Introduction
We first located and identified the P-38 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 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 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:
