wrecks for new divers

[skybird]

hi
was certified in September and have about 22 dives. Don't know when or where I will be able to go anywhere, but where are some good wrecks for a fairly new diver?

 

[PerroneFord]

Hmm, there are a LOT of shallow wrecks in the gulf off Pensacola and Panama City. You might want to start there. Popular checkout dives off P.C. include the Strength, and the Black Bart. But many are out there in less than 70ft of water.

 

[BabyDuck]

the indra off morehead is in 60ft or so & has lots of life on it.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

...was certified in September and have about 22 dives. Don't know when or where I will be able to go anywhere, but where are some good wrecks for a fairly new diver?

...unless you've had some training.

Wrecks rust.

It's real easy to stir up enough sediment inside them to obscure your vision. It doesn't only come up from below you. Your bubbles cause sediment to drop down from above also. Even in ships that have been deliberately sunk and 'made safe'. Getting turned around inside them is surprisingly easy.

http://www.scubadiving.com/training/lessons_for_life/trapped_inside/

Dive careful,

Doc

 

[SDAnderson]

hi
was certified in September and have about 22 dives. Don't know when or where I will be able to go anywhere, but where are some good wrecks for a fairly new diver?

Best North American wreck destinations, in no particular order:

Kingston, Ontario
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
St. Ignace, Michigan
Florida Keys
Morehead City, North Carolina

 

[D1V3R]

Try the benwood
its in like 35 feet of water and the visibility is pretty nice
thats the easiest wreck i know of

eventually you can do stuff like the duane and bibb or the speigle grove

 

[octotat]

If your looking for a little travel, I'd have to say the wrecks in Aruba are by far the best beginner diver wrecks, relatively shallow, very clear and warm water, and no crazed wreck penetrations to get lured into (don't go in anything other than swimthroughs!!)

 

[mike_s]

Try the benwood
its in like 35 feet of water and the visibility is pretty nice
thats the easiest wreck i know of

eventually you can do stuff like the duane and bibb or the speigle grove

The Benwood is an excellent starter wreck. It's also a great dive with
lots of coral growth on it and lots of sealife. It's a favorite dive
of mine in Key Largo.

The Duane and Speigel Grove are also great wrecks, but you might want
to get a little more experience under you belt before hitting them. The
current on both of these wrecks is pretty strong. They are also a little
deeper.

If your looking for a little travel, I'd have to say the wrecks in Aruba are by far the best beginner diver wrecks, relatively shallow, very clear and warm water, and no crazed wreck penetrations to get lured into (don't go in anything other than swimthroughs!!)

Aruba does also have some great wrecks. The Antilla is a great wreck to dive
and it's very shallow for the size of the wreck. It sits in about 50 feet of water
but the ship is 400+ feet long. You can swim through the cargo holds very easily.


However if you're looking for more shallow wrecks that are within driving distance for quick weekend trips, check out the gulf coast. The USS Massachuttes is sunk right off the inlet in Pensacola and in 30 feet of water. A great beginner wreck dive I've been told.

The Whiskey Wreck is shore diveable in Gulf Shores, but SupRBugman has recently said it's covered with sand. But keep it in mind in the future as that sand will move.

The gulf also has some other wrecks that would be good for getting experience on.
I suggest you buying a copy of Ned DeLoaches "Diving Guide to Underwater Florida."
You can't go wrong with this book. It's prob the best overall guide for Florida, but you can use it to read about almost every underwater dive site in the state.
You should be able to pick it up at Books-a-Million or if they don't carry it locally order it from their website or from order from Amazon.com.
http://www.booksamillion.com/ncom/books?id=3320077356209&isbn=1878348396
(Make sure to get the latest edition, which is the 11th edition published in 2004. Lots of dive shops still have the older 10th edition copy published in 2000.

Hint: This would be a good gift to suggest to someone as a Christmas present to you.

 

[willardj]

The USS Massachuttes is sunk right off the inlet in Pensacola and in 30 feet of water. A great beginner wreck dive if you catch the tide wright. But there are several very good wrecks in the pensacola area and most are close to shore. I am a big fan of the area.

 

[RainTurtle]

We did the Spiegal in Florida and had two new divers on the descent line right in front of me. They aborted the dive during which one went off in the current and came up saying they felt like they almost died - most likely a little overdramatic but I thought it showed they shouldn't have been on the dive. As Mike S said, the current was strong.

Suzanne : )