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midships of the USS Aaron Ward on recent trip in Nov 2010
IRON BOTTOM SOUND
(Solomon islands)
Having just come back from the Solomons in November 2010 this place is a wonderland. Please be patient as I am loading images of the fantastic wrecks in Guadalcanal. I am looking at trips there in 2012/13 so watch this space!!!!
Stern Section of the USS Aaron Ward
10 days diving wrecks of solomons including the USS Aaron Ward
The wreck
exploration expedition of the decade! As an avid wreck diver you
scour the earth for some of the most amazing wreck diving on the planet.
Places like Truk Lagoon , Bikini Atol, Scapa Flow, Solomon Islands
"Iron Bottom Sound", President Coolidge - Saanto Vanuatu. For
many these are trips of a lifetime and the opportunity of getting to one
of the destinations is hard enough.
Your tour
leader Pete Mesley will be ensuring that you have the very best time
whatever your experience level (depth and duration of dives will be conducted
to ones training and experience level. Deco procedures and adv
penetration procedures strongly recommended to maximise your experience.
For the deeper wrecks - Trimix cert essential.
SOLOMON ISLANDS
"HUNT FOR NEW RUST"-
10 days diving the
renowned wrecks out of Tulagi and iron bottom sounds. Our hosts for
the leg of the expedition is
Tulagi
Dive.
For the avid wreck diver there is NO feeling quite like that of diving
on VIRGINAL rust. The thought of being one of the first people to
touch a wreck since she went down is unfathomable!! Now is your
opportunity! With the expertise of renowned historian Ewan Stephenson
(who found the USS Aaron Ward, Seminole and the Betty Mavis bombers)
we will be joining us in the hunt for some serious NEW rust!!!
Tulagi
Based
Wrecks
USS AARON WARD
You want guns, we’ve
got guns. 4 x 5” Mounts, 2 x 40mm
Bofors, 7 x 20mm cannons and 5
torpedoes. Sitting upright in 70m of water, the top of the bridge sits
at 49m and is 348m long. The ‘Ward’ is one of the worlds premier wreck
sites, visibility on average is 20-30m.
SS KANAWHA
The first US
Fleet oiler 476’ long, though it lies in 60m it is only 40m to the forward deck and
45m to the stern deck, excellent dive with lots to explore,
this was also a
supply vessel for the US Marines.
HMNZS MOA
New Zealand
minesweeper, lies in 36-42m water.
Vis can
be poor (for the tropics that is), but well worth the visit. Be sure to
check out the Depth Charge racks at the stern and the 4” gun at the bow,
the depth allows lots of time to explore.
KAWANISHI SEA PLANES
Japanese 4
engine reconnaissance/VIP
transport seaplane, there were 13 aircraft sunk.
The two main sites lie
in 30m and wrecks are big enough to keep you occupied for an entire
non-decompression dive and more.
USS
MINNEAPOLIS
This Heavy Cruiser is
torpedoed early in the Solomon’s conflict, the bow section lies at the
back end of the bay, 14-24m. It was badly damaged by the explosions, but
a very interesting dive, lots of junk to explore, as this was also the
location the “C Bee’s” shipyard.
Honiara Based Wrecks
HIROKAWA
MARU
Also known as the Bonegi 1, this Japanese transport ship lies in 5-50m
water. Lots of macros in the shallows and loads to explore in the rear
holds (check the field gun mounts and barrels).
KINAGAWA MARU
Also known
as the Bonegi 2 this Japanese transport is only 1100m from the Bonegi 1.
The engine block protrudes from the water
and stern lies in 20m plus, excellent
photo opportunities here, particularly in the aft section of engine room
(the cathedral). Lots of blue spotted rays on the sand.
AZUMASAN MARU
Japanese
transport, sits upright in 39-50m at bow and 80m plus at the stern, lots
of
colour and soft corals
and good photo opportunities (check the bow looking back to the wreck
from the sand). Motorbikes and sidecars in second hold.
SUSSAKA MARU
Japanese transport
lying on its port side, the side is in 58m of water and the bottom in
85m. An excellent dive, rarely dived due its depth, for the very
experienced diver.
SS JOHN PENN
US transport lying off
Lunga Point on its starboard
side. The side of the wreck is in 35m and the bottom in 60m. Current is
often present at this site which attracts lots of
pelagics (barracuda, tuna,
kingfish, trevally
and sharks). Makes a great second dive to the Azumasan.
Buena Vista Based Wrecks
TAMA MARU
Japanese Mine sweeper, lies in 68-75m water,
visibility is normally awesome at this site, 40-50m average.
There are many artefacts on this wreck, lanterns in the rear hold and
hemi-spherical mines mid-ships, if you tire of this then the fish life
will enthral. This is a site for the very advanced diver, but the size
of the site does allow it to be covered in the dive.
USS Aaron Ward!
YOUR GUIDE AND HOST!
PETE MESLEY
Pete has completed 6 expeditions to Guadalcanal "Iron
Bottom Sound" so is no stranger to these parts! His experience in
planning
local and international expeditions (including Truk Lagoon) spans over a decade so you can count
on your needs being met. Pete makes it his business to ensure that you
get the very most out of your trip. If you would like to contact Pete
and discuss this trip or any other expeditions feel free to contact him
on petemes@ihug.co.nz or
skype him at his username "petemes"
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