Roi Namour gets thrashed by weather driven Rogue Waves.

[Wookie]

Video shows massive waves crashing Army base in Marshall Islands, causing extensive damage

Dramatic video footage shows a large wave striking the Army’s dining hall on Roi-Namur Island, breaking down doors and knocking people down.

news.yahoo.com

@bakodiver391 , @Oldbear ,are you out there?

 

[Johnoly]

Holy Sheet !! The 1st wave was bad but that 2nd one inside the building went from ankle deep to 7 foot before you could blink. Hoping everyone on that island in the middle of nowhere isn't hurt.

 

[bakodiver391]

Video shows massive waves crashing Army base in Marshall Islands, causing extensive damage

Dramatic video footage shows a large wave striking the Army’s dining hall on Roi-Namur Island, breaking down doors and knocking people down.

news.yahoo.com

@bakodiver391 , @Oldbear ,are you out there?

Nothing at all here in the capital, Majuro. Some runways on atolls to the west of us have debris from waves blocking the local airline from landing. Could be weeks before they are re-opened.

 

[Oldbear]

I personally am not in Kwajalein. We have relocated our dive shop onto Pactick Space Force Base in Florida. We kept the Dive Kwaj name as Space Force has linage to Kwaj. Even though I live in Florida, I still work remotely supporting Kwaj.

Last weekend a series of waves hit the island of Roi-Namur which in located in the Northern part of Kwajalein Atoll. There was no loss of life, but some of the buildings were damages or flooded. Right now the local team is evaluating damages and I would think developing repair plans.

The good news is the Local Marshallese inhabit a nearby island (third world living conditions) and the waves did not hit their island.

Here is a little background.

The U.S. Army leases a few of the 79 islands in the Kwajalein Atoll for military testing and radar monitoring of the skys. Other government and educational institutes also use the area for research, e.g. NASA, NOAA, MIT to name a few. Roi-Namur (Roi for short) is the second largest island the U.S. leases and sits in the northern part of the Atoll. Kwajalein island is the largest, shares the same name as the atoll and is the southern most island and local HQ for the U.S. The island of Ebeye is the most populous with approximately 25,000 Marshallese. The U.S. does not lease Ebeye.

Kwajalein Atoll sits about 235 miles southeast of another famous atoll, Bikini. During the Nuclear testing (24 tests, aka bombs) Kwajalein serviced as the HQ and launch site. Its general location is halfway between Hawaii and Australia. It is in Time Zone #1, just west of the International Dateline and just above the equator.

Kwajalein and Roi were scenes of a heavy WWII battle in 1944. As a result there are approximately 50 wrecks in the lagoon. At the end of the war over 100 aircraft were dumped into the lagoon. And finally, after the first two atomic bombs were detonated on the Bikini Ghost Fleet, the Prinz Eugen, a Nazi Heavy Cruiser survived, but damaged, towed to Kwajalein, the capsized in the lagoon. It is now our most famous dive sites. The Prinz became famous as the escort ship for the Bismarck and by some accounts fired on the HMS Hood first…don’t know for sure as I wasn’t there. There at least 10-15 shipwrecks within Blacktip DPV range from Kwajalein’s shores. Here is the bummer part, only people on official military orders can dive Kwajalein or if you are on your way to Bikini on a liveaboard.

Back to the Roi Wave Video, the young lady standing in the doorway and got hit with the wave is the owner of the Kwajalein Dive Center. The videographer is one of the atoll’s most talented dive instructors. The diving world is a small pool.

Kwajalein Dive Center

Showcases our dive shop and some of the dive sites arou d kwajalein Atoll.

www.kwajdivecenter.com

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[cozcharlie]

I personally am not in Kwajalein. We have relocated our dive shop onto Pactick Space Force Base in Florida. We kept the Dive Kwaj name as Space Force has linage to Kwaj. Even though I live in Florida, I still work remotely supporting Kwaj.

Last weekend a series of waves hit the island of Roi-Namur which in located in the Northern part of Kwajalein Atoll. There was no loss of life, but some of the buildings were damages or flooded. Right now the local team is evaluating damages and I would think developing repair plans.

