporting troops and thousands of tons of Army ammunition. In later years, she supported amphibious training operations, responded to the 1958 Lebanon crisis, and served during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

After completing her military service, the USS Rankin was eventually decommissioned and intentionally sunk as an artificial reef. Today, she has become a massive offshore ecosystem and one of the region’s most exciting wreck-diving destinations.

Diving the USS Rankin

The Rankin is a deep offshore wreck influenced by the nearby Gulf Stream. Conditions can vary considerably, with changing current, visibility, and surface conditions. On the right day, divers may experience exceptional visibility and mild current, creating an incredible opportunity to appreciate the scale of the wreck.

The wreck’s upper structure rises well above the surrounding bottom, while the main deck and deeper sections provide extensive areas to explore. Divers can follow the wreck’s profile, examine its massive structure, and search the surrounding water column for large marine life.

This is a serious advanced dive requiring proper training, experience, gas planning, buoyancy control, and comfort in deep-water conditions. The final dive plan will be based on weather, current, diver qualifications, equipment, and the captain’s assessment of conditions.

Marine Life

The USS Rankin supports an impressive variety of marine life. Divers may encounter:

• Large barracuda gathering above the wreck
• Amberjack cruising through the water column
• Grouper sheltering around the structure
• Schools of baitfish and other pelagic species
• Occasional sharks, turtles, and other offshore visitors

Every trip offers something different, and the wreck’s location makes encounters with larger offshore species possible.

A Premium Six-Pack Experience

Go Deeper is designed for small groups seeking a more personal and capable offshore diving experience. With a maximum of six divers, the charter provides additional space, individual attention, and greater flexibility than a traditional large-group dive boat.

Rankin trips are structured as private or premium half-day charters and may include multiple drops when conditions, gas planning, and diver profiles allow. A professional deckhand is onboard to assist with equipment, entries, exits, surface support, and overall diver safety.

Departing from Stuart gives us direct access to offshore wrecks and technical dive sites north of the traditional Palm Beach charter area.

Diver Requirements

USS Rankin charters are available only to advanced divers with the appropriate certification, experience, equipment, and recent deep-diving history.

Depending on the planned profile, divers may be required to have:

• Advanced Open Water certification or higher
• Deep Diver or technical diving certification
• Nitrox certification
• Redundant gas appropriate for the planned dive
• A DSMB and reel or spool
• Two dive computers for technical profiles
• Appropriate exposure protection and equipment
• Recent experience diving beyond recreational depths

Recreational, decompression, trimix, and closed-circuit rebreather profiles may be considered based on diver qualifications and the specific charter plan. Divers remain responsible for their own gas planning, decompression obligations, equipment, and personal dive limits.

Dive the Rankin with Stuart Scuba

Join Stuart Scuba aboard Go Deeper for a premium USS Rankin wreck-diving experience departing from Stuart, Florida. Whether you are drawn to military history, deep wreck exploration, technical diving, underwater photography, or offshore marine life, the Rankin delivers an adventure that few dive sites can match.

Charters are limited to six qualified divers and are scheduled around favorable offshore conditions.