What would recommend as a path to Wreck Diving in the North East and Great Lakes?

[00wabbit]

Hello All,

So - I'm pretty obsessed with diving. I want to do it all. Wreck, Cave, Ice, Warm Water, Cold Water, whatever. I also want to be safe and self sufficient. (I don't have a regular dive buddy so I will dive with instabuddies most of the time. I want to be self sufficient in case I have a bad buddy experience)

I live in NJ right now. I am moving to Indiana at the end of the month but will travel back to NJ every month or so. I want to dive wrecks in the Great Lakes and NJ waters. I am not looking into technical diving right now as I am a new diver.

Can you suggest a path of training for me to put me on a good foundation for this type of diving? This past weekend I completed PADI AOW and Drysuit Certifications at Dutch Springs in PA. I did OW in June of this year and have logged 24 dives. 8 were in the caribbean, 1 at Epcot center in the aquarium and the rest at Dutch Springs (some for certifications and the others for personal practice) I know I have a lot to learn and I want to be on a strong foundation. What course schedule do you recommend? What agencies should I do them with? Personally I want to do Rescue Diver. I might also do the Ice Diving Specialty this winter.

Thanks
00wabbit

 

[macado]

Rescue should definitely next up on your list of things. It won't necessarily make you a better diver but definitely make you a safer diver. Nitrox would be a good course to take especially if you plan on getting into wrecks, caves, etc. It's going to be a perquisite for any sort of advanced training.

Not sure what sort of equipment you dive with now but if you plan on going full cave and doing wreck penetration, a set of doubles is in your future which would mean buying a backplate/wing. Hate to turn this into a backplate/wing discussion but that should be something to look into if you're not already diving one.

Getting comfortable in a backplate/wing will make transition to tech diving much smoother, in my opinion.

Definitely try to build some experience, that's the most important thing. I'd argue getting a lot more dives in BEFORE taking any wreck or cave training. At this level, I feel getting experience is more than taking certifications.

With AOW/Drysuit, there are lots of dives accessible to you in the Northeast right now.

EDIT: I'm sure someone will chime in with GUE Fundies soon but I think it makes sense to build some more experience and get a few more dives in since the majority of your dives have been training dives.

 

[Scott L]

GUE fundementals course conducted in a singles configuration.

 

[00wabbit]

Current equipment is a scuba pro nighthawk bcd. I believe it can be configured for doubles. Reg is yoke style. I can convert it to din.

I am really interested in side mount. It looks like a nice way to dive. I am also looking at the apeks side mount reg kit and then a new rig for side mount. Maybe the Hollis sms100 that can do a single back mount or side mount. I'm in no rush to run out and get all this but maybe later next year I might start acquiring equipment.
I have a bare xcd2 prodry suit that I got used and a 7mil Akona wetsuit.

I took dry suit so I can dive as long as possible into the winter and then start the season earlier next year.

When I get to Indiana I will hook up with a local club so I can get in the community and get in as much diving as possible.

 

[TomZ]

I'm in Ohio and am interested in wreck training. I found this blog yesterday, it may be helpful:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/content/477-wreck-diving-courses.html

 

[HowardE]

Current equipment is a scuba pro nighthawk bcd. I believe it can be configured for doubles. Reg is yoke style. I can convert it to din.

I am really interested in side mount. It looks like a nice way to dive. I am also looking at the apeks side mount reg kit and then a new rig for side mount. Maybe the Hollis sms100 that can do a single back mount or side mount. I'm in no rush to run out and get all this but maybe later next year I might start acquiring equipment.
I have a bare xcd2 prodry suit that I got used and a 7mil Akona wetsuit.

I took dry suit so I can dive as long as possible into the winter and then start the season earlier next year.

When I get to Indiana I will hook up with a local club so I can get in the community and get in as much diving as possible.

From where you are right now... Your next training should be rescue diver.

Rescue diver can most certainly make you a better diver (any training can help make you a better diver; it depends on your desire to learn, and your instructor). Rescue Diver will also help heighten your situational awareness. It is an essential building block in the training to make you a more advanced diver, and additionally, rescue is a prerequisite for many more advanced and technical training.

