SS President Coolidge
Dive site in Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu
A 200 m WWII troopship lying from 20 to 70 m, reached from the beach; dives typically involve deco stops.
- Max depth
- 70 m
- Level
- Experienced
- Entry
- From shore
- Current
- Moderate
The story
In October 1942 President Coolidge, carrying about 5,000 troops, struck two mines while entering the harbour at Espiritu Santo. Over the next 90 minutes 5,340 men got safely ashore; two died. Since 1983 no salvage or artifact recovery has been allowed.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
The dive
A wreck dive from the shore.
Who it's for
Recommended minimum: Experienced (Deep Specialty, N3).
- DepthThe usual dive goes deeper than lower certifications allow.
- DecompressionThe usual profile involves planned decompression stops.
- OverheadPart of the dive is under a ceiling, without a direct way up.
- Overhead environment: only go inside with the matching training.
- The site goes deeper than 40 m: Experienced divers stay above 40 m.
Conditions
- Dive type
- Wreck
- Current
- Moderate
- Estimated
- Environment
- Wreck penetration
- Water
- Sea water
What you might see
- Barracuda
- Nudibranchs
- Moray eels
From our original catalogue, not yet checked against a published source.
Why divers come
- Historic wreck
- History
- Bucket-list dive
Where is Espiritu Santo?
The point shows the Espiritu Santo area, not the exact dive site.
About this page
Values marked “Estimated” come from our original catalogue and are being checked against published sources one by one. Sourced values link to where they come from. Conditions change with the season, the weather and the tide: confirm with a local dive centre before you dive.