Comments by "Sar Jim" (@sarjim4381) on "KMS Prinz Eugen - Guide 081" video.

I'm sure you were just being ironic about the wreck, but it's no longer radioactive...or at least that's what we were told when our party dived on it. This was in 1990, and I'm still alive at age 72, so I don't think effects were two bad. There are so many wrecks to dive on within five miles of Kwajalein that it would take months to dive on them all. In addition to the Prinz Eugen, we dove on a couple of good sized Japanese transport ships, a subchaser, and a number of aircraft, including a group of B-25's and a remarkably intact PBM Mariner. We only had seven dive days although we spent eleven days in the islands. It wasn't cheap, but it was the trip of a lifetime.
494
We could go in some of the interior spaces without a problem. They were marked with green circles while the prohibited ares were marked with a big red X. I think the "safe" areas were exposed to the air and rain long enough before she sank to disperse at least the radioactive dust particles.The divemaster always had a geiger counter with him just in case. There are a lot of compartments that aren't accessible due to structural collapse anyway so most of the dive is hull and deck. Still quite an amazing dive. We were down for less than an hour so I don't think we could have had much exposure. I was able to get into the radio shack (I"m also a ham radio operator) and, to my surprise, it looks like most of the German radios were left in the ship before the Bikini blasts. They are, of course, completely encrusted in marine growth now, but I sure would have heisted a couple of them if I was a sailor preparing the ship for the tests.
114
Russ G, is there a joke there I missed?
29
Bill, where the greatest radiation contamination of the wreck is above my pay grade. I just followed the markings and went where the divemaster told us to go. I'd guess there have been hundreds of divers on the wreck and, as far as I know, there haven't been any problems. Kwolfx, the wreck does slope down from the stern to bow. The stern is sticking out of the water with the props and rudder above water as well. It's a great place for non-diver snorkelers to explore while the divers from the group head down to the rest of the wreck. Open water divers can get down to the "B" turret without any problems as it's less than 90 feet. I'd recommend a wreck diving course for anyone attempting a dive on Kwajalein. You're a long way from any critical care hospitals if something goes wrong, so knowing how not get the bends is really important. Advanced open water divers should be able to go the bow if they really want to. The bow, such as it is, is mostly buried in sand at about 125 feet, and there's not much to see forward of the "A" turrent anyway. The visibility is good enough you can hang at 100 feet and get a good view down to the bow. It's sure a dive I'd like to do again...but not at 72 years old. Rats!
24
I was never concerned about it. As you say, it has been long enough now that being on the wreck for 45 minutes is less than the radiation I picked up flying there. Radiation is just one of those scary things ot a lot of people, so any radiation is bad to them. I don't know that I'd like to spend a couple days on the wreck but it's not a possibility we need to worry about. I did notice the wreck is festooned in marine growths., and there are thousands of marine creatures that do spend a good portion of their lives on the wreck I didn't notice any three eyed fish.
16
Drach, you're welcome. I was really excited to see the PE come up in the list. I would have liked to have seen her in all her glory after she was surrendered to the British in 1946, but that was the year I was born, so the wreck will have to be second best. Oh, I forgot to mention that, for anyone who's nervous around sharks and barracudas, this is a dive to skip. I counted six oceanic whitetips that obviously called the wreck home and more barracuda than I cared to count. They never really bothered us, but the whitetips did give us a close inspection. Since most of the wreck is sitting hull up, you can see the sharks from quite a distance, and then just swim to other side of the hull to get away from them. I can see how it would freak out divers anxious about swimming with sharks though.
14
It's gone. It was run ashore on North Keeling island after after the Battle of Cocos late in 194. Wave action had almost completely broken up the damaged ship by 1919. What remained was removed by Japanese scrappers in 1950.
2
Ok, okay, I get it now. Yes, it would be a great ship for a profile.
2