August 2, 2025 – August 9, 2025 CDT
a Tech/Recreational trip
a Tech/Recreational trip
Technical Dive Charter to see the Deeper wrecks in the lagoon
The day is winding down and so is this phase of the trip. Tomorrow we leave the boat and the diving in Truk Lagoon is just a memory.
The deep dive this morning was the San Francisco Maru, also known as the million dollar wreck. It is a trust me dive for the divers with no experience with deeper diving or decompression diving. For the rest of the divers it is an opportunity to view a wreck with some amazing amazing cargo including sand mines, mortar shells, large caliber shells, water trucks, tanks, depth charges and torpedoes all on one wreck. Of course to see them, you have to go past 160 feet.
This was Susan’s Advanced Recreational Trimix dive and over the past few dives, she hasn’t wanted to do too many overhangs and cargo holds but we went down into the first cargo hold to look at the sand bombs and then from cargo hole one to cargo hold 2 where the water trucks are poised on the deck beams just above your head; it is a beautiful sight looking up at the old Nissan radiators and the bright blue water just beyond.
After working our way through the parking lot, we popped out on deck right where the Japanese two-man tanks are parked on the deck. These are small battle tanks that were not very effective against the allied forces. Unfortunately, the picturesque super structure frames have collapsed and are resting atop two of the tanks partially obscuring them.
Since our deco time is limited, it was time yo return to the surface. We gently rose upward circling the mast which was covered in soft corals, clams and other grown and teaming with aquatic growth. Slowly we swap up the guide line pausing every now and then until we reached out last stop where we enjoyed the ride on the boat’s deco bar as it raced through the water. (As we got out, the wind shifted and the boats arc changed leaving Chuck and Connie away from the boat where they had thought the deco bar would swing back to them.)
The last dive of the trip was a repeat to the Nippo Maru necessitated by that wind shift which left our target wreck in choppy water. However, everyone enjoyed the return trip to this wreck because of the beauty and the ability to see things they missed on the first visit.
After returning to the boat the least desirable chore begins — cleaning and drying equipment. The cruise aboard the Odyssey is coming to a close and it is time to return to shore and for some, back to the U.S. For others it is time to repack and get ready for the next stop — Kosrae F.S.M.
The winds dropped overnight and the lagoon settled down and calmed as we slept. The sun began its journey colouring the clouds on the horizon vivid shades of orange and red while the sliver of the moon and Venus were still visible in the sky like they just didn’t want to end their dominance of the sky. As the light continued to grow so did the colours now yellow and magenta streaked across the morning sky.
Today is a treat for the technical divers, the Aikoka Maru. This is my favourite wreck in the lagoon. It started its life as a luxury cruise liner but as soon as it was completed it was transformed into a merchant raider and troop carrier. She had a distinguished career having captured a number of vessels including the Hoki Maru, our dive site from yesterday.
Our dive is off the skiff with the Odyssey remaining on the Unkai Maru and the moving to the Gosei Maru. We loaded the skiff at about 7:00 AM and departed at about 7:30 AM. Whisking across the still water anticipation grew. It took Kent and BoBo about six minutes to located the sub-surface mooring buoy a feat in of itself since they use line of site to find the wreck location.
Descending down the mooring line the ship, or really the collapsed portion of the midship that remained after the explosion that obliterated the front half of the vessel came into site. Rusted metal covered with green and brown growth. The once impressive fly bridges have collapsed and are curling forward as the superstructure continues its journey to the bottom. Some of the hallways are still intact with soft corals hanging down and swaying as the bubbles roll past (we have some open circuit divers with us). The internal walls are gone from the interior so the rooms are large open spaces with occasional sinks, toilets and urinals mounted in space.
The holds once loaded with cargo are empty and the marine barracks found in the holds once held the remains of troops who perished with the ship are virtually free of remains (they were removed in the early 90’s and set free in a Shinto burial ceremony). The stern gun still points toward the sky still trying to protect the ship as schools of small fish swim past.
This is a peaceful dive but there are still ghosts remaining continuing to serve in the underwater world. As we move through their world we are reminded of the peace that followed the violent end of this impressive vessel.
Our dive ended with a lot of time on the mooring line slowly moving toward the surface. The seas have become a little rougher during our stay and the rain squall that we ran from as it approached the Odyssey apparently washed the salt off the boat. As we re boarded our craft, Suzanne said it best
that was awesome!
.
While we were exploring the deeper depths, the remainder of the group dove the Unkai Maru and the Gosei Maru. They all really enjoyed themselves and found bombs, bullets, glass and fish in abundance.
Our journey now takes us back to the other side on Tonawas to the Kensho Maru.
A beautiful new day here in Chuuk. As 6:30 rolls around we find ourselves moving to our first dive destination of the day, the Nippon Maru, a 353′ freighter. After Mike’s briefing, the group scattered to begin their dives on the wreck. Chuck is running slower this trip and is not splashing the minute the briefing ends. However as he pointed out, he and Connie are still the first ones in the water.
