Happy Holidays from Dirty Dozen Expeditions 🎄

Dear Team Member,

I hope this message finds you and your family healthy and well.

And just like that, another year comes to an end. It has been a very busy and productive year and we want to thank all our partners and team members. We wish all of you a festive holiday season!

As always, we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Best,

Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team

DIRTY DOZEN DOES DEMA - ORLANDO EDITION🌴

Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,

We hope this email as always finds you well.

It’s that time of the year - Trade Show Season - and we are in full force getting ready for our big show at DEMA in Orlando next week. We have several big announcements during the show which we cannot wait to share with you!

Find us at DEMA between the 1st and 4th of November 2022 at our NEW BOOTH located at #2057 next to Halcyon and JJ CCR to chat about diving in Truk Lagoon, Bikini Atoll, Galapagos & Palau.

If you are planning to attend the show and want to schedule a meeting with Aron directly, please click on the button below.

#TEAMDD PRESENTATIONS AT DEMA TECHNICAL DIVING RESOURCE CENTER

Right next to our booth is the official technical diving resource center for DEMA where we have 2 presentations lined up.

The first presentation is called “CCR Diving in Galapagos” which focuses on the ultimate way to experience some of the most breathtaking marine encounters on the planet.⁠⁠

Exploring Galapagos is an incredible adventure, connecting with some of the most exotic marine life on the planet. Imagine how a rebreather amplifies that experience in terms of bottom time and interaction. Imagine how it enhances even further with the entire live-aboard on rebreathers, even the guides.

Join us and learn what sets the extremely rare CCR ONLY trips apart!

Our second presentation is called “Truk Lagoon Vs. Bikini Atoll” and is about divers thinking of Truk Lagoon and Bikini Atoll as similar locations with the same kind of wreck diving on offer, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

Besides a shared location in the Pacific, Truk and Bikini are vastly different for reasons that encompass politics, history, diving depths, required skill levels, the types of wrecks and more.

Aron will be doing both presentations with surprise guest speakers joining him and taking questions from the audience this year’s DEMA.

Find the schedule of the presentations below.

We can’t wait to see you all in Orlando, and for those that cannot make it please don’t forget, if you ever feel lonely, we are always here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron & The Dirty Dozen Team

TRUK LAGOON OPENS BORDERS EARLY

Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,

We hope this email finds you well as always. We are bringing you a special edition of our newsletter.

BIG NEWS - Truk Lagoon is open as of TODAY, 5 weeks ahead of the scheduled opening on November 1, 2022 after being closed for 2 years and 9 months.

Let’s get right to it!

TRUK LAGOON BORDERS REOPENING PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday September 28, 2022 - Office Of The Governor, State of Chuuk.

"Chuuk State Quarantine protocols lifted and borders are open"

“On Wednesday September 28th, 2022 the office of the Governor has received a copy of the recently passed Joint Resolution CSL 16-22-SJR-18.

This resolution extends the State COVID-19 declaration from date up to April 30, 2023. Under such declaration the quarantine protocols and travel protocols are no longer applicable.

All persons in quarantine facilities will be released immediately. Borders are open for international and domestic travels. Travels between Chuuk Lagoon and Outer Islands is restricted to emergency purposes only.

All incoming travelers must comply with FSM's declaration PL 22-134 which mandates a five (5) day home quarantine period before they can be released to the public.” *UPDATE 29 OCT 2022 - THIS HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

You can read the press release HERE

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

In a nutshell, borders are open as of today for domestic and international travelers without any need for quarantine facilities on arrival. Flight schedules are being restored 5 weeks ahead of schedule which was November 1.

The 5-day home quarantine period on arrival - there are 2 options here. When you arrive you are driven straight to the hotel where you will have “restricted movement” until the live-aboard picks you up.

Alternatively you can arrive on the day when the trip starts - and be transported straight onto the boat where you will “do your 5 day quarantine” on the boat and go diving and have fun as scheduled.

This is a rapidly evolving situation now so we would not be surprised if this “5-day home quarantine” declaration will be cancelled before November 1, but you should plan for it until further notice. * 29 OCT 2022 UPDATE HOME QUARANTINE HAS BEEN CANCELLED

2 SPOTS REMAINING THIS YEAR

Truk Lagoon is FULL until October 2023.

09-19 November 2022 - FULL

20-29 November 2022 - FULL

30 November - 10 December 2022 - FULL

15-24 January 2023 - FULL

25 January - 04 February 2023 - FULL

18 - 28 October 2023 - 6 Spaces

03 - 12 December 2023 - 9 Spaces

EMAIL US ASAP FOR MORE INFORMATION

That is it from us this week. We are so excited for the upcoming Truk Lagoon season.

As always, we hope you got some great plans coming up this weekend but don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team

Dirty Dozen Does ADEX 🥳

Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,

We hope this email as always finds you well.

This week we want to bring you up to speed with the happenings at ADEX last weekend and share a surprise announcement that came in an hour ago!

Let’s get right to it!

DIRTY DOZEN DOES ADEX - SINGAPORE EDITION

We were really proud to speak at the prestigious ADEX TekDive Conference last weekend, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Singapore.

Aron presented on 2 topics. The first presentation was about the discovery of the wreck USCGC Alexander Hamilton and about what happened in the 11 years since Aron and his team found it at 300ft depth, 30 miles off the shores of Iceland, with 26 souls still in their final resting place.

He held this presentation together with Expedition member Chris Haslam.

