Top 10 wreck dives in the world?
- Thread starter Rhone Man
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OP
I have never really subscribed to the "real wreck" theory. Is the backstory part of the dive? Are world renowned wreck dives the like the Zenobia (insurance scam) or Scapa Flow (war time scuttling) more "real" than a shipwreck sunk by the Captain's negligence?
There are great dives, and there are indifferent dives. The backstory is something separate. The Queen Anne's Revenge has a hell of backstory. Naff dive though. On the other hand, I would love to dive the Oriskany or the Rainbow Warrior one day, even if they were sunk to be tourist attractions.
There are great dives, and there are indifferent dives. The backstory is something separate. The Queen Anne's Revenge has a hell of backstory. Naff dive though. On the other hand, I would love to dive the Oriskany or the Rainbow Warrior one day, even if they were sunk to be tourist attractions.
I didn't know dive magazine journalists were such sought after sexy beasts.
The Coolidge is huge. 400-500 ft, bow at 60 ft, stern at 230 ft, something for everyone and a beach dive. The captain tried to bring the ship into a channel feeling exposed when it hit a mine, he was able to beach it and off load the troops. (Troops that had been loaded onto one of the previously most luxiourious ships in the world). The boat fell onto its side and sunk back down the steep ledge, but still an easy swim from shore. However, Vanuatu sees almost an earthquake a day and someday will sink off into the deep. All the guns and ammo and jeeps etc are still onboard, and even sentimental relics from the President. Hidden sculls maybe remnants from Vanuatu cannibalism? Another good site nearby is Million Dollar Point. The french offered a US colonel a dollar a ton for everything the americans left on the island. Rather than take the money, they sunk it all - a smorgasbord and military surplus..
Million Dollar Point named so after the amount the french would have paid for the equipment.
The Coolidge is huge. 400-500 ft, bow at 60 ft, stern at 230 ft, something for everyone and a beach dive. The captain tried to bring the ship into a channel feeling exposed when it hit a mine, he was able to beach it and off load the troops. (Troops that had been loaded onto one of the previously most luxiourious ships in the world). The boat fell onto its side and sunk back down the steep ledge, but still an easy swim from shore. However, Vanuatu sees almost an earthquake a day and someday will sink off into the deep. All the guns and ammo and jeeps etc are still onboard, and even sentimental relics from the President. Hidden sculls maybe remnants from Vanuatu cannibalism? Another good site nearby is Million Dollar Point. The french offered a US colonel a dollar a ton for everything the americans left on the island. Rather than take the money, they sunk it all - a smorgasbord and military surplus..
Million Dollar Point named so after the amount the french would have paid for the equipment.
We're assembling a list! If the Francophones can't contribute some names from outside the Anglosphere, what hope do we have of getting a less "ethnocentric" list?
I would certainly agree with the Haven and the Togo. Not so sure about the Rubis and the torpilleur.
The Rubis is nice in that it is a submarine, but it is not what I would call a spectacular dive, having done it, I have no real burning desire to go back and do it again. Ditto for the torpilleur.
For the Med, I would add either the Donator (Prosper Schiaffino), or the Grec (Sagona). Both are available and not beyond the competent diver at 40-50m (132 - 165ft) and they are only about 200m apart. They both sank in the months after the end of WWII due to german mines that hadn't been removed / disarmed.
I've dived twice on the Donator, and it is a wreck that leaves me wanting to go back again and again........ I would happily do one dive a day everyday for a week or more on this wreck, and never be bored. Soo much life, and so much to see. That makes it a classic for me.
see more from the Donator here: Le Donator - Epave du Var - France - 50 metres - YouTube
(sorry about the music!!)
Jon T
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The Donator, Yes! 150 is looked at as 130 in France. Porquerolles is stunning too, I the pace of the life, I could live there forever.
nycjOHN170
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I think this is part of the allure for me. Even if it's not such a great wreck. But you connect to it. It's happened for me once or twice. Something sunk in front of a Beach Resort you can DPV out to, makes a great photo op but I simply can't connect to it.
A WWII German Destroyer comes to mind. I was swimming down a passageway. Concentrating on not kicking up anything. I was imagining myself a minor officer, in a blue uniform and sailor hat, pacing down it.
Then there's the HMS CULLODEN. On the long swim out, Imagining the stranding on the cold snowy night. The angry Captain screaming at his men to get it off. The burning to the waterline. The salvage taken on the cannon by, quite possibly my ancestors, and sold to General Washington. Those guys would've had to dive down and get ropes around the guns. Lift them up. With 235 yo tech. Pretty awesome.
phillybob
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R.P. Resor. Torpedoed by the U-578 in Feb. 1942 in 130 f.s.w. off New Jersey. Has a little history and gives up great hauls of scallops !!
Kevrumbo
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A "decent" wreck is one that tells an epic story. Examples:
Battle of Sunda Strait - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ship of Ghosts
Captain Albert Rooks USS Houston
Captain Hector Waller HMAS Perth
The allure and fun of wreck diving is not just merely researching the history for academic sake (or some other totally different opinionated rhetorical scatology [i.e. "troll"] like that posted above by Thal & Diver0001), but actually diving down yourself and vicariously reliving the history as you would imagine how it might've actually happened. . .
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