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!
Always Yours,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,
As the holiday season is upon us, we thought we would drop a fantastic presentation that was done by Mark Powell onboard a Bikini Atoll expedition in July which we recorded for you, our #teamdd!
Mark Powell, author behind Deco for Divers and Technical Diving: An Introduction goes into detail about the history of this famous vessel and the diving expeditions that have been done at HMHS Britannic.
You can watch the presentation by clicking on the thumbnail above or here
Our inaugural February 2024 trip received an unprecedented number of inquiries and sold out in record time. So we couldn't be more excited to open up a new date for Dirty Dozen team members to explore the famous Iron Bottom Sound on October 18-28, 2025.
Iron Bottom Sound is the main focus of our expeditions, the resting place of both US and Japanese WWII wrecks, all victims of the Battle of Guadalcanal. We will be diving on the fringes of this deep channel, exploring wrecks such as the USS Aaron Ward (~70m), USS Kanawha (~60m), and the USS John Penn (~57m).
Read more about diving in the Solomon Islands on our website.
We just had a last-minute opening for our inaugural trip to Solomon Islands on February 17-27, 2024 and therefore have opened a spot to join the inaugural team.
Click on the buttons below to organize a Zoom meeting or book reserve your spot now and join us already next year!
Organizer Stefan Panis hosted an innovative fair the first weekend of December, supported by a passionate, young team with fresh ideas in a great family atmosphere.
With over 50 brands represented and 20+ speakers and of course, DD was on site. It was an action-filled weekend from beginning to end. We highly recommend anyone to visit the next DiveXpo to get inspired about diving and meet the amazing Belgian diving community.
Good food and good company! Rannvá Jørmundsson, Ellen Cuylaerts, Maria Bollerup, Laura Tuominen, and Nataliia Zharkova.
Aron and Nat with Richie Kohler and Katy Kuhls
Last-minute preparation as people are starting to walk into our WW2 Wrecks in 8K presentation
Hear what expedition members from 2023 have to say about diving in Bikini Atoll this season in the brand-new video above by clicking the thumbnail. Got FOMO? We have a few spots left in June and August 2024.
That´s it for now. We hope you are getting into the holiday spirit and always remember if you are feeling lonely, we are always here to talk dirty.
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,
As a part of our DEMA Show announcements, we are delighted to announce a new date for our latest destination, the Solomon Islands!!
Our inaugural February 2024 trip received an unprecedented number of enquiries and sold out in record time. So we couldn't be more excited to open up a new date for Dirty Dozen team members to explore the famous Iron Bottom Sound on October 18-28 2025.
Click on the buttons below to organize a zoom meeting or book and reserve your spot now.
We just had a last minute opening for our inaugural trip to Solomon Islands on February 17-27 2024 and therefore have opened a spot to join the inaugural team.
Click on the buttons below to organize a zoom meeting or book reserve your spot now and join us already next year!
Solomon Islands is one of the most remote diving destinations in the world, sitting quietly just north of the equator in the Pacific Ocean. While shore-based diving is lacking in infrastructure, we have devised the best way for you to explore this world-class wreck site on our exploration liveaboard.
We already had a few charters this year with the local crew as the expedition vessel formerly known as Truk Master was deployed in Bikini Atoll and I can tell you they are fantastic in adapting and dealing with the needs of trimix rebreather divers.
USS JOHN PENN APA-23
Iron Bottom Sound is the main focus of our expedition, the resting place of both US and Japanese WWII wrecks, all victims of the Battle of Guadalcanal. We will be diving on the fringes of this deep channel, exploring wrecks such as the USS Aaron Ward (~70m), USS Kanawha (~60m), and the USS John Penn (~57m).
Read more about diving in the Solomon Islands on our website.
Don’t miss your chance to dive this awesome new destination as part of the Dirty Dozen Expeditions. We can’t wait to dive with you soon!
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,
We hope this email as always finds you well.
We were excited to be one of the exhibitors yet again at the annual DEMA show held this month, and what and awesome show it was!
