Truk lagoon 70th Anniversary of Operation Hailstone aboard Odyssey

[tripntx]

Feb 2014 will be the 70th Anniversary of Operation Hailstone at Truk Lagoon. Bonnie of Under Watercolours Join Bonnie Pelnar aboard the Truk Odyssey on a photo excursion through Truk Lagoon has booked Truk Odyssey for the week in Feb 2014 which is the actual Anniversary dates. I have reserved my space on this trip.

 

[seansrs36]

Feb 2014 will be the 70th Anniversary of Operation Hailstone at Truk Lagoon. Bonnie of Under Watercolours Join Bonnie Pelnar aboard the Truk Odyssey on a photo excursion through Truk Lagoon has booked Truk Odyssey for the week in Feb 2014 which is the actual Anniversary dates. I have reserved my space on this trip.

Same here. Looking forward to this trip. Thinking of getting into tech training or a rebreather just for this trip.

 

[tripntx]

Same here. Looking forward to this trip. Thinking of getting into tech training or a rebreather just for this trip.

My pool session for NAUI Into to Tech was yesterday; ow ck out in two weeks. Then taking Decompression, advance nitrox, helitrox/heliair. I plan to dive Truk with double 80's and 30cf O2 deco bottle.

 

[Kevrumbo]

I"ve dove Chuuk every year now since 2007, and am going back this Oct. These wonderful & historical wrecks are nearly 70 years old and are beginning to collapse --the time to see & dive them is now (and while Helium is still available at the Truk Stop Hotel Dive Center) if you have the opportunity and training.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Good news: the Truk Odyssey Liveaboard started this month banking 21/35 Trimix for use. . . !

Bad news: Fujikawa Maru engine room skylight/starboard superstructure is starting to collapse.

Also got nasty chemical burn from Aviation Fuel in the hold of Hoki Maru --put my right hand up against the ceiling to brace myself, and evidently there was an unseen air pocket up there with AvGas in it. Trapped the chemical in my glove's wrist area, and got me a 2nd degree burn about three-quarters arouind the right wrest area, about the width of a watch band. Severe itching/burning sensation initially with strong petroleum smell from wound upon surfacing. Starting blistering and turning dark with outer layer of dead skin, and under layer of raw red dermal tissue. Used neosporin and left over bactriban antibiotic ointment; and super-glue to protect the fresh inner dermal layer from chaffing during later dives (the salt water soaking from diving might have helped as well).

Almost three weeks now, and it's healed nicely with no infection, but still a livid red scar tissue residue around my wrist. To think I've heard horror stories from the Truk Odyssey about divers suffering full body burns from AvGas on the Hoki & Hanakawa Maru!!!

Good diving y'all! --Kevrumbo now in Koror Palau.

 

[Cavediver.rob]

Kev, Glad to hear the wrist is better.....Bad news from the lagoon, The top rail from the San Francisco bridge has fallen over and is now resting on the tanks. Things are definitely changing this year.

Rob

 

[Kevrumbo]

Yeah Rob, that whole frame support of the bridge section looked pretty fragile, even back in 2007 (picture of me, the tank and a corner of the bridge framework):

San Francisco Maru at 150'/45m - - ScubaBoard Gallery

 

[tripntx]

Glad to hear Odyssey is banking Tri-Mix because I'll be certified to use it this summer. Mailing Bonnie more money this week to lessen my account balance due. Really looking forward to diving Truk Lagoon in Feb 2014. Hope the tanks will still present good photo opportunities because they are the reason I'm becoming tech certified.

How the AvGas chemical burn?

 

[bamafan]

Unless you are on a rebreather you might want to reconsider the trimix. If I remember correctly they charge $6/cuft for trimix and $2/cuft for O2. If you are on open circuit the gas cost alone for this using trimix and O2 would probably cost more than your trimix class. I did this dive using air for backgas and 2 aluminum 80's with the standard 30 percent nitrox for deco. If you are on a standard trip air or 30 percent are included. On a tech charter they include the O2 for I think $300 more. The water is warm and the visibility is great so a lot of deco time and narcosis are not that bad. 200 feet on air in Truk is a common practice due to the cost of trimix there. Now if you are CC then that is a different story.

 

[Kevrumbo]

AvGas Burn scar site is just a dark brown "watch band" ring around my wrist now. Lesson learned: be careful inside the wrecks, always look at where you reach for a handhold especially above your head --beware of air pockets, corners, ceilings or the highest point inside where your bubbles along with Aviation Fuel can collect. . .

Attached is the itemized Gas Bill from the Truk Lagoon Dive Center for my past two trips, 18-26Nov'12 and 14-30Dec'12 --and I mostly used Deep Air/Nitrox for the trip . . . (Used Helium sparingly for 20/20 Economy Mix, and one nearly standardized GUE Mix of 17/40 for the Katsuragisan Maru at 67m max/60m ave).
The bulk of the gas costs for both trips combined was Oxygen for Eanx25, 28, 30 & 32; and deco gas blending for Eanx50 & 100. . .
(It gets expensive overseas anyway . . .even if you choose to skimp on using Helium!!!)

​

Attached Images

• 
  Chuuk_GasBill.pdf (152.9 KB, 32 views)

The commemorative museum and tribute to Kimiuo Aisek at the Blue Lagoon Dive Shop hopefully will be finished in time next year for the 70th Anniversary. . .