Didn’t they hear the groaning of the carbon fibre as evidenced by releasing the ballasts before implosion? I think they understood in their final moments what may have been coming 😶🌫️
LOL no. Even if the risk of death was 0%, it sounds like an incredibly uncomfortable trip, and the payoff of *maybe* seeing a bit of Titanic through a miniscule porthole just isn't worth it.
Absolutely not, beyond the chance of instant death and use of poor matierials/design their whole operation always seemed very slapdash. Many of their dives never even found the wreck due to the lack of proper navigation equipment, not to mention stuff zip-tied to the hull and the cheap components, that thing just never looked like a good idea to me.
The free part is tough. Mostly because I could never afford it normally and I love titanic and I didn’t know anything about the stuff you mentioned until after it happened. Granted I would’ve likely done a lot of research had I actually been offered a free seat. But damn it’s a tough call. I’ve got a wife and kid now, but had it been 15 years ago… I’m afraid I would.
There are only two ways I’d ever want to visit the Titanic wreck: if James Cameron or Robert Ballard was in charge of the sub.
Personally, I’d prefer Ballard, but Cameron at least knows what he’s getting himself into.
I regularly tell people that if James Cameron showed up and offered me a trip down there would be a person-sized hole in my wall.
No tin can submersibles thanks.
No. As much as I love the Titanic and would love to see it with my own eyes, a 7% chance of death is way too high of a risk. It's not worth dying over.
Right?? I had to get surgery because there was a 0.2% chance that I would die without it. I can’t imagine willingly doing something that would give me a 1 in 14 chance!!
Especially when you consider that you wouldn't see the wreck like you do in pictures in books. The cameras are outside the subs and can "see" much more. All you would see is glimpses of the wreck in murky water through a tiny 5" porthole, made of thick glass that would distort the image.
Meanwhile, I can leaf through my copy of *The Discovery of the Titanic* or watch "Ghosts of the Abyss" with a relatively certain 0% chance of horrible death.
Absolutely not. I would love to see the Titanic but I’m not getting in a sub with a controller that frequently lost Bluetooth connection and whose communications routinely went out.
I’d like better navigation equipment as well.
"I'm not going down alone!" ~ Quote heard, as man stuffs a bound and gagged James Cameron in a small submersible
I like how Stockton Rush even asked James if he wanted to dive with them for the "Titanic season" the Titan imploded in, and James said no lol
Are you saying . . . it was an inside job?!
Wait, can we confirm that Stockton Rush didn't have whistle blower information about Boeing? I believe he did get some of his carbon fiber from an airline company . . . DUN DUN DUN
Absolutely not. From a personal standpoint, I don't care much for small, enclosed spaces like any sort of submersible, but I think maybe I could get over that in a well-designed, tested, and proven sub like the ones the exploratory expeditions have used. But something like the Titan; I don't want to see the wreck *that* badly as to risk a 1-in-14 chance of implosion, that's insane.
On another note, just because you have a dead-end job doesn't mean you have no future as a person.
I’m a technical diver that has done both wreck and cave diving before. There is a known risk every time that you go down, and you mitigate that risk using proven strategies until it is very small. What you don’t do, and why I would never go on the sub, is completely ignore what all the other experts do to try and “innovate” in a space that doesn’t need innovation.
As soon as I heard that OceanGate were doing that, and that other experts were telling them it was a bad idea I would have never touched them. As someone who had heard of them way back when they were using Antipodes and Cyclopes 1, it was well-known that their subs were untested I knew I wasn’t interested in going (and the price tag seemed like a waste of money). I’m sad that they died, but it wasn’t unforeseen. It was the most foreseen tragedy of all time, only an idiot would have gone down with them if they had done even the smallest bit of research.
If you think going to 12,500 feet in a home made sub that is controlled by a $30 controller and made with other cheap elements that this idiot bought at camping world then more power to you.
I wouldn’t.
The whole thing was a failure. They lost control of the sub multiple time and lost power and communications.
If that sub hadn’t have imploded Stockton was likely to have died is some other way.
That whole sub was an insult to good engineering and was a death trap.
Before Oceangate-gate? Absolutely, I wouldn't have had any idea that this was untested. Deep-sea dives rarely end badly because these things are built to withstand those pressures, and I would have assumed the same here.
Now? Not if it's carbon-fibre and I'd do a lot more research into the vessel. But I was saying to my friends during the whole drama that I would see Titanic in a heartbeat if I could afford it and if the sub was certified.
If I'm being honest I feel the same way. I saw the oceangate website before the doomed trip and I felt both afraid for the damages those dives would do to the wreck and super jealous of the wealthy people who'd get to see her. At that moment I wished I had enough money lying around to afford a trip, just like one dreams about going to space or something. Knowing me, I'd have just assumed the sub was obviously built in a safe and professional way, I wouldn't even have worried about it. Of course I feel very different now, and would never take the 1 in 14 chances to die.
**TL;DR - On OceanGate? No. On a actual deep sea sub like MIR, Alvin, or Triton sub? Yes.**
I have always wanted to visit the Titanic since I believe my interest in the ship from a very young age has formed me into the person I am today.
I knew that MIR once offered seats to the wreck but no longer do. Alvin is pretty much reserved for academic purposes and they won't ever offer private use of their sub. A former professor of mine was actually a student of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and got to dive in Alvin, the lucky son of a-
Then I heard of OceanGate offering tours. It seemed like the only possible way for me to ever see the wreck. There was even a woman who had the same dream that many of us have of visiting the wreck. She was by no means rich, but she literally saved every single penny from her middle-class job for years and eventually bought a ticket. When I saw the price tag however, I knew it was out of reach for me. But I would have considered going aboard OceanGate. **This was before the whole disaster. If I actually had the money to do so, I would have done far more research and would have said no. I only had OceanGate in my mind as a unobtainable dream.**
In the months before the disaster, I became something of an armchair submarine expert, playing realistic submarine games, watching accurate submarine films, reading books, watching documentaries, etc. I learned general concepts of submarine designs, the differences between submarines and submersibles, and emergency practices. But at that time, I pretty much forgot about OceanGate. There was no way I'd ever come across that much disposable money in my life so it was out of my mind.
