DA Aquamaster once bubbled...
I agree the solo dives wern't solo, they just did not mention (and seldom showed) the other divers with the cameras.
I also agree most of the investigation related information is not new, particularly with regard to Carsten Johanssen possibly misreading the radar by having the wrong range scale selected - that's no where near being a "new" theory.
The artist depiction of the Doria in it's present condition was interesting though with the top couple of decks essentially collapsed and on the bottom. I thought it was particulary interesting that the section of hull with Gimbel's Hole was depicted as being folded over one of the remaining decks at about a 90 degree angle. Also interesting that they thought the beam of the ship had compressed another 5 feet in the last 10 years.
The show was truly fascinating and riviting. The camera crew obviously served as the buddies for the two divers, although you were never shown the camera crew. Unsung heroes and great shots. It was a great documentary, the best I have ever seen on the History channel !
For a 1 hour show, there was not that much scuba footage. Just clips of 3 dives, two of which turned out to be external survey dives, and the third which was only comprised of all of the divers hanging onto their down-line fighting a 2 to 4 kt current which was then aborted.
I would have to guess the divers were using IANTD protocols. One was a CCR diver and the other looked like he had twin HP 120s with tank boots, a tech B/C of some kind, his two deco bottles nicely split right and left for equal balance, and canister battery mounted between the twin tanks.
I had to laugh when they split up their entire team into two separate groups on the second dive, to go look for access to the damaged starboard bow area, which they never found.
The first dive was designated an external survey, and was to a depth of about 200 ft for 25 mins, I believe. The second dive was designated as a penetration dive, if they could find access to the damaged area, however they never found an access way, even after the CCR diver went to 250 ft for 25 mins. The third dive was aborted on the descent line.
It was a nice dive boat they were using, one that even Uncle Pug would be proud have!
The computer graphics on the re-creation of the original collision, and the historic film footage, plus the interviews with the watch officer of the Stockholm, who gave the command to turn into the Doria, and with the staff officer of the Doria, were intriguing. There were also interviews of survivors of the collision.
Blame in the show was placed upon the excessive speed of both ships in the thick fog.
My own impression is that the Doria captain was playing chicken, waiting for the Stockholm to blink. When Stockholm finally did blink, she turned to starboard (a standard maneuver) expecting the Doria to do so as well, in the opposite direction, however Doria maintained course and speed, and therefore Stockholm plowed right into Doria's starboard bow and sank her. Fair enough, for a game of chicken! History has apparently blamed the captain of the Doria, however the show tried to put more responsibility upon the Stockholm's watch officer.
The show blamed the watch officer of the Stockholm for not awakening the captain. The watch officer also apparently from his readings misread the radar scale, and therefore both ships were closer than he thought, therefore in this game of chicken it was too late to blink.
The artist's re-depiction of the wreck shows it to be badly collapsing under the pressure of the currents and other elements at 250 fsw, just like DAAquamaster said. It does not look safe to penetrate, if that is possible at all now, after almost 50 years of collapse.
historychannel.com should have the $25 video verson for sale, as usual, if you missed it, or if you live in Canada.
