John Chatterton is one of the world’s most-accomplished and well-known wreck divers, and was one of the co-hosts for 57 episodes of the History Channel’s popular series Deep Sea Detectives television series – he’ll be giving presentations on the World War Two German submarine U-869 found off New Jersey, and the sinking of the SS Carolina on the Main Stage at the Atlantic City Scuba Show on 6-7 June.
Prior to his career in television, John spent more than 20 years working as a commercial diver in and around New York City, and on the morning of 11 September 2001 was working on a project in the water underneath the World Financial Center, across the street from the Tower #1.
His passion has always been researching, locating, and diving the world’s most-interesting shipwrecks. In 1991, the discovery and subsequent identification of the German submarine U-869, off the coast of New Jersey, was the subject of a PBS television documentary, Hitler’s Lost Sub, for the popular NOVA series on PBS. This same story was the subject of a Random House bestselling book by Rob Kurson, Shadow Divers. It has been published in more than 23 languages.
Chatterton was a member of the first technical diving expedition to Ireland and the legendary wreck of the RMS Lusitania, in 1994. A few years later, at a depth of 400ft, he was the first diver to use rebreather diving technology on the wreck of the HMHS Britannic, near the island of Kea in Greece. He was also the sole American on a British expedition, sponsored by Yad Vashem and the U.S. Holocaust Museum, looking for the historic shipwreck Struma, deep in the Black Sea near Istanbul. These dives in Turkey were chronicled on the HBO documentary Struma. Chatterton has also managed to make over 170 dives to the well-known wreck of the Andrea Doria, south of Nantucket Island in the North Atlantic.
In August of 2005, John and his partners put together an expedition to the most famous shipwreck in the world, Titanic. They dived the wreck to a depth of approximately 12,500 feet in the MIR submersibles from the Russian Research Ship Keldyh. Their Titanic exploration was featured in two History Channel specials, Titanic’s Final Moments – Missing Pieces and Titanic’s Achilles Heel. The programs were produced by Chatterton, fellow Shadow Diver Richie Kohler, and Emmy Award winner Kirk Wolfinger.
Chatterton returned to Britannic in 2006 with his partners for another television production, this time about Titanic’s sister ship. Author Brad Matsen brought the story of these expeditions to bookshelves with his bestseller, Titanic’s Last Secrets.
For another NOVA television project in 2009, John traveled to Hawaii where he participated in dives aboard the Pisces submersibles operated by Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory. This project documented the Japanese Midget Submarine I-16tou, from the infamous 7 December attack on Pearl Harbor. These dives, well in excess of 1,000ft of seawater, were part of the NOVA program, Killer Subs in Pearl Harbor. For this same project, John was also able to dive the USS Arizona, working with the US Parks Service, and the US Navy Mobile Diving Salvage Unit One (MDSU1).
Chatterton and his longtime friend John Mattera are the subjects of another Rob Kurson book, Pirate Hunters published by Random House. The book tells the story of their search in the Dominican Republic for a 17th Century pirate wreck, Joseph Bannister’s Golden Fleece.
For literally hundreds of years searchers have tried to unravel the secrets of the mysteries surrounding Oak Island, in Nova Scotia. In 2015, John was contacted to dive to the bottom of the difficult and dangerous 10X Shaft on Oak Island, for the History Channel program, Curse of Oak Island. In 2016, he returned to Oak Island, this time to dive Borehole C-1.
At present, John makes his home in Brandon, Florida, and is working on a couple of projects for television, and teaches a variety of TDI technical diving classes at several locations, including Pompano Beach, Florida. He can be contacted through his website: www.johnchatterton.com
At the Atlantic City Scuba Show, John will be giving two presentations:
New Jersey’s Who – John will discuss the discovery of the World War Two German Submarine U-869 by a team of divers from the late Bill Nagle’s dive vessel. Seeker, and the six years it took to identify it. The story would become a PBS documentary and a bestselling book by Robert Kurson, Shadow Divers.
