Ss President Coolidge

The SS President Coolidge, a luxurious passenger steamship launched in 1931, boasted an Art Deco interior, two saltwater swimming pools, a gymnasium, and even a stock exchange. The vessel initially sailed a trans-Pacific route from San Francisco, setting several speed records. In 1938, the U.S. government acquired ownership, and the ship was operated by American President Lines. With the outbreak of World War II, the Coolidge was converted into a troopship, painted gray, and armed with guns. Its luxury furnishings were removed to make way for up to 5,000 troops. In October 1942, while carrying troops and cargo to Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu, the ship struck friendly mines in the Segond Channel. Despite the captain's efforts to beach the vessel, it sank within 90 minutes. Remarkably, only two lives were lost out of the more than 5,000 people on board. After some salvage operations, the Vanuatu government declared the wreck a protected site in 1983.

The wreck of the President Coolidge rests at a depth of approximately 20 to 70 meters. Visibility on the site can range from about 10 to over 30 meters, with some reports of it exceeding 50 meters. Water temperatures typically vary between 26 and 32 degrees Celsius. Due to the depth and nature of the wreck, almost all dives are planned as decompression dives.

It is a versatile dive site that caters to a wide range of experience levels, from beginners to highly skilled technical divers. For novice divers with an Open Water certification, the initial orientation dive offers a fantastic introduction to this massive shipwreck. This first dive typically explores the bow and the promenade deck at a maximum depth of around 21 meters, allowing beginners to witness the grandeur of the wreck and see artifacts like guns, munitions, and bathrooms without needing advanced certifications.

For more experienced divers, the Coolidge presents a vast underwater playground with approximately 50 different dive sites to explore. An Advanced Open Water certification is generally recommended to get the most out of the experience, and it is a prerequisite for many of the deeper dives. With a deep diver specialty, you can visit iconic spots like "The Lady," a porcelain relief in the first-class dining salon, and explore the ship's cargo holds filled with military equipment. The engine room and other deeper sections of the nearly 200-meter-long wreck are accessible to those with technical diving qualifications, offering a chance to delve into the heart of this historical marvel.