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Log This Dive

Raiders / F4F Wildcat (Wreck)

We love a good plane wreck, and the Wildcat delivers. This F4F is a beauty, settled upright on the silty bottom, just off Raiders Hotel. Found in 2015, it’s mostly complete, a genuine time capsule from WWII. We’re talking intact cockpit, gauges still there, and even the gun sights if you peer closely. The propeller is gone, but the rest is remarkably preserved, a stark contrast to some of the more mangled metal in Iron Bottom Sound. Diving it, you get a real sense of history. It’s shallow, maximum 15 metres, so you have ample bottom time to explore every angle. Visibility can get a bit soupy if there’s current, so we always prefer a slack or incoming tide; it makes all the difference when you’re trying to spot the finer details. Look out for the resident orange-lined triggerfish darting around the wings, and those vibrant blue parrotfish grazing on the metal. It’s an easy dive, perfect for photographers or anyone keen to connect with a piece of wartime history in a serene setting.