Do you wish to one day dive on the Titanic wreck

[Melissa Ziehl]

It would be an excitement to actually see the ship with my own eyes, as I have only seen pictures of it. However, it would probably also scare me because of the depth the ship is at and it would sadden me to see the enormous ship just sitting there on the bottom of the ocean.

 

[Cheryl Adair]

Just yesterday I read (here on this site) about a chance to dive down and see the Titanic. I read thru all the details, costs, etc.

It said that the cost for *divers* (which includes one dive to the wreck) is $36,650.00 US dollars.

For *non divers* the cost is $4,950.00 US dollars.

I am curious to know what they mean - divers and non divers? Surely if you aren't going to dive you wouldn't pay that much money just to go out there and watch other people dive!

So why is there such a huge difference in cost for *divers* and *non divers*?? I don't get it.

Also - has anyone here ever been on a dive to the wreck and seen it for yourself? Anyone planning to?

Personally I would love to go down there, to see her up close. I never will, can't afford it! But it would be so amazing, to see her for myself, with my own 2 eyes. It would make the whole thing seem much more real, I think.

I get sad when I think about that grand ship just laying on the bottom of the ocean all these years.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Non divers get to go along on the mother ship for the ride. For $36,650.00, the divers get to climb into a cramped, chilly and uncomfortable submersible with a plastic jug for a toilet and take part in a dive down to the wreck. (And God help you if one of your mates had "gassy" food for supper the night befor!)

Not my cup of tea, but if you find it appealing, go for it and have fun!

 

[Kritina Johnston]

"For $36,650.00, the divers get to climb into a cramped, chilly and uncomfortable submersible with a plastic jug for a toilet and take part in a dive down to the wreck"

Not to mention that the view down there is usually pretty murky...really, is this trip necessary?

 

[Elyshia Cooper]

I'd love to do it no matter the cost. I see it as a once in a lifetime experience . Especially for an avid Titanic addict, like me

 

[João Carlos Pereira Martins]

I can't say I wouldn't dive to the wreck. I suppose that is one of the main dreams of a Titanic fan or historian, isn't it?! It would be so nice to see the ship on the ocean bottom, and, reminding your knowledge you should be able to imagine some scenes of that night. Who, while passing by the boat deck, would not remember to say things like "Look, there is the Countess of Rothes. She's boarding boat number 8" or "Poor Mr.Lightoller, desperate to cut the ropes of collapsible B"? I just can't describe the sensation it would be.

But of course I'm conscious I will never be able to afford such a trip and, being almost 16, I doubt the ship will still stand when I am 40! I have to be satisfied by documentaries and I suppose my function is to preserve the memory of 1500 souls and make sure this tremendous event won't be forgotten.

Best,
JC

 

[Dieter Klimow]

> Do you wish to one day dive on the Titanic wreck?

If I could do so, without having to pay, yes: I would enjoy it very much.
But visiting the wreck is not one of my top priorities, it is much more important to me to 'remember' how life was in 1912, how every one on the Titanic felt and lived before, maybe after and during the various stages of their voyage.

However, I think it would be unforgettable, fascinating, thrilling, sad, breathtaking, sobering, glorious, humbling and probably some more to go and see the wreck.

 

[Megan brule]

No, because I think that instead of going to see the remains of the once great ship I would rather do some good with the money, like donate it to charity.

 

[Parks Stephenson]

I have studied the wreck for many years. I knew, without having actually gone there, almost every documented area of the bow section. In my mind, the wreck was as familar to me as my own house. I was therefore totally unprepared to be completely blown away when I finally did get to see the wreck with my own eyes. The familiar was so much impressive in person, despite the restrictive view through our tiny viewports. As a bonus, I saw things that have never before been captured in imagery during previous expeditions.

The most striking advantage of being there is seeing everything in 3D. The ship seems much more massive when you can see the dimension...to see a hi-def image of the No. 1 funnel uptake is one thing, but to actually LOOK DOWN into the depths of the very same uptake is an altogether different experience.

And to actually sit on the portside Boat Deck, just outside the Marconi Room? I can't describe the feeling.

I will always remember my dive to the wreck as one of the major milestones in my life. I will forever be grateful to Jim Cameron for giving me the opportunity to see the wreck for myself.

Parks

 

[Tarn Stephanos]

Hi Parks
your reaction seems the common one shared by people who have had the fortune to see Titanic in person- To be there in person- to see Titanic as a tangible thing-it is a moment that cannot be captured by words....
To visit Titanic in person rather than view her as some distant entity in a book makes the Titanic tangable and real- and the emotional and intellectual impact of a dive is a life changing experience..

To visit the wreck in person is my greatest dream- and rest assured i'll pay the $$ to dive.

In my Titanic exhibit days I worked closely with the 'Big Piece', and touched the steel plates every day- That experince was light years above looking at pictures of the Big Piece..god willing I'll someday have the chance to see Titanic in her element..

Parks, do you have any desire to return to the wreck? Some people who have made the dive told me once is enough- others suggested that on the first dive, one is so distracted by the awe of simply being there, key details on the wreck might be overlooked- thus future dives are needed to pick up on details missed during their first dive...


regards

Tarn Stephanos

 

[Parks Stephenson]

Tarn,

I learned several things (documented in the 2005 Observations article on my website) during my relatively short dive to the wreck. I believe that I would have learned even more if my dive hadn't been cut short and would continue to learn if the opportunity to return ever presented itself. So, yes, I have a very intense desire to return. I personally do not have the means to dive to the wreck, so I am dependent on others to offer that opportunity to me.

If I never get another chance to go, though, I will always appreciate the supreme fortune afforded to me by Jim Cameron to actually rest on Titanic's Boat Deck. I've done many things in my life, but that has to be one of my most memorable.

By the way, being part of the Britannic expedition comes a close second. I really enjoyed being part of the technical diving crew, even though I'm not a diver myself. As an advisor, the fact that lives depend on an accurate briefing really focuses the mind and involves you (and your research) in a way that no other type of underwater exploration can.

Parks

 

[Holly Peterson]

I have mixed feelings on this. I've always wanted to go down there, to actually set foot on the Titanic (if it was possible to invent some sort of scuba diving equipment that would let people dive down that far without getting crushed by the pressure) It would be a nostalgic and tremendously poignant experience, knowing that you're standing right where it all happened ... but then, it might be overwhelming for me, and I'd probably cry (I almost cry every time I hear Celine Dion's song My Heart Will Go On, that's how soft I am when it comes to the Titanic) and I might get scared down there.

P.S. I read in a Book of World Records that the youngest person to ever visit the wreck of the Titanic was only 13. Is this true?

 

[Bill Willard]

Yes, Sebastian Harris went down in the MIR with his father, G. Michael Harris. Mike Harris went after his stint as an officer of RMST. He was 13 at the time, and appeared on Good Morning America afterwards. What a great opportunity for him!

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>(if it was possible to invent some sort of scuba diving equipment that would let people dive down that far without getting crushed by the pressure)<<

Indeed. Unfortunately at the current state of the art, the technical term used by professional divers for a scuba diver as 12,550 feet is "Corpse."

I can concieve of how that could be overcome but it would take materials for the armour and the seals for the joints which are beyond the state of the art. That's a pity since even ROV's have some pretty severe limits, not the least of which is a cable which can get tangled up in things. A suited diver would still have some problems but he could work them out without outside intervention.

 

[James Smith]

Michael, is there a possibility of developing some kind of acoustic remote-control device for ROVs? Or would that rely on direct, unobstructed line-of-sight from the controller to the ROV?

--Jim