The memorial of the USS Arizona was erected in 1962...a little over two decades after its infamous sinking on December 7th, 1941. Its serves as a silent reminder that over 1,000 sailors gave their lives for their country.

But like Titanic, the Arizona is deteriorating in just 30 feet of water. Salt water and the weight of so many reef animals is putting a strain on the hull, once an inch thick, now less than half. There is concern not only for the structural collapse of the ship but for the 500,000 gallons of oil which remain trapped inside.

Today, small orbs of oil bubble to the surface and National Park officials aren't sure how to remove it from the wreck. A weak hull, incomplete maps, and a grave site, they're hoping to keep the ship intact for another two decades while they determine a solution.

If you've been thinking of visiting the memorial at Pearl Harbor, consider booking the trip sooner than later.

A Los Angeles dive shop sent me an e-mail about their interest in sinking the USS Sailfish, a decommissioned U.S. submarine. The e-mail was encouraging divers to attend a meeting of the Sunken Treasures Society of Los Angeles where Dick Long, founder of DUI and instrumental in sinking San Diego's Yukon, was a guest speaker. (Tip for the STSLA: post the meeting minutes on your web site).

Why does this sound familiar? Because Dr. Harry Wong, an active wreck diver in the Bay Area is also seeking to obtain the sub as an artificial reef in his neighborhood.

Let the battle begin!

In November, the Coast Guard admitted that one of its divers suffered an "uncontrollable descent to a possible depth of 189 feet" during what was supposed to be a routine exercise with a max depth of 20-30 feet. However, other than this little morsel of news, the Coast Guard has kept brazenly silent about the events that occurred aboard the Healy that August day. Until now. According to a recently-released report, multiple regulations were violated that contributed to the deaths of Lt. Jessica Hill and Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven Duque, including: "Untrained personnel put in charge, faulty equipment used, and the presence of alcohol. " In other words, what happened to Hill and Duque was clearly preventable.

Apparently, when Hill and Duque entered the water, they were tethered to lines handled at the surface. Inexplicably, the two divers were carrying more than twice the amount of lead weights required for the dive. Unable to ditch the weights, the pair quickly entered free fall. Single jerks on the line signaling "stop" were misinterpreted by unqualified dive tenders who erroneously paid out more line. Hill descended to 187 feet, and Duque plummeted more than 200 feet. By the time the tenders realized what happened, the pair was dead.

Want to learn more? This week, the the Coast Guard released a 33-page (PDF) Final Action Memorandum on the tragedy.

Britain's Protection of the Military Remains Act of 1986 protects ships that sunk with British servicemen inside. However, the act only prevents British citizens from entering such war graves -- it doesn't prevent foreign nationals from diving in them. Citing the prevalence of videos and photos posted on the Internet -- clearly showing that companies are taking divers inside ships like the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse -- some people want this loophole closed.

Calling for new laws to ensure wrecks are given the same respect as war cemeteries, Hannah Rickard, whose father survived the sinking of the Prince of Wales, claims, "It is obvious from some of the videos and photos circulating that the graves of these men are being disturbed... If it was British divers doing it, they would be prosecuted." However, Rickard admits that visiting the outside of the wrecks is not wrong, though the wrecks should be treated with the respect of a military cemetery: "to dive and just have a look at these wrecks I don't see as a problem. It's not ghoulish at all. We have battlefields that we go to in this country and the Tower of London where lots of people died."

Additionally, campaigners are comparing the taking of artifacts on the wrecks to grave robbing and are calling for a complete moratorium on that, as well. Admittedly, the loophole seems ridiculous and quite unfair.

[Via Diving News]

Last month, we reported that divers had located a Japanese midget submarine off Sydney's beaches. Sunk in 1942, the tiny sub serves as a tomb for the two crewmen who died inside it. As a result of unspecified "technical difficulties" -- including astronomical cost; the fact that the sub is believed to contain live ammunition and could explode at any second; and that it has war grave status -- Australian authorities have decided to leave the sub on the ocean floor indefinitely. In order to protect the vessel, authorities have stepped up surveillance in the area, placing a 1500-foot protection zone around and over the wreck. Divers or boaters who breach the zone face penalties of up to 10,000 Australian dollars or five years jail.