Having assisted on certifying several candidates in advanced wreck diving with John Chatterton over the past few months, my personal opinion on diving sidemount in wrecks is that it's not the optimum arrangement. Doubles or a large capacity single with an H valve is much more suited for the wreck environment. I know this may sound unpopular with the trendiness of sidemount, but quite frankly, look at the environment inside most wrecks (upright). Doorways and compainionways are tall and narrow. Simple for moving around in doubles. More complex for sidemount. We had a diver in our New Jersey class who was diving sidemount, and we found a place that got him stuck. He had to unmount all of his gear just to fit through a restriction that I could easily fit through.

Remember... Wreck diving is not cave diving. There are many differences. Yes they are both overhead environments, but there are many considerations for the wreck environment that pure cave divers may not anticipate and vice-versa.

 

[DevonDiver]

This article might help shape your decisions: The Anatomy of an Effective Wreck Diving Course




---------- Post Merged at 06:43 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 06:34 PM ----------

Having assisted on certifying several candidates in advanced wreck diving with John Chatterton over the past few months, my personal opinion on diving sidemount in wrecks is that it's not the optimum arrangement. Doubles or a large capacity single with an H valve is much more suited for the wreck environment. I know this may sound unpopular with the trendiness of sidemount, but quite frankly, look at the environment inside most wrecks (upright). Doorways and compainionways are tall and narrow. Simple for moving around in doubles. More complex for sidemount. We had a diver in our New Jersey class who was diving sidemount, and we found a place that got him stuck. He had to unmount all of his gear just to fit through a restriction that I could easily fit through.

Gotta disagree with the absurd logic presented in this statement.

1) Sidemount (whether prefered or not) is more flexible for movement through any shape passage/confinement. The flexibility to remove/reposition tanks is a critical safety factor, enabling egress/escape where backmount would require a complete equipment removal.

2) Few wrecks sink upright. Warships almost never do, due to heavy deck plating. To choose a configuration based upon wrecks sinking upright is ludicrous. Would that mean that backmount divers shouldn't dive the majority of wrecks that don't lie magically upright?

3) A sidemount diver who had to 'unmount' his tanks to fit through a doorway (that you passed through in doubles) should simply not be diving sidemount. They've obviously not been properly trained on SM.... or got sufficient basic diving skills to maneouvre themselves. Or... they were simply practicing a technique at their disposal (but not at yours) and you misunderstood their intentions.

Nonsense is annoying. Misinformed nonsense is worse... when presented from a position of supposed expertise/authority on a subject.

 

[diver_dj]

Firstly - practice, practice, practice. NE diving is not for the feint of heart. You need to be an experienced diver to ensure you're not a danger to yourself or anybody else on the boat.

Secondly - do your Rescue course in low vis conditions like Dutch or some other quarry. That will prepare you more for NE diving than doing it in the crystal clear waters of the caribbean.

 

[HowardE]

This article might help shape your decisions: The Anatomy of an Effective Wreck Diving Course




---------- Post Merged at 06:43 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 06:34 PM ----------



Gotta disagree with the absurd logic presented in this statement.

1) Sidemount (whether prefered or not) is more flexible for movement through any shape passage/confinement. The flexibility to remove/reposition tanks is a critical safety factor, enabling egress/escape where backmount would require a complete equipment removal.

2) Few wrecks sink upright. Warships almost never do, due to heavy deck plating. To choose a configuration based upon wrecks sinking upright is ludicrous. Would that mean that backmount divers shouldn't dive the majority of wrecks that don't lie magically upright?

3) A sidemount diver who had to 'unmount' his tanks to fit through a doorway (that you passed through in doubles) should simply not be diving sidemount. They've obviously not been properly trained on SM.... or got sufficient basic diving skills to maneouvre themselves. Or... they were simply practicing a technique at their disposal (but not at yours) and you misunderstood their intentions.

Nonsense is annoying. Misinformed nonsense is worse... when presented from a position of supposed expertise/authority on a subject.

Of course you disagree. You are a big sidemount guy.

I think sidemount has its place. But boat diving isn't it. That's just my opinion. Not a misinformed one but actually a well formed opinion. Argue all you want. I think it's a fad.

 

[Doppler]

I'd suggest getting in touch with local divers and getting some experience in your "local" pond (Lakes Erie / Michigan). You will also have several excellent training quarries available (White Star, Gilboa, Haigh). Get out and dive.

I run intro to tech and disaster scenario clinics in your area each year... you will get something useful from either program... if interested, stay in touch.