Dive one saw most of the divers touring the forward section of the wreck and the superstructure. This structure was made of steel unlike most of the other freighters we have visited this week so far. As such, the floors and ceilings are intact and make for more interesting swim throughs. The bridge still has an intact steering station (minus the wood spokes) and a telegraph. The windows facing forward are rimmed in soft corals and look out on a fully decorated king post and mast.
Holland had a better photo dive this time and Alex complained that he needs a photographer to follow him. He is not overjoyed at taking videos with his go pro. And he would rather star in the videos rather than take them. So should we say a star is born!
I get so lonely sitting at the bottom of the engine rooms when everyone swims away from me. Steve accused me of not paying attention on the exit from the room, I was just lost and found my way out of the bomb hole in the bottom. Alex’s only response was. Steve probably does not have the same feelings at the moment. Our second dive ended without a lot of fan fair but everyone had a great dive.
During lunch, we are moving to another wreck site, the Rio de Janeiro Maru where we will be spending the rest of the day. It is a passenger vessel lying on its side and full of lots of saki bottles and other surprises.
During the transit the group read, hoped for an internet connection and was entertained by Alex tossing m&m’s to Nathan and to himself over his back.
The pool is open!
and the race to the wreck begins with Chuck and Connie in the lead followed by Charlie and Rick, then the Geibel clan followed by the rebreather guys and Alex and Susan. Steve and I pulled up the rear, not wanting to muck things up for everyone else; yes, Steve had more drills and these promised to be the dirty ones.
The passageways were relatively clear and most of the divers were clear from the wreck and then we started — line drills, blacked out diver drills, out of air divers trying to exit seeing and blind, lost line drill. By the time we finished, silt was pouring out of the hatches and we were covered in rust. The good news was we were both out if the wreck the bad news was that Steve’s first stage was leaking. No problem though, a gas shutdown drill for real. This of course means that Steve completed his Wreck penetration course. Just one more dive to finish his Technical EANx course.
Jess finished off the evening with a story telling session about his dive in a nuclear power plant. A cool way to end the evening.
Tomorrow the Hoki Maru — Alex’s favourite wreck in the Lagoon.
Oceanic Ventures, Inc
5808 Newcastle Dr.
Houston, TX 77401-3214
USA
Phone: 713-523-DIVE (3483)
eMail: divesafe@oceanicventures.com
Don’t miss news about the exciting happenings at Oceanic Ventures.
Ann really took her time helping to fit my niece with her first mask and fins. We so appreciated the personal attention, and we loved that she was open to talking about dive certification, but she wasn't giving us the hard sell. We live out toward Tomball but would happily drive back here vs. going to a nearby competitor simply for the service.
They gave been wonderful all the way. My son started in Scuba Rangers and now we are both certified; thank you for taking care of us!
I loved the course!
They are great with children!
I will never forget diving with my teen aged son for the first time. Thank you for the memories.
Eric is a real ambassador for the rebreather world. Thanks for all of your hard work.
I really enjoyed my Technical Diver Course and I learned a lot.
Best Dive Shop I've ever used. I've been diving since 1984 and you will not find more talented staff anywhere else. They are small, family owned and service oriented #1. You get personal service from start to finish from people who actually dive all over the world. I've taken simple to advance courses from them and the trainers are excellent. Dive trips are well organized to unique locations and always fun. This type of depth of knowledge is very difficult to find, especially in Texas.
Great dive shop with wonderful instructors to share your passion for the underwater world. They have fun for the whole family from kids diving programs through advanced diving. Checkout their scuba diving vacation to some of the best diving in the world. I really like the Diva dive vacation to Grand Cayman.
I have been to many scuba stores in Houston and this one is by far the best. Most scuba stores have a couple of salespersons who will show you one of the 40 types of fins and 10 types of regulators that they have in stock and immediately try to sell these to you. Most of these same stores really cater only to people just getting certified. Oceanic ventures has a very different business model. While they do have an inventory, it is not as large as other stores. The difference is that they really try to foster a dive community. It works. People come back again and again. Further, unlike many stores, they teach just about everything possible. If you want to teach your child how to snorkel, they teach that. If you want to learn how to dive 350 feet down on a rebreather using helium gas mixes and several additional scuba tanks, they teach that. They teach everything in between. Not many stores do that. Additionally, the staff is very knowledgeable about all the equipment they sell. You will never get an "I don't know about that" type of answer.
People choose their friends carefully just as they should choose their adventure partners and Scuba Diving Instructors. Oceanic Ventures is the premier scuba dive shop in Houston, Texas, and the Southwest because of our exceptional service and our sense of adventure. In talking with our clients and friends, people choose us for a number of reasons such as: Passion – We love what we do and we want to share the beauty and excitement of the underwater world with everyone we meet. Caring- Our clients tell us they love us because we truly care about people and strive to make their scuba diving experiences safe, fun and enjoyable. Professional – Our staff members are the … [Read more …]