Choice of Equipment for Underwater Surveys to find Wrecks and Map Bottom Underwater

[BoltSnap]

I am working on finding and exploring shipwrecks and antiquities buried under the Mediterranean sea off the coast of Libya. I am fairly new to this type of adventure myself. I have been visiting some websites for companies that manufacture Side Scan Sonar and magnetometers (JW Fishers for example) to determine the type of equipment and models that would be necessary in this project. I have looked at Side Scan Sonar and magnetometers but can’t determine which product(s) would be required in our case.

In principle, do we need just the Side Scan Sonar by itself or do we need the Side Scan Sonar in addition to one type of the detectors/magnetometers?


Note: In addition to scanning the sea bottom to find sunken wrecks and antiquities underwater, we want to map the sea bottom to determine potential dive sites (rocks and reef structures). We are not looking for a specific wreck but actually surveying the bottom for signs of any wrecks without knowing about specific wrecks in the area surveyed in advance.

 

[Dondon462]

WOW. .broad question..if it is flat bottom you will have some fun with a sidescan sonar for sure, so buy the best one your budget allows??? for Magnetometer go with Marine Magnetics EXPLORER Overhauser system..easier to use and very sensitive and VERY handy...for hand held stuff on the bottom stick with Aquascan..by far the way to go...good luck!! if you are still in the hunt....

 

[Jared0425]

Depends on what you are specifically looking for. Large wrecks can be found by using low frequency sidescan below 50 KH or if you are looking for busted up wrecks go high to around 500KH. I am not familiar with Magnetometers or what their range is. Klein makes a unit that can attach to a sidescan called a sub bottom profiler that can detect objects below the ocean floor or under dense objects that are within 20ft below the floor.

 

[BoltSnap]

Klein makes a unit that can attach to a sidescan called a sub bottom profiler that can detect objects below the ocean floor or under dense objects that are within 20ft below the floor.

Do you mean this "Klein"? If so, isn't it a very expensive military grade type of mfg.?

http://www.l-3mps.com/Klein/

 

[Jared0425]

No, top of the line Klein units are expensive, older units tend to drop dramatically. We use an older analog unit with a digital upgrade that was made after the mid 1990s when they started putting miniature processors in the fish itself. Klein is not the only good sonar company out there any longer, edge tech took many of kleins older staff members and have improved the design with half the cost. Marine sonics has a cheap(er) high frequency fish, but mantainence is difficult due to the design. If you are looking for ancient shipwrecks, then sidescan may not be your best choice, I'm lucky because we search in freshwater and can find busted up wooden wrecks, in the ocean it's a different ball game that I am not familiar with.

 

[Akimbo]

Have you secured permission, or at least made the government aware of your work? The military and bureaucrats in charge of antiquities in some parts of the world can get pretty testy over that kind of activity.

 

[BoltSnap]

Have you secured permission, or at least made the government aware of your work? The military and bureaucrats in charge of antiquities in some parts of the world can get pretty testy over that kind of activity.

We are talking about Libya here

We are the ones that are protecting antiquities and trying to save the environment while the bureaucrats are ignoring it.

 

[Akimbo]

We are talking about Libya here

We are the ones that are protecting antiquities and trying to save the environment while the bureaucrats are ignoring it.

I guess the question is it enough to keep you out of the slammer or worse. Stay safe... and I don't mean the diving part.