The biggest event of its kind in the industry was held in New Orleans this year, and the Dirty Dozen team attended in full force.
Gillian, Antti, Maxwell, Aron and Geoff representing Dirty Dozen Expeditions and Dirty Dozen Productions at DEMA 2023.
This was our 12th year attending the show and it was great to meet up with old friends and meet many new ones, sharing news and updates, and some important Dirty Dozen announcements which we will share soon with you next week!
Behind the scenes getting ready for our first presentation of the show which were both recorded.
Members of #teamdd presented on their harrowing dive on the IJN Sata in Palau, discussing lessons learned from the experience.
This was one of the best attended presentations of the show, and was very well-received by all who attended.
Our team is currently reviewing the recording we made to release to YouTube.
Until our recording is made available on YouTube, one of the team members involved Brett Eldridge wrote an excellent blog of the account which can be found on this link.
Aron and Geoff shared Ultra High Resolution clips from famous WW2 wrecks from the Pacific Theater and told stories of how they got the shot, the challenges they faced and the journey to becoming an underwater cinematographer.
It was also recorded and coming to our YouTube Channel.
New video from Truk Lagoon filmed using RED Digital Cinema cameras.
New video from Bikini Atoll filmed using RED Digital Cinema cameras.
Dirty Dozen Productions website is still under construction but you can find it HERE.
Galapagos 10 - 21 March, 2024 CCR ONLY
This 11-night CCR-only trip has one spot available in a twin-share cabin on a last minute cancellation rate.
Please email us on info@thedirtydozen.org for more information and read more about the trip on this link.
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
Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,
We hope this email as always finds you well.
We are proud to have Dirty Dozen Expeditions and Dirty Dozen Productions sponsoring the famous DeeperBlue.com Breathhold and Brew party at DEMA Show.
Ticket registration for general tickets of which there are only 80 always book up immediately.
Please bookmark this link and register as soon as it opens TODAY at 1PM ET - two hours from when this newsletter was sent.
REGISTER HERE: www.deeperblue.com/bhab2023
DEMA Show is known as the biggest trade show in the diving industry and is happening this year in New Orleans next week.
We will have a booth in the Technical Diving Resource Center located at Booth #1553 next to SubGravity, Divesoft and JJ CCR to chat about exploration diving in Truk Lagoon, Bikini Atoll, Solomons, Galapagos & Palau.
If you are planning to attend the show and want to schedule a meeting with the team directly, please click on the button below.
We thrive off our customer experiences. It is what Dirty Dozen Expeditions are all about. We also work hard in improving operational logistics and creating new experiences for our itineraries in our locations.
#teamdd trip video above from our latest Truk Lagoon trip last month is LIVE and you can see it here on our YouTube Channel:
We also have 6 testimonials already collected from our team members.
Here is what Nick Hollis from Hollis Rebreathers had to say:
“Sitting here in Truk Lagoon waiting for my flight home thinking, “Wow! That was the trip of a lifetime.”
Aron and I first met in 2010 and have spent years working together on product testing, which he’s taken to some of the most demanding locations. Nearly 10 years later in 2019, Aron and I talked about how to combine his knowledge as an expedition leader and the customers who use our gear to provide them an unforgettable experience.
Having just finished diving the wrecks in Truk Lagoon I can say we did just that! From the pre-trip preparations with zoom and WhatsApp calls, to logistics assistance on the journey over, to the daily briefings and pre-dive checks prior to every dive, and lastly the nightly presentations! He’s also teamed up with an excellent group of crew and guides to allow for small groups, ensuring your daily experiences are the best possible.
There is so much I can say, but the bottom line, Aron has put together an amazing organization. Dirty Dozen Expeditions is the complete package for experienced divers looking for an unforgettable and safe journey. I can’t wait for our next trip!”
That’s it from us for now. 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.
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 New Orleans in November.
We have several big announcements during the show which we cannot wait to share with you!
