Scuba Conversational - Issue #44
Bikini Bound
In previous issues, I have occasionally dropped in an ancient low-res image of divers on the shipwrecks of Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. These are the remains of warships that were deliberately sunk in Operation Crossroads, a pair of weapons tests carried out in 1946 to see what would happen if you detonated nuclear bombs close to large vessels. The first test was airborne; the second was underwater. The experiments showed conclusively that some ships would sink and some ships would not. It depended how far away they were from the blasts. The experiments also showed that if you were observing the experiments and were showered with radioactive sea water it could make you very sick very quickly.
Two of the ships with historical significance that were sent to the bottom of the sea by these explosions were the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga and the Nagato, Admiral Yamamoto’s flagship during the attack on Pearl Harbour and the only Japanese battleship to survive the Second World War.
We used to run annual trips out of Guam for groups of technical divers who wanted to visit the wrecks. There was a small resort and dive center on one of the islands surrounding the lagoon, that was occupied during the diving season. Otherwise Bikini was completely uninhabited.
We would fly from Guam to Majuro on the Air Micronesia Island Hopper, stopping at Truk, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Kawajalein on the way, then the following day take a small Air Marshall Islands plane to Bikini, bouncing in Kwajalein (again) en route. We would do six days of diving - two dives a day - and then retrace our steps all the way across the Western Pacific back to Guam again. The dives were on air in manifolded double cylinders to a maximum depth of 50m (165ft ) or so with 30 minutes of bottom time and decompression on a trapeze under the dive boat connected to the shot line. A dozen regulators delivering nitrox 80 snaked down from the boat and were clipped off to the bottom rung of the trapeze at 9m (30ft) for divers to pick up and breathe from when they got there.
The diving operation was the brainchild of Jack Niedenthal and Fabio Amaral and it ran from 1996, when Bikini was declared safe (although it was not recommended to eat the coconuts), until 2008, when it was shut down because the air service from Majuro to Bikini had become too unreliable. Two dive groups in a row were left stranded in Majuro because there were no planes available and that was that.
Today, the only way to dive Bikini is by liveaboard out of Ebeye (part of Kwajalein), see below. It’s not a cheap trip by any means - it never was - but it is quite a notch to have on your weight belt.
The video link above is of a dive on the Saratoga made during a trip run by Pete Mesley's Lust for Rust operation in 2013.
If you are interested in going there these days, The Dirty Dozen Expeditions has three to four liveaboard Bikini trips per year scheduled for 2023, 2024 and 2025. Here is their webpage -
Logistics and diving conditions considerations while wreck diving Bikini Atoll.
The Dirty Dozen page includes this image of the old dive resort - now mostly abandoned - a picture which brought back some great memories. The guest rooms were the blocks to the left on the beachfront with a million dollar view from the terrace.
Here's the Dirty Dozen introductory video with some 1946 Operation Crossroads footage and recent video of a few of the wreck dives.
Rebreather Guide
In the days when I used to run Bikini expeditions, we were all on open circuit. Now, we would all be on rebreathers.
If you have been mulling over making the jump to closed circuit, if you are already there and are thinking of changing units, or even if you just want to see what is out there these days, then Michael Menduno and his InDepth team have what you need, with their seasonal guide - see below. It features 17 back mount, 8 side mount and 3 chest mount rebreathers and includes some very useful comparison charts.
But, when you are choosing, bear in mind that the closed circuit landscape changes fast. Over the past two decades many divers have found themselves the proud owners of a pile of expensive hardware made by a company that no longer exists. So consider the commercial background and record of the manufacturer as well as the features and benefits of the models you are considering. Take account of where you live too and how easy it will be to get service support. There is a chapter in Scuba Exceptional about all this.
The Mesophotic Zone
And while I am on the topic, here's a link that Edd Stockdale brought to my attention. Edd is now based in Finland and is involved in exactly the sort of work that the article discusses - using technology to push the limits of human exploration of the sea in the pursuit of science. The article also explains where the mesophotic zone lies. Most of you will have at least dipped your toe in it from time to time, but few will have spent much time there.
This is what Edd is up to these days.
A return to Türkiye
Funky new name but the same place - my pal Mahmut Suner has had to make a slight change to the title of the second issue of his online Underwater Wonders series. This one will feature:
22 diving locations
15 underwater videos
Shipwrecks of the last hundred years and more
The new publication will go live later this week. Here are a few photos to whet your appetite in the meantime...
New books
We have hit the ground running in this new year, with the publication of one new print / e-book and one new audiobook.
Olaf Götz's excellent recording of Yvonne Press's German version of Scuba Exceptional - Erfahrungssache Tauchen - is now available via Audible and Amazon.
And, serendipitously, just as we make the move to Taiwan, the French translation of Dive into Taiwan - Plongez dans Taïwan - expertly crafted by Sofie with the help of Stephane Vanhuffel has hit the Amazon, Kobo, Apple, Googleplay and other "bookshelves". The book is now available in four languages (the other two are Dutch and Chinese). Soon Taiwan's fame as a dive destination will be universal!!
Achetez Boutique Kindle - Sports : Amazon.fr
Denmark here we come
And while I am on the topic of world domination, Danish divers will be interested to hear that, thanks to Peter and Gunild Symes, the X-Ray magazine people, some of my X-Ray columns published over the years will now be appearing in a new Danish dive magazine that they have just launched.
Defensive Diving (Defensiv Dykning) is in the first issue. More will follow.
Here's the link. As you would expect from the Symes, it is a good-looking magazine and completely free to download at
https://pdfs.xray-mag.com/blade/Sportsdykkeren_01_laast.pdf
Meet James
One of the diving blogs I follow is written by James Mott, who is part of the team that produces The Great Dive Podcast. His latest piece is all about failure points and makes good reading.
Subscribe to the blog via this page...
It is not a matter of which certification agency but rather a lack of philosophy...
And find out more about The Great Dive Podcast here.
See you next time
I hope you enjoyed this issue of Scuba Conversational.
You can learn more about my books and read my Scuba Solutions blog here on my website www.simonpridmore.com
Here is the link to my Amazon author page
Amazon.com: Simon Pridmore: books, biography, latest update
and here is the link to my first novel May the People Know I’m Here?
Amazon.com: May the People Know I'm Here? eBook : Pridmore, S. J.: Books
If you have any suggestions or comments on the topics mentioned here - or any other diving-related subject really - I would love to hear from you. I am on Facebook and Instagram or you can email me at divebooks@simonpridmore.com
By the way, all the photographs in these newsletters are copyrighted to the photographers. If you want to use one, borrow one or copy one, please let me know and I’ll pass the request on. The answer will usually be “sure!” but it’s nice to ask first.
Finally, the banner image at the top of the newsletter was taken by Kyo Liu. It shows the shipwreck in Badai Bay, off Taiwan’s Orchid Island. The eagle eyed among you will notice that it is also the cover image of my Dive into Taiwan book.
Cheers,
Simon