Advanced Wreck courses?

[DevonDiver]

I know that some agencies (SSI, TDI etc) run Advanced Wreck diving courses. What skills, drills and theory do these courses contain?

Having dived wrecks, at varying depths, for the past 10 years I've never had the chance to undergo any specific wreck training - not even when I began technical diving onto (into) wrecks at 70m. Whilst I am confident my skills and experience hold me in good stead for the dives I perform, I am curious what an Advanced Wreck course will teach students...and whether I should pursue further training so that I could teach such a course to my students.

Any info gratefully received.

Cheers,
Andy

 

[Richie Kohler]

Andy,
I teach a TDI advanced wreck class program and some of the key points I cover are;
Dive planning, Equipment configuration, Pre-dive procedures, Gas management, Guideline use, Penetration, Navigation, Hazards & Self rescue, Research and History, Artifact identification and recovery. I have had both CCR and OC students and needless to say the class is never the same, so a bit of custom work is applied here. I also take into account the varying experience levels of my students in setting up each class program. Each class does the required skill sets and hours of course but not every student "jells" at the same pace and some require a unique approach based on her/his experience and skill level coming in to the class.

In short my AWD class provides the student with the skill sets to recognize problems and failure points before they happen and be prepared for, (in attitude, equipment, and layered response’s) for the ones that sneak up on them. I think in the actual class time the biggest emphasis is placed on penetration skills (trim and buoyancy, propulsion, proper guideline use etc) and gas management considerations.
If you have anymore questions please feel free to PM me.
Cheers,
PS I LOVE THAILAND!

 

[wedivebc]

I know that some agencies (SSI, TDI etc) run Advanced Wreck diving courses. What skills, drills and theory do these courses contain?

Having dived wrecks, at varying depths, for the past 10 years I've never had the chance to undergo any specific wreck training - not even when I began technical diving onto (into) wrecks at 70m. Whilst I am confident my skills and experience hold me in good stead for the dives I perform, I am curious what an Advanced Wreck course will teach students...and whether I should pursue further training so that I could teach such a course to my students.

Any info gratefully received.

Cheers,
Andy

Hey Andy,
I concur with everything Richie said as far as skills. I see you have MV Trident's web page on your sig line. I will be diving with Jamie on the 20th. Do you work on the boat?

 

[jscott099]

I live near the NC coast where we have plenty of wrecks and training opportunities. I have not taken an advanced wreck course. However, I found that the skills I learned in advanced nitrox and deco diving (which were taught in a wreck dive environment) and the skills I learned in cavern and cave diving training, went a long way toward advancing my wreck diving skills. I now utilize some concepts in my entry wreck diving classes. It is entry level so I have certain bounds. However we do perform extensive reel work in a local quarry before I take them to the ocean. We spend some time in a confined overhead environment (a sunken public transportation bus). I teach them how to do a caver's kick to reduce silting. I require a navigation course as a pre-req to teaching them wreck diving. Many of the wrecks here are deep, so they must pass a deep dive course as well. I don't teach them penetration, but I feel these skill are useful topside on the wreck also.

 

[jamiemac]

Hey Andy,
I concur with everything Richie said as far as skills. I see you have MV Trident's web page on your sig line. I will be diving with Jamie on the 20th. Do you work on the boat?

Andy sometimes crews on our trips and brings us the odd wreck diver, you'll meet him in the pub when you're here , I'm sure.

i suspect, in fact I know , that Andy was fishing about the Advanced Wreck course with a view of formulating his own, and good on him, he's certainly got the skills

Unfortunately us DSAT men, call us PADI boys if you really must, have no formal way to teach the skills Richie mentions above.

Tec students, if they're learning on a wreck will get a lot of this info, but not in a structured way. i think DSAT are working on an AW course, we'd certainly be teaching it f it was available

jamie MV Trident

PS really looking forward to next week, got some great marks between us