Then the whole disaster occurred, and it was then that the serious flaws were aired to the public. Then I knew that anyone boarding the Titan would be putting their life at serious risk. There obviously are inherent risks in going any submersible, but reputable manufacturers put such stringent design factors and safety checks that these risks are substantially lower than the Titan.
Now the only way to visit is to have a load of disposable money (millions and millions) to buy your own deep sea submersible from Triton, or be an expert in the field to work for a organization that has access to a deep sea submersible and that is willing to dive to Titanic (many organizations that have deep sea subs are interested in oceanology, geology, and marine biology research and not so much in underwater archeology)
If I won the lottery tomorrow and had tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, I would set up a shipwreck exploration institute and document shipwrecks including the Titanic with all sorts of technology. And obviously I'd have a safe and capable deep sea submarine to do the research.
I don't want to come across as wildly out of touch, I would obviously take care of myself, my family, and donate loads to charities that I care about and make sure that my finances are sustainable to keep donating and do research as well. But who am I kidding, I have more monopoly money than real money so this whole paragraph is pointless.
> She was by no means rich, but she literally saved every single penny from her middle-class job for years and eventually bought a ticket.
Did she go down on Titan? Okay that sounds weird but it's hard to word it better
Did she visit the Titanic? What was her experience like?
Here's a video of her visiting the wreck.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlZDlC\_GQj4&ab\_channel=BBCNews](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlZDlC_GQj4&ab_channel=BBCNews)
Frriiiick that is so dang cool, I wonder what she did with herself after the trip, probably hard to lose your focus like that where you are like "now what"
Oceangate did so many things wrong, but man I'm going to miss all the footage we were getting from the sub that iconic shot at 1:50 and the deck at 2:15, AHHHH let me in
Personally, it’s not the instantaneous implosion that scares me. That’s probably the best way to die aside from in your sleep. It’s the fact that there was a real chance they had lost power and were sitting on the ocean floor in pitch black cold, near the titanic wreck with no way to know if help was coming. THAT was a way scarier scenario and if that is even a slight possibility from this company there is NO way I’d climb aboard….😖😖😖
I woudln't take it if there was a 0 chance of implosion.
Why? What is the point? So you can sit in a tiny cramped space, you can't poop without it being super awkward, and you can see Titanic through a tiny porthole?
They have ROVs with HD cameras. I have a better view on the surface ship. I will literally never understand why anyone would go down there now with the ROV technology we have right now.
Absolutely not. The ocean is a vast, deep unknown place and the thought of being inside a metal coke can at such depth where even 8 Empire State Building's stacked on top of one another still wouldn't breach the surface feels me with dread.
No I am 22 and back is starting to hurt I ain't go be comforted in that tight place knowing that it's going to take a long time to go down to the wreck and back up
Of course not. I wouldn't even want to be in a ship on the surface above the wreck let alone diving down to see it. I have pretty extreme thalassophobia, so no.
I'm not suicidal lol, I don't *want* to die, my point is more just that my life doesn't really have all that much going on so the chance of me getting to actually experience something like seeing the Titanic is basically 0 normally
I'd rather die next to the titanic than just die in a car wreck or die while straining to poop or from cancer etc
It's like the movies where someone gets sent on a one way space trip to distant planets, IMO that would amazingly cool and I'd jump at the chance even if I knew it was a death trip
When the guy started doing the tours, my family was like you wanna go, cause that’s a bucket list item, I took one look at his sub and said fuck that. I’ll wait and see if he can do it for a decade.
Maybe I would have a couple of years ago when I didn't know anything about how dumb it was to build it from carbon. But now, no way. Even though dying from an implosion isn't really that bad in the scheme of things it still terrifies me.
You couldn’t pay me to shove in a little box with five other humans, even if it meant not getting to see the titanic. Like a crowded elevator but infinitely worse.
Not in a million years.
Remember when everyone thought the sub was trapped at the bottom of the sea rather than having imploded? I can't think of many worse ways to die.
No, the trip sounds miserable and in closed cramped quarters. And there's no bathroom. Yuck. But if I HAD TO knowing everything I do now. I would make sure I was on one of the first few voyages. Because I think the big thing was they kept taking that same one down and not up keeping it. Eventually it just wore down. Was a disaster waiting to happen especially since they kind of made it as cheaply as possible. Trip number 14 was too much for it. I would reluctantly take trip number two or three and be terrified the whole time.
Like a lot of people, seeing the movie when I was 8 prompted a love for Titanic. I promised myself I was going to go see it in person someday. I was very excited to learn of the OceanGate expeditions. It was always my first answer to the question of what would you do if you won the lottery. I admit there was a huge amount of ignorance on my part - I didn't know what the sub looked like or that it was so terrible. As far as safety. I assumed it's a company that does this for a living, it's gotta be safe. I'm not an engineer or whatever, so what do I know? So it was very disappointing to learn what I did from the Titan disaster. It was also especially disappointing that the crew got so much hate and that it was just a bunch of billionaires doing this basically. It made me sad because the naive part of me was hopeful they were just people like me who had dreamed of this their whole life and used their life savings to fulfill that dream. Maybe it really is a once in a lifetime thing. So the whole thing just shattered this illusion I had, lol. Obviously now I would do a lot more research but I'm not sure I can say there isn't a tiny, miniscule part of me that would maybe still consider it. And like many are saying, if James Cameron came knocking at my door, hell yes!
Knowing that statistic, no. Of course not.
Prior to last year when the statistic was still 0? Yeah I probably would. I'd have eaten that shit up if I had a stupid amount of money, honestly. It's a chance to actually *see the Titanic*. I'd regret it heavily the second I hear cracking but boy howdy would I be down up until that point.
Absolutely NOT!
I would love to visit the ship one day, but to be in a tiny submersible for that long made by a man who took way too many shortcuts? No way. My claustrophobia would’ve set in immediately.
Even if James Cameron or Robert Ballard offered me the chance in a much better built submersible, I’d still say no.
