Overview
Two P-38s get dived locally: the well known one off Torrey Pines at about 130', and a deeper, more intact one off Solana Beach at about 180'. We sometimes run them as a double P-38 day. The corrosive nature of saltwater has taken its toll but the plane is still a wonderful wreck!
What to See
The skeletal wings and body have become a colorful habitat for strawberry anemones, red gorgonians, sea cucumbers, several varieties of rockfish, sheepshead and lingcod.
Typical Conditions
Technical dive. Cold, low light, variable visibility, possible current. Tech certification required.
History
This P-38 crashed during a training flight near Torrey Pines State Beach in May 1943 (not 1945 - correcting our older note; California Diving News and wreckedinmyrevo.com give consistent, more detailed accounts). Three aircraft were flying a practice attack drill when this one's wing struck the water's surface; the pilot ditched immediately after discovering further damage and reached shore with only minor injuries. The P-38 is 37' long with a 52' wingspan. The second, deeper P-38 (~180', off Solana Beach) is a separate aircraft, tentatively linked to 2nd Lt. Stephen G. Endres of the 330th Fighter Squadron, North Island (Endres survived the war and lived to 98). Documented by the Marissa tech-diving community at wreckedinmyrevo.com.