The J1 Submarine is known as the 125 Foot New Deep Intact Submarine and was distinguished from the other J subs by its unusual bridge structure which has since collapsed.

The following report and update is reproduced courtesy of Brett Morgan of Diveline.

Update: Brett Morgan dived the J1 again on the weekend of the 26th January 2002 and reported the following:

Many more hull plates have come loose from the external superstructure. The bow is also listing about fifteen degrees to the port side (some people also feel that the conning tower is in danger of falling off, I didn't look at it too closely on the weekend). The very front of the bow has collapsed further and the nose of the sub is about to join the bow ring on the sand.

Report by Brett Morgan of Diveline

December 2001

Disintegrating J1 Submarine

Ten of Diveline's club members hit the water at 7:45am to witness what will more than likely be one of the last dives on the J1 whilst she is still intact. The visibility was over 15 metres (at 17 metres of depth I could make out the conning tower) and the water was a very healthy blue colour. On arrival at the sub, Jodie, Mark (my dive buddies) and myself headed for the bow, to check on reports of the bow ring having fallen to the sand. These reports were confirmed, in fact the whole nose plate, with the bow ring in place is lying upright on the sand. Further devastation has taken place on the sub since the previous week, a large midsection of the bow has disintegrated.

Leaving the bow and moving further along the sub revealed even more damage inflicted by the forces of nature. Many of the hull plates on the sub have slipped off, leaving her bare underskin exposed. This actually looks pretty good as many plates have slipped off leaving bare plates with no marine growth on them. The J1 now looks like a newly sunk sub in many places.

After an exterior inspection, it was time to check out the inside. Just forward of the conning tower, large twisted steel beams have crashed to the floor (glad I wasn't under it at the time). Aft of the tower plates have also come down. As we swam through the sub, rust rained down, loosened by our bubbles. I've been inside the J1 many times and never had that occur (in any Melbourne wreck for that matter). Penetration of the J1 at this point in time I would have to say is questionable. One decent storm will see the remnants of this spectacular dive, ripped apart.