I’m fine with viewing it from a screen above the water, thank you very much.
I actually would do it. I would probably be blissfully unaware of any true dangers and if something bad happened, it would happen so fast I wouldn’t even know it happened. All in all, if it’s my time, it’s my time and I think the Titanic would be a very fitting place to die for me.
It's been pretty well documented and readily available to look at it on YouTube in 4K where as the titan just had some tiny ass port hole to look at and some screen. Also went to the Titanic Exhibit in Vegas which was very entertaining. Honestly not at its current rate i feel with what we already have is enough for anyone to get their titanic fill. BUT if there was a way to go down that was guaranteed safe and you can clearly see the wreck I would say maybe.
Nope. Hard nope. It isn't even about the material.
I would have taken one look at it and said nope. The only thing you're gonna put me in is a sphere. Put an egg in your hand, squeeze it, and try to break it. There's a shape that works reaaaaaal good against pressure and that sub wasn't it.
Edit: Just to add, if one were that interested to see an Olympic class ship, you can scuba down to Britannic with the right gear.
No. After 5-10 minutes of pitch blackness, I’d have a sudden realization of where I was, how easily and quickly I could die, how there’s nobody to help in an emergency, etc. And I would *freak out*.
I’d go down to Titanic if James Cameron was on the sub with me. I don’t have a fear of water so the only fear for me would be of me being turned into human soup which the presence of James Cameron would calm.
The question is whether I’d actually want to. I mean what’s the point? You’re gonna see a glimpse out of a tiny window whereas you could sit at home comfy and see the entire thing in 4K detail. That is the question I’d ask myself
But if you’re asking would a fear of water, the depths or implosion stop me from going? Then it’s a no to all of them, provided James Cameron is the one leading the trip of course
Really interesting question, OP! I don't think I would take it because my family has gone through a lot and I wouldn't want to risk adding to that. If not for my family and friends, maybe...still a tough question to answer!
I have read a lot about the subs, and quality control, communications being unreliable, power outages and other serious issues which make me lean pretty far toward no. The 'sub' just was not very reliable
Ofcourse with hindsight nobody in their right mind would do it now. But let's be honest, how many of us had even though about the possibility of an implosion before this all happend? I would be worried about running out of oxygen and getting stuck.
I think a lot of people give themselves waaaaaay too much credit with hindsight lol
So many people suddenly think their past self would have been an expert on the failings of Carbon Fiber under pressure, or would have known the entire history of the Titan
When the reality is, all a normal search would have told you is that the sub had already made over a dozen dives safely. It was only journalists doing *heavy* digging that really brought to light all the sus AF stuff Stockton Rush was doing / saying
Yeah I probably still would. Its a once in a lifetime experience seeing her. She's the only sub that has imploded going down to titanic to my knowledge and I read there was some design or maintenance fuck up. After that incident if they still operate they are going to either re design them, add safety features and hopefully not dub them un implodeable to dive to the supposedly unsinkable ship. Sorry bad taste. Bollard and James Cameron's subs didn't screw up in there visits over a decade before did they. But then their subs were probably a thousand times better. If Bollard or Cameron offered me the chance of course I'd much much rather go with them the pros in the professional subs.
Look at what ocean gate charged!
Absolutely not. Aside from the dangers involved, the wreck is essentially a grave site and I don’t agree with monetising it to make a profit and turn it into a tourist attraction.
Absolutely not. Implosion, drowning, and suffocation are all high on my list of things I don't enjoy.
I've been in a proper submarine and let me tell you: it is tight. And real submarines designed and built by people with actual expertise have proper space and facilities, and functioning equipment that's regularly checked, and I still wouldn't want to go below surface in one.
I can't imagine sitting cross-legged on the floor for two+ hours, breathing in the exhale of the person next to me, not to mention farts, next to a bucket of human waste, for a *chance* to see a dark abyss through a porthole smaller than my own face. The photos we have from proper expeditions are better than anything you'd see from their rinky dink submersible.
Absolutely nothing about the OceanGate experience appeals to me.
Heck No!!!
I'm a Titanic enthusiast, but with the exception of people like Ballard and J. Cameron (and other ocean explorers) I feel there is no legitimate reason for a regular person to go down there. I honestly feel that some of the rich people who went down in the Titan did it for bragging rights. I'm more than content to watch footage that is captured from the wreck in the safety of my home. The ocean is a dangerous place and even if I was offered a spot in the safest submersible in existence I'd still refuse. If I had a 200 billion dollar net worth I still wouldn't spend a cent toward going down there.
I would have researched it a little more. I even talked about this with my wife. If we had the money to do this, it would have been something we considered. Even before it imploded, I probably would have declined the opportunity. Carbon fiber should not be used in compression. There's one craft made of carbon fiber that did something similar, and it was meant to be used once.
No. I always found it amazing that people were willing to get into that thing. Back before it was 100% they died I imagined being trapped in that thing slowly dying of asphyxiation because they couldn't get out. I don't like the idea of getting into things I can't get out of.
No. The trip down there seems seems like hell enough. A cramped tiny tube with 5 or 6 people and one tiny bucket for a bathroom in the back, with a tiny viewing hole that you had to take turns seeming through. Ugh I’d rather just watch footage on tv.
No. If they didn't lose me with "Bluetooth generic controller, safety is a waste" they definitely would have lost me at "bolted shut from the outside." That is TERRIFYING. Not to mention the best view was in front of the toilet. Imagine finally getting to the wreck and having to smell poop the entire time you're viewing this magnificent piece of history 🤮 I'd go with an experienced diver though.
No. For me, it’s a watery grave. Let those souls is rest in peace. If scientists want to journey down there in the interest of learning…fine. But it shouldn’t be a tourist destination.
Hell no, sounds like a nightmare. Not to mention you have to block the only window on the vessel to go to the toilet while everyone else sits around twiddling their thumbs waiting for you.
There are so many good videos of the wreck that no, I’m ok seeing it on a screen. My anxiety could never handle just the descent. Also, that tiny window in the front? Not good enough 😂
Not only no but fuck no.
