Diving the Aiokoku Maru - Truk Lagoon - Advice

scubaseeker · Aug 17, 2009

I was inspired by John Stoneman's video series 'Wrecks', the episode on 'Ghost Ships', it seems the highlight wreck dive in Chuuk was the Aiokoku Maru. Has anyone here dived it and what makes this ship so special?, notwithstanding the small atomic bomb explosion Operation Hailstorm, which I gather desolved away the front half of the ship, sunk in less than one minute approx 1000 deaths.

Also I have a PADI Advanced level, so what depth are we talking about to dive this ship, and what can I expect to travel there?

Many thanks.

Michael.

RJP · Aug 25, 2009

scubaseeker:
I was inspired by John Stoneman's video series 'Wrecks', the episode on 'Ghost Ships', it seems the highlight wreck dive in Chuuk was the Aiokoku Maru. Has anyone here dived it and what makes this ship so special?, notwithstanding the small atomic bomb explosion Operation Hailstorm, which I gather desolved away the front half of the ship, sunk in less than one minute approx 1000 deaths.

Also I have a PADI Advanced level, so what depth are we talking about to dive this ship, and what can I expect to travel there?

Many thanks.

Michael.

Get some more experience and training. The deck sits at 160.

Kevrumbo · Aug 25, 2009

The memorial plaque is at the aft superstructure at over 130'/40m, right at the limit for your AOW rating. I still wouldn't recommend doing that depth even for a quick look on a single AL80 tank because of running OOA risks and potential mandatory deco stops.

It's a very sobering dive, knowing the history and tragedy, that nearly 1000 soldiers & seamen died instantly when the front half of the ship was totally obliterated in the secondary munitions explosion. Only approx. 400 individual remains were recovered and cremated; there are stories of wreck divers discovering a literal "bone room"/charnel house in penetrating some of the deeper holds at nearly 190'/57m.

GShockey · Aug 25, 2009

Very cool dive.....

This is the gun on the Aiokoku

One of my favorites except for maybe the San Francisco Maru

Smokin · Sep 21, 2009

I've been over the mid ship where bones are piled up like campfires and I've also been in the engine room with 7 complete skeletons including the foot stuck to the 55 gallon drum. It's intense and moving. It's also dark and deep and there is a lot of twisted metal to go through to get there. The engine room measured 185 fsw on my computer. I did it as a special dive with the Odyssey using a double AL 80 rig with an AL 30 for deco. The Blue Lagoon will also take you there. With 23 minutes of bottom time the run time for the dive was 70 minutes with the first deco stop at 30 ft. You will definitely need technical certification and if you venture into the engine room, cave training too. Only small groups (3 or 4 in my opinion) can make it into the engine room due to the space and risk of silting.

Get the certification and do the dive....it's one you'll remember forever!

RJP · Sep 22, 2009

Smokin:
Get the certification and do the dive....

Get the certification AND A BUNCH OF EXPERIENCE and THEN do the dive....

Fixed it for you.

ianr33 · Sep 22, 2009

Smokin:
I've been over the mid ship where bones are piled up like campfires and I've also been in the engine room with 7 complete skeletons including the foot stuck to the 55 gallon drum. It's intense and moving. It's also dark and deep and there is a lot of twisted metal to go through to get there. The engine room measured 185 fsw on my computer. I did it as a special dive with the Odyssey using a double AL 80 rig with an AL 30 for deco. The Blue Lagoon will also take you there. With 23 minutes of bottom time the run time for the dive was 70 minutes with the first deco stop at 30 ft. You will definitely need technical certification and if you venture into the engine room, cave training too. Only small groups (3 or 4 in my opinion) can make it into the engine room due to the space and risk of silting.

Get the certification and do the dive....it's one you'll remember forever!

Sounds like quite a dive on (presumably) air.

Kevrumbo · Sep 23, 2009

You can do it on 20/20 trimix --which Truk Lagoon Dive Center at the Truk Stop Hotel readily has available at $4/cf-- which would only cost you $160 to fill a twinset of AL80's. (For a standard mix of 18/45, it would set you back over $300 for the backgas alone). . .

Strongdiver · Jul 3, 2010

Right on! Readers should know the Aikoku Maru before being broken in half (sunk) by three Grumman Avengers in Operation Hailstone serves as the logo for Blue Lagoon Dive Shop. BTW, my only "mix" dive in Truk was on the San Francisco. Worth every dollar!!!!

Strongdiver · Jul 3, 2010

Here's a portion of my biography of Kimiou Aisek, "Witness to War" -- describing his first dive on the Aikoku (using wreck locator Sam Refdford's coordinates) in October 1973:
Kimiuo now came upon the twin barrel anti-aircraft guns on each side of the sun deck. Both "pompom" guns pointed upward. He pictured the Aikoku crew furiously loading ammunition into these guns to fire upon the fast approaching American torpedo bombers. He wondered where lay the remains of the Grumman Avenger with its crew of three that had disappeared in the Aikoku's fiery explosion.

Diving the Aiokoku Maru - Truk Lagoon - Advice

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