Experience WWII ship- wrecks of Truk Lagoon in a

Experience WWII shipwrecks of Truk Lagoon
in a way most divers
only dream of! Join
Scuba North as we travel
to Truk Lagoon from
May 3 to May 16, 2015.
While the lagoon has approximately 40 World
War II Japanese shipwrecks for divers to explore, the focus of this
trip will be the 13 less
visited deep wrecks,
which makes this trip
unique.
With the longer bottom
times afforded the CCR
diver, you will have the
opportunity to explore
these wrecks in as much
detail as you desire.
Our base of operations
will be the Truk Lagoon
Dive Center, which ofContact: Scuba North
fers the best technical
diving support in Chuuk.
231-947-2520
Oxygen and Helium are
readily available as well
Dive@scubanorth.com
as a very experienced
technical diving staff and
a fully stocked rental de- www.scubanorth.com
partment.
Space is limited, don’t wait.
The Diving
The first morning after your arrival will
be dedicated to equipment set up. We
will do 1 deep dive that afternoon, then
each day after that we will do 1 deep
dive in the morning and 1 deep dive in
the afternoon. Depending on your departure time, we likely will only do 1
dive the day before you fly out. 22
dives total. Each day the group will decide which wrecks we want to dive and
each individual can plan his dive accordingly. From December to April the
winds are predominately from the NE
and make reaching the wrecks on the outer lagoon difficult. We should be able to avoid this issue by scheduling our arrival in May. You can expect water temps to range from 82 to 85F, no
thermoclines, and minimal currents. Depths will range between 165 to 220’. A list of the wrecks we will be diving is attached. Truk Lagoon Dive Center will be providing support
(tanks, sorb, 02, He, etc) and they have a long history of being the premier center for technical
diving operations in Truk. All divers must have DAN Insurance or an equivalent.
The Accommodations
The Truk Stop Hotel is located on the island of Weno, the
capital of Chuuk State. It is situated approximately 1 mile
south of the Chuuk International Airport (your arrival and
departure point) close to the main shopping area and several supermarkets. The hotel has its own “power house” ensuring electricity is available 24 hours a day, and water
purification system. Each room has its own balcony, air
conditioning, ceiling fan, refrigerator, cable TV and DVD
player. The Truk Stop Restaurant is open daily from 6am
to 9pm and has an outdoor patio with breathtaking lagoon
views. The Hard Wreck Café and Bar is also located next door to the hotel and the ManGroove
Bar sits out over the lagoon, the perfect place to enjoy those evening sunsets.
Costs
Trip cost: $3095
Includes:
13 nights’s accommodations at Truk Stop Hotel (dbl occupancy)
22 dives
2 rebreather tanks
1 bailout tank
Airport transfers
Does not include:
Meals ($40-$50/day)
Dive permit ($30-$50)
Gases *(O2—$1.00/cuft, He—$3.50/cuft)
Sofnolime **($12.95/kg)
Airfare
Airport Depart tax ($20)
Tips/gratuities
*Listed at current prices—could change prior to the trip
date
**Sofnolime must be ordered in advance
The Truk Stop will do a food plan if divers would like to have all meals included. It would be
$55 per day and added to the cost of the trip. The advantage is then you don’t have to worry about that expense while you are there. The disadvantage is you can likely eat for less than
$55/day on your own
Payment schedule:
$500.00 deposit required to secure a spot.
$1000.00 due on or before Sept 2014
$500.00 due on or before December 1,
2014
Remainder due on or before March 2015.
*all deposit money after September 1, 2014 is non-refundable unless a qualified replacement is
secured.
The Wrecks
In February 1944 the United States Military launched Operation Hailstorm and sank more than 60 Japanese Imperial
ships in Truk Lagoon. Over the years, Truk has become known as the “mecca” for wreck divers, drawing people from all over the globe year after year. We plan to offer an even more unique opportunity by focusing on the wrecks
most divers who visit Truk see very little of. The wrecks we will concentrate on are as follows:
Sites are listed alphabetically.
Aikoku Maru
Ave depth 50m/165ft
Max depth 64m/210ft
Upright
A huge explosion completely destroyed the forward part of this troop carrier, but you can still find anti-aircraft guns
and a large stern gun pointing skywards where they last fired in battle. Check out the memorial plaques and
Buddha statue on the deck. Inside the superstructure you’ll find many bathrooms;; inside the holds you can tour tem-­
porary troop quarters. Engine room penetrations are advanced, but well worth it for qualified divers.
Amagisan Maru
Ave depth 50m/165ft
Max depth 64m/210ft
_
Upright
This passenger-cargo ship sits upright with a strong list to port on an incline with the stern much deeper than the
bow. Good bow and stern guns; front holds contain a car, bicycles, aircraft parts and there is a tanker truck out
on the sand. Engine room is accessible, but not easy to penetrate.