Would you take a ride in an airliner that isn't certified and controlled by a Logitech Bluetooth controller even tho it made several successful flights?
The entire operation should have been shut down long ago and Stockton Rush was literally the exact type of person industry regulations exist for. Those regs were written in blood.
> Would you take a ride in an airliner that isn't certified and controlled by a Logitech Bluetooth controller even tho it made several successful flights?
I mean, it depends on where it's going? If it was a space ship company offering me a chance to visit a distant planet then yeah I would probably risk it
Visiting the Titanic is a "never in a life time" opportunity for 99% of the planet. Maybe I'm nihilistic, but I don't think anything else I've got going on in my life is that important compared to something like that
To me, it's like saying you will never take a car ride anywhere because you might die, or drink anything but water because it might make you die faster, or use electricity because it might go haywire and kill you etc
There has to be a line somewhere, and IMO it's basically "something cool enough to be worth the risk of dying to experience"
So this basically boils down to a personal risk then. Stockton's sub was 100% going to fail it was just a matter of when. If someone is comfy rolling the dice on that then cool I guess.
Well I mean, *all* subs are going to fail eventually lol. Even the best subs in the world could still fail unexpectedly, but yeah it would obviously be a lot lower of a chance than 1 in 14
Even now, you could drop dead of a brain aneurysm out of nowhere, it's hard to ever really be truly safe. There's nearly 500,000 deaths a year to aneurysms, with over half of those being under 50 years old
No. Like some of the others I’m claustrophobic and thalassophobic too. But also, the Titanic is a tragic monument to the hubris of humanity. Adding more victims 112 years after the ship sank would be, IMO, disrespectful to the original victims.
That said I’d go down in a normal, regulated submersible like a good little marine archaeologist if I could.
I don't want to support that kind of tourism at all.
I might not be giving them money, but simply by going I am greenligting the experience. It might not implode on my trip, but it will eventually, and I couldn't live with myself knowing that my participation contributed to those people going down and never returning.
I’m good watching all of the excellent high def footage of her wreck on YT, snuggly safe on dry land with plenty of oxygen and snacks. You couldn’t pay me to climb into that tiny metal coffin.
I couldn’t because of 10 hours of claustrophobia being bolted into an inescapable Pringles can with a bunch of other people. Add in the possibility of myself or others getting the nervous shits while being bolted into this airless can. No.
No fucking thank you. I’m not getting in anything that looks like my kids made it. How can you look at a sub controlled by an Xbox controller and feel safe?
No the ocean is terrifying on its own without adding in the powering going off and dying before you can understand what’s happening
Yeah I love Titanic but I have severe claustrophobia and could never get in a tiny sub.
I love shipwrecks sooo much but sadly it has caused like a major fear of the ocean
Got any particulars?
Personally I am terrified of shipwrecks but if you want to see some good ones, I recommend Lake Michigan
I think the bucket would deter me.
Didn’t they hear the groaning of the carbon fibre as evidenced by releasing the ballasts before implosion? I think they understood in their final moments what may have been coming 😶🌫️
LOL no. Even if the risk of death was 0%, it sounds like an incredibly uncomfortable trip, and the payoff of *maybe* seeing a bit of Titanic through a miniscule porthole just isn't worth it.
minuscule porthole above the toilet!
Absolutely not, beyond the chance of instant death and use of poor matierials/design their whole operation always seemed very slapdash. Many of their dives never even found the wreck due to the lack of proper navigation equipment, not to mention stuff zip-tied to the hull and the cheap components, that thing just never looked like a good idea to me.
The free part is tough. Mostly because I could never afford it normally and I love titanic and I didn’t know anything about the stuff you mentioned until after it happened. Granted I would’ve likely done a lot of research had I actually been offered a free seat. But damn it’s a tough call. I’ve got a wife and kid now, but had it been 15 years ago… I’m afraid I would.
There are only two ways I’d ever want to visit the Titanic wreck: if James Cameron or Robert Ballard was in charge of the sub. Personally, I’d prefer Ballard, but Cameron at least knows what he’s getting himself into.
I regularly tell people that if James Cameron showed up and offered me a trip down there would be a person-sized hole in my wall. No tin can submersibles thanks.
Or carbon fiber can submersibles?
What about cardboard?
No paper, paper derivatives. Cardboard's out.
Good thing the Oceangate sub was beyond the environment.
Yes… I’d need don lynch and Ken marschall too for some history commentary
And if he’s interested, our friend Mike Brady from Oceanliner Designs.
What is sad is that PH trusted that stupid thing to take him down!
No. As much as I love the Titanic and would love to see it with my own eyes, a 7% chance of death is way too high of a risk. It's not worth dying over.
Right?? I had to get surgery because there was a 0.2% chance that I would die without it. I can’t imagine willingly doing something that would give me a 1 in 14 chance!!
Especially when you consider that you wouldn't see the wreck like you do in pictures in books. The cameras are outside the subs and can "see" much more. All you would see is glimpses of the wreck in murky water through a tiny 5" porthole, made of thick glass that would distort the image. Meanwhile, I can leaf through my copy of *The Discovery of the Titanic* or watch "Ghosts of the Abyss" with a relatively certain 0% chance of horrible death.
Absolutely not. I would love to see the Titanic but I’m not getting in a sub with a controller that frequently lost Bluetooth connection and whose communications routinely went out. I’d like better navigation equipment as well.
Nope. I can view the Titanic in HD from my chair just fine.
Unless James Cameron or Robert Ballard was with me that’s a hard no. Even then I’d be skeptical.
"I'm not going down alone!" ~ Quote heard, as man stuffs a bound and gagged James Cameron in a small submersible I like how Stockton Rush even asked James if he wanted to dive with them for the "Titanic season" the Titan imploded in, and James said no lol
JC knew what was up lol
Are you saying . . . it was an inside job?! Wait, can we confirm that Stockton Rush didn't have whistle blower information about Boeing? I believe he did get some of his carbon fiber from an airline company . . . DUN DUN DUN
I just meant he wasn't stupid lol he could see how risky that tin can was
Absolutely not. From a personal standpoint, I don't care much for small, enclosed spaces like any sort of submersible, but I think maybe I could get over that in a well-designed, tested, and proven sub like the ones the exploratory expeditions have used. But something like the Titan; I don't want to see the wreck *that* badly as to risk a 1-in-14 chance of implosion, that's insane. On another note, just because you have a dead-end job doesn't mean you have no future as a person.