The second presentation was a Dirty Dozen classic that revolved around Truk Lagoon Vs. Bikini Atoll, where Aron broke down some of the most infamous ghost wreck fleets on the planet and explained their similarities and differences.

You can watch the presentation recorded here:

The ADEX Tek Talk included many prominent speakers and several #teamdd members including Mark Powell and Richie Kohler. The dive industry is a very tight family of incredibly charismatic people.

It was a bittersweet moment at the speakers dinner. David Strike - our fearless leader and organizer of the Tek Talks for ADEX made this show his last, after serving as its organizer since 1995.

Here he is after receiving a signed gift from the speakers. He will be sorely missed!

ARON IS SPEAKING AT DEMA 2022!

The Technical Diving Resource Center at DEMA SHOW literally just emailed us that our presentations have been approved for this years DEMA SHOW.

If you wanted to see one of the presentations LIVE at ADEX, you now have another chance at the DEMA SHOW in Orlando this coming November.

More details to follow soon!

TRUK LAGOON 2022/2023 AVAILABILITY UPDATE

Truk Lagoon is FULL until October 2023, with the exception of ONE SPACE on November 20-29 2022. First come, first served.

09-19 November 2022 - FULL

20-29 November 2022 - 1 SPACE OPEN (NEW!)

30 November - 10 December 2022 - FULL

15-24 January 2023 - FULL

25 January - 04 February 2023 - FULL

18 - 28 October 2023 - 6 Spaces

03 - 12 December 2023 - 9 Spaces

BIKINI ATOLL 2023 AVAILABILITY UPDATE

We are able to give an availability update to those that are planning to join us in Bikini Atoll in 2023, which are as follows:

25 May - 05 June 2023 with Richie Kohler - 2 Spaces

17-28 June 2023 - 1 Space (NEW!)

15-28 July 2023 - FULL

26 August - 06 September 2023 - 3 Spaces

IF YOU KNOW - YOU KNOW

That is us for this week. We have lots of new and exciting news coming up and we can’t wait to share them it with you as soon as possible.

As always, we hope you got some great plans coming up this weekend but don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team

TRUK AND BIKINI ARE OPENING🥳

Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,

We hope this email as always finds you well.

This week we want to bring you up to speed with the border openings for Truk Lagoon and Bikini Atoll.

Let’s get right to it!

BIKINI ATOLL RE-OPENING

Less than 24 hours ago, the Secretary for the Ministry at RMI Ministry of Health and Human services announced that, due to the recent events - where COVID entered and peaked quickly in the Marshall Islands - the country is soon ready to accept travellers again with FULLY open borders. Please find the official press release below:

To summarize - travelers arriving into the Marshall Islands from 8th September 2022 and onwards need to meet the following pre-requisites to travel to RMI:

• Fully Vaccinated against COVID 19 and boosted if eligible

• Wear a mask during travel to RMI

On Arrival:

• Testing on arrival in Marshall Islands - Rapid Antigen Test

• If positive - five days home quarantine/isolation

• If negative - free movement around in public with a mask

  FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA IS OPEN

The Federated States of Micronesia opened its borders on August 1, 2022. Chuuk State is allowing flights, but only limited to 66 passengers on selected dates until November 1, where it opens fully. You can read the Press Release below from August 30, 2022.

To summarize - travelers arriving into Federated States Of Micronesia from 1st August 2022 and onwards need to meet the following pre-requisites to travel to FSM:

• Fully Vaccinated against COVID 19 and boosted if eligible

• Wear a mask during travel to FSM

On Arrival:

• PCR test 72 Hours before arrival.

• If there is community transmission is evident in all four FSM states, a negative antigen test within 72 hours will be accepted.

• Restriction of movement is implemented in the first 5 days on arrival with essential travel in hotel/resorts permitted. This can be completed on the live-aboard.

  This restriction of movement is expected to be phased out as the community adjusts to open borders. We will let you know as soon as it does.

AVAILABILITY UPDATE - TRUK LAGOON AND BIKINI ATOLL

Truk Lagoon and Bikini have been a hot topic in terms of upcoming availability due to recent events - with Truk Lagoon opening FULLY on November 1st this year, and Bikini Atoll being fully open next week.

Lucky for you though, as promised, are always the first one to know when we have openings on seats in hot demand by being a part of #teamdd!

TRUK LAGOON 2022/2023 UPDATE

A few spots are left until October 2023, but not for long with current demand. The spots available are as follows:

09-19 November 2022 - FULL

20-29 November 2022 - FULL

30 November - 10 December 2022 - 1 Space

15-24 January 2023 - 4 Spaces

25 January - 04 February 2023 - FULL

First come, first served.

Watch our Truk Lagoon Promo that we filmed in 2020 before COVID to get excited!

BIKINI ATOLL 2023 UPDATE

We are able to give an availability update to those that are planning to join us in Bikini Atoll in 2023, which are as follows:

25 May - 05 June 2023 with Richie Kohler - 3 Spaces

17-28 June 2023 - FULL

29 June - 10July 2023 - 8 Spaces

15-28 July 2023 - FULL

26 August - 06 September 2023 - 5 Spaces

Richie Kohler is one of the biggest wreck diving explorers out there and we have had a few spots open for personal reasons. This is your chance to join him in a truly world-class wreck diving destination.

We know picking the right team for a trip of a lifetime is essential. We have collected a LOT of testimonials from over the years - you can read them all HERE.

DIRTY DOZEN DOES ADEX - SINGAPORE EDITION

We are really proud to announce that we have been invited to speak at the prestigious ADEX TekDive Conference, on September 16-18, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Singapore.

