Playing on wrecks

[fran2bo3]

Last night I received a message from a friend who had been attacked on Facebook for putting up a photo of her with a helmet and rifle on the Coolidge wreck in Vanuatu. The Coolidge is the largest easily accessible wreck in the world and attracts divers from all over the world, the local dive shops have made available ONE helmet and rifle so divers can take pictures and the rest of the artifacts are left undisturbed.

The person making the comments is a Scandanavian(not known for their humour) Instructor who was horrified that a diver "who should know better" and "divers that hasnt learned the importance of keeping the sites undisturbed from touch and handling" would put such a picture up to encourage others to do similarly.

To me diving is for fun and by responsively setting aside some items for divers to handle the rest of the wreck is retained.

What are your views on such activities, sitting behind the wheel of Army vehicles or in the cockpits of planes at dive sites.

 

[Dam0]

For me and my group, getting through the smallest hole, pretending to drive, and playing with objects other divers have previously left is what makes the dive more fun.

Obviously location permitting

 

[Jan Kruger]

We have no problem with that provided nothing gets damaged or souvenirs taken! We have seen the deterioration to wrecks when divers start taking souvenirs at the local quarry - or carve their names onto it !

But it is always fun to sit behind that wheel or in that cockpit- especially if you had to travel very far to get to the wreck - pictures of wrecks are always treasured - why not have fun then !

Enjoy.

 

[Aquana]

I would have done it, too, because it makes fun and such pictures are a nice remembrance
I suspect the Instructor ho attacked her didn't know that the helmet and rifle were provided for the divers there. If he thought your friend would play with everything what he finds in wrecks, I can understand him.

 

[Dhboner]

I dive with a strict "no touch" policy any time I am diving a wreck. They are far too precious and far too fragile.

 

[elan]

Like said before. No touching. Fun is good thing but you should think about others. What you can touch now might not be available for the future divers as wrecks do deteriorate and they do fall apart and the more you touch it the faster it falls apart.
I join that scandinavian guy in his opinion.

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

Blah, blah, blah so you guys that won't come within 3 ft of a wreck would have left these on the bottom???
To say that no one should ever salvage a wreck because some recreational diver might come along one day and have a little fun swimming around it is foolish. Could you imagine if they did that with the forest industry, no more logging because people like to take hikes in the woods.
Or maybe you believe that if some has died in that wreck it somehow becomes sacred, come on, maybe we should try that with car wrecks.
What about deep water wrecks? should we not salvage them as well if not WHY? ONE good reason please? Come on don't be shy, I don't bite....much.
What about Mel Fisher and the other treasure divers that have discovered and brought to the surface all the artifacts and history from the Spanish Main for everyone to see and study.
If there is a truly historical wreck then yea, preserve the history. Set aside areas for underwater parks, hell yea. But, I am just not buying that crap that you would just leave a gold coin on the bottom if you found one on a wreck. I say BS.
Happy diving everyone and remember don't touch those wrecks.
ZDD

 

[BlackPatch]

Blah, blah, blah so you guys that won't come within 3 ft of a wreck would have left these on the bottom???View attachment 145617
To say that no one should ever salvage a wreck because some recreational diver might come along one day and have a little fun swimming around it is foolish. Could you imagine if they did that with the forest industry, no more logging because people like to take hikes in the woods.
Or maybe you believe that if some has died in that wreck it somehow becomes sacred, come on, maybe we should try that with car wrecks.
What about deep water wrecks? should we not salvage them as well if not WHY? ONE good reason please? Come on don't be shy, I don't bite....much.
What about Mel Fisher and the other treasure divers that have discovered and brought to the surface all the artifacts and history from the Spanish Main for everyone to see and study.
If there is a truly historical wreck then yea, preserve the history. Set aside areas for underwater parks, hell yea. But, I am just not buying that crap that you would just leave a gold coin on the bottom if you found one on a wreck. I say BS.
Happy diving everyone and remember don't touch those wrecks.
ZDD

Scapa Flow? HMS Royal Oak?
Come on man.... Really

HMS Barham ?

These may be protected remain wrecks but really don't say everything underwater is there to be removed.

 

[blacksambellamy]

I agree with Zodiac.......Have fun not touching its just more for me to salavge