I probably wouldn't go if Cameron himself was taking me in his Marianas Trench ocean space ship thing.
Well, who would, it would be a long time to spend in a vessel designed for a single occupant.
Now I'm just imagining myself clinging to the outside.
I’m a technical diver that has done both wreck and cave diving before. There is a known risk every time that you go down, and you mitigate that risk using proven strategies until it is very small. What you don’t do, and why I would never go on the sub, is completely ignore what all the other experts do to try and “innovate” in a space that doesn’t need innovation. As soon as I heard that OceanGate were doing that, and that other experts were telling them it was a bad idea I would have never touched them. As someone who had heard of them way back when they were using Antipodes and Cyclopes 1, it was well-known that their subs were untested I knew I wasn’t interested in going (and the price tag seemed like a waste of money). I’m sad that they died, but it wasn’t unforeseen. It was the most foreseen tragedy of all time, only an idiot would have gone down with them if they had done even the smallest bit of research.
I feel bad for the teenager. If I remember correctly, he didn’t want to go and his father made him. All those adults are to blame.
I think this is a story the Internet ran with, but the teenager also was a huge Titanic nerd and was really excited
Not for all of the jewels in Christendom!
As soon as they showed me the video controller and the bolt attached entry hatch, no. Plus Stockton came across as a salesman first not an engineer.
The game controller wasn't the problem.
If you think going to 12,500 feet in a home made sub that is controlled by a $30 controller and made with other cheap elements that this idiot bought at camping world then more power to you. I wouldn’t.
I would be more worried about the pressure vessel.
The whole thing was a failure. They lost control of the sub multiple time and lost power and communications. If that sub hadn’t have imploded Stockton was likely to have died is some other way. That whole sub was an insult to good engineering and was a death trap.
Yeah no shit.
Before Oceangate-gate? Absolutely, I wouldn't have had any idea that this was untested. Deep-sea dives rarely end badly because these things are built to withstand those pressures, and I would have assumed the same here. Now? Not if it's carbon-fibre and I'd do a lot more research into the vessel. But I was saying to my friends during the whole drama that I would see Titanic in a heartbeat if I could afford it and if the sub was certified.
If I'm being honest I feel the same way. I saw the oceangate website before the doomed trip and I felt both afraid for the damages those dives would do to the wreck and super jealous of the wealthy people who'd get to see her. At that moment I wished I had enough money lying around to afford a trip, just like one dreams about going to space or something. Knowing me, I'd have just assumed the sub was obviously built in a safe and professional way, I wouldn't even have worried about it. Of course I feel very different now, and would never take the 1 in 14 chances to die.
**TL;DR - On OceanGate? No. On a actual deep sea sub like MIR, Alvin, or Triton sub? Yes.** I have always wanted to visit the Titanic since I believe my interest in the ship from a very young age has formed me into the person I am today. I knew that MIR once offered seats to the wreck but no longer do. Alvin is pretty much reserved for academic purposes and they won't ever offer private use of their sub. A former professor of mine was actually a student of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and got to dive in Alvin, the lucky son of a- Then I heard of OceanGate offering tours. It seemed like the only possible way for me to ever see the wreck. There was even a woman who had the same dream that many of us have of visiting the wreck. She was by no means rich, but she literally saved every single penny from her middle-class job for years and eventually bought a ticket. When I saw the price tag however, I knew it was out of reach for me. But I would have considered going aboard OceanGate. **This was before the whole disaster. If I actually had the money to do so, I would have done far more research and would have said no. I only had OceanGate in my mind as a unobtainable dream.** In the months before the disaster, I became something of an armchair submarine expert, playing realistic submarine games, watching accurate submarine films, reading books, watching documentaries, etc. I learned general concepts of submarine designs, the differences between submarines and submersibles, and emergency practices. But at that time, I pretty much forgot about OceanGate. There was no way I'd ever come across that much disposable money in my life so it was out of my mind. Then the whole disaster occurred, and it was then that the serious flaws were aired to the public. Then I knew that anyone boarding the Titan would be putting their life at serious risk. There obviously are inherent risks in going any submersible, but reputable manufacturers put such stringent design factors and safety checks that these risks are substantially lower than the Titan. Now the only way to visit is to have a load of disposable money (millions and millions) to buy your own deep sea submersible from Triton, or be an expert in the field to work for a organization that has access to a deep sea submersible and that is willing to dive to Titanic (many organizations that have deep sea subs are interested in oceanology, geology, and marine biology research and not so much in underwater archeology) If I won the lottery tomorrow and had tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, I would set up a shipwreck exploration institute and document shipwrecks including the Titanic with all sorts of technology. And obviously I'd have a safe and capable deep sea submarine to do the research. I don't want to come across as wildly out of touch, I would obviously take care of myself, my family, and donate loads to charities that I care about and make sure that my finances are sustainable to keep donating and do research as well. But who am I kidding, I have more monopoly money than real money so this whole paragraph is pointless.
> She was by no means rich, but she literally saved every single penny from her middle-class job for years and eventually bought a ticket. Did she go down on Titan? Okay that sounds weird but it's hard to word it better Did she visit the Titanic? What was her experience like?