DEMA Show is known as the biggest trade show in the diving industry and is happening this year in New Orleans from November 14-17.
We will have a booth in the Technical Diving Resource Center located at Booth #1553 next to SubGravity, Divesoft and JJ CCR to chat about exploration diving in Truk Lagoon, Bikini Atoll, Solomons, Galapagos & Palau.
Right next to our booth is the TDRC DEMA Stage where the presentations of the show will be held.
We will once again have 2 presentations lined up:
The first presentation is called “The Darkest Hours - A six-hour struggle to escape from an upside down wreck”
In August 2022, four rebreather divers inside the tanker Sata realized they had no way to get out of the wreck. Eventually, the divers outside the wreck noticed their friends were overdue. That's when they heard someone banging the hull with a stage cylinder - from the inside.
Aron Arngrimsson, Geoff Creighton, Brett Eldridge and Antti Apunen tell how a regular wreck dive turned into a time-critical rescue mission in the blink of an eye.
Our second presentation is called “Pacific Theater - WW2 Wrecks in 8K”
Join Aron Arngrimsson and Geoff Creighton as they share Ultra High Resolution clips from famous WW2 wrecks from the Pacific Theater and tell stories of how they got the shot, the challenges they faced and the journey to becoming a underwater cinematographer.
If you are planning to attend the show and want to schedule a meeting with the team directly, please click on the button below.
We thrive off our customer experiences. It is what Dirty Dozen Expeditions are all about. We also work hard in improving operational logistics and creating new experiences for our itineraries in our locations.
#teamdd member Donald Labruzzo was on board with us in Bikini this month, and this is what he had to say:
We have a few spots left on 2 of our dates in Bikini Atoll next year, which are the following:
27 June - 08 July 2024
08 - 19 August 2024
Press the button below to get more information and sign up with us to join us in Bikini Atoll in 2024!
During our Bikini Atoll season this year we recorded quite a few presentations and two of them are already readily available on our YouTube channel and Knowledge Base. Our latest release was Deep Stops by Mark Powell.
Mark, Aron and Jakub Slama from Divesoft also sat down on the beach in Bikini Island and dug deep into the history, wrecks and how to get the best of visiting the nuclear ghost fleet of Operation Crossroads.
Click the Thumbnail above and see what Bikini Atoll is all about!
That’s it from us for now. 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
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. No doubt you are creating your own diving adventures this summer, but if you are in need of a little inspiration, read on to discover what our Dirty Dozen Expedition Team Members have been up to last month.
We are buzzing from our latest incredible expedition to Bikini Atoll, where fourteen CCR divers have just completed over 300 successful CCR dives in one of the first trips back to Bikini since COVID.
The wrecks are simply breathtaking! Their history, exclusivity, and imposing presence are tricky to put into words.
In short, it’s hard to top an expedition to dive the wrecks of Bikini Atoll!
We thrive off our customer experiences. It is what Dirty Dozen Expeditions are all about. We also work hard in improving operational logistics and creating new experiences for our itineraries in our locations.
#teamdd member Illes Zidane was on board with us in Bikini, and this is what he had to say:
We were also lucky enough to have TDI Instructor Trainer and member of TDI’s Global Training Advisory Panel, Mark Powell, join us onboard for the third time.
After operating in Bikini for 5 years, we finally gained permission to stay on the US Army base at Kwajalein and meet with the chamber operators of the facility located there.
With very constructive face to face discussions, we are able to improve our emergency action plans for Bikini in a level unmatched since the land-based operation closed in 2008. Stay tuned for more developments!
After meeting chamber and hospital staff, Mark Powell gave an informative presentation about deco myths to the divers of Kwajalein.
We recorded the complete presentation and it is available to watch in full on our YouTube channel:
Mark, Aron and Jakub Slama from Divesoft also sat down on the beach in Bikini Island and dug deep into the history, wrecks and how to get the best of visiting the nuclear ghost fleet of Operation Crossroads.
This special edition of Coming Clean with The Dirty Dozen, Live from Bikini Atoll, is premiering today on our YouTube channel.
