What to do to start wreck diving?

[Diver Dennis]

Remember that a great deal of fun can be had on the outside of a wreck also. If there is a current stay close to the wreck and check out all the cool stuff & critters up close. If the water is calm and clear get back about 40 ft or so from the wreck and take whole panorama in, this is sometimes cooler than actually going inside.

Although penetrating a wreck is awsome experiance, it's not for everyone. Taking Baby steps is the best coarse of action. Penetrating a wreck before you are ready can be both traumatic and costly. All the Training agencies have a intro to wreck type course (Padi actually calls it Wreck). The course will teach you the fundimentals within the light zone (like cavern) and give you just enough information to get into trouble if you do not follow the guidelines, but will start building you experiance. Hope this helps.....

This is a great point. I do have some tech training and have been in quite a few "open" type wrecks in Truk and elsewhere but I'm a bit claustrophobic and have no desire to do narrow caves and more advanced wreck exploration, penetrating deep into a wreck that has no visible exit and small passageways., not to mention silty conditions where you may end up with zero vis. That type of diving is not for me. Tough to take pictures...

The Baby Steps approach is an excellent suggestion. The training won't hurt even if you don't end up doing a lot of wrecks.

 

[TSandM]

But we all do something while diving that keeps us diving. Just check the for sale adds on this site and ebay for all the other divers who never found what they wanted to do, or found that diving was not a long term thing for them.

First off, this is an absolutely beautiful post. I remember when I first came to SB, I read an article (the articles have largely gone away, but there were a bunch then) on "What to do when you've blown enough bubbles". At the time, I couldn't conceive of ever reaching a point where just being underwater wasn't enough, but it's true -- The novelty does wear off a bit with time, and you really have to find something about diving that keeps you doing it. The people who are fascinated with wrecks sometimes get intensely into it, and I've seen web pages with beautiful writeups, pictures of the ship when it was built, excerpts from descriptions of how it sank, and photographs and video of the ship as it lies.

And, although most wreck classes are probably not worth much, I can easily imagine a class that would be, without any penetration planned. Wreck diving is often diving off an anchored boat in current, and there are specific procedures that tend to be used in those circumstances, and specific skills (running a reel, shooting a bag) that come in handy that aren't taught in other basic diving classes. So I wouldn't pooh-pooh the value of a non-penetration wreck diving class -- I would just talk to the instructor and make sure it's more than a couple of a dives on a wreck.

 

[Sas]

Ah great, the posts so far have been very helpful, thanks!

So far I have organised to rent some different types of BCs to check them out, though a BP/W is going to be harder to get one to rent. Getting a cold water reg for sure, gets down to about 10C where I dive. Will be talking to the instructor at the next course I am doing about the wreck course. From the description on the course it sounds very much like what you have described TSandM so might be a good baby step for me.

 

[aMc10]

I know Dive Vic rent "Tech" setups, which are BP/W with doubles. Might be worth giving them a call to see if they could do you something with a single.

 

[judestudio]

Saspotato has asked some good questions for the post, and some questions that I had in mind. So thanks everyone.

Now you are on the right track, a person who has been in the water with you knows a lot more about you then anyone on a board such as this. The biggest thing is to just go diving, only from time in the water will you become a better diver no matter how many classes you do and there is plenty to do on the outside of a wreck. Get comfortable with your gear and the water, then figure out what you want to do with it all. Eventually diving will become only a tool to let you do what you want to do under the water be it wrecks, caves, photo, science. Figure out what you want to do.

I'd also like to point out that just about every wreck that is over 50 years old (and all old wood ones in salt water) have mostly outside as they have fallen apart. There are exceptions of course for some wrecks in protected waters such as at Truk or much stronger built such as warships and subs. But, you avg. freighter just falls apart.

Thanks again Gilldiver. In a matter of fact, I did a "wreck dive" as part of my AOW course this weekend, and found it fascinating! Best dive I've ever had so far. I'm hooked. I mean, other dives (coral, deep etc) are cool too, but there's just something about a wreck that gives the dive a whole new horizon. And yes, now I have to agree the "outside" is really quite interesting on its own....still I'd like to be trained and have the option of going in one day. Over the past few days, I got the idea of how buoyancy control is the key of everything, so logging dives and getting on the wreck course are officially on the top of my new year resolution (...yea, I know it's March, 9 months to get those done!....Azza, if you happen to see this, 9 months!)

 

[Gilldiver]

Keep an open mind and be ready for some convergence that might take you in a new direction (a good general idea for life as well). A while back I was given an old double hose regulator, I now have 5 that work, and am plating in the shallow water relearning all the things I knew in the 70's. I am also starting my kids in diving and that has me back on a snorkel with them relearning about the first 10' of the water.

I also do research for a salvage company on modern wrecks and some that date back to the 1700's. How I got into that I have no idea but I am. I get to sit on a 250' ship and direct a crew of 25 people and a 4 million dollar ROV around and tell the archaeologists what they are looking at as they seem not to have covered steam engines on the way to their Phd's.