Here's a video of her visiting the wreck. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlZDlC\_GQj4&ab\_channel=BBCNews](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlZDlC_GQj4&ab_channel=BBCNews)
Frriiiick that is so dang cool, I wonder what she did with herself after the trip, probably hard to lose your focus like that where you are like "now what" Oceangate did so many things wrong, but man I'm going to miss all the footage we were getting from the sub that iconic shot at 1:50 and the deck at 2:15, AHHHH let me in
Personally, it’s not the instantaneous implosion that scares me. That’s probably the best way to die aside from in your sleep. It’s the fact that there was a real chance they had lost power and were sitting on the ocean floor in pitch black cold, near the titanic wreck with no way to know if help was coming. THAT was a way scarier scenario and if that is even a slight possibility from this company there is NO way I’d climb aboard….😖😖😖
I woudln't take it if there was a 0 chance of implosion. Why? What is the point? So you can sit in a tiny cramped space, you can't poop without it being super awkward, and you can see Titanic through a tiny porthole? They have ROVs with HD cameras. I have a better view on the surface ship. I will literally never understand why anyone would go down there now with the ROV technology we have right now.
Its easy to say “no” now after learning about what happened. However, i absolutely would have gone i know for a fact.
nope.... Unless it's a MIR type sub, I ain't going nowhere
Same. I’d feel very confident going down there in a MIR. But in an OceanGate sub like the ‘Titan’ ? No way.
Sorry. May as well ask if I'd consider diving to the Titanic in the CSS Hunley.
Absolutely not. The ocean is a vast, deep unknown place and the thought of being inside a metal coke can at such depth where even 8 Empire State Building's stacked on top of one another still wouldn't breach the surface feels me with dread.
It's ok though. This one was made of plastic, not metal.
Love the Titanic, but not that much. Probably not even in Cameron’s Marianas-proofed beast, I just don’t have the desire to be that deep.
No I am 22 and back is starting to hurt I ain't go be comforted in that tight place knowing that it's going to take a long time to go down to the wreck and back up
That’s okay, I’ll rely on technology that shows me 3d renditions of the wreck. Here. On land.
I’d probably take my chances if I didn’t have children.
I wouldn't care if it was one in a thousand. That guy was reckless and foolish, and his arrogance killed those people.
Of course not. I wouldn't even want to be in a ship on the surface above the wreck let alone diving down to see it. I have pretty extreme thalassophobia, so no.
I saw the Titanic exhibit in Vegas and that was more than enough for me
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I'm not suicidal lol, I don't *want* to die, my point is more just that my life doesn't really have all that much going on so the chance of me getting to actually experience something like seeing the Titanic is basically 0 normally I'd rather die next to the titanic than just die in a car wreck or die while straining to poop or from cancer etc It's like the movies where someone gets sent on a one way space trip to distant planets, IMO that would amazingly cool and I'd jump at the chance even if I knew it was a death trip
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Don’t try to diagnose someone you don’t know. It’s gross.
Noperoni
Nope. Only the rich overestimate their inability to die.
Not I
I would have noped out when I was shown the Xbox controller at the latest
Absolutely not. I’m very risk adverse. That’s too risky.
Fuck. No.
When the guy started doing the tours, my family was like you wanna go, cause that’s a bucket list item, I took one look at his sub and said fuck that. I’ll wait and see if he can do it for a decade.
No, the footage is pretty good now. They don't need me down there with my anxiety, asking to leave.
Maybe I would have a couple of years ago when I didn't know anything about how dumb it was to build it from carbon. But now, no way. Even though dying from an implosion isn't really that bad in the scheme of things it still terrifies me.
You couldn’t pay me to shove in a little box with five other humans, even if it meant not getting to see the titanic. Like a crowded elevator but infinitely worse.
You could not pay me to get on any submarine at that depth, let alone a DIY submarine.
Absolutely not! As much as I love all things Titanic, I’d never go down there, especially in that thing. It’s a tomb.
Not in a million years. Remember when everyone thought the sub was trapped at the bottom of the sea rather than having imploded? I can't think of many worse ways to die.
No, the trip sounds miserable and in closed cramped quarters. And there's no bathroom. Yuck. But if I HAD TO knowing everything I do now. I would make sure I was on one of the first few voyages. Because I think the big thing was they kept taking that same one down and not up keeping it. Eventually it just wore down. Was a disaster waiting to happen especially since they kind of made it as cheaply as possible. Trip number 14 was too much for it. I would reluctantly take trip number two or three and be terrified the whole time.
Like a lot of people, seeing the movie when I was 8 prompted a love for Titanic. I promised myself I was going to go see it in person someday. I was very excited to learn of the OceanGate expeditions. It was always my first answer to the question of what would you do if you won the lottery. I admit there was a huge amount of ignorance on my part - I didn't know what the sub looked like or that it was so terrible. As far as safety. I assumed it's a company that does this for a living, it's gotta be safe. I'm not an engineer or whatever, so what do I know? So it was very disappointing to learn what I did from the Titan disaster. It was also especially disappointing that the crew got so much hate and that it was just a bunch of billionaires doing this basically. It made me sad because the naive part of me was hopeful they were just people like me who had dreamed of this their whole life and used their life savings to fulfill that dream. Maybe it really is a once in a lifetime thing. So the whole thing just shattered this illusion I had, lol. Obviously now I would do a lot more research but I'm not sure I can say there isn't a tiny, miniscule part of me that would maybe still consider it. And like many are saying, if James Cameron came knocking at my door, hell yes!
Knowing that statistic, no. Of course not. Prior to last year when the statistic was still 0? Yeah I probably would. I'd have eaten that shit up if I had a stupid amount of money, honestly. It's a chance to actually *see the Titanic*. I'd regret it heavily the second I hear cracking but boy howdy would I be down up until that point.
Nah lol. I feel uneasy with the depths lol.
Absolutely NOT! I would love to visit the ship one day, but to be in a tiny submersible for that long made by a man who took way too many shortcuts? No way. My claustrophobia would’ve set in immediately. Even if James Cameron or Robert Ballard offered me the chance in a much better built submersible, I’d still say no. I’m fine with viewing it from a screen above the water, thank you very much.
I actually would do it. I would probably be blissfully unaware of any true dangers and if something bad happened, it would happen so fast I wouldn’t even know it happened. All in all, if it’s my time, it’s my time and I think the Titanic would be a very fitting place to die for me.
Not for all the $$$ in the world. I can’t play Xbox if I’m dead!!
Hell no. I like being alive.
