Here you will find some information and pictures about the dive site of the SS Panay
Before starting, a few hints from the responsible diving instructor.
Large wrecks and thus also the SS Panay have a magical attraction for many divers. The adventure and holiday spirit allows many inexperienced divers, whether out of ignorance or overconfidence, to quickly become careless.
The dive at the wreck of the SS Panay takes place at the 40m mark, and is therefore at the limit for scuba divers. The dive should only be prepared for advanced and experienced divers.
So please, divers, especially those of you who have just begun your dive career or have a bad feeling from the beginning, remember what you have learned in training, use your mind and do not allow yourself to go on adventures for which you are still not ready.
| Name Tauchplatz: | SS Panay | Divesite: | SS Panay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geografische Lage: | Camponanes Bay, Sipalay Negros, Phillipines | Location: | Camponanes Bay, Sipalay Negros, Phillipines |
| Koordinaten: | 9°41'54.14"N; 122°24'44.38"E | GPS: | 9°41'54.14"N; 122°24'44.38"E |
| Schwierigkeit: | Nur für fortgeschrittene Taucher | Level: | advanced only |
| Erreichbarkeit: | Bootstauchgang | Accessible: | by Boot |
| Tauchgangstyp: | Wrack Tauchgang | Divetype: | Wreck Dive |
| Sichtverhältnisse: | Ø 2m - 15m | Visibility: | Ø 6tf - 50ft |
| Strömung: | Selten | Current: | uncommon |
| Einstieg: | Abstieg am Seil auf 35 Meter | Entrance: | descent by rope at 115 ft |
| Max. Tiefe: | 42 Meter | Max. depth: | 138 ft |
| Ø Tauchtiefe: | 36 Meter - 40 Meter | Diving depth: | 118 ft - 132 ft |
| Grundzeit/Nullzeit: | bis 12-14 min | Bottom Time/No Decompression Limit: | 12-14 min |
| Masse: | 87 m x 11.6 m | Weck dimensions: | 285 ft / 38 ft |
| Lage: | Aufrecht auf Grund | Wreck situation: | Upright on the ground |
| Tauchbasen: | alle Tauchbasen im Gebiet von Sipalay | Diving operators: | All divecenter in the area of Sipalay |
| Korallen Bewuchs: | Spärlich | Coral growth: | poor |
| Zu erwartende Tiere: | Fledermausfische; gelegentlich kleinere Fischschwärme | Animals: | Batfish, swarms of small fish |
| Nächste Druckkammer: | Cebu Recompression Chamber Viscom Station Hospital Military Camp Lapu-Lapu Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines Contact Person: Mamerto Ortega, Phone: +63 (32) 310-709 Chamber Phone: +63 (32) 232-2464 to 68 local 3625 / 233-9942 | Next decompression chamber: | Cebu Recompression Chamber Viscom Station Hospital Military Camp Lapu-Lapu Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines Contact Person: Mamerto Ortega, Phone: +63 (32) 310-709 Chamber Phone: +63 (32) 232-2464 to 68 local 3625 / 233-9942 |
| Gesunken: | 28. Dezember 1941 durch Japanischen Flugzeugangriff | Date of sinking | 28. December 1941 by Japanese air attack |
Dive Site Description:
The SS Panay is approached by all dive centers in the area of Sipalay.
The wreck is upright at about 41 m deep (135 ft) at the bottom of the Campomanes Bay and can easily be reached in a short time by boat. The general amount of divers is comparatively low.
The visibility can fluctuate greatly even in the short term, but is generally described as rather moderate. From 2 m to 30 m (6 ft-100 ft) everything is possible. However, if I had to commit myself generally, I would specify between 5 meters and 15 meters (15 ft-50 ft).
The general diving conditions are usually good due to the sheltered location in the bay, even in bad weather. A light current is possible but rather rare.
I’ve made a simple dive site map to overview. A wreck is subject to constant change, and I have not drawn all iron girders and coral. The map may therefore differ slightly in detail. The depths show the average expected depth.
The maximum possible tidal difference in the Campomanes Bay is 2.3 m(7 -1/2 ft).
Gallerie 1
Gallerie 2
The wreck itself is in the sediment up to the level of the fender. It is therefore 3,5 m (11 ft) deep in the ground.
This has the peculiar effect that you can dive 2 m (7 ft) deeper inside the wreck than outside
More pictures of the SS Panay wreck by Stefan Baehr
Here is one of my dive profiles, but I deliberately flattened it to save the bottom time for photos.
A normal dive with compressed air is probably 2m deeper and a shorter.
On the right, you can see the nitrogen saturation, and how fast your body comes to reach the no deco limit. (The second blue pillar touches the red line after 15 minutes). This again shows clearly that deep dives are very short. The use of Nitrox 31 with 1.6 ppO would to give just 2 minutes more.
Sonar picture of der SS Panay
The sonar picture is not true-scaled.
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