Exploring shipwrecks is fun and fascinating, but without the right training you’ve got to stay outside, wondering what those certified wreck divers inside the ship’s hull are seeing. If you’re ready to take your diving skills to the next level, consider taking a wreck diving course. While wreck diving courses do vary from one certifying agency to the next, the basic premise is the same: These agencies are dedicated to ensuring divers explore wrecks as safely as possible, using the right equipment and the proper techniques. Though wreck diving is a specialty, there is no shortage of instructors, and there’s no shortage of venues for learning to dive wrecks. Here, we take a look at the certification process with an eye toward informing you of what to expect as you learn new skills which will enable you to enjoy diving even more than you do now.
The Hazards of Wreck Diving
Just as scuba diving is inherently dangerous, so is wreck diving. There are specific risks involved; and before you begin training, you should be certain that you are physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared to face them and prevent them from manifesting as accidents.
In non-penetration wreck diving, divers simply enjoy the outside portions of wrecks; the main danger here is fishing lines and fishing nets which can cause entanglement. Carry not one, but at least two sharp knives with you when exploring shipwrecks and understand that entanglement can and does happen. You’ll learn to expect it, and to rehearse slowly, deliberately freeing yourself from a net or line.
In limited penetration wreck diving, which takes place within the light zone, there are certain risks which involve the proximity of the wreck’s structure itself. Swimming laterally may pose a challenge, as may silt inside the wreck, and entanglement hazards both inside and outside the wreck.
In full penetration wreck diving, which takes place in complete darkness, beyond the light zone, the risks of entanglement and silt out are still present, as is the risk of losing your light sources, becoming disoriented and lost inside the wreck, running out of air, and ultimately dying. Another risk associated with full penetration diving is collapse; though most wrecks listed as safe for penetration are quite stable, water takes its toll on structures as time passes and all wrecks eventually suffer at least a certain degree of collapse.
Now that you are more aware of the risks associated with wreck diving, you’ll be glad to know that the training you will receive during a wreck diving course will provide you with important tools for mitigating these risks.
Training Addresses Safety Concerns
During wreck diver training, you will learn to address many safety concerns, plus you will learn to be much more self-sufficient than you may be now.
Due to the prevalence of entanglement hazards, all wreck divers carry a primary dive knife, along with at least one redundant knife. Entanglement hazards are common on wrecks not just because sunken objects attract huge numbers of fish, which in turn attract fishermen who lose nets and line on wreck structures, but because internal features such as old wiring, ropes, and other objects loosen over time, becoming like snares that are just waiting to trap unsuspecting divers.
Because many wrecks contain heavy layers of fine silt that rises up into the water when disturbed, low visibility is a real issue. To counter this problem, you will be taught to properly use a guideline. Besides carrying a primary guideline, it’s likely that your trainers will advise you to carry a secondary guideline in case you encounter a problem with the first one.
You will also learn to manage your air supply better than you may now. Standard practice is for wreck divers to follow the rule of thirds; this calls for using one third of your air supply for descent and exploration of the wreck and one third for ascent. When you follow this rule, the likelihood that you’ll ever run out of air decreases significantly, since you’ll make it to the surface with one third of your original air supply – as long as everything goes right. If you run into a snafu of any kind, you have a little more air in reserve, which serves to easy your mind significantly.
During wreck diver training, you will learn some special techniques and kicks which you may not use during the dives you take now; finning carefully greatly reduces the likelihood that you will experience a silt out or accidentally kick fragile structures.
As wrecks are often of historic and causal importance, they are often studied and preservation techniques are employed to ensure they remain as stable as possible for future study and archaeological purposes. There are a number of archaeological institutes which offer special wreck diving classes with a focus on underwater archaeology. Most divers, however, go through certification with an institute such as PADI, NAUI, or SDI. Divers who want to explore deeper, darker, more difficult wrecks can take additional instruction from technical diving institutes such as ANDI, TDI, and IANTD, which provide advanced wreck diving courses.
If you find you really enjoy wreck diving and you’re interested in a career as a professional diver, consider working in salvage, or think about working as a divemaster or a diving instructor. The more advanced your wreck diving skills, the more employable you will be, and the higher salary you’ll be able to command. Once you learn to dive wrecks, you will find a whole new world opens up for you – definitely as far as recreation is concerned, and quite possibly in your working life, too.
By taking great care in selecting a training agency, by paying close attention in classroom sessions, and by giving your all during practice dives, you’ll eventually become a successful wreck diver. Not only will you enjoy the exhilaration of knowing that you’re visiting wrecks most people will never see, you will also gain a new appreciation of history while having the time of your life.