Is your New Year's resolution to get smarter? Learn more:

• Department of the Navy's overview of Midget Subs
• David Kennedy's treatment of the midget sub attack on Sydney
• The Japan Times' interview with the brother of one of the crewmen

I love a great conspiracy theory and we can add this one to the list. In late September we ran a story about the discovery of an Air Force F-89 fighter and UFO in Lake Superior. Recently, Divester reader Chad commented the Great Lakes Dive web site has gone missing. No page about the discovery of the jet and UFO. Not even a home page. Nothing.

After some quick Googling it seems that Great Lakes Dive may have pulled one over on us. According to a message forum I came across, MUFON, the Mutual UFO Network, covered this story in their November journal. The investigation failed to reach anyone from Great Lakes Dive so they're classifying the discovery as a hoax until the evidence can be substantiated.

Perhaps the discoverers went into hiding when (allegedly) threatened by a TV production company to "tell us the location of the dive site or else." The production company in question denied this but said they were "no longer interested in the story."

Chatter on the 'net labels it a hoax or an attempt to fraudulently raise money. Or maybe the "TV production company" was a nefarious black-ops military unit. Like I said, I love a good conspiracy!

Who'd have though the HMAS Canberra is just Australia's second artificial reef? I suppose when you have the Great Barrier Reef in your backyard the thought of artificial reefs is rather ho-hum.

So what is Australia's first? The HMAS Swan, sunk in 1997 after 26 years of service with the Australian Royal Navy. She was laid to rest at 30 meters in Geographe Bay.

The Geographe Bay Artificial Reef Sociey took the project a step further and persuaded the government to declare an "exclusion" zone around the site. The zone measures 500 meters in diameter and imposes restrictions on fishing, hunting, and the number of vessels moored at any one time.

Check out Jane Wilkinson's first-hand account of diving the wreck including photos and more back story. Should you decide to Goolge the HMAS Swan you'll find a (different) vessel of the same name which served in World War II.

Last month Florida was seeking a donation to generate the remainder of money needed to sink the General Hoyt S. Vandenberg as Key West's newest artificial reef. For a mere $1.3M you could have the reef named after you.

Turns out the two bids, $900,000 and $900,200, were bogus. eBay isn't what it used to be.

Fortunately the project received the remaining $1.3M from the City of Key West although the project organizer, Joe Weatherby, hopes to find another sponsor to avoid using the City's money. That's very thoughtful of him but I assume the City will recoup the investment through increased tourism.

Like a scene out of a bad science fiction show, two men recently endured a grueling, 13-hour underwater experience when their submarine rescue vehicle (the Remora) became stranded on the ocean floor off Australia's coast. The pod was carrying out a certification training when one of the two cables in its winching system failed. While rescuers riddled out how to bring the men to safety, the sub was lowered 430 feet to the sea floor. Battling high seas, it took three rescue attempts to finally bring the men within 45 feet of the surface, where rescue divers assisted the men in their escape.

While the submariners were uninjured, this is a terrible setback for the Remora. Since the rescue vehicle failed its certification test, if there is an accident on a navy submarine, help will have to come from either Singapore or the US, which could mean a delay of more than 24 hours.

In August, Divester reported the deaths of two Seattle-based Coast Guard divers who died during an operation in the Arctic Ocean. Apparently, Lt. Jessica Hill and Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven Duque were diving beneath the Coast Guard Cutter Healy, inspecting the ice-breaker's rudder. At the time, the Coast Guard declined to provide many details of the incident; they simply described the dive as a cold water familiarization exercise turned tragic. The following month, the Coast Guard revealed that when crew-members aboard the boat noticed something was wrong with the divers after only 10 minutes, they pulled them from the water. Since then, the Coast Guard has released no additional information about the divers' deaths, although the agency has relieved the Healy's commander, citing a loss of confidence in his ability.

Hill's father recently released the autopsy results of his daughter and plans to ask an independent pathologist to review the findings. According to the autopsy summary, Hill suffered "an uncontrolled descent to a possible depth of 189 feet." The autopsy ruled Hill's death accidental, concluding that her death was asphyxia, lung trauma caused as pressure decreases during ascents, and possible air bubbles in the blood. The Coast Guard claims Hill and Duque were planning to dive to a maximum depth of 20 feet that day. If that's true, why did the surface support team allow nearly 200 feet of rope to enter the water? A spokesman said the Coast Guard would not discuss Hill's autopsy report prior to the outcome of its investigations, which are expected next year.

On the night of May 31, 1942, three Japanese midget submarines launched from a fleet of five larger Japanese subs and raided Sydney Harbor. Prior to completing their mission, two of the subs were spotted and attacked in the Harbor, but one of the subs -- the M24, which attacked HMAS Kattabul, killing 21 sailors -- was never found. Some people believe the sub slipped out of the harbor after the attack. However, historians have long argued about whether it managed to make an escape.