Dirty Dozen Expeditions founder, Aron, has been logging his dives over on our socials.
Catch up on his detailed accounts now on our Instagram and find out what it was like to dive the USS Saratoga and spend an afternoon on the infamous Bikini Island.
If you are interested in joining us on a dream expedition to Bikini Atoll next year, contact us now to secure your spot on one of our exclusive trips.
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
Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,
I can’t believe we are already half way through 2023, and what a 6 months we’ve had! Our newsletters and social media have been quieter than normal because the team have been working hard on a number of exciting new projects.
This is what we’ve been up to…
Photo by Marissa Eckert
We kicked off the year with an awesome CCR-only Galapagos expedition which saw our team members coming face-to-face with sharks, mola mola, and marine iguanas.
Exploring this unique destination is unlike anywhere else, and highly recommended as a bubble-free trip.
Photo by Martin Broen
Our new expedition vessel, Calipso, is one of the nicest in the Galapagos, and with technical support from Galapagos Rebreathers, this is a not-to-be missed experience.
We’ve added some new Galapagos dates for 2024, 2025, and 2026 including shorter 8-day itineraries. Flights from the US are simple, so what’s not to love about exploring Galapagos on your CCR.
Check availability and book your trip of a lifetime on the links below!
In April, the Dirty Dozen Expeditions Team met in Malta where we took part in Rebreather Forum 4. It was great to meet with old friends and make many new ones, take part in innovative discussions and debates, and play an influential role in shaping future rebreather safety protocol.
We look forward to reading the proceedings and reports, and continuing to work with industry leaders in the global rebreather community.
Our 2024 Bikini Atoll season is well underway, although the first trip of the year didn’t go quite as planned.
In May, the power of nature put paid to our best laid plans as Typhoon Mawar swept across the North Pacific, closing Guam Airport and creating travel chaos across the FSM and RMI.
Despite continued efforts and a week long push for United Airlines to add an extra flight, the majority of our team were stranded in Honolulu and couldn’t make their trip.
Thankfully, our June Bikini trip took place without a hitch, led by Gill and featuring many old friends. This was our first Bikini Atoll expedition since Covid, and it was awesome to be back diving these epic wrecks.
Check out these fantastic images, taken by one of our guests, Brett Eldridge.
Our 2023 Bikini season is fully booked, but we still have limited availability in 2024, so book now to secure your spot.
Thank you for choosing The Dirty Dozen Expeditions and we look forward to your next trip of a lifetime, together.
Don’t forget, if you ever feel lonely, we are always here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron & The Dirty Dozen Team
Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,
After years of requests, we are excited to announce our inaugural Dirty Dozen expedition to Solomon Islands. The famous Iron Bottom Sound does not need any introduction, rivalling Truk Lagoon for the number of WWII wrecks.
The trip will run from 17-27 February, 2024 and we are using our trusty expedition vessel, MV Truk Master which now goes by the name of MV Solomons Master.
The boat is already 3/4 full, so don't delay! Register your interest by clicking the link below and we will be in touch with more information.
Rebreather Forum 4.0 starts in a week! We have a booth on site with some epic conference offers.
For those that cannot make it, we will be covering the event in detail, so stay tuned on socials!
As always, we hope you have some great plans coming up this Thursday but don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
The Dirty Dozen Expeditions Galapagos CCR ONLY PHOTO DUMP/BLOG - DARWIN/WOLF ISLANDS.
It is sunrise on Wednesday morning last week. Strong coffee’s are being shared around the breakfast table as we approach the famous Darwin Island after doing a night crossing for 18 hours. We were fortunate conditions were favorable.
Suddenly we hear “WHALE” being shouted from the outside. The team runs out to the bow and sure enough there was a pod of Spermwhales in front of the boat, with Darwin Island and the Pillars Of Evolution in sight. You could not have asked for a better start of the day.
