What you will need to bring to Bikini regarding equipment & computers, etc: A message from our Head Divemaster
BIKINI ATOLL FACILITIES:
The Windward, a Liveaboard Dive Boat:
The Indies Trader Windward is the newest addition to the Indies Trader Fleet. Originally a trawler then a pearling mothership, the Windward went through renovation and has been transformed into an all out remote location watersports support vessel.
The large covered back can easily handle an amazing amount of gear.
The Windward has 2 dinghies and a Jet ski with rescue sled and is equiped with a Hiab seacrane to get equipment on and off the boat easily and quickly. The Windward has a walk in coolroom, icy air-conditioning and plenty of deckspace undercover and outside to rig up your gear and spread out. The Windward has a Western chef and an experienced skipper.
Vessel Specs: The Windward is 80ft long, there are a total of 19 beds: 12 bunks in one large open bunk room, 6 bunks on the main deck in 2 cabins, one with 2 beds and one with 4 beds, and a captain's cabin in the bridge.
The Windward cruises at 9 knots with a top speed of 10 knots and has 6 crew and 2 divemasters and a maximum of 10 guests.
The Windward was built in Australia and has 240 volts 50 hz Australian style outlets. The vessel also has a large 5 kva step down transformer which produces 110 volts if needed. |
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TRAVEL FROM KWAJALEIN ATOLL TO BIKINI ATOLL ABOARD THE WINDWARD:
The voyage from Kwajalein Atoll Airport to Bikini is 215 nautical miles, 65 miles in the sheltered waters in the lee of Kwajalein Atoll and 150 miles of open seas from the northerly point of Kwajalein to Bikini. The open seas leg is around 18 hours and the sheltered leg is 7 hours. The entire trip takes about 25 hours depending on sea conditions and current.
There is an option of breaking the ocean crossing at Wotho or Rongelap Atoll for a wall dive on the way to Bikini Atoll. WothoAtoll is about halfway to Bikini from the top of Kwajalein and only a small deviation from the direct route. There is the possibility of a wreck dive in Kwajalein Atoll on the first morning in some instances if we have guests coming via Guam and Hawaii on the same trip and the Guam guests have to stay overnight to wait for the Hawaii guests. |
SAMPLE BIKINI ATOLL DIVE PROFILES
For the Bikini/Indies Trader dive program a diver should be at least a PADI Advanced Diver and be very comfortable with his/her dive equipment while underwater. Read the Letter from the Head Divemaster for further information about this dive program.
Listed below is a typical schedule of decompression dives, though it can vary from excursion to excursion depending on what the customers want to see and the skill level of the divers. The first dive is usually done at 9:00 a.m., the second at 3:00 p.m.
Times listed are the total times of the dives and includes decompression with EAN75.
MD= Maximum depth
BT = Bottom time
RT = Run time for the dive from start to finish.
Please be aware that the following profiles do include multilevel dive calculations.
Dive 1: Checkout dive on the USS Saratoga flight deck. 90 feet (MD)=115 feet, (BT)= 45 min. (RT) = 60 min
Dive 2: USS Lamson destroyer. MD = 160 feet, BT = 30 min, RT = 75 min
Dive 3: USS Saratoga aircraft carrier hanger deck w/planes. MD = 130, BT = 35, RT = 75
Dive 4: USS Arkansas battleship. MD = 175, BT = 30, RT = 80
Dive 5: HIJMS Nagato battleship bridge, stern, props and guns. MD = 165, BT = 30 , RT = 90
Dive 6: HIJMS Nagato battleship bow and bow guns. MD = 170, BT = 30 , RT = 80
Dive 7: USS Saratoga stern and plane on bottom of lagoon . MD = 175, BT = 45, RT = 110
Dive 8: USS Carlisle attack transport. MD = 160, BT = 30, RT = 80
Dive 9: USS Apogon submarine. MD = 165, BT = 30, RT = 95
Dive 10: USS Anderson destroyer . MD = 180, BT = 30, RT = 110
Dive 11: USS Saratoga bow and crew quarters. MD = 120, BT = 45, RT = 80
Typically, there will be 17 dives per 13 day excursion.
