Last night I told a car salesman that Bikini Atoll was the best diving I've
ever done.  My wife commented that I said the same thing about Hawaii.
Indeed! - Before visiting Bikini Atoll.

One week, twelve dives.  Our group was ten.  Eleven divers were planned but
active duty in Iraq called to one.  Five in the group, two military lifers a
shipyard worker and two history buffs, added to dive briefings and
debriefings with specifics on the wrecks, ordinance, and armaments.

Arrived Wednesday AM
Dive 1: (PM)  Saratoga Deck.  105' maximum, 25 minutes bottom time.

Thursday
(AM) Dive 1:  Lamson.  150' maximum, 30 min. BT.
(PM) Dive 2:  Saratoga - Hanger Deck.  130' maximum, 25 min. BT.

Friday
(AM) Dive 1:  Arkansas.  180' maximum, 25 min. BT.
(PM) Dive 2:  Nagato - Stern.  170' maximum, 25 min. BT.

Saturday
(AM) Dive 1:  Lamson.  150' maximum, 25 min BT.
(PM) Dive 2:  Saratoga - Bow.  170' maximum, 30 min. BT.

Sunday
(AM) Dive 1:  Nagato - Bow.  170' maximum, 30 min. BT.
(PM) Dive 2:  Saratoga - "Haunted House".  140' maximum, 35 min. BT.

Monday
(AM) Dive 1:  Anderson.  180' maximum, 25 min. BT.
(PM) Dive 2:  Apogon.  170' maximum, 20 min. BT.

Tuesday
Last Dive: (AM)  Saratoga - Stern.  180' maximum, 30 min. BT.

Wednesday AM:  Flew out.

The first dive was a check-out dive to 105' maximum on the Saratoga.  The
dive guides use this dive to assess divers skills and abilities.  All dives
were decompression dives.  About half the dives were penetration dives.  All
American ships are complete with plenty of ordinance.  The wrecks have not
been pillaged so there is an abundance of things to see and do.  The water
temperature is 83 to 86 degrees.  Sea life is abundant - if you like sharks,
rays, fish, giant clams, and more.  I used a 2/3 wetsuit plus a shorty,
boots, hood, and gloves.  Everyone used 85 Cu Ft doubles.  I think 35
minutes was the longest at depth but I chose lesser bottom time to reduce
deco time.

Gear was setup at the dock.  Each diver setup his or her own gear.
Everybody checked his or her own gear before leaving the dock.  Each diver
was responsible for himself or herself.  Divers entered the water in groups
with one dive guide.  The briefings were informative and time at depth was
very limited.  The deco obligation was ever-present and just a few extra
minutes on the bottom means significantly more time on the deco rack.  No
weights were needed.  Air was used at depth while Nitrox (generally 75%) was
also used for decompression.  Stops at 80', 40', 30', 20', and 10' were
required as a minimum.  When your computer dictated other stops, you were
obligated to those in addition.  The Nitrox hung from the boat and was
available at 30'.  I used a Uwatec computer which means I used air tables
for decompression.  The Nitek and other dive computers were programmable and
accounted for Nitrox decompression lessening the deco time.  While diving
group 1 my deco time based on the air algorithm did not hold anyone else up;
but if I was the last in the water, my deco time meant we were out a bit
longer.

The November 2004 issue of Scuba Diving Magazine has pricing information,
company names, and phone numbers for Bikini Atoll diving.  From the US it's
a relatively short flight to Majuro.  Of course, that is from the US State
of Hawaii.  It takes me seven hours or so by direct flight to get to Hawaii
so the trip is anything but "relatively short."   I left on Sunday and
arrived at Bikini on Wednesday - one day difference is due to crossing the
International Date Line.  The trip from Majuro to Bikini takes a few hours.

I wrote 81 pages long hand during the trip: a journal.  Maybe when that is
inputted I'll have more to say.  I wrote about the location in the scuba
locations group.  This was a world class dive adventure and I went with
world class divers.