Aron will be presenting on 2 topics. The first presentation is about the discovery of the wreck USCGC Alexander Hamilton and what has happened in the 11 years since Aron and his team found it at 300ft depth, 30 miles off the shores of Iceland, with 26 souls still in their final resting place.

The return expedition with the memorial plaque, being in contact with the families of the fallen men and all the unreal experiences and meetings that came because of the simple passion of wreck exploration, will all be there.

Expedition member Chris Haslam will be co-hosting the presentation with him.

The second presentation is a Dirty Dozen classic and revolves around Truk Lagoon Vs. Bikini Atoll, where Aron breaks down some of the most infamous ghost wreck fleets on the planet and explains where they are similar, and where they are not.

We will share more details about time and place as the event gets closer.

We hope to see you there!

That is us for this week. We have lots of new and exciting news coming up and we can’t wait to share them it with you as soon as possible.

As always, we hope you got some great plans coming up this weekend but don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team

🪖USS Perry DD-340 - 100 YEARS LATER

Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,

We hope this email as always finds you well.

Last week, a team of 9 divers from the inaugural Palau trip with The Dirty Dozen Expeditions conducted a successful dive on the destroyer USS Perry DD-340. A challenging wreck, which has only had around 30 divers visit her since 1944.

This is the story of the USS Perry and our dive.

The USS Perry met her fate as an American Destroyer converted as a minesweeper - less than a mile from Angaur Island, Palau on September 13, 1944 when she scraped a mine at 14:18, sinking her to 78m/255feet.

Our team dived and documented the wreck on August 11, 2022 - 100 years and 4 days after she was commissioned.

The challenges for diving this wreck cannot be understated. We originally planned to dive this wreck exactly on the 100 year anniversary but kept getting blown out by weather.

On our last diving day, the weather gods turned into our favor and at 5am we were all up and loading the boat for a sailing to Angaur Island.

A support boat was on site and a rescue plane had been chartered to monitor our SMBs - should we blow off the wreck which has treacherous ocean currents and sea conditions. About 150 minutes after arriving and locating the wreck, the current slacked to a point where it was safe and our dive team jumped in the water.

This photo is actually from the ascent and purely for illustration. The surface current was absolutely ripping and it took all our strength just to get from the boat onto the line to about 5 meters, and to relax a little before the descent. After a long pull down on the descent the bottom started to appear, and anxiety of the shot being thrown in the wrong place started to creep up. Where was the wreck?

Turns out the shot line was stuck at the seabed, some hundred meters from the wreck and once on the bottom a faint dark hue was glowing in the distance. It was the USS Perry. Before leaving the line we attached a 18,000 lumen video light, meant for film production, as a line marker. This came very much in handy later at 78m where every minute counts.

THE DIVE

We spent about 20 minutes at the bottom of 78m/255ft and all I can tell you from my wreck diving experience - is that the USS Perry is simply a 10/10. The extraordinary visibility, history, logistical challenges and experience diving this wreck is truly world-class. Highlights on the wreck include 3 inch guns, depth charges on racks, magnetic mine cables, gun platforms and the elusive Japanese mine on the seabed.

Dirty Dozen was also on site with our RED Digital Cinema Komodo ready to film the USS Perry in unseen 6K quality. We have been working non-stop to being able to show you a teaser of what we filmed, which you can see on the link above.

WATCH IN 4K QUALITY ON DESKTOP FOR BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE.

One of our support divers, Niall McCarty, did a photogrammetry run with about a 1000 photos and you can see the results here. I will upload a higher resolution version in our KNOWLEDGE BASE and let you know when he finishes the model after a second dive.

**** UPDATE 1 SEP 2022
Here is a higher resolution image after their second attempt.

It is interesting comparing the composite photo above taken by Bill Remick in August 2000, clearly showing how much deterioration has happened in the last 22 years.

After a good 20 minutes on the bottom, it was time to head up. We were extremely fortunate to have somewhat slack current on the line and were able to do all our decompression there, instead of decompression drift for miles in current as per the original plan.

The USS Perry Dive Team.

From left: Matt Boyle, Perry Brandes, Didier Follain-Grisell, Aron Arngrimsson, Jakub Slama, Geoff Creighton and Antti Apunen.

We dedicate this dive In memory of the eight men that gave their lives when USS Perry sank in Palau on Sept. 13, 1944.

Their names and home states, according to the U.S. Navy:

Joseph Brand, New York

Paul Burnette, Tennessee

Frank Byrd, Ohio

Henry Edgell, West Virginia

Ottice Joplin, Texas

Arthur Schieber, Minnesota

Donald Schomer, Nebraska

Dan Wersebe, Texas

Burnette and Schomer died on a rescue ship and were buried at sea. The others are believed to have died inside a fireroom. They were not found before the ship sank. (Source: www.ussperry.org)

I want to personally thank Matt Boyle, Richard Barnden as well as all our extended support team Niall McCarty and Jesse Alpert for making this dive happen for all of us. You went above and beyond making a seemingly impossible task happen on the last dive day we had in Palau. The dive team and I extend our heartfelt thanks.

Also big thanks to #teamdd member Richie Kohler for sending this video congratulating the team after the successful dive.

WHEN IS THE NEXT TRIP TO PALAU?!

I know - we have been really late launching the follow up dates, but, in the interest of giving you the best possible experience I believe you will want to hold on just a bit longer. We have a lot of surprises coming up in coming newsletters.

Having said that - we are going to release our first date which is August 13-20, 2023 with add-on land based packages at the end of this month. We already have 70+ inquiries for this trip but expedition team members will be selected based on their skills, experience and attitude.