The good news is the Local Marshallese inhabit a nearby island (third world living conditions) and the waves did not hit their island.

Here is a little background.

The U.S. Army leases a few of the 79 islands in the Kwajalein Atoll for military testing and radar monitoring of the skys. Other government and educational institutes also use the area for research, e.g. NASA, NOAA, MIT to name a few. Roi-Namur (Roi for short) is the second largest island the U.S. leases and sits in the northern part of the Atoll. Kwajalein island is the largest, shares the same name as the atoll and is the southern most island and local HQ for the U.S. The island of Ebeye is the most populous with approximately 25,000 Marshallese. The U.S. does not lease Ebeye.

View attachment 823707

Kwajalein Atoll sits about 235 miles southeast of another famous atoll, Bikini. During the Nuclear testing (24 tests, aka bombs) Kwajalein serviced as the HQ and launch site. Its general location is halfway between Hawaii and Australia. It is in Time Zone #1, just west of the International Dateline and just above the equator.

Kwajalein and Roi were scenes of a heavy WWII battle in 1944. As a result there are approximately 50 wrecks in the lagoon. At the end of the war over 100 aircraft were dumped into the lagoon. And finally, after the first two atomic bombs were detonated on the Bikini Ghost Fleet, the Prinz Eugen, a Nazi Heavy Cruiser survived, but damaged, towed to Kwajalein, the capsized in the lagoon. It is now our most famous dive sites. The Prinz became famous as the escort ship for the Bismarck and by some accounts fired on the HMS Hood first…don’t know for sure as I wasn’t there. There at least 10-15 shipwrecks within Blacktip DPV range from Kwajalein’s shores. Here is the bummer part, only people on official military orders can dive Kwajalein or if you are on your way to Bikini on a liveaboard.

View attachment 823708

Back to the Roi Wave Video, the young lady standing in the doorway and got hit with the wave is the owner of the Kwajalein Dive Center. The videographer is one of the atoll’s most talented dive instructors. The diving world is a small pool.

Kwajalein Dive Center

Showcases our dive shop and some of the dive sites arou d kwajalein Atoll.

www.kwajdivecenter.com

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Thanks for taking the time to prepare all of this information. I had seen the press coverage and was curious about the full story.

 

[Oldbear]

Thanks for taking the time to prepare all of this information. I had seen the press coverage and was curious about the full story.

You are quite welcome…if you Google Kwajalein, Roi-Namur, Kwaj Diving, Roi Airplane Graveyard, Prinz Eugen, Reagan Missle Testing Center, U.S. Army Garrison - Kwajalein Atoll, Operation Flintlock, Operation Crossroads, Kwajalein MIA Project, you can get a better feeling for the islands.

BTW…also search Kwajalein Jobs. If you can find a position spending year there is truly amazing. I went for one year and it turned into nine, bought a dive shop, became a Course Director and did close to 4000 dives in a WWIi battlefield.

 

[bakodiver391]

The dive shops are privatised now? When I worked on base in the mid 90's the deal was unlimited tank rentals for $90 a year. They lost money on me and my dive buddies.

 

[Oldbear]

The dive shops are privatised now? When I worked on base in the mid 90's the deal was unlimited tank rentals for $90 a year. They lost money on me and my dive buddies.

The dive shop, Kwajalein Dive Center is privately owned and an AAFES vender in the mall. The Kwajalein Scuba Club is still there and annual dues are $120 and $50 for a nitros upgrade…still unlimited tank usage for club members. The Dive Center and Scuba Club don’t compete and work quite harmoniously togeather.

 

[voyager77]

Hi Michael
Have been looking at Kwaj for a while after doing Truk. I’m a retired Army Chief Warrant 4. Do you think there is any chance someone in the club could sponsor me to travel there to dive? Long shot but thx

Paul

 

[Oldbear]

Paul,

Defiantly a long shot...

1. You have to know someone there as ultimately they will be responsible for you, e.g., provide housing, food, diving buddies, etc. Sometimes it feels like you have to pretty much hold hands the entire time.
2. Submit an application to the PMO for a background check.

You can always ask...