Fujisan Maru
Ave depth 49m/162ft
Max depth 61m/200ft _
Upright
This tanker sits upright with a strong list to port and extensive bomb damage to stern. Anchors are out, front holds
caved in at the sides and large paravanes are located in front of the bridge. Superstructure is accessible and
although the engine room is not easy to reach it’s well worth a visit.
Hoki Maru
Ave depth 35m/115ft
Max depth 50m/165ft
Upright
The underwater truck parking lot! Visit the aft hold to see trucks, tractors, a steamroller and a bulldozer balanced
precariously on the cross beams. Depth charges, spare propeller blades and aerial bombs can also be found. The
forward half of the wreck was split and folded out by a huge explosion. Advanced penetration opportunities exist
in the engine room and superstructure. The tip of the bow remains intact.
Hokoyo Maru
Ave depth 50m+/165ft+
Max depth 64m/210ft
Upright
Not often dived as there is little cargo in the holds. Telegraphs and the helm can be found in the open bridge.
Plenty of artifacts to be found in the different levels of the superstructure. There are a couple of ways to access the
engine room, including a hole caused by the boiler exploding.
Katsuragisan Maru
Ave depth 58m/190ft
Max depth 70m/230ft
Upright
The most recent wreck to have been found; this ship was sunk when it hit a mine in the NE pass. Sits in an exposed
location close to the pass, and requires calm weather to get there, so rarely dived. Decks are covered in lanterns,
and in the holds you can find rolled up fencing, ammunition, trucks and radio equipment.
Nagano Maru
Ave depth 55m/180ft
Max depth 64m/210ft
Upright
This cargo ship has intact truck in Hold No 2, along with a track assembly, 2 more trucks and large construction
equipment and trailers. China can be found in Hold 3 and the superstructure. Interesting engine room that can be
accessed from a couple of different ways.
Nippo Maru
Ave depth 37m/120ft
Max depth 47m/155ft
Upright
Lots to see on this wreck. On the deck is a small tank, 3 howitzer field guns, anti aircraft gun and a truck frame. In
the holds are shells, detonators, gun bases, sake and beer bottles, huge water tanks, gas masks, mess kits and rifle
ammunition. The photogenic bridge has a telegraph and binnacle. The engine room can be accessed through a
torpedo hole in the side, or from the superstructure.
Oite
Ave depth 57m/190ft
Max depth 62m/205ft
Upright/Upside Down
This destroyer is split into 2 pieces; the bow is upside down, while the stern section sits upright. Located in the N part
of the atoll, it’s an exposed location, so calm weather is essential. On the deck you can find anti aircraft guns, a
main battery gun and depth charges. Torpedoes launchers can be found on the sand nearby with torpedoes
loaded inside. The engine room is accessible, but tight. Inside the bow section you can access crew sections and
galley. The 2 massive propellers that gave her a max speed of 37 knots are very impressive.
Reiyo Maru
Ave Depth 55m/180ft
Max Depth 64m/210ft
Upright
This passenger cargo ship was an older type with a spacious engine room and unusual shaped stern. Ferocious fires
weakened many structures. Aircraft engines, steels bars and other cargo can be found inside the collapsing holds.
San Francisco Maru
Ave Depth 50m/165ft
Max Depth 64m/210ft
Upright
Truk Lagoons most famous deep dive. There are 3 tanks on the deck; trucks in the second hold along with aircraft
engines and china. Hemispherical mines can be found in the first hold with torpedoes, bombs, hundreds of depth
charges, and cordite containers. There is a well-preserved bow gun. The engine room is great with easy access.
The back holds are filled with ammunition, torpedoes and other cargo and there are depth charges on the stern.
Seiko Maru
Ave depth 40m/130ft
Max Depth 55m/180ft
Upright
This cargo ship has a field gun on the bow, and many long lance torpedoes in Hold No 1. In the back holds there is
lumber, large spoked wheels and construction equipment. The spacious engine room is located at the stern and is
heavily damaged. You can get inside from the skylights and exit from the torpedo hole in the back.
The superstructure has large rooms, full of artifacts including bottles, glasses, boots and china.
Shotan Maru
Ave depth 42m/140ft
Max Depth 55m/180ft
Upright
Bottles, ammunitions, a large portable generator and the damaged remains of trucks can be found inside the
forward holds. Aft of the superstructure anti aircraft guns have fallen through the deck, and sit one level down.
The engine room is accessible from inside the superstructure, and is well preserved. The aft holds are heavily damaged, nearly splitting the ship in two. On the stern you can find a gun and emergency steering helm.
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