If you are interested in joining us then drop us an email now and we will send out details.

That’s a wrap from us this week! 

We hope you have some great plans coming up look forward to seeing you all above and underwater soon. Please don’t forget, if you ever feel lonely, we are always here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron & The Dirty Dozen Team

⏱Palau in 3 weeks, Updated Availability and Knowledge Base 📚

Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,

We hope this email as always finds you well.

Palau is on our mind as we are just 3 weeks from departure. Once we start printing custom team shirts and order signed books from Rod Macdonald, its always a pretty good sign that some epic wreck exploration is imminent.

PALAU EXPEDITION AROUND THE CORNER

Palau has long held fascination from divers worldwide due to the exceptional variety of marine biodiversity in this small Pacific Nation. The running joke for wreck explorers in the area is that you would see tons of dayboats taking scuba divers out of Malakal Harbour, unknowingly to them passing several world-class WW2 wrecks on their way out.

There have been occasional wreck trips made by outside organizers but to our knowledge not with consistent schedule or technical diving focused with expert local CCR guides.

The Dirty Dozen Expeditions is now in Palau to change that with our partners and we cannot wait to share with you our adventure as it starts from August 1-10, 2022.

Make sure to follow us on socials to see the latest!

What about Palau 2023 and beyond?

At DDE, we always want to deliver the best possible experience on our expeditions which is why we are wrapping up final details before we publish our dates until 2025.

We have about 20 requests already for 2023 who we will send details to soon, so if you want to join the list - EMAIL us now to get your name down.

UPDATED NEAR FUTURE AVAILABILITY

TRUK LAGOON 2022 UPDATE

The FSM borders are slated to open on August 1, 2022 - in a few WEEKS. We have some openings for our trips at the end of the year which are as follows:

09-19 November 2022 - 1 Space

20-29 November 2022 - 1 Space

30 November - 10 December 2022 - 4 Spaces

First come, first served.

BIKINI ATOLL 2023 UPDATE

We can announce newly secured charters to those that are planning to join us in Bikini Atoll in 2023:

25 May - 05 June 2023 with Richie Kohler - 3 Spaces

17-28 June 2023 - FULL

29 June - 10July 2023 - 6 Spaces

15-28 July 2023 - FULL

26 August - 06 September 2023 - 5 Spaces

We know picking the right team for a trip of a lifetime is essential. We have collected a LOT of testimonials from over the years - you can read them all HERE.

UPDATED KNOWLEDGE BASE

We did a major update to our knowledge base and created a brand new section called “CCR Knowledge Base”. This section features various scientific papers related to rebreather diving which we will be updating regularly.

We also uploaded a popular presentation that we did in lockdown times on the difference between Truk Lagoon and Bikini atoll to our YouTube page. Watch it by clicking the photo below!

MERCH! MERCH! MERCH!

We finally organized some new styles for our Palau merchandise and our Vintage line.

Shop ‘til you drop our range of hoodies, tees, smart polos, and freshen up that style. Shop all our NEW exclusive DDE merch now on our website.

That’s a wrap from us this week!

We hope you have some great plans coming up this summer and we look forward to seeing you all above and underwater soon. Please don’t forget, if you ever feel lonely, we are always here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron & The Dirty Dozen Team

Galapagos 2023 SOLD OUT 🚨

Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,

We hope this email as always finds you well.

Galapagos has been on our mind as we start getting closer to our CCR Only 2023 date, which sold out this week. Should you be interested to join us in 2024 and onwards, we figured it might be good to recap why this is such a special itinerary.

ONE OF A KIND TRIP

Experiencing Galapagos is an incredible adventure. You connect with some of the most exotic marine life on the planet. Imagine how a rebreather amplifies that experience. Imagine how it amplifies even further with the entire boat on rebreathers, even the guides. This is what sets the CCR only trips apart, which are extremely rare.

GALAPAGOS MARINE RESERVE EXPANDED

Last year, President Lasso announced an expansion of the Galapagos Marine Reserve by 45%. The new protected area is 2.5 times the size of Maryland and covers more water surface area than Lake Michigan.

Photo courtesy of Galapagos Conservancy.

The total size of the marine protected area now extends 47.4 million acres (74,000 square miles). Crucially it ensures that the previously unprotected band of water in the Eastern Pacific, known as the Galápagos-Cocos Swimway, is now in the safe zone. 

The Galápagos-Cocos Swimway superhighway sees threatened and endangered migratory species like Whale Sharks, Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks, Manta Rays, Sea Turtles, Tuna, and many more that pass through the oceanic thoroughfare. 

Closing this gap should encourage dwindling species numbers to rebound while being an exemplary multi-national collab in the marine conservancy field. 

FROM ARCH TO PILLARS

Darwin’s Arch before the collapse

In May 2021, the industry was rocked by news of the iconic Darwin’s Arch, a rock formation south-east of Darwin Island in the Galápagos archipelago, which collapsed due to natural erosion. 

Coined as the Pillars of Evolution, they mark the shark hot spot of the real-life Jurassic Park and a new underwater formation of where the rocks fell and settled beneath the surface. 

#teamDD CCR DIVE GUIDES AREN’T YOUR AVERAGE DIVE GUIDES

At DDE, we always want to deliver the best possible experience on our expeditions and that is why our annual trips to Galapagos are strictly CCR ONLY. But it doesn't stop there.

Safety first is the only way on DDE trips, and our guides give exemplary briefings. Javier and Eduardo are also certified naturalists and extremely knowledgable about GMR, both on land and underwater.

