Wreck Diver
Ships, airplanes and even cars are fascinating to explore and usually teem with aquatic life. Whether purpose-sunk as an artificial reef for SCUBA divers, or lost as the result of an accident, wrecks are fascinating windows to the past. Each wreck dive offers a chance for discovery, potentially unlocking a mystery or spying something others have missed. The Wreck Diver Specialty course is popular because it offers rewarding adventures while observing responsible wreck diving practices. If you’re at least 15 years old and have earned a PADI Adventure Diver certification or higher, you can enroll in the Wreck Diver Specialty course.
Required Dives
Dive One
• Navigate wreck
• Control buoyancy and avoid stirring up bottom silt
• Return to ascent point
• Perform safety stop for 3 minutes at 15 feet
Dive Two
• Explore wreck
• Map wreck
• Penetration assessment – locating potential entry points
• Return to ascent point
• Perform safety stop for 3 minutes at 15 feet
Dive Three
• Deploy penetration line on outside of wreck
• Swim along penetration line with light without kicking up silt
• Retrieve penetration line from outside of wreck
• Navigate to ascent point
• Perform safety stop for 3 minutes at 15 feet
Dive Four (A or B)
• Have students organize and conduct their own wreck dive (B)
• Find penetration entry point (A)
• Deploy penetration line into wreck (A)
• Penetrate wreck to safe limits (A)
• Retrieve penetration line and exit wreck (A)
• Navigate to ascent point (A & B)
• Perform safety stop for 3 minutes at 15 feet (A & B)
Gaining the Knowledge
This will be a comprehensive and very informative training program that introduces you to wreck diving. At your own pace, you'll work your way through the different sections including; types of wrecks, protection laws, researching and respecting wrecks, navigating wrecks, surveying and mapping, using penetration lines and reels and kicking techniques. This portion takes between 12-15 hours and must be completed prior to your dives.
The first dive of this PADI Specialty Diver course may credit as an Adventure Dive toward your Advanced Open Water Diver certification – ask your SCUBA Heroes instructor about earning credit
Equipment: You’ll need your basic SCUBA equipment, plus a dive light to see into the wreck, a slate and underwater compass for mapping and navigation, and a line and reel for practicing wreck penetration. Your SCUBA Heroes Instructor may suggest other appropriate gear.
Why PADI: PADI Divers carry the most respected and sought after scuba diving credentials in the world. No matter where you choose to dive, your PADI certification card will be recognized and accepted. In fact, on most scuba diving adventures, you’ll be surrounded by other PADI Divers who made the same certification choice you did – to train with the world’s largest and most respected scuba diving training organization.
Read: "The PADI Difference" for an in depth look as to why SCUBA Heroes has teamed up with PADI