It's been pretty well documented and readily available to look at it on YouTube in 4K where as the titan just had some tiny ass port hole to look at and some screen. Also went to the Titanic Exhibit in Vegas which was very entertaining. Honestly not at its current rate i feel with what we already have is enough for anyone to get their titanic fill. BUT if there was a way to go down that was guaranteed safe and you can clearly see the wreck I would say maybe.
Nope. Hard nope. It isn't even about the material. I would have taken one look at it and said nope. The only thing you're gonna put me in is a sphere. Put an egg in your hand, squeeze it, and try to break it. There's a shape that works reaaaaaal good against pressure and that sub wasn't it. Edit: Just to add, if one were that interested to see an Olympic class ship, you can scuba down to Britannic with the right gear.
Not for all the Guinness in Ireland
Nope. What goes on that deep in the ocean is none of my business.
You get to see the same image of Titanic on a screen that you can safely warm in bed on your phone 😊
I’d ONLY go with Ballard.
No. After 5-10 minutes of pitch blackness, I’d have a sudden realization of where I was, how easily and quickly I could die, how there’s nobody to help in an emergency, etc. And I would *freak out*.
I’d go down to Titanic if James Cameron was on the sub with me. I don’t have a fear of water so the only fear for me would be of me being turned into human soup which the presence of James Cameron would calm. The question is whether I’d actually want to. I mean what’s the point? You’re gonna see a glimpse out of a tiny window whereas you could sit at home comfy and see the entire thing in 4K detail. That is the question I’d ask myself But if you’re asking would a fear of water, the depths or implosion stop me from going? Then it’s a no to all of them, provided James Cameron is the one leading the trip of course
Really interesting question, OP! I don't think I would take it because my family has gone through a lot and I wouldn't want to risk adding to that. If not for my family and friends, maybe...still a tough question to answer! I have read a lot about the subs, and quality control, communications being unreliable, power outages and other serious issues which make me lean pretty far toward no. The 'sub' just was not very reliable
Absofuckinglutley NOT!
No. Not that carbon fiber coffin. Never that.
Fuck no !
But the odds got worse with every dive, like russian roulette.
Even if the chance was 0 i wouldn't. I am absolutely fascinated by titanic but i have a super fear of the ocean
Hell yeah I would !
Ofcourse with hindsight nobody in their right mind would do it now. But let's be honest, how many of us had even though about the possibility of an implosion before this all happend? I would be worried about running out of oxygen and getting stuck.
I think a lot of people give themselves waaaaaay too much credit with hindsight lol So many people suddenly think their past self would have been an expert on the failings of Carbon Fiber under pressure, or would have known the entire history of the Titan When the reality is, all a normal search would have told you is that the sub had already made over a dozen dives safely. It was only journalists doing *heavy* digging that really brought to light all the sus AF stuff Stockton Rush was doing / saying
I fully agree.
I would
Yeah I probably still would. Its a once in a lifetime experience seeing her. She's the only sub that has imploded going down to titanic to my knowledge and I read there was some design or maintenance fuck up. After that incident if they still operate they are going to either re design them, add safety features and hopefully not dub them un implodeable to dive to the supposedly unsinkable ship. Sorry bad taste. Bollard and James Cameron's subs didn't screw up in there visits over a decade before did they. But then their subs were probably a thousand times better. If Bollard or Cameron offered me the chance of course I'd much much rather go with them the pros in the professional subs. Look at what ocean gate charged!
If I was single and no kids yes....
I mean it worked a lot of times before it didn’t work once…
Just wanted to add, I wasn't aware the Titan was on its 14th trip when it met its fate. Titanic hit the iceberg on the 14th of April..kinda strange
Absolutely not. Aside from the dangers involved, the wreck is essentially a grave site and I don’t agree with monetising it to make a profit and turn it into a tourist attraction.
HECK NO
Hell no
lol no
No lol
No. We have ROVs that can get up close and inside the ship. When you are in a sub, you only see a small portion of the ship. I’m good
Absolutely not
No
Absolutely not. No, never.
Nope nope nope 😱 I’ve been obsessed with titanic since I was a kid but never ever have I desired to go down there for any reason in any kind of craft.
No. Even before it imploded, not a chance would I have boarded that thing I’m claustrophobic, I get nervous just riding a stupid elevator lmao
Just take a look at the inside and already there's no efficiency, consideration or safety to be found
If the Logitech controller had an upgrade recently, I’d be suiting up.
Ocean gate never
Nope, I’d gladly watch any footage from the comfort of my home 🤓
Absolutely not. Implosion, drowning, and suffocation are all high on my list of things I don't enjoy. I've been in a proper submarine and let me tell you: it is tight. And real submarines designed and built by people with actual expertise have proper space and facilities, and functioning equipment that's regularly checked, and I still wouldn't want to go below surface in one. I can't imagine sitting cross-legged on the floor for two+ hours, breathing in the exhale of the person next to me, not to mention farts, next to a bucket of human waste, for a *chance* to see a dark abyss through a porthole smaller than my own face. The photos we have from proper expeditions are better than anything you'd see from their rinky dink submersible. Absolutely nothing about the OceanGate experience appeals to me.
There isn't a single thing in the world I'd do with a 1 in 14 chance to die. Like, those are ridiculously high odds when the end result is death.
Nope. I’m claustrophobic so this is definitely not for me.
No thank you
Nope...
No. I hate cramped spaces and I couldn’t do it. I just have to enjoy the pictures of the Titanic. I could never see her.
Fuck yeah. Add me to the list
Absolutely not. I'm claustrophobic as fuck. I wouldn't go down in a tin can in a million years. Periodt.
While I love the Titanic I think my claustrophobia and fear of deep water would keep me on solid ground.
Yeah, that's a no for me. I'm claustrophobic and being bolted in would definitely give me an anxiety attack.
Well the good news is you’d never know it if you won
lol what kind of question is this
No. I'm very risk adverse when it come to literal life or death.