From the best boats to the best team, our local CCR expert guides have worked with the likes of presenter Monty Halls in reaching new hidden depths of discovery on the deepest exploratory dive conducted in the area.

Watch Monty with our guide team in Galapagos now!

JOIN US IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

After all this talk of the real Jurassic Park, why not join us on an upcoming expedition with availability from 2024 or register yourself on a waitlist for 2023.

The minimum requirement to join is MOD 1.

MERCH! MERCH! MERCH!

We finally organized some new styles for our Galapagos merchandise.

Shop ‘til you drop our range of hoodies, tees, smart polos, and freshen up that style. Shop all our exclusive DDE merch now on our website.

That’s a wrap from us this week!

We hope you have some great plans coming up this summer and we look forward to seeing you all above and underwater soon. Please don’t forget, if you ever feel lonely, we are always here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron & The Dirty Dozen Team

🤩DIRTY DOZEN DOES ADEX AND UPDATED AVAILABILITY

Dear Team Member,

I hope this message finds you healthy and well.

I know we have missed a couple of newsletters in the last 2 months and you have our deepest apologies. As the world opens up we have been overwhelmed with new destinations, trade-show planning and an overflow of new bookings.

Needless to say, there are tons of things we want to share with you. We won’t give it all away in this newsletter but we figured there were 2 things that might interest you most right now.

Let’s get right to it!

DIRTY DOZEN DOES ADEX - SINGAPORE EDITION

We are really proud to announce that we have been invited to speak at the prestigious ADEX TekDive Conference on September 16-18 this year at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Singapore.

Aron will be presenting on 2 topics. The first presentation is about the discovery of the wreck USCGC Alexander Hamilton and what has happened in the 11 years since Aron and his team found it at 300ft depth, 30 miles off the shores of Iceland, with 26 souls still in their final resting place.

The return expedition with the memorial plaque, being in contact with the families of the fallen men and all the unreal experiences and meetings that came because of the simple passion of wreck exploration, will all be there.

Expedition member Chris Haslam will be co-hosting the presentation with him.

The second presentation is a Dirty Dozen classic and revolves around Truk Lagoon Vs. Bikini Atoll, where Aron breaks down some of the most infamous ghost wreck fleets on the planet and explains where they are similar, and where they are not.

We will share more details about time and place as they event gets closer.

We hope to see you there!

💺AVAILABILITY UPDATE - TRUK LAGOON AND BIKINI ATOLL

Truk Lagoon and Bikini have been a hot topic in terms of upcoming availability due to recent events - with Truk Lagoon opening on August 1st this year, and Bikini Atoll having to be pushed to 2023.

Lucky for you though, as promised, are always the first one to know when we have openings on seats in hot demand by being a part of #teamdd!

TRUK LAGOON 2022

With scarce availability of seats in Truk Lagoon as a destination in 2022/2023, due to the backlog caused by the COVID pandemic, we have not been able to offer our customers much until the end of 2023.

This has now changed and a few spots have opened up for THIS YEAR, but not for long with current demand. The spots available are as follows:

09-19 November 2022 - 1 Space

20-29 November 2022 - 1 Space

30 November - 10 December 2022 - 4 Spaces

First come, first served.

Watch Richard Lundgren speak about his experiences in Truk Lagoon and Bikini Atoll in the video above.

BIKINI ATOLL 2023

With Bikini Atoll just missing the re-opening, we sadly had to move our 2022 clients to our 2023 sailings. Now that we have secured everyone a seat, we are able to give an availability update to those that are planning to join us in Bikini Atoll in 2023 which are as follows:

25 May - 05 June 2023 with Richie Kohler - 3 Spaces

17-28 June 2023 - FULL

29 June - 10July 2023 - 6 Spaces

15-28 July 2023 - 1 Space

26 August - 06 September 2023 - 5 Spaces

We know picking the right team for a trip of a lifetime is essential. We have collected a LOT of testimonials from over the years - you can read them all HERE.

That is us for this week. We have lots of new and exciting news coming up and we can’t wait to share them all with you as soon as possible.

As always, we hope you got some great plans coming up this weekend but don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team

🤵Explorers Club ECAD Weekend 2022

Dear Team Member,

I hope this message finds you healthy and well.

The world's largest gathering of pioneers of exploration in space, in the oceans, and on land joined together in New York City last weekend at Club HQ for the Explorers Club Annual Dinner.

This is a packed weekend with a lot of special events featuring many of the world's most famous and distinguished explorers, many of which are divers and many of which are part of #teamdd.

Founded in NYC in 1904, TEC promotes the scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space by supporting research and education in all aspects of science.⁠ We were on site reporting from the clubhouse all weekend. Here are some of the highlights!

JILL HEINERTH RECEIVES THE WILLIAM BEEBE AWARD

Amongst a packed event full of highlights, we were thrilled to see Underwater Explorer, Photographer, Author, Speaker, and #teamDD Special Guest Jill Heinerth receive the William Beebe Award. ⁠
⁠
The first woman to receive the award, Jill was recognized for her lifetime contribution to underwater and deep-sea exploration with a special commendation for her pioneering work in technical rebreather diving, underwater cave mapping, and her capacity for collaboration, communication, and storytelling.⁠

"I have long been a William Beebe geek. As the first woman to receive the award in his name, I reflect on the fact that he encouraged many women explorers on his expeditions." Jill Heinerth

Jill also did several presentations, one of which was at the Chapter Chair dinner before the weekend started.

