okinawa dive center
Dive Shop Bluefield

Today, we took Cicilia and Eric trying their first scuba diving!

We saw a turtle on our first dive- he did not really move for a while, which gave Cicilia enough time to shoot pictures!
There are various sea creatures including lots of colorful fish, many kinds of coral, and some weird stuff like Christmas Tree Tube Warms!

miho

Here is another picture of the longnose pygmy seahorse from Turtle Reef.
Hope it stays for a long time.

The great thing about diving with Bluefield is that we can find both big creatures like Turtles, Sharks, and also macro creatures on the same dive. And we know where they are!

Miho

We got a nice picture of a cuttle fish today, at the Kerama Islands.

Picture by Akira

Naoki had some good dives today at Kerama Islands – here is one good shot of the day.
Green Sea Turtle having a lunch time!
When they start eating, they don’t care divers watching or taking pictures of them.
Picture time ~ !!

Miho

Hi everyone, today I would like to introduce a dive spot called ‘Dragon Lady’ in the Kerama Islands.

Dragon Lady is a dive site on Toma Bay at Zamami Island – which we often visit when we have North wind.
Mostly beautiful white sandy bottoms with some coral head here and there.

The highlight of this dive site is an old airplane wreck from 1980’s.

There is a Japanese movie shot using this Toma Bay during 1980, and in it, they sank a DC-3 at around 10m deep.
Spending the 30 years, gradually it moved…  Now, you can find the wing at around 22m and the body at around 29m.
It’s a bit deep and far from the buoy, so we will need to assess if you are capable doing this dive. Advanced Open Water Certification and/or Deep Dive Specialty is required.

Besides the airplane wreck, we have various sea creatures, especially lots of cleaner shrimps.
There is a coral head around 8m deep, where we always find many cleaner shrimps, glassy sweepers, and coral groupers trying to eat small fish.

***Today’s Okinawa Dive Site Info**
Kerama Islands

1. Kuroshima South (Kuroshima)
2. Dragon Lady (Zamami)
3. Toma (Zamami)

Objective: Boat Dives
Weather: Mild North Wind
Air: 32C (90F)
Water: 29C (85F)
Visibility: 30m + (100ft)
Suits: 3mm / 5mm one piece
Today, we made it to

Hi there, it’s Miho,

Today, we had a nice group of 4 divers from Hong Kong for Blue Cave tour.
Since for the most of them it was their first or second dive, we had a snorkeling session first to familiarize themselves to our gear.
We enjoyed snorkeling into the famous ‘Blue Cave’.

Then, we tried Discover Scuba Diving – all of them did very good!
It was fun to watch Anemonefish, Bat Fish, and many kinds of Damselfish. We even found a huge Morray Eel, while diving. He tried to eat my fingers!

***Today’s Okinawa Dive Site Info**
Okinawa West Coast

1. Maeda Blue Cave

Objective: Snorkeling & Discover Scuba Dives
Weather: Mild South Wind to North East Wind
Air: 32C (90F)
Water: 29C (85F)
Visibility: 30m + (100ft)
Suits: 3mm / 5mm one piece

Hi everyone, it’s Miho

Today was on and off rainy and sunny in Okinawa, you know, typical tropical weather. Very unpredictable.

It was the second day of diving with Kathy and Joe – specialists of coral. We dove Yurigahama, Chishi, and Tamana Farm yesterday in the Kerama Islands, and I took them out to our local spots on Okinawa West Coast today.

***Today’s Okinawa Dive Site Info**
Okinawa West Coast

1. Yamada (Onna)
2. Maeda (Onna)
3. Maeda Drop (Onna)

Objective: Boat Dives
Weather: Mild South Wind
Air: 32C (90F)
Water: 29C (85F)
Visibility: 30m + (100ft)
Suits: 3mm / 5mm one piece

Our first dive at Yamada was so much fun, and the dives around Maeda, including the one in front of Blue Cave, and a drift – anchor dive from the drop off.

