Bikini Atoll Itinerary

The following is a sample itinerary of dive sites and wrecks we may visit during your liveaboard safari with Master Liveaboards in Bikini Atoll. We wish to show you the very best diving possible but a number of factors can determine where we visit. Weather, tides, currents and other factors play a part in the Cruise Director’s decision of which route the yacht takes. Whilst we attempt to ensure the number of dives we have scheduled is fulfilled, bad weather can hinder the yacht’s ability to reach a specified dive site in good time. The safety of all on board is paramount and we always do our best in offering diving at alternate locations should we be unable to visit those sites listed below.

As most wrecks at Bikini Atoll are beyond recreational depth limits, this itinerary is suitable only for technical divers with previous wreck experience.

Your Cruise Director will schedule 2 dives per day. The diving day has a typical schedule as follows:

Breakfast followed by a briefing & Dive 1
Lunch, relaxation followed by briefing & Dive 2
Snack, relaxation,
Dinner

We keep a standard minimal surface interval of 4 hours between dives in Bikini, as a safety measure.

Explosive history
In 1946, following the end of World War II, the United States gathered together a “mock” naval fleet in order to test the effects of atomic bomb blasts on a large naval fleet. They named it Operation Crossroads and designated Bikini Atoll to be one of the sites for the explosive tests, with the local inhabitants displaced to another atoll. More Operations followed suit; from land, on the reef, on the sea, from the air and underwater. Between 1946 and 1958, the United States tested a grand total of 67 nuclear weapons on the Marshall Islands, of which ‘Castle Bravo’ on Bikini Lagoon in 1954 is the best-known. This 15-megaton TNT hydrogen atomic bomb was a thousand times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It left a crater in the lagoon of 2 kilometres wide and 76 metres deep. Bikini Atoll was opened for diving in 1996, allowing divers to experience some of the most historic and unparalleled wreck diving in the world.

Getting there and away… Our itinerary is built around the United Airlines flight from Honolulu, Hawaii that serves both Kwajalein and Majuro. Depending on your itinerary, we highly recommend you use this flight to get to and from Kwajalein and/or Majuro. Passengers travelling from the Marshall Islands are required to pay an airport departure tax, for Kwajalein this is currently 20US$. This varies from airport to airport and must be paid in US$.

On arrival… No visa is required for entering the Marshall Islands for US citizens, EU countries, Canada and most other Western countries. Nevertheless, we recommend our guests to check for any updates and changes with their nearest Marshall Islands embassy or consulate. Please make sure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond the period you intend to stay in the Marshall Islands. If you are traveling with medication, please ensure to bring your physician’s prescription with you.  Please ensure you have a printed copy of the Master Liveaboards Sponsor Letter on hand when arriving in Kwajalein. Important information on arrival procedures in Kwajalein can be found here.

Staying there… The local currency in the Marshall Islands is the US Dollar (US$). Major businesses will accept credit cards; traveller’s cheques are accepted by banks and larger businesses. The number of ATMs on the islands is very limited, so we recommend bringing a sufficient amount of USD in cash, preferably in smaller denominations.

Climate and weather… The climate of the Marshall Islands is a tropical climate, with temperatures averaging between 27 and 29C (80-84F) all year round, with some trade winds and a light cooling down in the evening. Generally, the northern islands tend not to receive as much rainfall as the southern islands.

Time zone… The local time in the Marshall Islands is 12 hours ahead of UTC (GMT).

Health… In the Marshall Islands, medical care is very basic with the ‘best’ medical facility in Majuro. Any form of treatment other than basic requires evacuation. Normal precautions should be taken with food and it is advisable to drink bottled water only. No vaccinations are required before entering the Marshall Islands, however; we recommend consulting your doctor for updated information well before departure.
Radioactive radiation to which divers are exposed from the shipwrecks is negligible, since water acts as an excellent insulator. Divers are safe, as long as they do not try to grab souvenirs from the wrecks. Pilfering is forbidden and hazardous.

Travel Advisories… We recommend that you book your international flight to and from Kwajalein Airport, which is served by United Airlines 3 times per week from Hawaii and takes around 7 hours. (The HNL – MAJ – KWA flight leaves on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, so generally you will have to leave the day before that (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday) from Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO) to make the connection.) Ideally, you arrive in Honolulu one day in advance of your flight to Kwajalein as this flight departs early in the morning. Keep in mind you will be crossing the date line traveling to Kwajalein Atoll. There is also a flight from Guam arriving at Kwajalein, however; we have scheduled our itinerary around the Honolulu flight.

Bikini FAQs

Whilst we have much information on our website, you may find you have additional questions about our dive liveaboard, the diving in Bikini or general location information. Below are the answers to some commonly asked questions, should you have other questions or queries, please contact our reservations team who will be pleased to assist you.

