【Japan · Izu Peninsula】Unlocking Atami's Wreck Dive – "Asahi Maru No. 16"

The Editor says: Don't think the Izu Peninsula is only worth visiting for the Hammerhead Shark storms! Beyond its rich coral and marine life, it's also home to the "Asahi Maru No. 16" — the largest wreck in Japan open to recreational scuba diving. Who are the little residents living onboard? Come take a look with the Editor! <Full article reprinted from: 3小a的隨手拍寫>

West Izu Peninsula and Atami

The underwater world of Shizuoka's Izu Peninsula is incredibly rich, from soft coral to marine life. Beyond southern Izu's Mikomoto Island, the west Izu area and Atami are also excellent diving destinations. I had originally planned a dive trip to Tateyama in Chiba — the idea was to head straight there after finishing Mikomoto — but the sea conditions were poor those days and everything got cancelled. Plans never quite keep up with reality (laughs). Although my Japanese diving friends said west Izu is more beautiful, logistical constraints led me to choose Atami as my second diving stop, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it both scenic and well-suited for underwater photography. In this article, I'll introduce the dive sites and recommend the dive shop "ダイビングサービス熱海".

The dive shop I contacted this time was "ダイビングサービス熱海", run by Toyoshima-san. I'd suggest having at least basic Japanese communication skills before making a reservation — though I called the day before without any issues. Shop owner Toyoshima-san is a diver with over 25 years of experience and more than 11,000+ dives under his belt. What's especially impressive is that he still keeps handwritten dive logs for every single dive, and you can see row upon row of neatly arranged record books on the wooden shelves inside the shop.

Below the counter, the day's water temperature and visibility are posted

In front of the counter, you can find the day's water temperature, visibility, and the name of the boat you'll be riding. After diving and rinsing your gear, when you return to the shop, Toyoshima-san will brew you a hot cup of coffee and have a chat. If you want to log the dive, there's even a special stamp you can use in your dive log. There's also a rather unique Hatsushima island diving excursion on offer — unfortunately, with only one day in Atami, I couldn't fit it in.

Diving in Atami

Speaking of the nearshore dive sites around Atami specifically, there are only four, all within a 5–10 minute boat ride: the wreck "Asahi Maru No. 16", "Bitaga-ne", "Sodai-ne", and "Koso Cave". Excluding Koso Cave, which is only open in winter, the three sites you can regularly dive are the first three. I'd recommend staying at least one night and doing 2–3 dives the following morning. In terms of difficulty, Bitaga-ne is somewhat easier than Sodai-ne. There are a few important points to keep in mind:

Apart from Koso Cave (which is roughly 15m deep), all other dive sites here involve significant depth — you need to go at least 25–30m underwater before there's anything interesting to see. It is therefore strongly recommended that divers hold an Advanced Open Water Diver (PADI cert) certification, have 30+ dives of experience, and be capable of self-care underwater.
"ダイビングサービス熱海" uses steel tanks, available in 10-litre and 12-litre options (upgrading to 12L is free of charge). However, if you're entering the cave, you can only use the 10L tank, so plan your weight system accordingly.
Boat dives here use a fishing vessel, so you need to kit up fully on land before walking down the pier to board.
All dive sites have descent lines. The dive guide leads a loop around the site and typically returns to the starting point to ascend and perform the safety stop.

The boat used for boat dives here is a fishing vessel — gear up on land before boarding!

Boat diving in this area is nothing like Taiwan, where purpose-built dive boats are the norm

The fishing boat doesn't have much extra space on deck, so all your gear goes on your body!

While "ダイビングサービス熱海" isn't a large operation, it does have all the essentials: a gear-rinse area, equipment drying racks, and shower facilities. Body wash is provided, but you'll need to bring your own towel.

Check-in starts at 9

a.m. with some paperwork and a liability release form. The first dive usually goes in just after 10

a.m. The boat returns to port in between dives so divers can swap cylinders and rest before the second dive. Both dives are typically done by around 1

p.m. On a fine day, after rinsing and hanging up your gear, you can usually pack up and head off within about two hours. All in all, it's a wonderfully relaxed pace.

The simple shower and washroom facilities are right in here

Dive Site: "Asahi Maru No. 16" Wreck

Let me give a brief introduction to the two dive sites we hit on this trip. First up is the "Asahi Maru No. 16", a vessel 81m in length and currently the largest wreck available for recreational diving in Japan. The depth is approximately 30m. The hull has broken into two sections amidships; the descent line is tied at the bow. The dive guide leads a full loop before returning to the bow to ascend and carry out the safety stop. Fish schools gather inside the hull, and the soft coral coverage on the ship's exterior is remarkably dense and intact, making this a must-do dive on any Atami visit. Visibility wasn't great on this trip, so I couldn't get a clear view of the entire hull.

A vast blanket of soft coral covers the wreck, attracting plenty of fish!

Dive Site: "Bitaga-ne"

For the second dive I had originally wanted to tackle the more challenging "Sodai-ne", but since there were less experienced students on the boat, we opted for the easier "Bitaga-ne" instead. The site is just as rich in both fish and soft coral. I'm used to seeing moray eels hiding in rock crevices with only their heads poking out — but here, it seemed like they were desperate to be noticed. Several of them trailed their long bodies out in the open and swam right past us. Absolutely fascinating!

Full article reprinted from: 3小a的隨手拍寫

[Trip Report] Recommended Dive Shop "ダイビングサービス熱海" for Diving in the Hot Spring Resort City of Atami, Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka, Japan

3小a

喜歡旅遊、美食、攝影、水肺潛水，還出版過三本日本旅遊工具書的網路文字工作者。