Recently, divers exploring Sydney's northern beaches discovered a wreck -- complete with the the remains of two crewmen. The divers asked the head of the Royal Australian Navy's heritage collection, Commander Shane Moore, to verify it. According to Moore, "It can only be the M24." Reportedly sitting on its keel on the sand, the divers who discovered the wreck said they hoped the Japanese government would agree to raise it, as it's an important part of WWII history.

The U.S. Navy's USS Safeguard is the lead ship of the "Rescue-Salvage" class of vessels operated by the Navy. Deployed from Japan, the mission of these ships is to de-beach stranded vessels; lift heavy objects from ocean depths; execute manned diving operations; and more. Last month, divers from Safeguard, working in conjunction with the Naval Historical Center and The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, spent four days surveying two submerged WWII aircraft in waters surrounding the Marshall Islands. The two U.S. Douglas Torpedo Bomber Devastators -- lost since the early days of World War II -- were surveyed to evaluate their suitability for possible recovery and preservation. Resting in the Marshalls' large central lagoon near the Jaluit Atoll, one of the airplanes sits on a coral ledge in 50 feet of water; the other lies at 130 feet.

What does a suitability survey for a possible recovery involve? During the operation, the teams mapped the extent of corrosion to both wrecks and conducted analysis of water chemistry, aluminum thickness measurements, and site mapping. In addition to giving Safeguard divers the opportunity to brush up their skills and to "be involved in the conservation and preservation of an important part of naval history," Lt. Cmdr. Doyle Hodges, Safeguard's commanding officer, let the cat out of the bag. In his words, "diving conditions in the lagoon were terrific." It's great when work is fun.

[Via Newsvine]

Last week, Homeland Security Group International (HSG) announced a new product, the Neptune EBD1, which is designed to provide extended breathing time in emergency situations. Measuring 13 inches by 4.5 inches, and weighing a mere 5 pounds, the EDB1 can supply 55-60 minutes of breathing time for divers, aircrew members, workers in confined spaces (such as mines), firefighters, law enforcement, hazmat workers, etc. HSG claims "this newest generation will revolutionize the diving industry... trained military and civilian professional divers are telling us this is the greatest thing that the diving industry has seen in a long time."

Thanks to its small size, large capacity, quick deployment, long shelf life, and other attributes, HSG claims the EDB1 is a winning air-delivery device. If you want to learn more, check out HSG's short, dry video presentation of the EDB1(featuring a semi-comical patriotic soundtrack and slightly different specs for the unit). Interestingly, HSG is working on a new BC that will incorporate the EBD1 within the design. If you want one for yourself, they should be available in mid-November.

[Via Asia Dive Site]

Maybe the HMAS Canberra shouldn't be called a wreck dive since it'll be intentionally sunk at Barwon Heads on the Bellarine Peninsula in Southern Victoria. The 4,100 ton military vessel was launched in 1978 and decommissioned in 2005 and served in the Persian Gulf and the Solomon Islands as a long range escort frigate providing air defense, anti-submarine warfare, and surveillance.

The sinking is expected to cost a cool $2.8M (Australian), most of it donated by the government. If anyone can find out the expected date of sinking, let us know.

British Royal Navy diver Lt. George Wookey dived 600 feet below the surface of a lake near Sorfjorden, Norway on October 12, 1956, breaking the previous record. Breathing a helium-oxygen mix, and wearing a Siebe Gorman helmet and a flexible dress standard diving suit, divers have gone deeper since then, but never using the Siebe Gorman helmet.

In conjunction with a dive show this week in Norway, a plaque commemorating Wookey's achievement will be unveiled near the site where he achieved the record. Wookey, who is now 83 years old, is scheduled to speak at the plaque's unveiling. Sadly, his sister says she asked if she "could go and help George celebrate but because of all the red tape involved, it would have been very difficult." Come on, somebody couldn't arrange for this woman to fly from Australia to Norway?!

If you've got a minute, definitely check out Wookey's first-person account of the dive, in which he simulated working on a sub in water temperatures approaching 33°F. According to Wookey, "Cold crept steadily through me and I had a passing thought, 'One of these days they'll invent heated suits!'" Claiming his fingers swelled to the size of sausages, I bet Wookey was delighted to get out of that cold lake water.