Diving Pearl Harbor

[Mark Duddridge]

I'm spending a couple of weeks diving in Maui this Christmas/New Years, and on the way back to Canada we have a 3 day extended layover in Honolulu. I was wondering if there is such a thing as guided dives to any of the underwater portions of the Pearl Harbor area.

Anybody know if this exists or is even allowed?

 

[Wildcard]

Not allowed for security reasons.

 

[KrisB]

What Wildcard said.

Pearl Harbour is still an active Naval Base and underwater access is very restricted (i.e. only working military personnel and authorized researchers).

The "tourist" portions (for lack of a better term) such as the Arizona are considered war graves and are even more restricted.

 

[Mark Duddridge]

Figured there would be something like that... oh well!

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

Mark, I admire your enthusiasm! I bet the Arizona would be an excellent dive being so shallow. I saw a documentary about someone who dove it a few years back. It's leaking oil and they fear it's going to spill out at any time due to corrosion. I think they were trying some sort of voltage system to prevent further decay (attaching a current on the ship so it doesn't rust more). See you over here on Maui soon!

Sean

 

[KrisB]

I think it would be extremely interesting to dive the Arizona as well, however it's a matter of respect for the fact that it is a gravesite that needs to keep us away -- at least from penetrating her.

Pearl Harbour is also not a terribly clean body of water, either -- it is an active harbour and with the constant drip-drip-drip of oil, you can see other reasons why it's not healthy to dive there.

 

[Eris Lucan7*]

It is a graveyard,i dived some like that,im not a medalcolector....

E.L.7*

 

[mike_s]

The Arizona memorial is now run by the National Park Service.

Look around some and you can find some documentaries of where the NPS Divers have dove it. There have been a couple episodes on the History Channel or Discovery. They dive it to document it's condition after being submerged for over 50 years.

 

[ScubaTexan]

This is one of my pics from Pearl Harbor, looking down upon the USS Arizona when I was there a year ago. You can see some traces of the leaking oil rising to the surface.

 

[fishb0y]

Of similar interest... while I was working Harbor Security at Pearl I was lucky enough to visit the superstructure of the USS Arizona. The superstructure was removed and put on dry land over near Westlock.