The Dirty Dozen Expeditions has several team members that are respected members of The Explorers Club and we are very proud of this, having such a talented team that has been actively engaged in pushing underwater exploration for a long time.

Congratulations again Jill from all of us!

NGEN PRESENTATIONS

Another highlight was the NGEN or Next Generation Explorers Network presentation series, where many talented young scientists and explorers presented. #teamdd friend Rannvá Tórfríð Jørmundsson presented about her Xunaan-Ha Expedition in Mexico. ⁠

Taking part in networking events like ECAD is an integral part of planning our expeditions. Spending time with like-minded explorers, sharing tales, and getting inspired by the sense of adventure within these sacred walls while we nurture our relationships with great friends are just part of the work we do behind the scenes that make our trips so epic. ⁠

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE EXPLORERS CLUB?

The road to becoming a member of The Explorers Club seems very long on first look. You have a lengthy application form where you need to chronicle your exploration career, all while getting signatures from 2 members of the club who have to write a letter on your behalf vouching for you as a potential member!

Needless to say, my application form was on my desktop for 5 years until I finally decided to just get it done. The rest is history and now I am Membership Chair for the Middle East Chapter. Should you want to join the Club, I would be more than happy to help you navigate the application process.

You can find the application HERE.

That is us for this week. We hope you got some great plans coming up this weekend but don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team

Almost no spots until summer 2023? 😳

Dear Team Member,

I hope this message finds you healthy and well. With border restrictions around the world continuing to relax, we are finally seeing the light at the end of what has been a very long tunnel for the travel industry.

Throughout this time we have laughed, cried, banged our heads on our desks, cried some more, and stared longingly at our dive kit which has remained far too dry throughout. Now that we have mostly returned to normality with many new expeditions on the horizon, it is very clear that we are still here and able to continue to offer our unique trips because of you, our brilliant customers.

Whilst we know how frustrating it has been with trips being postponed, all of us here at Dirty Dozen Expeditions want to say a massive THANK YOU to you all for sticking with us and showing us your support over the last two years, and we cannot wait to repay that understanding and generosity with more excellent trips for the years to come.

Having said that - we found some free spots on sailings in the next 12 months that we wanted to share with you before the public. Let’s get to it!

2022 TRUK LAGOON SEASON IN SHORT SUPPLY

This week we have been glued to Jacque Cousteau’s Lagoon of Lost Ships as we celebrate Truk Lagoon’s plan to reopen borders in August this year. Check out the DDE Knowledge Base and watch Philippe Cousteau search out the wrecks in the lagoon using a sonar scanning system to discover the wrecks of Truk Lagoon as they had been left mid-fight, 25 years before during the war.

Check out this awesome film, and all our other resources in the DDE KB

Our end-of-year 2022 sailings are mostly full but we happen to have a few spots left on one of the more interesting trips of the year which we have not advertised a lot.

Fancy joining a photography-based trip? Award-winning cave photographer SJ Alice Bennett and partner Jon Kieren are running a trip for us from November 20-29 2022! If you are not a photographer, no problem, we need plenty of models for all those cover shots!

Email us now for more information!

GALAPAGOS 2023

We recently announced a shake-up to our Galapagos expeditions and now we are running annual CCR only trips to the Galapagos Islands in order to deliver the best possible experience. The minimum requirement to join is MOD 1.

Our December 2021 expedition was an incredible success and now we look forward to our next encounter in 2023.

We have A FEW SPOTS LEFT for our March 2023 itinerary. Inquire now to find out more about this one-of-a-kind experience.

PALAU 2023

Our 2022 Inaugural Expedition to Palau is FULL.

Not to worry! We have secured another exclusive WWII Wreck Expedition charter in Palau from 13-20 August 2023 with FULL CCR/OC TEC support. We are still working on some final details in regards to logistics and pricing but we could not wait to tell you and if everything goes well our special guest might be the person mentioned in the above picture!

This will be a very special trip and if you missed getting on our 2022 trip we highly recommend getting on this one.

Register your interest now and we will send you an offer as soon as we have all the details together.

That is us for this week. We hope you got some great plans coming up this weekend but don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team

TRUK LAGOON REOPENING? 😳

Dear Team Member,

I hope this message finds you healthy and well. As the world opens up rapidly, we thought we would share very positive news coming out of one of our expedition locations.

FSM COMMITS TO REOPENING IN AUGUST 2022

With 74.9% of the Nation’s total eligible population having received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the President of FSM made the following statement this morning:

“It remains the intention of the FSM National Government to fully open the Nation’s borders sometime in August 2022.”

This is big news and makes us thrilled about a busy season in Truk Lagoon at the end of this year. If you want to join us, inquire now to see what availability we have.

MARSHALL ISLANDS UPDATE

There are no new significant updates regarding the Marshall Islands and one of our favorite wreck destinations in the world, Bikini Atoll, at the time of writing. Should there be postponement’s in this year’s season - our guests will be notified 8 weeks before departure.

However, with Palau and Solomon Islands re-opening abruptly and FSM quickly following suit with plans of re-opening, it’s only a matter of time before a public statement will be posted from the Marshall Islands.

You will be the first to know the second we know more.

IN OTHER NEWS

GALAPAGOS CCR ONLY 2023

We recently announced a shake-up to our Galapagos expeditions and now we are running annual CCR only trips to the Galapagos Islands in order to deliver the best possible experience. The minimum requirement to join is MOD 1.

Our December 2021 expedition was an incredible success and now we look forward to our next encounter in 2023.

