The SS President Coolidge is widely regarded as one of the best wreck dives in the world — and diving her in Vanuatu is unlike anything else.
Most shipwrecks lie in deep water or far offshore, but the Coolidge rests on her port side just metres from shore in the Segond Channel, Espiritu Santo — only a 2-minute boat ride from Triton Explorers. That makes one of the world’s most legendary wrecks remarkably easy to reach.
Stretching 200 metres long and 25 metres wide, she lies along a steep slope with her bow at just 15 metres and her stern plunging to 70 — so vast that no single dive, or even a single certification level, can take her all in.
Whether you’re newly certified or a seasoned technical diver, there’s a way to experience this legendary wreck.
Discover the different dive plans below, or read on to get the most out of diving the SS President Coolidge.
To explore a 3D map of the SS President Coolidge taken in 2025 click here.
Select all the certifications you hold below to explore every SS President Coolidge dive plan available to you.
The SS President Coolidge began life in 1931 as a luxury ocean liner, designed to carry around 1,000 passengers in style. Her fortunes changed when her operating company fell into financial difficulty, and in 1941 she was acquired by the U.S. Government and refitted as a WWII troopship — her capacity swelling to more than 5,000 servicemen. Because she was never built as a warship, many of her original passenger spaces remained largely intact, giving divers unusually large, open rooms and corridors to explore compared to most military wrecks.
In October 1942, the Coolidge was approaching Base Buttons on Espiritu Santo when she entered the Segond Channel and struck two Allied mines. Captain Henry Nelson, realising the ship couldn’t be saved, steered her toward the shore to buy time for evacuation. She eventually slipped from the reef and sank into the channel — remarkably, only two lives were lost.
In the years that followed, local legend Allan Power began taking divers down on the wreck and effectively put Espiritu Santo on the map as a diving destination.
For the full story read the full history of the SS President Coolidge.
Due to her past and the fact that she sank whilst still in service, the SS President Coolidge contains a fascinating mix of luxury-liner fittings and military equipment, meaning there are plenty of unique features for divers to discover on every dive.
Some of the most famous features include:
For a deeper dive into these features, read our guide to the Top 10 Treasures on the SS President Coolidge.
Everything you need to know before diving the SS President Coolidge — from location and dive access to certifications, marine life, and historic artifacts. Get clear answers to common questions so you can plan your dive safely and make the most of this iconic wreck.
The SS President Coolidge lies in the Segond Channel off the southeast coast of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu, approximately 10 minutes from Luganville.
From Triton Explorers at Million Dollar Point, the wreck is just a 2-minute boat ride away, giving you quick access to one of the world’s largest and most accessible wreck dives.
The SS President Coolidge can be dived from both shore and boat.
Shore diving is part of the wreck’s history, but because the Coolidge is around 200 metres long, reaching different sections from shore can involve significant swimming and may use valuable gas and bottom time.
With Triton Explorers, our 2-minute boat ride allows us to drop you directly onto the section of the wreck you want to explore, making it easier to maximise your time underwater.
For a detailed comparison, read our guide: Shore vs Boat Diving the SS President Coolidge: The Surprising Truth.
The SS President Coolidge ranges from approximately 15 metres at the bow to around 70 metres at the stern, with different sections of the wreck offering very different depths and levels of difficulty.
This depth range is one of the reasons the Coolidge can offer something for everyone from Open Water divers to experienced technical divers.
Our individual Coolidge dive plans show the approximate depth and minimum certification for each route.
Yes. Open Water divers can experience the SS President Coolidge, with suitable dives reaching approximately 15–30 metres.
Open Water options are more limited than those available to Advanced divers, but they provide an excellent introduction to this enormous wreck.
If you’d like to explore more of the Coolidge, we can also arrange an Advanced Open Water course in Espiritu Santobefore continuing with additional wreck dives.
The SS President Coolidge offers dive plans from Open Water to technical diving, with depths ranging from approximately 15 to 70+ metres.
