Everything I Learned About Diving at Bikini Atoll

This summer I had the opportunity to scout a new destination–Bikini Atoll. It really is a completely new destination, as it’s been a tough place to travel to for years. Thankfully, Truk Master now makes it possible to dive, with tours running for five months every year.

Best time to go: June to September

Operator: World Wide Dive and Sail – Truk Master

Airline: United Airlines, 4 times a week, from Hawaii or Guam

Requirements: Tech certification to 50m and at least some experience recommended.

Temperatures: Air temperature 27-32 degrees, water temperature 29-30 degrees.

Getting There

Getting there is a challenge. The closest airport is a US military base in the Marshall Islands called Kwajalein. It’s serviced almost every day, alternating from Guam and Hawaii. Depending on what day the Master Fleet sets the dates, you’ll have to travel from either of those destinations since you can’t stay in Kwajalein.

Once on boat, it takes roughly another 30 hours to get to this very remote atoll. But when you get there, it’s clear that the travel is worth it.

The lagoon is as beautiful as Micronesia gets: A giant white sand atoll ring surrounded by a wide ring of turquoise shallow water. The deep blue water of the lagoon is so saturated it almost tilts into purple, and full of marine life.

Fascinating History

This Ghost Fleet is the only artificial reef in the world created by nuclear weapons. After Hiroshima, the US government realized it needed to study just how powerful their new bomb really was. Not wanting to test bombs in proximity of any civilization, the search for a testing site lead to the most northwestern atoll of the newly US controlled territory of the Marshall Islands. Two massive bombs were released on a test fleet of 75 ships, one by air called “Able,” and one underwater called “Baker.”

These tests created the 21 wrecks that the lagoon has today, as well as polluting the surrounding islands with radiation.

USS Saratoga

We descended into the deep blue loaded with tanks and spare regulators. Saratoga is an almost mystic name for scuba and history buffs, the legendary air craft carrier was involved with all stages of the Pacific War, from Wake Island to Japan. She sits majestically and upright on the white, sandy-sea bottom. Her full length of 270m is barely graspable when descending midship on the wooden flight deck–she extends further than one can see in either direction.

The narrow superstructure still stands erect fringed by two sets of thick gun turrets equipped with 16-inch double cannons pointing upwards. The rear has unfortunately collapsed and all but buried the majority of hellcat jet fighters that were parked under the flight deck. Fortunately, five hellcats were parked on deck and hurled to the sea floor for divers to inspect, at 52m!

Nagato

The other wrecks aren’t shy in history and equipment. 708-foot (215m) HIJMS Nagato, super-destroyer and the pride of the Japanese navy rests upside down on the gun turrets of her eight 16″ guns. Sinking the ship in the tests by the US also had symbolic character. Admiral Yamamoto famously gave the command to attack Pearl Harbor from this ship. The bridge where he gave the command broke off and is lying, still intact, next to the turned-over hull of the ship. Her four massive props stick out to the surface like massive windmills surrounded by glass fish.

USS Arkansas

Also rich in history is the 562 feet (170m) flagship destroyer, USS Arkansas. Built to win sea battles by superiority of fire power and speed, this ship played an important role in both WWI and II from the occupation of Veracruz, Mexico to the landing in Normandy and battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Placed close to the target site of “Baker,” its triple-coated 11″ shell plating was bent on the bomb facing port side by the massive force of the bomb into massive longitudal 5 foot (1.5m) deep groves. It looks like a soda can squeezed by the hands of a giant.

This nearly indestructible naval marvel sank within moments almost after the blast. She is also upside down on the sea floor with her massive canon pointed outwards. It is possible to dive one of the gun decks where the floor mounts used to hold wooden flooring and hang down like stalactites.

At over 45m depth, the narcosis tickles your brain considerably on this dive, so only enter if you are feeling strong.

USS Anderson

Another great dive is the “smaller” destroyer: battle-star clad USS Anderson, 105m in length. Lying on the side penetration is not feasible, but it features depth charge racks and a massive gun tower. There are also lots of big gun barrels sticking out as well as anti-aircraft machine guns.

USS Lamson

This destroyer is complete with live 21″ torpedoes and fully loaded depth charge racks. It also sits upright and is really nice to dive. It has a big troop wash room, where the walls collapsed giving it the feeling of a bathroom ‘with a view’. The bow is sharp cut and entirely covered by the crazy whip corals that grow here.

USS Carlisle

The refashioned merchant vessel USS Carlisle sunk as the aerial “Able” bomb ripped open its hull like paper and sank her within minutes. It’s quite a tangled mess and not that interesting to dive, but it does have this cool bent steering wheel which is a great photography subject.

USS Apogon

USS Apogon is probably the simplest dive, but it’s really a beautiful dive. The US submarine was suspended mid water and didn’t sink far from there, so she is fully intact. It’s an old school sub, with a high tower and an anti-aircraft flak mounted in the front. She is completely engulfed in glass fish, like a mystic fog moving around the hull. There is no penetration but you can dive under the stern and see both props from below with glass fish filling the view.

Diving and Certification

There are no recreational dives at the site. The Saratoga flight deck is at 30m, but everything else is much deeper. And, the really cool stuff on the Saratoga is quite deep, so be sure to get your deep ticket if you’re going to dive it. You should be certified to 55m otherwise you’ll miss out. Trimix is crazy expensive on the boat, so plan on diving with mixed gases. To keep the cost low, we were diving on EAN50 with super long deco stops.

The advanced wreck course is definitely useful to get as well, although if you have dived many wrecks before you won’t find this any different to others except that you are in twins. The visibility is great, water is warm and there are no currents, so no complicating factors. I still recommend to wear a thin wetsuit, to avoid scratches inside the wreck and even at these warm temperatures your body can chill down during long decompression stops. My BARE 3mm Velocity Ultra was prefect – it’s the most comfortable suit to put on and wear and it gave me just the right temperature throught 2 hour dives. I usually don’t wear a hood but to be sure not cool down I usually wear my BARE 5MM Ultrawarmth over my neck so I can slip it up in case necessary.

I would suggest you have some experience with tech as well as diving wrecks. As a complete freshie on mixed gases and wreck penetration, you won’t be in the right place. Bikini is 30 hours away from land and there is no chamber. The likelihood of the dive insurances being able to pick you up there is minimal, so you should be comfortable with your skills.

Another aspect if your gear, you should chose it wisely and know it well. Personally I dive with the Hollis HTS 2 – which is amazingly comfortable and has no need for a plate even with twins and two deco tanks. My regs are the Hollis DCX with two 200LX second stages. For deco gas I use the 150LX HO2 which can handle up to 100% Oxygen. My first ever Hollis item, the Hollis M1 Mask has been my trusted companion for over 1000 dives – best mask ever. I have added the Hollis F2 fins to my assortment for tech diving as they are remarkably light weight and still give nice propulsion.