We have A FEW SPOTS LEFT for our March 2023 itinerary. Enquire now to find out more about this one-of-a-kind experience.

SOLOMON ISLANDS 2022/2023?

The Solomons Islands are reopening and our supplier is resuming operations. We have an opportunity to do a custom WW2 week at the end of September OR right after our Palau expedition this year with the following wrecks (and more) on the schedule:

• USS Aaron Ward - 70m/230ft

• USS Kanawha - 60m/200ft

• USS John Penn - 60m/200ft

• Azumasan Maru - 80m/260ft

• Tama Maru 70m/230ft

• Sasako Maru (80m/260ft

Although we do not plan to dive the USS Atlanta this time around, the dives completed on this trip will count as experience dives towards our Solomons expedition 2023 which then will include USS Atlanta.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST by clicking the button below and we will send you more information about pricing and inclusions.

Existing customers with trip credits can use them to pay in full on this trip!

That wraps it up for this week.

As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron and the DDE Team

Sneak Peak: Palau Wreck Expedition Roster

Dear Team Member,

I hope this message finds you healthy and well.

The Dirty Dozen Expeditions has secured an exclusive WWII Wreck Expedition 03-10 August THIS year with FULL CCR/OC TEC support.

This week we would like to give you a sneak peek at some of the highlights on our custom-made wreck itinerary to give you a better idea of what this hidden wreck gem destination known for its marine life is all about.

THE WRECKS

Amatsu Maru

Standard Merchant Tanker -  Length: 153m/500ft | Tonnage: 10,567 | Least Depth: 24m/78ft | Depth to seabed: 41m/134ft

Known as the Black Coral Wreck after the bushes of black coral that decorate the ships superstructure. Lying upright in 40m of water, the Amatsu Maru is the largest shipwreck in Micronesia and the deepest Japanese wreck in Palau. A 10 minutes boat ride from Malakal Harbor, this huge tanker has big exploration potential for our team.

BicHU Maru

Type 1 B Cargo Vessel -  Length: 115m/378ft | Tonnage: 4,667 | Least Depth: 15m/49ft | Depth to seabed: 28m/91ft

The large cargo vessel Bichu Maru lies on her port side and has a very keen resemblance to one of the most underrated wrecks dives in Truk Lagoon - Momokawa Maru. Highlights include an excellent superstructure, engine room and stern gun to explore.

Chuyo Maru

Coastal Freighter - Length: 89m/290ft | Tonnage: 1941 | Least Depth: 12m/40ft | Depth to seabed: 34m/111ft
Lying in 40m of water and rising to 12m, the Chuyo Maru is one of the most popular wrecks in Palau.  Adorned in colorful corals and inhabited by numerous lionfish, the Chuyo Maru offers a fantastic chance to explore her holds, engine room, and guns.

IJN Iro

Fleet Oiler - Length: 143m/469ft | Tonnage: 14,050 | Least Depth: 28m/91ft | Depth to seabed: 41m/134ft

A world class dive and absolutely massive wreck - the IJN Iro is a japanese fleet oiler with many, many points of interests on it ad could be considered to the equivalent of Truk Lagoon’s Shinkoku Maru in terms of its quality as a wreck dive. Many hours of exploration will be spent on this excellent wreck.

USS Perry

Clemson Class Destroyer: Length: 95m/314ft | Tonnage: 1190 | Depth to seabed: 75m/246ft

First discovered in 2000, this famous US destroyer sits at 75m/250ft and is very well known for its service in the pacific theatre during WWII. It’s a very rarely visited wreck and one of the absolute highlights of the expedition. In the video below #teamdd member Richie Kohler can be seen diving the USS Perry during the filming of a Deep Sea Detectives episode in 2005.

Should you be interested to read about the other 30+ world class wrecks in Palau, I can highly recommend purchasing Rod Macdonald’s book Dive Palau - The Shipwrecks. Once you have studied the ghost fleet of Palau in detail - it starts to show a very big resemblance to the wrecks that can be found in Truk Lagoon.

WANT TO JOIN US IN AUGUST?

The Dirty Dozen is hungry for rust, and I bet you are too if you read this long.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST by clicking the button below and we will send you more information about pricing and inclusions for our trip 03-10 August 2022. We are also looking into 2023 and beyond so if this year does not work for you, send us an email anyway!

Existing customers with trip credits can use them to pay in full on this trip!

That wraps it up for this week. As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team

Get wrecked with Dirty Dozen in Palau 💣

Dear Team Member,

I hope this message finds you healthy and well. You know how we always say, “Sign up for our newsletter and be notified first about exclusive expedition announcements and member-only offers?” 

Today is one of those days. 

Palau is OPEN for divers and The Dirty Dozen Expeditions is in the final stages to secure and organize an exclusive WWII Wreck Expedition in August THIS year with FULL CCR/OC TEC support.

OFTEN OVERLOOKED WRECK PARADISE

Operation Desecrate One on March 30-31 1944 sank over 30 vessels and offers one of the most accessible and diverse wreck diving sites on the planet. A dozen world-class wrecks lie either in - or within minutes of - Malakal Harbor, Palau’s main port.

Aside from the numerous Japanese merchant vessels, tankers, destroyers, and planes, other highlights include the USS Perry (DD-340/DMS-17), a Clemson-class destroyer in the photo above that survived the battle of Pearl Harbour and took part in numerous operations in the Pacific Theater during WWII.

In true Dirty Dozen style, we have created an entirely unique wreck diving itinerary like no other, hosted by Aron alongside local wreck experts who will be joining us on board.

WHAT BOAT ARE WE USING?

