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Featured Diver John Chatterton Interview
by Leigh Bishop
Chatterton talks Deepsea Detectives, the Twin Towers
& the Future.
| US Wreck diver turned TV presenter John Chatterton
is well known the world over. A man with a passion for history
who explains Wreck diving is extremely complex that appeals
to him far beyond the in water aspect of the sport. His adventures
have led others to write books on his life which in turn are
being made into Hollywood movies. John has presented over 57
shows of the History channels deep sea detectives series. Leigh
Bishop caught up with him during a UK shoot and nailed him
for a deepimage exclusive interview. |
 |
DI; So when did you first
get into diving?
JC;I made my first scuba dive when I was
10 years old, but I did not discover wreck diving until 1982
DI; What category do you put yourself within?
At heart are you a wreck diver or commercial diver?
JC; My passion is wreck diving, not that
I have not enjoyed cave reef or commercial diving. Wreck diving
is extremely complex and it appeals to me far beyond the in
water aspect of the sport.
DI; Have you ever had a long term dive partner
or do you prefer to be your own individual.
JC; I have done quite a lot of diving with
Richie Kohler, far more I would say than any other partner
from my past. Although Richie is a great Buddy, we don’t
just dive together we are business partners. I also like to
explore by my self as well.
DI; In your early days you used to be an
avid collector of shipwreck artifacts. Do you still do this
or have you changed your mind approach to this.
JC; since I started wreck diving I began
collecting artifacts, but it was never all about acquiring
the BIG pile of stuff. You find very few artifacts in my house.
I don’t think my attitude has changed any. Legally recovering
artifacts is fine, but I am usually too busy working on video
projects or exploration.
|
DI; what in your mind has been your best
ever find?
JC; I think the wreck of the SS Carolina; I
found the pursers safe, got the salvage rights and recovered
the safe. It contained 18k gold rosary, several diamond rings,
diamond c Sapphire rings & pendants, gold necklaces, gold
bracelets, gold & silver coins and a child’s charm
bracelet laden with gold coins and a padlock and key. So this
was perhaps my best find on a shipwreck to date!
|
DI; The Lusitania 94 expedition
was led by an old friend of our Polly Tapson how do you remember
Polly?
JC; Polly could have achieved so many things
if she only could have made peace with herself. Unfortuanlty,
she was her own worst enemy. She was incredibly talented and
the way it ultimately turned out for her, makes me sad.
DI; You ever been a scuba instructor?
JC; I spent roughly 10 years teaching part
time. I taught basic through to trimix and would teach again
if I had time. I think teaching basic open water made me a better
diver, and it was fun. |
DI; The U-Who really
put your name on the big stage of diving, why do you think this
is a story that has found a place for everyone?
JC; I think that the people are interested
in the story of the U-Who for the same reasons Richie Kholer,
John Yurga and I were. It was a profound mystery with a solution
which seemed just out of reach. In Shadow Divers Rob Kurson
thought that Richie and I were as interesting as the story of
the Sub, ultimately, when you put it all together I think many
people find it inspirational. It was something we never suspected
when we were actually working the wreck.
DI; Do you have a specific wreck or dive that
has been your most memorable in your diving career to date?
JC; I have been very fortunate in being able
to dive numerous spectacular wrecks, as far as having one favourite
above the rest I do not. I would like to think that if there
is a dive that really is the high point of my career I have
not had it yet!
DI; Have you ever been seriously bent or had
to go the chamber? |
JC on the Britannic 98 expedition. |
JC; I wont say I have never
had symptoms of DCS, but I have never had a problem serious
enough to go to the chamber. I have virtually no issues these
days because we know more now than we did before technical diving
started.
DI; You appeared in Aquacorps ‘Wreckers’
do you own a copy of that at home?
JC; The Aqua Corps Era was a wonderful time
for me to be a diver. It was like being part of the ‘Woodstock
Generation’ of diving. If I have any old Aqua Corps, I
haven’t seen them in years. |
Decompressing in the Agean Sea |
DI; Have you ever done anything
naughty that you have kept secret from your diving colleagues
over the years that you would like to bring out in the open
and get off your chest?
JC; To you Leigh? Absolutely not! I don’t
think I have done anything naughty, but I have certainly done
a lot of stupid things in diving. Then again most of that stuff
is documented somewhere! In many ways a lot of my dive career
(both good & bad) has been positively well documented.
DI; what’s the best diving related book
you’ve read?
JC; ‘I like Diving’ by Tom Eadie.
|
It was written about the early days of the US Navy dive salvage
program and the S-Type Sub disasters of the 1920’s by
one of the divers. He won the Congressional medal of honour
and two Navy crosses, all in peace time. Truly inspirational.
DI; Who has been the most inspirational person
in diving for you?
JC; Tom Eadie wrote, ‘Any man can go
down’, I believe, but not everyman can go down & accomplish
something! I always wanted to be the guy to accomplish something.