We conduct our diving procedures safety briefing with a lot of location specific procedures. Ripping currents in “the theatre”, an irregular bridge-like submerged plateau around 20m force you to hunker down between rocks to enjoy the show.
The El Niño phenomenon has been at its strongest in over a century and we are curious to see what lies below the surface.
The teams stagger their gearing up for plenty of space on the dive deck and we have rented a 3rd panga so there is no more than 4-5 CCR divers on a panga at any given point, with lots of space for bailouts and cameras.
As the teams exit the mother vessel after conducting a SPLASH checklist and ABC’s before rolling over into the water and descend onto the theatre, I can’t help but to be a little anxious. It feels different and although there are sightings of hammerheads and Galápagos sharks as usual in Darwin this time, they are not coming in large schooling behavior.
Photo by Martin Broen
There is a huge abundance of wildlife on the reef with hundreds of species everywhere including turtles, eels, morays, jacks, tuna, pipefish and barracudas. The current is very quiet and the water is warmer than usual.
Photo by Jonathan Saenz
We spend 2 days/8 hours diving Darwin Island with great surface conditions before moving to nearby Wolf Island.
Photo by Martin Broen
One of the most remote Islands in the Galapagos, Wolf Island is the remaining tip of a massive, mostly subsurface volcano that rises over 1000m above the sea floor. This presents some of the most interesting dive sites in the archipelago.
Photo by Martin Broen
The dive sites we focused on in Wolf Island were Shark Bay and Landslide. Rip your face/loop cold currents can bring an huge variety of wildlife including Whale Sharks, various species of whales, and Hammerhead, White-tipped, and Galapagos Sharks.
Photo by Martin Broen
Our first day was slower than expected - so we turned our attention to Elephant rock for our second and final day. Elephant rock is located in the Southwest corner of Wolf Island and can be a very challenging dive which in return could have a great outcome in terms of Marine Life.
Photo by Martin Broen
Photo by Martin Broen
The morning dive was a big success, with schools of hammerheads passing in the currents that push through the passage of Elephant and Wolf Island. We surface from the first dive happy and relieved - this is a big reason for coming to Galápagos Islands.
My favorite dive of the trip so far was in the afternoon of that day. The activity on the wall of Elephant Rock was slow in the afternoon and visibility had gotten worse, so when we decided to start heading back from the dive we went down to the seabed to make a “crossing” between Elephant Rock and Wolf Island.
This crossing is not particularly long, but it has blow your loop and mask off currents and extreme care must be taking when crossing to not get ripped away into either downcurrents or “washing machine”. We wanted a final attempt with the hammerheads as it would be likely they would come to this area.
Photo by Martin Broen
A really vivid and immersive memory for me was being in the middle of this crossing crawling across, hiding behind a large rock counting the divers, and then hearing the screams from the divers… “LOOK UP…. LOOK UP”…… A huge school was right above us fighting the currents themselves, and it was a epic silhouette display of schooling hammerheads.
Photo by Jonathan Saenz
We managed to anchor ourselves in this area for the remainder of the dive, and had really nice encounters. We surfaced laughing and smiling. This is nature, not a zoo and we rose to the challenge and reaped the rewards. What a dive!
We come back to our expedition vessel, clean our equipment and head towards Isabella and Fernandina Island after two days at Wolf where our hopes were pinned on experiencing first hand the endemic and infamous Ocean Sunfish Mila Alexandrini and Marine Iguana’s.
Stay tuned for the final photo blog in a few days to find out!
WELCOME TO THE REAL JURASSIC PARK!
Photo by Martin Broen
We have a couple of spots left for our CCR ONLY Trip in 2024 and are expanding our schedule for 2024/2025/2026 with different durations and seasons - TBA at Rebreather Forum 4.0.
Find out more information here: https://cutt.ly/D301QTw and email us on info@thedirtydozen.org to get more information and reserve your spot.
Photo and Video credits:
Photo by Joel Poledna
The Dirty Dozen Expeditions Galapagos Rebreathers ONLY PHOTO DUMP/BLOG - FIRST DAYS.
