The Last Dive - A Few Questions

[diverberr]

Omicron once bubbled...
It does sound like a fun time.


I do remember a shore dive in Copper Harbor, MI I was doing - an agate hunt. Three of the divers I was with had rock hammers to crack open potential agates to see if something was inside of them. It sounded hilarious down there with all the hammers going, especially when you couldn't see anyone.

And don't forget how well the sound of a hammer and chisel travels. Our regular charter captain usually asks me after every dive,"What the f*#@ were you working on down there?" If I'm working on a porthole or something, he can hear me banging away from the surface, sometimes in 200+ feet of water.

If I've been successful, he'll see the liftbag shortly after the pounding stops.

 

[AquaTec]

So earlier this year I was in Chuuk, we dove on many wrecks.

all the shallow ones [less than 100 feet] where picked clean of everything. [the reason is a very interesting story, i will tell another time]

however we dove on several deeper wrecks that where full of atifacts and that made so much difference it was amazing, you felt as if you where there when the ship whent down.

We dove on one ship which at 220 feet deep and about 300 feet into it, we entered the officers quarters, we found beautiful china, japanese uniforms, an officers hat, guns, personal effects, and of course some human remains. the dive was spectacular and emotional at the same time. because you where there with them.
there where gas masks laying next to fire extinguashers inside a totaly burned out room, you knew they faught the fire until their last breath, it made you a part of the history.

this would not have been the same dive if those artifacts had been removed. as many had been on shallower wrecks.

now i can see the argument both ways, and yes on our excurtion we made a few salvage descitions.

1- we where in a part of the wreck that few people would ever get to, so we purposly relocated some artifacts to a more accesable location. like a 50 millimeter machine gun, and stacks of china.

2 - we also chose to take one piece of china home per person in our group, as not everybody in our group had the skill or experience to go in deep enough, they did act as support divers, so everybody recieved a peice of their choice. the rest we left tucked inside an emty amo boxes for others to discover.

for those that say that the wreck is just going to deteriate and the artifacts will be lost forever, i ask this. where are the ones that have been removed so far, yes some are on display, usualy in a LDS, but most are in someones garage rotting there.

I am torn on which way i believe regarding the removal of artifacts

but this is my two cents worth anyways

 

[AquaTec]

I forgot i was going to add a picture

 

[Jonathan]

I was about to say "Aha - so it was you Aquatec!"

I was diving with some people who had been to Chuuk and their biggest complaint was that artifacts had been stacked up by people.

It's OK though - I realise it was not as I met you when you were on your way to Chuuk which is the same week I was diving with these guys in Bikini, they having been to Chuuk the week before.

Must have been someone else...

 

[JDostal]

Well hey AquaTec...at least someone else understands my point. I would love to visit some of the wrecks you did...however on air, I doubt I'd remember much

Someday...I'd love to go see some of these deep wrecks that are still in intact condition - it's got to be a lot different than the ones that I see in the Great Lakes.

 

[Divesherpa]

This is a hilarious thread.
First, a ship i not something that belongs on the sea floor (look at how many are mothballed)

It's litter. If you throw a coke bottle off the deck and it hits in 220 fsw, can we not pick it up?
Some things are better preserved like the Gunilda. Others are not so important.
Protection of all wrecks? Are you serious?
Who pays for enforcement?


I think I'll have some dinner off the Italia plates tonight!!
Cheers and logical thinking

 

[greg somers]

I'm sorry that some of you objected to my opinion so poorly. Yes, it is a degree and not a course. The reason that archaeologists want to leave wrecks untouched is because it is like the scene of the crime. Forensics if you will. It tells a story. As to my canadian wrecks? please check my location. NZ. not Canada. As to the comment about US divers, it was one that was told to me more than once by local divers. They were obviously stripped, so the damage had been done.
My views are the ones expressed by many around the world and are law in most countries. Nothing personal is meant and none will be taken,
Cheers Ears,
The Gasman

 

[diverberr]

WreckWriter once bubbled...


I see, you "did archaeology at university". Are you an archaeologist or just a guy that took one class running his mouth (or fingers, however you want to look at it)?

The U.S. divers stripped your Canadian wrecks? How do you know this? Someone told you so?

I've heard this particular whine-line a hundred times; "only the scientists know how". It was BS the other 99 times too.

I think you should worry about your wrecks and not worry about ours.

Tom
Wreck Diver- USA

Tom,

Speaking as a canadian wrecker, I completely agree with you. I've done dives with American divers on our wrecks and we've recovered artifacts side by side. And when it's just us locals diving the same wrecks, we still bring up artifacts.

We all know the wrecks are deteriorating, and eventually the sea will claim everything on them. At least what is brought up by responsible wreck divers is preserved for all to see.

We have the whiny, home-made archaeologists here too. One of the loudest is actually a geologist who just woke up one morning and decided he was a marine archaeologist. He, of course, is the one who wants divers kept off local wrecks altogether. Some peoples f**king children huh?

See you on the bottom mate,
Al.

 

[WreckWriter]

diverberr once bubbled...
Some peoples f**king children huh?

See you on the bottom mate,
Al.

How right you are.

Tom