Deep diving/Wreck Diving

[MA.25]

How many dives should I have done before considering a Deep or Wreck diving course

 

[iztok]

Few less than what you should for a Cavern course.

 

[Sas]

How many dives should I have done before considering a Deep or Wreck diving course

What kind of wreck or deep course? Who are you planning to do the course with? (I see you're from Vic too).

 

[Jim Lapenta]

It really depends on the course. Some have minimum # of dives that they want you to have met. I personally would like to see a student who has good buoyancy control and trim, good antisilting kicks, basic skills down pat and able to perform them hovering in trim and while swimming. You should also have an understanding of gas planning that will be built on. I would hope that you have also had some coldwater and night or low vis experience. My personal policy is to actually get a few dives in with a potential student to judge their skill and comfort levels before allowing them to take an advanced class. Even if it's a 2 or 3 hour pool session. At no cost for the evaluation. I can run you thru enough in that time to say if you are ready for whatever you want to start training for. At the least I'll go over your dive history, do a couple interviews by phone or email, with the understanding that if you show up and your skills are not where they should be you may not be allowed to complete the course and you will not get a card until you have met the course standards which are determined by me.

 

[SeaCobra]

Hmm, the OP probably wants to learn these skills and a decent wreck course would include them. You do not need a lot of dives to enter into a recreational Wreck diver or Deep diver course, having your Advanced Diver or equivalent will probably suffice. Check with your local LDS or instructor for specifics.

Jeff

 

[Jim Lapenta]

So do some OW courses. Gives em a head start.

 

[yosemite_sam]

You should do so when you are comfortable

 

[DCBC]

How many dives should I have done before considering a Deep or Wreck diving course?

Each training agency has its own standards and approach on these specialties. Personally, I prefer that the diver have around 100 dives (that's not to say that there aren't many good instructors with a different viewpoint).

I like to see a diversity of dives that include a number of low visibility/night and current dives. The diver needs to have a good non-silt generating kick (wreck), directional ability and strong underwater navigation skills before the program. The course content reviews these but the focus is on deep air or wreck diving techniques.

Check with your LDS, or the individual instructor to see what he requires. This is even more important if you are seeking certification from a training agency that allows their instructors to increase the training requirements (you must not only meet the training agency's requirements for certification, but also the instructor's).

Good luck with the journey!

 

[Garrobo]

I dive the wrecks around Largo and Islamorada all the time. Deep/wreck diving course? What's that? My first deep/wreck dive was on the Speigle Grove in four-footers and a zinging current with me having only 10 ocean reef dive for experience. I made the dive with a DM/instructor who had two other guys doing their AOW. After getting down to about 30 meters I was able to let go of the down line without heading for Cuba and the guy posted me at one area of the ship and told me to stay there for about ten minutes while he did his stuff with his students, about ten meters away, keeping an eye on me all the time. At the time I was an air hog and was using a 100AL so I was OK on air. I think it's up to the individual and the operator as to why and when a diver should make deep or wreck dives. If you are competent and they trust you to not do anything stupid, go for it.

 

[TMHeimer]

For basic PADI Wreck course ( very limited penetration) I had about 35 dives. For PADI Deep Diver I had 65.