I still do.
|
DI; When your not diving what
do you do?
JC;I like to spend time with my wife, Carla,
regardless whether we are travelling, riding motorcycles or
just hanging out with the dogs in our home in Harpswell Maine.
We always have fun together and my busy schedule certainly limits
my time at home.
DI; If you were stuck on a desert Island what
music CD would you want to have with you?
JC; Now this is a tough one! Although alone
in 12 worlds by 12 would be more appropriate, I would have to
go with a classic ‘Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ, by
Bruce Springsteen.
DI;You told me once you wanted to be a history
teacher, you kind of doing that now really on the show right?
|
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| JC; I quite commercial diving to return to
college full time to get my degree in history & education.
I wanted to teach history but before I finished my first semester
I was working for the History Channel on DSD doing what I wanted,
teaching history! |
 |
DI; How did you become involved
in the History Channels Deep Sea Detectives thing?
JC; Richie & I worked closely with producer
Kirk Wolfinger on the documentary ‘Hitler’s Lost
Sub’ for PBS and Nova. We had a great working relationship
and we also became great friends. When Kirk was working on another
project for the History Channel, he was asked if he knows any
actors who could dive to host a series they were working on.
Kirk suggested not one but two hosts Richie & Me! He cautioned
that we were not actors but sent the History Channels top brass
a copy of Hitler’s Lost Sub. They wanted to give us a
try, we assumed we would have some fun and probably be fired
by episode two because we didn’t know what we were doing.
That was 57 episodes ago.
|
DI; You’ve visited some
interesting places with the TV show over the years what’s
was your best memory.
JC; DSD has been an incredible opportunity;
however the show in Palau is easily most memorable. Michael
Norwood died during a dive on the USS Perry sunk off Palau while
we were working on the show. Michael’s widow Diana and
I both wanted to finish the show Michael had started on. Richie's
wife Carrie, Diana, my wife Carla and Kirk all went back to
Paula (actually twice) to finish the show. I am humbled by the
dedication of my friends.
DI; What in your mind was the strongest show?
JC; I always think the show I am working on
is going to be the best; I can’t pick a single show that
outshines the rest. |
DI; You finally got Richie on
a closed circuit rebreather, was that really you or did he come
round to that himself?
JC; Richie & I dive a lot together, he
made up his own mind based on watching me & the other CCR
divers he knows. For him the time was right. I don’t believe
in jamming rebreather technology down anyone’s throat
because it simply isn’t for everyone.
DI; You were the first to dive Britannic on
CCR was that a particular mission for you back in 1998?
JC; Absolutely! I saw rebreathers as the Future
for deep shipwreck diving, especially on expeditions like Britannic.
I get the same satisfaction from Exploring new technology as
I do exploring a new wreck. |
|
DI; I know you lost your electronics
whilst inside the fireman’s tunnel deep inside the Britannic
at almost 400ft depth! What was going through your mind at that
point?
JC; The rebreather I was using was a prototype,
No one would sell me a proper rebreather for deep diving as
none were really in production. Prior to Britannic 98 my unit
had regular catastrophic loop failures. I wasn’t happy
about it, but I wasn’t surprised either. The rebreather
worked flawlessly for 3 out of 6 dives! |
DI; Do you know Innes McCartney?
JC; I was a big fan of the Beatles, I also
knew a diver with a British accent whose last name was McCartney,
I often wondered what happened to him.
DI; Marmite? What do you think of that?
JC; I don’t get marmite or vegemite sorry!
|
Scotland 2002 with Leigh Bishop |
DI; I remember you sending me
some photos back in 2001 of the area you were working below
the world trade centre when the planes hit, tell us a little
more about your experience on that day.
JC; On Set 9th 2001 I was working on an underwater
construction project under the world financial centre, across
the street from tower#1. I was pulling on my drysuit to make
a dive when the first plane hit. My co worker and I were fortunate
enough to make it out alive. I returned to that job and continued
to work in the city as a commercial diver for another year.
I felt it was time to turn the page. |
 |
DI; So where do you go from here?
What’s next?
JC; I just got back from Titanic, Kirk Richie
and I are producing a special for the History Channel. I expect
my future to be full of more production and submersibles, more
rebreathers and more new places. No one is more fortunate than
I am, and by the way, Ridley Scott is directing Shadow Divers
for 20th Century Fox, I’m going to be a consultant so
I’m going to be busy with all that stuff. |
| |
Rob Royal captured this shot of John Chatterton
attacking his CCR with a bone saw during the Britannic 98
expedition. |
|
DI; Have you any sound advice
you would like to give anyone reading this interview?
JC; Diving is a wonderful experience, the lessons
you learn from diving work in real life. Be honest, be persistent,
be brave, be generous and plan ahead. Then expect to achieve
something.
More info see www.johnchatterton.com
©Leigh Bishop 2006 from an interview Sept
2005 |
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