I wanted to try and do a photo blog approach of our expedition to Galápagos Islands since we have connectivity instead of internet blackout (more on that later)
Few days ago 16 rebreathers (and their owners) started flying from all over the world towards Quito/Guayaquil in Ecuador en route to the Galápagos Islands.
The flights are simple and short from North America, with United offering direct flights to Quito which is Ecuador’s United Hub, where there is a direct flight to San Cristóbal where you embark the boat.
Once you are in Quito/Guayaquil, you pass a booth to get a Galapagos Transit Control Card (20$), and then head over for biosecurity scanning of your luggage, where you get a blue ribbon around your luggage signaling that your contents are safe to land in the Galápagos.
The flight from Quito to San Cristóbal is around 4 hours, and SC is just absolutely breathtaking.
This team also really enjoyed spending time there, surrounded by iguanas, sea lions and tons of endemic species while getting rid of jet lag and making sure luggage arrived safely.
Photo by Martin Broen
Finally, on Monday at lunchtime the team embarked our expedition vessel - where myself and the owner and operators of Galapagos Rebreathers Javier Mahauad and Eduardo greeted them with hundreds of kilos of fresh sofnolime, medical grade o2, large variety of onboard and bailout cylinders - all included.
After welcome briefing, boat briefing and boat safety briefing - a lot of equipment setup (faffing) followed. The units onboard on this trip are:
6 x JJ’s
4 x rEvo’s
2 x Choptima
2 x SF2
1 x Sidewinder
1 x XCCR
1 x P2
1 x AP
Once equipment was setup - safety drills and dinner followed by a fantastic presentation from Eduardo on history, vulcanology, marine currents and geology of the Galápagos Islands.
6AM the following morning (today), we went to North Seymour for a SPECTACULAR land-tour, where the team was greeted by courting blue footed boobies, frigates, sea lions, marine iguanas, land iguanas and Galápagos lava gull. There are some INCREDIBLE photos in this album from this visit.
Photo by Joel Poledna
After the land visit - Antti, myself, Javier and Eduardo did our 2 hour diving procedures safety briefing which has been standardized for our global operations and audited by Gareth Lock and The Human Diver: Human Factors in Diving, for a consistent and safe experience in all our locations.
This afternoon we prepped all the rebreathers for a check dive, where the team was able to test their rebreathers and equipment in detail after the travel, get into solid teams and establish strong team diving procedures, and practicing essential skills like bailout drills and SMB Deployment as well as utilizing our SPLASH checklist.
Now we are back on the vessel and 18 hour steam en route to Darwin Island - where we will spend 2 glorious dives tomorrow in the “theatre” hopefully accompanied by hundreds of hammerheads sharks and more.
Oh, and by the way, the reason we have connectivity instead of internet blackout is that we brought our SpaceX Starlink onboard which we have tested on the mainland, the islands and now on the boat steaming and its working beyond belief well. It is a complete GAMECHANGER.
The average internet connection in Galápagos Islands is extremely poor, about 1 Mpbs connection if we are lucky and complete internet blackout once we board the vessel normally. Now we have 100Mpbs connection and we are planning to implement this tool in ALL our operations with a big announcement to follow.
Photo by Martin Broen
We have spots for our CCR ONLY Trip in 2024 - find more information here: https://cutt.ly/D301QTw - Email us on info@thedirtydozen.org to reserve your spot.
WELCOME TO THE REAL JURASSIC PARK!
That’s it for now. Stay tuned!!
Photo by Martin Broen
Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,
We hope this email, as always, finds you well.
Galápagos has been on our minds as we draw closer to our CCR-only 2023 trip.
With only 10 days to go, we thought this was the perfect time to recap why this special itinerary offers such a unique opportunity for rebreather divers.
Experiencing Galápagos 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 our extremely rare, CCR-only trips apart from other experiences.
To help explain this concept, Founder of Galápagos Rebreathers, Jorge Mahauad, and Dirty Dozen Expeditions Founder, Aron Arngrimsson, presented “CCR Diving in Galapagos” at the DEMA SHOW in Orlando last year.
