When I first started researching about diving in truk, the first thing I thought about was - Why not go on the liveaboards? After all, it sounds the best way to go - right??? Well, all those thoughts went straight out of the window as soon as I saw Blue Lagoon Dive Resort.

We had massive amounts of space, freedom, huge airconditioned ensuit rooms, huge menus to choose from, and the most strategically positioned for the wrecks! Most of the liveaboards are "floating hotels" that stay in the same areas for a period of days, then move once or twice during the trip. Some liveaboards, move to each site. This , again at first sounds like a plan - but when you get 12-15 people descending onto the same wreck it takes the shine off the dive very quickly. With our policy of a max of 6 people per boat and 1 boat per wreck ensures that everyone has the best opportunities to dive clear water wrecks not in a dust cloud!!

View Inside the dive store

Theres even a small secluded beach in the resort!

Our November Lust 4 Rust Trip was heavily weighted with Canadians this year!!Not exactly sure why... Maybe moose season is over!!!!! Jeff Stalls from Aqua-Tek Scuba in Edmington Canadia....... bought 13 of his "merry men" and what a hard core bunch they were!!

Craig, John, Jason and Phil enjoying a post rust day!

Admittedly the weather wasnt always like this but luckily I banned any pictures to be taken when it rained!!!

We had some pretty average weather with plenty of wind and rain squalls. But hey - thats why its green in the tropics!!! We didnt lose any diving days though!!

Fiona Sharp was our trusty Doc on the trip. Fiona was also undergoing some research. In these parts of the world we have a perfect platform to undergo diving physiological research. Not much is being done these days as its all voluntary so its really good to see this sort of thing being done. Thanks to all those who partook in the project.

We did have a bit of adversity though! We witnessed our first O2 fire. It wasnt pretty and we were all very lucky. One of our team did get burned on his arm.

This sort of thing just makes us realise what risks dealing with high pressure O2 has. Luckily our team mate got away with burns on his arm and nothing more serious. (He is making a full recovery!)

Thanks to Doc Fiona and Phil (who is a paramedic) we were able to deal with everything without having to admit the unfortunate diver to the local hospital.

We are not entirely sure how it happened. All we know was that when the cylinder was turned on the unit flashed and ignited. A constant reminder that High Pressure O2 is really dangerous and I hope that if you are a breather diver you will ensure that you take care opening your valve.

THE DIVINIG.....

Again, this place never failed to deliver with its consistent high quality diving!

Of course my trip was heavily weighed around my new acquisition! It was a last minute decision and a massive thanks to RussSanoian at Backscatter in the US for putting the Aquatica housing together with all the bits for me.

Also I would not have been using it in truk if it wasnt for Kevin Rumbaoa who very kindly transported the housing and all the kit that goes with it all the way from the US for me. Cheers bud!!

On top of having to wait patiently for Kev to come I also was undertaking training so in the end I only got 5 days with my new baby!!

This was the first picture I took on the camera. I dont want to turn this trip report into a camera and housing report. All I will say is that I love my new Nikon D7000 and Aquatica housing!! This picture I took almost exactly in the same position 2 years ago. With my D200 I had a 6 second exposure to get the result. With the D7000 at 3200 iso - a 30th of a sec!!!....

Starboard side of the San Fran.

Starboard side of the Shotan Maru

One of the wierdest things was our dive on the San Fransisco Maru. This massive cloud of orange silt billowed out of #1 hold rendering the top of the wreck down to zero viz!! We all thought that there was a major collapse causing all the silt to be stirred up.

This is yet another example of the wrecks in truk breaking up.

Another angle of the tanks on the starboard side of the ship.

The Fujikawa Maru, never fails to deliver quality diving every time. Here is the top of the rocker covers in the engineroom

Randy checking out the galley in the Fujikawa Maru

One of my favourite dives - The Hoki Maru. There is just so much to take pictures of!!

Hoki Maru. Not the best shot but next year I will work on this image more. With a few more slaves in the cabs!! and a bit of creative lighting I might get a keeper!!

We had a few side mount boys - Kev and Bentley

Kev squeezing into a hard to get to spot!!

there is always a "working progress" project on each trip and this trip was no exception!! Bentley and his video camera and lights were so negative we made bouyancy arms for him - later being dubbed "the SCUD!!" This small submersible was no easy task pushing through the water. Lucky Bentley had his sidemounts on to reduce drag!!!

One of the major advantages of sidemounts is being able to get really close to aquatic life!! Something unobtainable on "old school" twins!!!

Good on you boys!!!

Some plants!

The life on these wrecks is spectacular!!!

July's Truk trip was made up of a host of divers from UK, Canada, NZ, Ozzi and of course - the token Zimbo!!

Kevin Brown, John Hynes, Trev Muddle, Bruce and Lynn Partridge, Prof Simon Mitchell, David Webster, Tony Howell, Nick Clarke, Mischa Temple, and Chris McCafferty and Simon McNally who came with me to Bikini after this trip so they came to sneak a few dives in Truk before the event!!!!

As per usual all the guys at Blue Lagoon Dive Resort and Dive Shop looked after us all really well.

The weather threw a few curved balls at us with probably some of the heaviest rain we have had for some time! But that didnt dampen spirits as it was only for a few days.

We got in about 750 cumulative man hours of diving on this trip doing some pretty good bottom times each day. All in all everyone had a fantastic time. A few colds and sniffles..... but all good.

Even though we were focusing on the deeper wreck sites the "afternoon maru's" were so much fun too.

Spent more time on the Fujisan Maru. A 9000 ton, 150meter long tanker (check out the 50-60m wrecks) It was a long swim to the stern but was rewarded with a fantastic photogenic prop. "Doc" Mitchell and I took turns posing for eachother against this giant prop.

Had an absolute cracker on the San Fran

Looking forward to doing it all again in November!

Simon Mitchell and the Prop of the Fujisan Maru.