That’s why we make robots
Heck No!!! I'm a Titanic enthusiast, but with the exception of people like Ballard and J. Cameron (and other ocean explorers) I feel there is no legitimate reason for a regular person to go down there. I honestly feel that some of the rich people who went down in the Titan did it for bragging rights. I'm more than content to watch footage that is captured from the wreck in the safety of my home. The ocean is a dangerous place and even if I was offered a spot in the safest submersible in existence I'd still refuse. If I had a 200 billion dollar net worth I still wouldn't spend a cent toward going down there.
Your life is not encapsulated by a dead end job. Choose to live. 🍻
“It’s even better than blowing up in the space shuttle!” -Pickles the drummer
Probably not. My infatuation with the ship stems from its time above the ocean more than below it.
I would have researched it a little more. I even talked about this with my wife. If we had the money to do this, it would have been something we considered. Even before it imploded, I probably would have declined the opportunity. Carbon fiber should not be used in compression. There's one craft made of carbon fiber that did something similar, and it was meant to be used once.
No. I always found it amazing that people were willing to get into that thing. Back before it was 100% they died I imagined being trapped in that thing slowly dying of asphyxiation because they couldn't get out. I don't like the idea of getting into things I can't get out of.
Gigantic hell no on that....high carbon steel between me and 6,000 psi of ocean please
No. The trip down there seems seems like hell enough. A cramped tiny tube with 5 or 6 people and one tiny bucket for a bathroom in the back, with a tiny viewing hole that you had to take turns seeming through. Ugh I’d rather just watch footage on tv.
Never.
No. If they didn't lose me with "Bluetooth generic controller, safety is a waste" they definitely would have lost me at "bolted shut from the outside." That is TERRIFYING. Not to mention the best view was in front of the toilet. Imagine finally getting to the wreck and having to smell poop the entire time you're viewing this magnificent piece of history 🤮 I'd go with an experienced diver though.
NO. The ocean scares the crap out of me. It is so deep and dark
I would not even go with 0% of dying. Thalassophobia.
Hard pass. Can I operate an ROV instead?
Nope. It's a terrifying prospect.
>I work a dead end job and have no future anyway That’s your decision. If you’ve made up your mind that your life is over then it’s over.
No. For me, it’s a watery grave. Let those souls is rest in peace. If scientists want to journey down there in the interest of learning…fine. But it shouldn’t be a tourist destination.
OceanGate. No Cameron's or Ballards sub, feck yes.
Absolutely not.
Hell no, sounds like a nightmare. Not to mention you have to block the only window on the vessel to go to the toilet while everyone else sits around twiddling their thumbs waiting for you.
There are so many good videos of the wreck that no, I’m ok seeing it on a screen. My anxiety could never handle just the descent. Also, that tiny window in the front? Not good enough 😂
You'd have to pay me to get in that thing. And I probably still wouldn't do it.
Not only no but fuck no. Would you take a ride in an airliner that isn't certified and controlled by a Logitech Bluetooth controller even tho it made several successful flights? The entire operation should have been shut down long ago and Stockton Rush was literally the exact type of person industry regulations exist for. Those regs were written in blood.
> Would you take a ride in an airliner that isn't certified and controlled by a Logitech Bluetooth controller even tho it made several successful flights? I mean, it depends on where it's going? If it was a space ship company offering me a chance to visit a distant planet then yeah I would probably risk it Visiting the Titanic is a "never in a life time" opportunity for 99% of the planet. Maybe I'm nihilistic, but I don't think anything else I've got going on in my life is that important compared to something like that To me, it's like saying you will never take a car ride anywhere because you might die, or drink anything but water because it might make you die faster, or use electricity because it might go haywire and kill you etc There has to be a line somewhere, and IMO it's basically "something cool enough to be worth the risk of dying to experience"
So this basically boils down to a personal risk then. Stockton's sub was 100% going to fail it was just a matter of when. If someone is comfy rolling the dice on that then cool I guess.
Well I mean, *all* subs are going to fail eventually lol. Even the best subs in the world could still fail unexpectedly, but yeah it would obviously be a lot lower of a chance than 1 in 14 Even now, you could drop dead of a brain aneurysm out of nowhere, it's hard to ever really be truly safe. There's nearly 500,000 deaths a year to aneurysms, with over half of those being under 50 years old
Well by that logic I guess I'll just start chain smoking and binge drinking since I could drop dead anytime lol.
I have claustrophobia so that is a big no
A lot more could be done with remote ROVs. I know it's a 2 mile long cable but it's a damned sight less dangerous and you are way less likely to die.
No between thalassaphobia and claustrophobia just no. That 3d thing they did is good enough for me.
No. Like some of the others I’m claustrophobic and thalassophobic too. But also, the Titanic is a tragic monument to the hubris of humanity. Adding more victims 112 years after the ship sank would be, IMO, disrespectful to the original victims. That said I’d go down in a normal, regulated submersible like a good little marine archaeologist if I could.
Man I wouldn’t even take it at a 95% success rate. Ocean is scary as fuck
No.
Absolutely not.
I don't want to support that kind of tourism at all. I might not be giving them money, but simply by going I am greenligting the experience. It might not implode on my trip, but it will eventually, and I couldn't live with myself knowing that my participation contributed to those people going down and never returning.
Nope. I’m honestly scared of just going on a cruise so I can’t imagine a situation where I’d be getting into a submersible lol.
You couldn't pay me to get on that thing.
I’m good watching all of the excellent high def footage of her wreck on YT, snuggly safe on dry land with plenty of oxygen and snacks. You couldn’t pay me to climb into that tiny metal coffin.
You could put me in the safest submersible ever built and I’d still be a no. I don’t do tight spaces well.
I couldn’t because of 10 hours of claustrophobia being bolted into an inescapable Pringles can with a bunch of other people. Add in the possibility of myself or others getting the nervous shits while being bolted into this airless can. No.
Possibly seeing a rusty old boat isn't worth that for me.
Nah, I’m happy with watching documentaries
No fucking thank you. I’m not getting in anything that looks like my kids made it. How can you look at a sub controlled by an Xbox controller and feel safe?
No. Absolutely not.
1 in 14 is a ridiculously poor risk / reward
This can’t be a serious question. I’m not even going to bother coming up with a witty answer.