Tuesday 6 March 2012

Amazing first days diving.

Well day one has dawned nice an early and after trying to get back to sleep I slipped out for a walk round the resort. Finally ending up at a small coffee bar by the Blue Lagoon Dive Centre . There were only locals in when I arrived but coffee is coffee . Breakfast at 9 then down to the dive shop to set up the gear for the first days diving. As there will be some deeper dives later in the week I'm using a twin 12 set up so no need to change tanks between dives.
After kitting up which too an age with the usual first day issues such ask it not working or forgotten we set off about 10 for a short 20 minute ride to the Fujikawa Maru one of the "must dive" wrecks on Truk and we get it as a check out dive. The 132m 6983 ton passenger -cargo ship sits upright in about 34m of water. First dropping down on to the deck to pay our respects at a Plaque on the deck to those that died in operation hailstorm then dropping into the hold to look at the Zero fighters in the hold that were waiting to be unloaded when the American fighters struck. After coming out of the hold we got a good look at the bow & stern guns before ending the dive.

As a break between dives we went to Etten island that had been a Japanese airfield now the locals are a lot more friendly and gave us fresh coconuts to drink which they then split so that we could eat the soft pulp.

The second dive was on the Sankisan Maru which was a freighter carrying munitions the explosion was so violent that only the bow section survives of this 112 m 4776 tone ship. It sits upright and in the hold number 1 are trucks & aircraft engines. Hold 2 has cases small arms and machine gun munitions . This ship also has a bow gun which is so encrusted with coral it is hardly recognisable.

After this dive we motored back to the dive shop to change tanks and get a bit to eat before heading off to the last dive of the day the Heian Maru unlike the first two ships which were upright the Heian is resting on her Stbd side. This once proud liner was converted in to submarine tender during the war and is the largest vessel in the lagoon at 155m 11614 ton . In the holds are many torpedo bodies warheads and periscopes which can be seen during during the swim throughs because this wreck is on its side there is some penetration and a good torch is needed.

All for today time to add some photos

1 comment:

  1. Very interesting information, and some nice photos too!

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