Launched in 2012, the 40m Palau Siren liveaboard was built on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and is handcrafted from ironwood and teak (traditional to the area). You will find no other diving liveaboard as beautiful in Palau waters and, being built by divers for divers by our partners Master Liveaboards, you can rest assured that every need has been thought of and addressed for the demanding wreck diver.

WANT TO JOIN US IN AUGUST?

The Dirty Dozen is hungry for rust, and I bet you are too if you read this long.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST by clicking the button below and we will send you more information about pricing and inclusions.

Existing customers with trip credits can use them to pay in full on this trip!

That wraps it up for this week. As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team

Marshall Islands Safe Traveler Program 🙌

Dear Team Member,

I hope this message finds you healthy and well. In a previous newsletter, we covered the COVID vaccination rate in the Marshall Islands for adults (18+). The focus was on the race to be 80% vaccinated.

We are very happy to bring the news that this goal has indeed been reached and subsequently a Safe Travelers Program (STP) has been launched with the first travelers landing in the Marshall Islands on the 18th January 2022.

SAFE TRAVELERS PORGRAM

The Marshall Islands STP is for now accepting travelers that first land and quarantine for 7 days in Hawaii. The requirements state that travelers must be fully vaccinated against COVID 19 with the 2nd vaccination administered at least 2 weeks before arrival. Please see below for details on what vaccines are accepted:

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR #TEAMDD

Although we are pleased to see things moving in the right direction towards our operations in Bikini Atoll, it is still in the early stages.

As this program started just over a week ago, time is yet to tell if the RMI government deems it effective. A few parameters in the quarantine procedure also need to mature before they are friendly for most travelers.

While it is too early to speculate when we will be open for business in Bikini Atoll, what I can say is we have taken significant steps for the better and we will keep you posted every step of the way.

STILL WANT TO JOIN THE PARTY IN 2022?

With all this good news coming in from the Marshall Islands, we have started getting an increase in Bikini Atoll bookings as people plan to get their long-awaited holidays set up. There are still a few spots left on our sailings in Bikini Atoll for 2022!

Check out our updated expedition calendar above that runs until the end of 2025. We can offer small deposits, flexible payment terms, and friendly booking conditions on all our trips to get your down and dirty with some of the most infamous wrecks on the planet.

Email us HERE to get more info.

UPDATED TERMS AND CONDITIONS

We've updated the General Terms and Conditions effective 1st of January 2022. For the latest version that applies to you, please visit our website HERE.

That wraps it up for this week. As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team

Happy Holidays From #teamdd!

Dear Team Member,

I hope this message finds you healthy and well.

As we move into a new year, we have stayed connected, managed to attend events like DEMA in Las Vegas, and restarted parts of our expedition operations just returning from Galapagos last week.

Despite the incredible challenges we have faced as an industry over the past two years, we are still standing strong. We want to take the opportunity to thank you all for your support this year. We truly have the best customers anybody could ask for.

Finally, we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Best,

Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team

DEMA SHOW 2021 IS A WRAP!🗣

Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,

We hope this email as always finds you well.

One of the biggest events in the diving industry unfolded last week - DEMA - or Diving Equipment and Marketing Association trade show re-opened post-pandemic. This time around it was held in Las Vegas, USA.

Aron with the CEO, Marketing Manager and Sales Manager of Master Liveaboards.

Aron has been attending this show since 2012, and it was noticeably smaller than usual. Having said that, spirits were high and the chatter was non-stop. The diving industry family is small and close-knit, and everyone was just really happy to be in person again and sharing all the exciting events we have planned in the coming years.

Aron with Michael Menduno or M2 - the Editor In Chief of Aqua Corp, GUE’s InDepth and the person that coined the term “Technical Diving”.

It was also a great opportunity to catch up with lots of members of #teamdd. Richie Kohler did a fantastic presentation for Divers Alert Network on managing and mitigating risk on expedition dives. We are contemplating setting up a special episode of #CCDD in the near future so we can share this one with all of you!

Minutes before Richie presented to a packed room of divers at DEMA.

Our CCR-ONLY expedition to Galapagos is only 2 weeks away and it was fantastic to be able to meet up with our friend JC, the owner of Galapagos Master, to fine comb the last minute details before this unique expedition gets underway.

Aron with JC - the owner of Galapagos Master catching up and discussing the upcoming CCR Only Expedition next month.

We also used the opportunity to meet many of the partners that have signed up with us in different destinations. Here are Divesoft Rebreathers showing off their Bikini Atoll date, which is in 2023. We also settled on a number of new special guests and exclusive trips that we will release in due course.

Aron with Joseph Bosquez from Divesoft.

And just as Dirty Dozen luck goes - 3 beauty pageants were being shared in the conference hotel which made the long wait to the elevators in the morning something to look forward to!

Never a boring elevator ride in Las Vegas.

But before you knew it - the show was over and our stand was wrapped up in 90 minutes and being shipped into storage. We just want to take the opportunity and say thank you to all the guests, partners, and friends that visited the booth and gave us their time and attention during the show.

5 hours to set up - 90 minutes to pack!

Last but not least. On the first day of the show, Blue O Two went into administration, which obviously created some confusion and worries from our association in the past.

This was immediately addressed and you can read our full press release HERE to learn more.

That is it from our DEMA special newsletter. Now we are back to our normal schedule every other Friday.

We look forward to seeing you all above and underwater in the near future and please don’t forget, if you ever feel lonely, we are always here to chat Dirty.

Best,

Aron & The Dirty Dozen Team