The 3 big ones! Wreck Paradise

[Ammers]

I am up for the Britannic, the Andrea Doria and the Lusitania in the future - what does everyone else want to do that's deep?

[Davey Willo]

Wow Anne Marie...

High aspirations girl, I hope you get your wish, although I've just been reading up on the Britannic wreck and this quote from the GUE website talking about the 99 expeditiion, would appear to make your dream very difficult to accomplish

Permitting Process

Obtaining diving access to the Britannic is a difficult and politically sensitive process. Global Underwater Explorers is one of only four organizations to be permitted access to the shipwreck. Because it is considered a war grave by the British government, diving is strictly regulated. Furthermore, access to the Britannic must be obtained from both the British owner and the Greek government as the ship lies in Greek territorial water.

Access to the wreck is granted no more than one time each year and is limited to only the most qualified organizations. Since its 1975 discovery, only three groups have been awarded permission to access the Britannic, all operating under a limited time window with very limited resources. Success of the project is promoted by the fact that Britannic '99 will be the first project conducted by an active exploration team accustomed to deep diving excursions.

I'm not sure if policies have changed since that was written.. I hope so

Heres a link for everyone for the 98 Expedition website, read the 'Expedition Diary' amazing stuff..
http://website.lineone.net/~britannic98/

You must have a load of good links Ammers, do you fancy posting some?

Anyway.. cheers Ammers, I hadn't thought of reading up about these wrecks till you mentioned them, now I'll be reading a lot more..

Dave

[Ammers]

Hiya Dave, I meant to get back to you sooner on the links etc but have been unbelievably busy. Thanks for the info on the Britannic, I am aware of the political perspective but I still believe it is achievable with lots of planning and patience  What stuff are you interested in primarily and I will see if I can find any good links? I had a really funny one a while back but the URL is failing now, sadly

[Davey Willo]

I'm sure you will succeed Ammers, you're definitely keen enough thats more than apparent...

I must confess to a growing interest in all things techie... whereas a couple of months ago I never thought of extended range diving, twin sets, mixed gases, stage stops and all of that malarky, but now it's all extremely interesting... the more I learn the more interesting it becomes...

I look forward to meeting up with you one day and picking your brains about all sorts of stuff, I'll bore you shitless with numerous questions I know, BUT! I'll buy you beer while I do it ;)

[Ammers]

Hi again Dave

Feel free to email me any questions at all and if I can help I will. If I can't I will refer to you to someone that can rather than bullsh*tting you like some other people would.  I am addicted too - it's like a drug, the more you get, the more you want! But a #### expensive one at that!!!

If you want to dive together then let's get something organised for a bit later in the year as I am focussing on cave and tech training for the next few months and I need to build up as many dives as possible.

[Davey Willo]

Cheers Ammers

I'll be in touch  :thumb:

[Jay]

I read some recent trip reports to the Andrea Doria and apparently it has started to deteriorate quite rapidly ove the past couple of years. Can't find the webpage again but if I come across it I'll post it for you.

Regards

[ralphy]

Sounds like some incredibly impressive (not to mention arduous and intensive) diving, to be sure.

Its certainly something to aspire to in the future but will be years away at the rate at which I am accumulating dive experience!  

As for my own aspirations, I would absolutely love to spend a couple of weeks in Bikini Atoll to observe the remains of the post-atom and hydrogen bomb tests.  I believe there is at least one carrier together with at several other capital ships including main battleships.  I think the average depth was about 50m, although I could be wrong.  

The remoteness and relative obscurity of that location is both a plus-point as well as being the main downside.  It costs something in the region of £3.5K to spend a week there as well as several days of exhausting travel on either side of that.  That said, if I had the cash & experience, I would not hesitate.

Not a site that would require the technical skill levels of your ultimate AnneMarie, but nonetheless I bet its quite something to behold!

[Ammers]

Bikini would be a dream. If you ever get the money and time and I do too let's go for it!!
The goals I mentioned are years away for me too, many years. But not unobtainable. The only person that can stop you from achieving something is yourself. Just the same as the only person who can make a big life goal happen is yourself.

[Eddie]

Now that would be a great day out for the Yorkshire Divers! count me in on that one! if I start saving now I will have enough by 2004!!!!!
Seriously though, your right about achieving your goals, and I would really like to go there someday....first would have to be the great barrier reef, we have some really good friends living on that coastline, and they keep on asking us to pay them a visit...
dive safe,
Eddie