Dive Review of Bikini Atoll Divers in
Micronesia/Bikini Atoll

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Bikini Atoll Divers, Sep, 2007, by Jeanne & Bill Downey, PA, USA ( 2 reports). Report 3694.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	My husband and I recently returned from a third visit to Bikini Atoll; this trip we stayed a total of four weeks, three on purpose and one week stranded. Jim Akroyd has been head divemaster each time; his wife, Gen, Rich, and Edward were the other divemasters, with Ronnie also acting as divemaster when needed. The entire Bikini crew is outstanding. The operation, operated through the Bikini government, is still run essentially the same and amazingly well considering how far off the beaten path Bikini is, which we really realized this trip. The air conditioned rooms are basic but comfortable, and the food is basic and filling. The dining hall is also air conditioned, as well as the briefing room and small movie theater. Two dives are done each day, as long as the planes are flying (for potential rescue in case of an accident), with bottom times of 25-40 minutes and total run-times including decompression ranging from 60-80 minutes, depending on your personal safety level. Each additional minute of bottom time can add another 6-8 minutes of deco time, so it is important to pay attention to the dive plan. Depths ranged from 105 feet on the deck of the Saratoga to 180 feet. Air is used during the dive until ascending to the 30 foot hang bar, where the switch to 79% Nitrox is made. Twin tanks or large singles can be used; either will get you the same profile as long as your air consumption is good. There are seven WWII wrecks that are regularly dived: Saratoga, Nagato, Carlisle, Lamson, Apagon, Anderson, and the Arkansas, all sunk during the Able or Baker atomic bomb tests held at Bikini in 1946. Boat rides are no more than 20 minutes. There are some rules that are enforced by the Bikini and Marshall Islands that may disappoint divers used to doing whatever they want in other locations. There is no unescorted diving, especially penetrations, no single tank penetrations, and absolutely no taking of souvenirs; you are welcome to handle and admire everything, however. Air Marshall flies “usually every Wednesday” from Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, to Bikini. They were having more financial and equipment problems than usual since August, meaning late arrivals and/or departures for some, or even no departure at all. One group a couple weeks before we arrived had to be rescued by boat, and since the planes weren’t flying, were unable to dive any of the five extra days they were on the island. We arrived on time, but were stranded on the island for an extra week. The rescue boat was unavailable; finally a plane was sent from the Gilbert Islands, at great expense to the dive operation and Air Marshall. We sat at the Bikini airport twice while planes took off and had to turn back due to mechanical problems. The group trying to get into Bikini couldn’t—some of them went home and the rest spent a few days doing land-based diving on Chuuk—nice, but not what they had in mind. What do you do while stranded on Bikini with no diving? We learned how to fish Marshallese style, snorkeled over the Bravo nuclear bomb test crater, hiked the beaches, watched movies, played table tennis, photo-shopped our pictures, and read a lot. Bikini is a phenomenal place to dive and it’s easy to get to until Air Marshall takes over. We highly recommend you don’t have anything critical planned for at least one week after your planned departure. When we left, the future of Bikini diving and Air Marshall were both in doubt. Hopefully both will weather the problems, because we would certainly go back again!
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Bahamas, Caribbean, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cocos Island, Cozumel, Micronesia, etc.
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	choppy, noCurrents
Water Temp	84-86°F / 29-30°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	70-100 Ft/ 21-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Specific decompression profile.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	There was a good sized table on the boat which was used for cameras and everything else. No rinse bucket. Cameras were carefully handled by the crew.

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Dive Review of Bikini Atoll Divers in Micronesia/Bikini Atoll

Bikini Atoll Divers, Sep, 2007,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Bikini Atoll Divers in
Micronesia/Bikini Atoll