The Sinking of the SS Carolina – John will discuss the research and personal relationships that lead to the discovery and identification of the passenger liner from the New York and Puerto Rico Steamship LIne’s SS Carolina. The Carolina was sunk by the German U-boat U151 in 1918, 70 miles off Atlantic City.
John will be sharing the Main Stage with underwater photographer and videographer Becky Kagan Schott, cave explorer Patrick Widmann, Hollywood stunt performer Liz Parkinson, and NASA-trained NEEMO Aquanaut and DEEP scientist Dawn Kernagis.
Atlantic City Scuba Show
The Atlantic City Scuba Show, this year sponsored by www.scuba.com, is launching its inaugural event in 2026 (6-7 June). A sister show to the long-established Long Beach Scuba Show, it represents the first shows under the banner of new owners Rork Media Limited, which also runs the GO Diving Shows in the UK and Australia, and publishes the global-multi-edition Scuba Diver magazine, as well as being behind the Scuba Diver Magazine YouTube Channel, and long-established website Divernet.
At this new East Coast event, Rork Media plan to retain everything that made the Scuba Show such a staple on the West Coast diving circuit, and enhance it with new and improved elements, including a Main Stage with a huge video wall right in the exhibition hall itself, a new layout designed to stimulate exploration around the hundreds of booths, and additional interactive attractions including a VR dive on a deep-water shipwreck in the Baltic Sea, the Marine Careers Experience, where you can pilot an actual ROV through an obstacle course, get a selfie with a difference in our Shark Cage, try scuba, sidemount and CCR in the pool, break out the dive props at the Photo Booth, and much more.
As well as the Main Stage in the exhibition hall, there is also an Inspiration Stage host to some truly exceptional speakers.
Whether you’re an experienced diver, a new enthusiast, or just curious about the underwater world, the Scuba Show brings together everything you love about diving under one roof.
Greg Holt from Scuba Radio will be entertaining the crowds on mornings before and as the show opens, offering plenty of fun and games, and the chance to win some amazing prizes.
Explore hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest scuba gear, dive destinations, underwater photography equipment, training programs, and ocean conservation initiatives, and connect with dive professionals, travel operators, and fellow divers from across the country.
There is also the opportunity to expand your skillset. The PSI-PCI Visual Cylinder Inspection course is open to everyone who wishes to inspect high-pressure breathing gas cylinders, or just know about the process. These specialty courses support the inspection process with formal function specific training on valve maintenance and repair, and Oxygen Cylinder Cleaning. Inspectors who are at the three-year renewal mark and want to attend the PSI-PCI Update course will be able to take care of it at the Scuba Show as well.
PSI-PCI offers the only training that is formally endorsed, utilized, and referred to by the cylinder manufacturers. The training has been created with the input of industry professionals and experts in each field to provide you with the best training available to meet the Federal requirements for the associated processes. You can join the team of PSI-PCI Professionals at the Scuba Show. Don’t wait, seats will fill up quickly! Click here for more information and to book a slot.
The Scuba Show offers two full days of ocean adventure, hand’s-on experiences, and exclusive show specials, and is where the US dive community comes together to celebrate the underwater world.
Get your tickets now!
Tickets are on sale now for the Scuba Show, and new for 2026, there is a change to the cost of entry – there is now one ticket price, which gets every attendee full access to the Exhibition Hall, and all of the presentations.
With many of the speakers on the dedicated Inspiration stage either only presenting on one of the days, or giving two different talks, plus with the headline acts on the Main Stage, and the plethora of booths, interactive elements and much more, there is plenty to keep you occupied on both days, so why not make a weekend of it?
Tickets are available now – click here – priced at $33 for a day ticket, and $60 for a weekend pass. There is also the option of a VIP Pass, which includes a weekend pass plus 6 issues of Scuba Diver magazine and 6 issues of California Diving News (Magazine delivery US & Canada residents only), and a Scuba Show Dive Team T-shirt, for $100.
Under 16s go free – bring the family and let the kids dive into the fun as well.
Join us for two incredible days, 6-7 June 2026, celebrating the world of diving at the Atlantic City Convention Center!