A brand new presentation which focuses on the ultimate way to experience some of the most breathtaking marine encounters on the planet.
Click on the link above to watch the presentation. It is quite long, so we recommend streaming this on your TV.
In 2021, 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 has encouraged dwindling species numbers to rebound while being an exemplary multi-national collaboration in the marine conservancy field.
At DDE, we always want to deliver the best possible experience on our expeditions and that is why our annual trips to Galápagos 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 the Galapagos Marine Reserve, both on land and underwater.
From the best boats to the best team, watch them in action last October by clicking on the video above.
After popular demand, we increased our itineraries from 11 to 12 Days from 2024 onwards, but we have also seen many requests lately about doing 8 Days/7Nights in Galapagos. It can be much more affordable and, if you are coming from the USA, it’s not far to travel either.
Do you find 12 days too long? Are you interested in a 8 Day/7Night CCR ONLY trip? Email your interest now by clicking on the button below.
After all this talk of the real Jurassic Park, why not join us on an upcoming expedition, with availability from 2024.
The minimum requirement to join is MOD 1.
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
Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,
With over 3000 hours in the water, we find ourselves at the conclusion of another Truk Lagoon season.
We understand the sacrifices many of you have made to achieve the means, the training, and reserving the time needed for such an adventure. We take your commitment very seriously and continue to strive towards helping you achieve your trip of a lifetime.
We want to thank all our customers from the bottom of our hearts for putting your trust in Dirty Dozen Expeditions.
Here are the group photos from all our trips of the season:
We had some fantastic special guests this season who provided a terrific value-add for our guests. Team members had the chance to dive with their mentors or heros while having top level support onboard our expedition vessel which we only fill to 75% for customer comfort.
The media from our expedition members is starting to roll in. Last week we received an excellent video from #teamdd member Gavin Hulmston, who filmed this fun video of Truk, borrowing some of our drone stock footage for the intro.
Click on the image above to watch!
Revered industry personality, Jason Meany, hosted an on location interview with guests of the "Dram Of Diving" trip to Truk Lagoon. Jason interviews both guests and crew in-depth to find out what it is that makes Truk Lagoon one of the most famous wreck diving destinations in the world.
Click on the image above to watch!
Are you experiencing some serious FOMO after reading all this? Not to worry, we have two epic trips coming up in the next 12 months which still have availability and feature fantastic special guests.
Click on the photos below and find out more!
We announced last week that Jill is indeed returning for a third time with us, and even though her next trip is not until 2025, over half of the trip is booked already. If you missed your last two chances to join Jill, NOW is your chance to come with her to Truk in 2025.
Simon Pridemore had the following to say in his new article posted today: “I mentioned The Dirty Dozen Expeditions a couple of issues ago in relation to the Bikini Atoll live-aboard trips they run.
Their website includes something they call their knowledge base, which consists of a first-class, free-to-use library of papers on subjects connected with rebreather diving, technical diving, diving physiology, emergency procedures and accident analysis.
Just like Andy Davis, they have a commendable policy of making safety strategies available and accessible to all.
What really got my attention though was a Splash Checklist they have developed for the rebreather divers they take out, which their boat deck master or dive supervisor uses to confirm that a rebreather diver is ready to enter the water.”
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 and our last Truk Lagoon season - you can read them all HERE.
As our business grows, we always strive to keep giving you the best customer service possible. Please meet our new Expedition Planner, Gillian Flaherty!
Gill learned to dive in her home country of Scotland in 2007, and quickly knew that her career lay in diving. Since then she has worked as a TDI, IANTD, and PADI Instructor in dive centres around the UK and Europe.
Now based in Cyprus, Gill has worked in the diving travel industry for several years and loves helping other divers discover new and unusual destinations to explore. When she’s not answering your questions and sending you emails, she will most likely be deep inside her local wreck or planning her next overseas adventure.