Although they were beginners in SCUBA diving (just got OW certified), they are so knowledgeable about coral and environment, which I learned alot from diving with them. We had different perspective than our normal daily dives – we were always just looking beneath the coral and trying to find something unusual and cool!

We talked and discussed a lot about Okinawa’s current oceanic environment and coral reef conservation issues.

Miho

Today, Naoji and Yuto took the writers out to the great wreck dive sites upon their request. The USS Emmons is a warship which sunk during the World War II, towards the end of the battles in Okinawa in 1945.

Since its very far location from our dive shop and the skill levels that the dive spot requires, we do not run dive tours there often. Only when we have very very good divers with lots of experience (preferably more than 200 dives, including 50 deep dives, 100 boat dives, 50 drift dives, etc…), we run private special tours over there.
Here is a short introduction written by Jim Winter of this huge sunken warship near Kouri Island up north.

On the 6th of April, 1945  the USS Emmons and USS Rodman were performing picket duty along the coast of Okinawa.  At about 3pm the first waves of a massive air armada of Japanese planes began to arrive over Okinawa from thier bases to the north.  Within a short time a Kamikaze airplane crashed into the Rodman and set her afire.  The Emmons began to circle the Rodman to provide defense.  Over the next several hours the Emmons fought but was eventually overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and ferocity of the Japanese fighters flying overhead.  As the ammunition ran low five kamikaze airplanes struck the Emmons within two minutes of each other.  With steering crippled and fires raging above and below decks and ammunition exploding from the intense heat the crew found damage control to be impossible.  In the attack 60 men were lost and 77 wounded with the rest eventually abandoning ship.  In the morning of April 7th the damaged hulk of the Emmons was sunk to prevent her from drifting to shore.  The  remains of 60 American crew- members and 5 Japanese pilots  still remain buried on the ship. (Jim Winter)

USS Emmons Web Album by Jim Winter (Memorial Dive, April 2009)

Dive Spot Info – USS Emmons
Location: Kouri Island
(accessible from Okinawa Main Island)
Depth: Max Depth 30-40m
Current: Occasional Strong Currents
Dive Style:
*Boat Dive with buoys
*Additional Decompression Stops may be required

Requirements in Diving the USS Emmons
1. Dive Experience at least 200 dives with certification higher than Rescue Diver (or GUE / DSAT certifications)
2. 100 Boat Dives / 50 Deep Dives / 50 Drift Dives
3. Preferred PADI Specialties (Boat, Deep, Drift, Wreck Diving)
4. DAN Membership
5. Doctor’s written permmision
6. 1-2 Days of participation to any of our dive tours prior to USS Emmons Dive (for a Check Dive)
7. Excellent air consumption & buoyancy skills
8. Understanding on Non-Decompression Dives / use of your dive computer
9. Your own dive equipment including the following:
-Dive Computer
-Surface Marker Buoy
-Reel
-Sound Device (whistle &  underwater sound alert system)
-Underwater Light / Strobes
-Mirror
10. Tours will be held with at least 6 divers  (we will have 2 dive guides)

Today, we took B-Flap out to Tonaki Island!

We had a famous Japanese writer / dive instructor who has been working with a  ”Marine Diving” magazine for a long time.
Naoji took him out to the cool drift dive sites around Tonaki and a great dive spot called Ugan in Keramas.

***Today’s Okinawa Dive Site Info**
Tonaki Island & Kerama

1. Blue Hole (Tonaki Island)
2. Angela Guchi(Tonaki Island)
3. Ugan (Keramas)

Objective: Boat Dives – Drift Diving
Weather: Mild South Wind
Air: 32C (90F)
Water: 29C (85F)
Visibility: 30m + (100ft)
Suits: 3mm / 5mm one piece

Upon your request, we can do a day of drift dive charter.
August, September, and October are the best season to dive the great drift dive sites in Okinawa!

Akira found a cute little Flambuoyant Cuttlefish last night, diving at Sunabe California Side.
It was a nice night dive!