Keep your head up, listen, aquire a good BS meter, have fun.

If your not having fun, you will not be diving in 3 years.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

...

I'd also like to point out that just about every wreck that is over 50 years old (and all old wood ones in salt water) have mostly outside as they have fallen apart. There are exceptions of course for some wrecks in protected waters such as at Truk or much stronger built such as warships and subs. But, you avg. freighter just falls apart.

This is why I'm happy to be in the great lakes. The cold freshwater preserves ships for centuries. There are even a few nearly intact wooden ships dive-able in the great lakes.

 

[MattL]

There are a few GUe tech guys down there and alot of dir divers so one of this guys may be able to help you find a shop that rents bp/w or if you can find a halcyon dealer they may have the rental bp/w from halcyon not to say its the best out there i just know here in socail that halcyon shop have bp/w for rent and usely some dir dives that will be more then willen to help you out if your shop doesnt have tech grear you should look for one that does becouse this will be your best place to find someone to help you out atleast it was for me. If you need some names for the gues im me and ill see what i can find out for you.
As for wreck class i have 2 Padi and naui my naui class was a much better class as far as train goes padi was easyer but they were more about swim thew and less about pen this summer im going to be taking my naui tech wreck wich you need a trimix card to take this class but it goes in deathp about wreck diving so naui does it like a caven cave for wreck they show you the skills and grear need to go all the way but take you in baby steps to get you there.

 

[Spork]

I was "in your fins" a year ago... Nitrox cert and a strong urge to do wreckdiving. One of my buddies lend me his bp/w setup for a quick test in a local quarry after a usual "get the gear wet"-session. I knew the moment I laid down in the water that I just had to convert to a bp/w, doubles and the regular tech-setup.
After that we have fooled around in "easy" wrecks whenever we get a chance and penetration is only an option when everything else is in top condition, mental as physical and though I have no formal training we always make up solid plans before the dives.

However, most of the times it's not the inside of the wreck thats the most interesting, the outside can be more rewarding in terms of experience.
There is someting about hovering 30 feet in green-glowing water, above a one hundred year old wooden wreck that's almost intact in the hull, something you just can't experience on the inside.

Like many others, don't rush things. Take it step by step and only when everything feels right. Get a good feel for the equipment and your skills before even thinking about going in an over-head environment. It's only a rewarding dive when you feel good about the dive, if you are anxiuos or stressed out the entire time you probably won't remember it as a good dive...

PS - I plan on taking a course in wreck-diving or diving in a confined environment in the future...

 

[Azza]

Good on you Jude for asking around. That shows initiative and a willingness to learn. If you haven't guessed Jude is my student and while I applaud and encourage her to seek info from different sources I am also quite protective of my students.

There are a few GUe tech guys down there and alot of dir divers so one of this guys may be able to help you find a shop that rents bp/w or if you can find a halcyon dealer <snip>

GUE is not really a viable option down here in the respect that there are no instructors in the country so one would either have to fly one in or head to Australia for a fundies then Cave1 and 2 course (If there are any GUE Cave Instructors in Aus). Of course then you have the issue that wrecks (Especially the Mikhail Lermontov- the wreck Jude wants to come diving on) have far more hazards than most caves or caverns so would still need to do a wreck course. Maybe $5k should cover that? Also I don't think GUE is the answer to everything.

I have spoken to Judy about this and given her options to train with myself and our club.
This will be the PADI course (which does include penetration) to start with and then continuation training with our dive club (S.O.D.S).
Everyone that is coming on the Mikhail Lermontov trip will undergo this continuation training and it consists of low viz drills, touch signals while air sharing (long hose only), maskless air sharing, laying lines, lost line drills and a work up of some of the "easier" wrecks in our location before heading down and a constant display of good buoyancy and trim. One of our training grounds will be in a lake with a very silty bottom and some skills will be performed while others stir up the silt...there is no substitute for poor viz.

Each person will be instructed to penetrate only within their comfort zone and to progressively penetrate with line as the week goes on. There are a lot of areas on this wreck (described as the Andrea Doria of the South Pacific by Richie Kohler and John Chatterton- is only in 38 metres of water tho) that I still haven't been due to my willingness to hold myself back and familiarize myself with each area before heading deeper into her bowels. Our club has never lost a person and we wish to keep it this way and ensure people have fun without scaring themselves. As someone said earlier, if your not having fun then you wont be diving in three years.

Judy is a very keen diver and is willing to dive whenever she can and undertake whatever training she possibly can with the club so she will be joining a well oiled team that can anticipate each others movements and mindset.

Still...the call can only be made on the day and I hope that if she feels she is not up to it she, or anyone else for that matter, will pull the pin or stay outside the wreck.

For more information on the Rusti Ruski

MIKHAIL LERMONTOV - The New Zealand Maritime Record - NZNMM