Key's Wreck Etiquette

[SFLDiver3445]

I took a wreck course down in Marathon this past November, and I was told to bring gloves, and wear them whenever I dove on a wreck.

Gloves are standard equipment for any dive!

Throughout the years, I have seen some dive operations in the Keys not allow divers to use gloves - That's crazy. Even on reefs, what if a diver somehow inadvertantly gets too close to the reef and needs to slightly push him/herself off a bit to regain their composure? What if there's fire coral in the area they lose control? I know, you're going to say that a diver should not lose control, but it happens to all of us from time to time, especially to inexperienced divers or in strong current.

Divers should have gloves on, period!

 

[Capt Gary]

Touching any marine life is never a good thing, but touching an artificial reef such as the wrecks here in the Upper Keys is allowed. Use common sense when grabbing the wreck by trying not to grab where there is marine life growing and only in cases where you have no other option, such as strong currents. This hopefully will minimize any impact you may have on our beautiful artificial reefs in the Florida Keys.

By the way the term "Artificial Reef" includes wrecks like the Spiegel Grove, Bibb, Duane, Eagle, and Thunderbolt. Any other wreck that sank due to means other than intentional sinking are protected in the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary and should not be touched without speical permits or permission from FKMS. The FKMS encompasses waters around the Florida Keys and goes out to 300' of depth.


Good Diving,

 

[Walter]

Unless I'm diving wrecks, diving very cold water or hunting, I don't wear gloves. I don't have a need for them on a relaxing reef dive.

 

[The Kraken]

I like the common sense post . . . .

Yes, if someone touches some of the sea life on the wreck, it can do harm.

BUT, how much sea life would be there if the wreck hadn't been put down by man if the first place.

Given, the wrecks were put down to build the artificial "reef" program. But part of the inherent artificial reef program was the desire to build the industries with grow out of the objects sunken, and but two of those are the scuba diving and sport fishing industries.

the K

 

[OneBrightGator]

Gloves are going to be more helpful on the way down and up then actually during the dive, even with no current I still tend to use the mooring line and gloves save my hands. IMO the wreck is the dive, not the growth on the wreck (which wouldn't be there without us in the first place). As had been said already, don't touch the wreck if you don't have to.

Wrecks are really the only time I wear gloves. If you lose control on a reef and bump into it, you just killed some of it. Maybe a little fire coral will help you remember not to get so close next time.

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

I have been to both in significant current and found that once you got to the bottom of the mooring line, using the structure of the wrecks to hide from the current was a common way to negotiate the dive. Obviously there are areas of the wreck that are not accessible this way, but do you have to go to those areas every dive day? My question really boils down to; is grabbing these wrecks the typical and acceptable way to do the dives?

Right on...

I wear gloves on wreck dives to pull myself down the mooring line because there's usually marine growth or fish hooks. In the summer, I wear just one glove for specifically for this purpose.

Once on the wreck, I don't grab on to anything, just as if it were a reef. Yes, this may limit where you can go due to the current, but there's always a lee side and the inside.

I would not intentionally plan from topside to go hand-over-hand along the wreck, normally.

Having said that... yes, you should absolutely always have gloves on for a wreck dive, at least one anyway. Conditions do change and you may have to pull along to get back to the exit point. Things do happen and you should be prepared for the worst. On a wreck, this is basic safety equipment just like a cutting device.