Your certification determines which dive plans are available to you, but certification alone isn’t the only consideration. Experience, buoyancy, recent diving and appropriate wreck or penetration training may also be important for certain dives.
To see exactly which dives are available at each level, explore our SS President Coolidge dive plans above.
Not necessarily. Some of the more accessible areas of the wreck can be entered without a formal wreck-diving certification, depending on the dive plan, your experience and the conditions.
However, deeper, more enclosed or silty sections require appropriate overhead-environment skills, buoyancy control and experience with wreck-diving procedures.
If you’re interested in exploring more of the interior, talk to us about the appropriate training and dive plans for your experience level.
The Lady is one of the most famous features of the SS President Coolidge and is located at a significantly greater depth than the wreck’s shallower recreational sections.
A Deep Diver certification is normally required, although we may consider a diver’s existing experience, buoyancy skills and logged dives when determining whether a particular dive is appropriate.
If you don’t yet have the required certification, we can arrange a Deep Diver course in Espiritu Santo. The course can be completed in one day with two dives, using Million Dollar Point and the outside of the Coolidge rather than entering overhead environments during the training dives.
See the The Lady dive plan for more information.
If you don’t yet hold the certification required for a particular Coolidge dive, we may be able to help you get there.
Triton Explorers offers Advanced, Deep, Wreck and technical diving training, allowing you to build your skills while exploring Espiritu Santo.
For example, our Deep Diver course can be completed in one day with two dives, and we can arrange suitable training dives at Million Dollar Point and outside the SS President Coolidge before you tackle deeper sections of the wreck.
The Coolidge is around 200 metres long and contains more than 40 different dive routes, so there is far more to explore than can be covered in a couple of dives.
For Advanced and Deep divers, we recommend at least six dives over three days to experience many of the wreck’s key highlights.
Technical divers can spend considerably longer exploring deeper and more challenging sections of the wreck.
For inspiration, see our guide to 6 Unmissable Advanced Dives on the SS President Coolidge.
No — divers are not allowed to remove artifacts from the SS President Coolidge, as it is a marine protected site of historical significance.
Many historical items remain intact on the wreck, and it’s important that divers leave them as they found them. Divers may gently touch items, but must handle them carefully and replace them exactly where they were to preserve the site for future generations.
In the past, when Allan Power dove the wreck, he recovered some items that might otherwise have been lost. These artifacts, including the steam whistle and bell, were donated to the Pacific WWII Museum in Luganville, which is well worth a visit when you’re on Espiritu Santo.
Despite its accessibility, the SS President Coolidge should never be underestimated. Its size and depth profile mean it offers dives for a wide range of experience levels, but staying within your limits is essential.
At Triton Explorers, safe, well-planned diving always comes first.
For more information, read our guide: Is scuba diving in Espiritu Santo safe? The Insider Scoop
Diving the SS President Coolidge is possible year-round, with Espiritu Santo offering consistently warm waters between 25–30°C and generally good visibility.
However, conditions can vary slightly depending on tides and weather. Because the wreck lies in the Segond Channel, it can be affected by longshore currents—particularly around full moon when tidal movements are strongest. Visibility may also be slightly reduced during these periods.
The wreck is equipped with multiple mooring lines at the bow, midship, and stern, allowing for safe and controlled descents even when currents are present.
For a more detailed breakdown of seasonal conditions above the water, visit our Espiritu Santo FAQ page.
If you’d like to dive this site with Triton Explorers, get in touch with your preferred dates and the dives you’d like to do. If you don’t yet have the certification required for a particular dive, let us know — we can advise you on your options and, where possible, arrange the training you need.
Once we’ve confirmed your dives and availability, we’ll send you a digital check-in to complete before your arrival. A 50% deposit secures your dive slots, with the remaining balance payable before or on your arrival.
Then, all that’s left to do is turn up, gear up and go diving.