Introduction
We first located and identified the P-38 wreck off Solana Beach back in 2022 and I published a series of posts about the wreck, including a “basic” photogrammetry model. I’ve been back a couple of times but it was always with a few other divers which makes building a photogrammetry model tough. In that time, my experience with photogrammetry has increased and the quality of the models has improved.
Links to the previous posts are below:
As part of writing Aviation Wrecks of Southern California, I knew that I wanted to include this P-38 wreck since the story of the pilot is so amazing.
However, I also knew that I wanted to get a better photogrammetry model. The first model was shot with inferior lighting, a smaller camera, and in high current. It was “good enough” to get a sense of the wreck, but I wanted something better for the book.
I went with Matt B. as a safety diver / dive partner on the Marissa on 22 January with a primary mission to re-do the model for this wreck but also a second mission to build a model of the F4 Phantom off Torrey Pines (more on that later).
The Dive
We took the long trip up to Solana Beach under nice conditions. It was cold and a bit cloudy and overcast but the wind was minima and the ocean was flat. I could tell by the wake that the water color was going to be nice a blue. Matt and I geared up and did a dive that was a little more than 75 minutes. I had planned a longer dive but got the photos I needed done so we left.
The wreck is still very much in the condition it was 3+ years ago which is great. It is covered in fish (which actually made the photogrammetry model tough and results in a few blurry areas when the composite texture is built). It had some lobsters under the front area and a few wolf eels in the booms and hiding in other spaces. Definitely a fantastic wreck to dive.
Lora took some pictures and video to give you a sense of how blue the water was and how nice the surface conditions were.
The P-38 Wreck Model
Below are screen captures of the model. I’ve also included the same view of the previous model for a side-by-side comparison.
In the side-by-side below, the quality of the model on the left is pretty good but the colors are off and too “green.” I probably could have fixed that in post but not sure. The newer model on the right has a lot more photos and, when inspected closely, is higher resolution. It is also truer to the “real” colors of the wreck.
Below are some screenshots of the new model and a link to the on-line version of the model.
Below is the link to the on-line 3D Model:
One thought on “Diving the Solana Beach P-38 Wreck: Enhanced 3D Modeling Techniques”