That’s all for this week. As always, we hope you have some great plans coming up this Sunday but don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,
As we welcome in 2023, we're excited to look back at some of the highlights of 2022, and share some of the amazing experiences that we have planned for the new year.
After just about 1000 days of closed borders, the day finally came:
The Federated States Of Micronesia formally re-opened its borders to travelers on October 10, 2022 - just in time for our 3 sold out trips in November.
Needless to say, for all our operations to re-start after such a huge hiatus was nothing short of a monumental task.
We were so happy to have the amazing crew onboard M/V Pacific Master, which was up to the task, and our team members which came aboard with the humor, great attitude and common purpose which made these some of the best trips in Dirty Dozen history.
Extensive surveying was completed of each wreck and several reports are already published online about significant changes in the structural integrity on some of the main wrecks since 2020.
We are returning for 2 more trips starting 15 January 2023, and will post more updates on our social media.
DEMA Show 2022 was incredibly busy, with a major announcement from us coming out for every day of the show. Our main announcement revolved around a problem we have been working on for years…
How do we make it as easy and convenient as possible for our customers to book a complicated technical diving expedition?
This is where our booking engine was born.
Thousands of hours have gone into this project and we are so proud of our team - we now have an industry first booking engine designed for technical divers with real-time availability and instant booking and payment confirmation.
Have you tried it yet?
Check availability and book your trip of a lifetime on the links below!
Underwater photography/videography is a cornerstone of our passion to share the astonishing sights of the underwater world with our peers. We are now taking this to the next level - launching Dirty Dozen Productions - offering high-end services to TV and Cinema projects.
This decision has already in turn significantly increased the production quality of media we provide to our team members during an expedition. Follow our Instagram for more content during our trips.
Click on any of the videos in this newsletter to go on our YouTube channel and stay tuned for some more details about some exciting productions we are a part of in 2023.
Finally, we want to thank our partners and staff that has worked tirelessly to make this a successful year, delivering the level of quality our team expects.
Having said that, we like to start a new year with a laugh. Without any further ado - here is one of our trip leaders, Tarrant, taking your breath away:
Thank you for choosing The Dirty Dozen Expeditions and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2023. We look forward to your next trip of a lifetime, together.
Don’t forget, if you ever feel lonely, we are always here to chat Dirty.
Happy New Year.
Best,
Aron & The Dirty Dozen Team
Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,
We hope this email finds you well and that you are recovering from all the holiday fun!
We want to share with you a few videos we just premiered to watch during the holiday downtime.
Founder of Galapagos Rebreathers Jorge Mahauad and Dirty Dozen Expeditions Founder Aron Arngrimsson presented “CCR Diving in Galapagos” at the DEMA SHOW in Orlando this year.
A brand new presentation which focuses on the ultimate way to experience some of the most breathtaking marine encounters on the planet.
We brought all our cinema equipment and filmed the whole thing in 6K for your viewing pleasure #teamdd, from what is usually a tradeshow exclusive event. And as always, as a faithful subscriber to our newsletter you are the first to know.
Click on the link above to watch the presentation. It is quite long, so we recommend streaming this on your TV.
Check real-time availability for our RARE CCR ONLY trips on our brand new booking engine and book your spot now for a trip of a lifetime by clicking the links below.
*Availability is from 2024 onwards.
Oceanic+ is now available for Apple Watch Ultra, bringing scuba diving computer functionality to the Apple Watch lineup for the first time.
Dirty Dozen Productions had the chance to test a preview of the app on an expedition to Galapagos in October, and we shared some thoughts on how it fits into the diving community which you can watch by clicking the link above.
Disclosure: Huish Outdoors provided us with the Apple Watch Ultra, Oceanic+ beta software and some of the diving gear featured for filming, but did not have editorial control over this video prior to release.
That’s us for now - we are getting back on the couch, but don’t forget, if you ever feel lonely, we are always here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron & The Dirty Dozen Team
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
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.
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
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!
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
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
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
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!
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!
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 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
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
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