Excursion Schedule:
Day 1 Saturday: Depart from Kwajalein Atoll, if the whole group is coming from Guam on the Friday evening flight then we depart Friday evening for the northern part of Kwajalein Atoll. If divers are arriving mid morning flight Saturday from Hawaii then we depart ASAP for Bikini via Wotho Atoll.
Note. If there are passengers arriving from both Guam and Hawaii we depart Saturday midday.
Day 2 Sunday: If the whole group is coming via Guam then early in the day we dive on the WW2 aircraft dump or other wrecks at Roi Namur in northern Kwajalein Atoll, then proceed to Bikini Atoll after that dive. Weather permitting we stay overnight at Ebeye and then do an early morning dive on the Prinz Eugen or other wrecks, particularly if waiting for divers coming via Hawaii.
For passengers arriving via Hawaii and passengers arriving from both Guam and Hawaii we break the journey at Wotho Atoll for a wall dive on Sunday (known for extremely good visibility and lots of big critters).
Day 3 Monday: Arrive Bikini Atoll in the morning and go diving on the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga CV-3.
Day 4 to 10 Dive the Bikini Atoll Nuclear Fleet (see above for sample dive schedule), possibly doing a wall dive at Bikini Atoll's world famous Shark Pass (weather permitting).
Day 11 Tuesday: Dive in the morning on Bikini Atoll then depart for Kwajalein Atoll.
Day 12 Wednesday: If there are divers flying to Guam on the Thursday morning flight we will dive on the WW2 aircraft dump at Roi Namur in northern Kwajalein Atoll making sure we are out of the water by 11 AM to give 24 hours before flying and then proceed to the Kwajalein airport. Divers flying to Hawaii on Friday evening can do a dive at Roi Namur then a dive on the Prinz Eugen near the Kwajalein Atoll military base (or any of the numerous wrecks in the vicinity) in the afternoon and then possibly another dive or 2 in the Ebeye, Kwajalein base area.
Day 13 Thursday: Divers flying to Guam depart the ship by 7 AM. Divers flying to Hawaii can dive the wrecks around Ebeye & the Kwajalein base leaving a 24 hour off-gassing period for their flight on Friday evening.
Day 14 Friday: Divers departing from Hawaii depart the ship by 2 PM and proceed to Kwajalein base for check-in.
Note:
All passengers regardless of itinerary spend 13 nights onboard the vessel with 9 days diving on Bikini and 2 days diving in Kwajalein Atoll and Wotho Atoll.
If all divers are coming via Guam the trip is actually from Friday to Thursday.
If all divers are coming via Hawaii the trip is actually from Saturday to Friday.
If there are passengers arriving from both Guam and Hawaii the trip is actually from Saturday to Friday.
Bikini Atoll Divers
c/o Kili/Bikini/Ejit
Local Government Council
PO Box 1096
Majuro, Marshall Islands 96960
Tel. 692-625-4265
Fax 692-625-3330
For Customer Service:
E-mail: bikiniatolldivers@gmail.com
For technical dive info:
Email: bikinijack@gmail.com
Contact Indies Trader: martin@indiestrader.com
ACCEPTED DIVE INSURANCE PLANS ON BIKINI ATOLL |
ALL divers who dive with us on Bikini Atoll MUST have proper dive/medical evacuation insurance or they will not be able to dive with us, no exceptions will be made.
We generally look for three main characteristics in a dive insurance plan:
1) Ability to evacuate an injured diver anywhere in the world.
2) Ability to pay for medical treatment of an evacuated diver anywhere in the world.
3) Ability for the diver to dive below 130 feet anywhere in the world and still be covered by the insurance plan.
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