What dive experience level is recommended for Bikini Liveaboard trips?

Diving on the Bikini wrecks is respectfully recommended for technical divers only with a minimum of PADI Tec 50 level or equivalent, with wreck experience, as the average depth of the wrecks is around 50 meters (150 ft). To get the most out of your dives in Bikini Atoll, highly recommended are:

• TDI – Advanced Nitrox & Deco Procedures
• IANTD – Tech Nitrox
• NAUI – Tech Nitrox & Deco Techniques
• ANDI – Technical Nitrox

Are there requirements and recommendations for dive equipment in Bikini Atoll?

Yes, to dive in Bikini Atoll with Master Liveaboards, you will need the following items:

• Two methods of buoyancy. This can be achieved by using a wing with a redundant bladder, drysuit or lift bag with a minimum of 20kg/45lb of positive lift.
• Dive Computer – Multi-gas dive computer capable of switching between a minimum of 2 gasses ideally more.
• Backup Computer or depth/bottom timer.
• 2 Surface Marker Buoys (SMB) – One red or orange SMB and one yellow SMB with a slate or wet notes attached for emergency use.
• 2 Reels or spools – One with a minimum 15m of line and one with a minimum of 60m of line.
• Dive Slate or Wet Notes – Additional dive slate in addition to the slate used with the emergency surface marker buoy or a set of wet notes.
• Minimum of two dive torches (primary and back-up) for guests planning on doing any wreck penetration.

For planning purposes, please send us your gas and equipment requests as early as possible, preferably upon booking.

Recommended Equipment

• Backplate, harness and wing – A backplate, harness and wing capable of carrying manifolded twin aluminum 80cuft cylinders and one or two 40/80cuft aluminum stage cylinders. The wing should have a minimum of 20kg/45lb of positive lift.
• Two DIN regulator sets one with long hose configured for twin cylinder operation.
• One or two DIN stage regulators for use with up to 95% oxygen.
• Protection – 3 or 5mm full length wet suit. Some divers also like to use a hood or helmet and gloves. Water temperature is between 27 – 29 degrees all year round with no thermoclines.
• Spare Mask – Spare mask should be carried on all dives.

Please inspect and test all your dive equipment before coming to Bikini. If you have just had your equipment serviced we still recommend you test it thoroughly before coming to Bikini. There are no dive centers or facilities for repairing equipment in Kwajalein or Bikini.

Can I rent scuba equipment whilst aboard? Yes, please refer to the price list of rental gear here. Please note that in Bikini there are no wetsuits for rent! Rental equipment and Marine Park & Port Fees can now be pre-booked and pre-paid at the time of booking. We offer: Manifold Twin-Tanks, 80/40 cuft deco stage, oxygen, helium for rebreathers, along with sorb, which we will also need to know about in advance. Please make your inquiry during your reservation.

Must I pay Marine Park fees? Yes, the applicable fees will be added to your final invoice prior to departure or can be paid on board.

The full amount for Bikini Atoll are paid directly to the Bikini Council and can not be fully or partially reimbursed if a trip is cut short for any reason.

Does Truk Master have internet on board? Yes, we have Wifi high speed satellite internet available on board and offer interesting pre-booking specials.

I am travelling alone. Must I pay a single supplement or may I share a cabin? For solo travelers we offer 2 options. You may choose to have a cabin for yourself for which we charge a single supplement of 80% of the cabin cost. However if you wish to share a cabin, we will place you in a twin cabin with a member of the same sex. We do not mix cabins without express permission of both guests.

How far is the departure point from Kwajalein Airport? From the airport you are shuttled to a ferry that brings you to Ebeye Island in 20 minutes. From there you will embark the Truk Master.

Must I spend an additional night in Hawaii on either side of my liveaboard trip? We recommend guests spend an additional night on either side of their trip to ensure they are well rested for the diving ahead. Our itineraries are based on the United Airlines flight from Honolulu in Hawaii.

Do I need dive insurance? Yes. All divers travelling aboard the Truk Master must ensure they are fully covered for all diving accident and emergency situations, including coverage for air evacuation. We also strongly advise our guests to obtain comprehensive travel insurance to cover against unforeseeable delays and potential missed flight connections. A combination dive and travel insurance, which includes the option for additional liveaboard cover, may be booked through Master Liveaboards or online through DiveAssure.

What should I bring with me? Liveaboard lifestyle is relaxed and informal. Essential items include T-shirts, shorts, swim wear, long trousers / sarong / long skirt, sturdy footwear for island visits and a warm jacket or pullover for cooler nights. Shower gel is provided on board, however guests should bring any hair care or personal beauty products they require, along with sunscreen. We have a fully stocked first aid kit on board, but guests should bring any personal prescription medications with them (with doctor’s note).

Price $7535.00 per person sharing plus $500 park fee(not included)