Wreck Diving for Beginners

Many scuba divers, both beginners and the more experienced , are attracted and fascinated by the idea of wreck diving. It’s a wonderfully exciting and surprisingly accessible ‘sport within the sport’, but if you are planning on getting into it, there are a few things to consider. Here, for those who don’t yet quite know what it’s all about, is a short beginners guide to wreck diving.

What is wreck diving?

If you’re looking for a very basic definition, it’s scuba diving over, around and sometimes inside a submerged shipwreck.

Why do so many scuba divers love wreck diving?

There are several answers to this one. Many will cite the fun, adventure and sense of exclusivity that comes from exploring a sunken ship that may have been submerged for many years, has been seen by relatively few people, and may have an amazing story or sense of history behind it. Others are underwater treasure hunters. Most divers (including me) are fascinated by the fact that wrecks that have been underwater for any length of time, tend to attract a huge amount of fish and other underwater creatures. In effect, they become artificial reefs, teeming with marine life and activity.

Photo by Nemo's great uncle 

I heard a diver talking about full penetration wreck diving. Is this as much fun as it sounds?

Yes and no. Penetration refers to penetrating the inside of the wreck, so non-penetration diving refers to swimming over and around the wreck, limited penetration refers to exploring the inside of the wreck but staying in the ‘light zone’, whereas full penetration refers to diving deep within the wreck, beyond the 'light zone’. Non-penetration diving can be undertaken even by relative beginners (my fourth dive, which was actually still part of my certification training, was technically a wreck dive, although I stayed well above the wreck), but generally speaking it’s advisable to get training in wreck diving if you’re going to dive around wrecks. Most recreational divers stick to the ‘light zone’. Full penetration wreck diving requires advanced training and special safety equipment.

Is wreck diving dangerous?

Potentially, yes. You need special training and equipment for penetration diving, and it’s advisable to get trained even if for non-penetration diving. There is always an extra risk associated with being around wrecks, with possibilities for equipment to get caught or entangled with parts of the wreck, or even fishing nets and fishing lines. Remember I mentioned that wrecks are often teeming with fish – well, fishermen know this and will often lay lines and nets around wreck sites. Like all other types of scuba diving wreck diving is very safe when done correctly, and potentially fatal when done incorrectly. Always dive within your experience and training level. Always follow all the rules and guidelines any reputable scuba diving training center will drill into you. Always put safety first. Always.

How do I get trained in wreck diving?

It's important to get proper training in wreck diving so you can dive safely and enjoy the experience.

PADI (the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, runs a specialty course in wreck diving.

You’ll be taught special techniques for wreck diving, how to avoid common hazards, what types of extra scuba equipment you need for wreck diving, and even how to research and learn the background of wrecks you might want to dive. You’ll also get to plan, organize and make at least four instructor supervised wreck dives.

You’ll need to have your basic open water diver certification and your advanced open water diver certification before you can sign up for the wreck diver specialty course.

To find a PADI training center near you click here.

Where are the world’s best wreck diving sites?

I’m glad you asked. I’ll be doing a round-up article on that later in this series of articles. In the meantime, consider the following:

The accessible:

The Florida Keys is an area with great wreck diving sites and is a relatively easy place to travel to for most Americans and even Europeans. There’s also plenty for non-divers to do if you’re with a party of divers and non-divers.

The historical:

You can dive World War I and II shipwrecks in places as diverse as Guam and Northern Scotland.

The controversial:

You can dive the wreck of the the Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand. This was the Greenpeace flagship that was bombed in Auckland Harbor by French Secret Service Agents in 1985.

If wreck diving appeals to you, start by contacting your nearest training center and ask about taking a course. You’ll not only get trained up in the sport of wreck diving, but you’ll meet like-minded potential dive buddies for future adventures.