Eventually want to get into Wreck Diving - what are the pre-requisites?

[AlexRD]

What would you say are the pre-requisites to getting into Wreck Diving? Of all the dives I did getting certified and after, the Kittiwake was by far my favorite dive (like, in a tier of its own).

While that is a simple wreck to dive, I really want to dive more wrecks in the long run. Obviously there would be training that's necessary, but what is needed to do wreck diving?

I'm assuming experience is important, and that comes with more "standard" dives, as well as good buoyancy control, and good body control. What else? If a person wants to get into wreck diving what would be the best path to take?

Thanks!

 

[Superlyte27]

Want to be a great wreck diver? Take a great cavern diver class. Trim, Buoyancy, Propulsion and Proper Gas Planning should be your focus. Proper gear and familiarity with that gear will help.

Are you wanting to penetrate wrecks? If so, I highly suggest pursuing some training in cave diving.

 

[AlexRD]

Eventually I would like to penetrate wrecks. At first I would be more than satisfied with "easy" wrecks to dive, and remaining outside (or wrecks like the Kittiwake where penetration by non-wreck divers is okay since there's barely any sediment and there's holes *everywhere* to get out). I still have a decent way to go before I have the control I'd like underwater, but that sounds like a great suggestion to work on those skills! Cave diving is quite interesting to me as well, though the allure of wrecks is massive. I want to get out diving more, but work and training keep me in NY far longer than I'd like haha

 

[616fun]

Be careful. Most cave divers I know went for training to be wreck divers and never came back

 

[kelemvor]

I've been wanting to dive on some wrecks as well. I recently did AOW class because the wrecks (the ones in my area) seem to often be in somewhat deep water. Nitrox is another good class to have.

 

[Tortuga68]

Want to be a great wreck diver? Take a great cavern diver class. Trim, Buoyancy, Propulsion and Proper Gas Planning should be your focus. Proper gear and familiarity with that gear will help.

Are you wanting to penetrate wrecks? If so, I highly suggest pursuing some training in cave diving.

While I agree that cave training can set you in good stead for wreck diving, I'm not sure that's the right call for someone based in NY. With the NE coast being a haven for wreck diving, I would have thought there might be a more direct route that could better prepare them for diving the wrecks in that area.

Since the OP has <25 dives to date (OW?) perhaps AOW/Nitrox, PPB, GUE-F, AN/DP and/or Technical Wreck would be more practical options

I'm assuming experience is important, and that comes with more "standard" dives, as well as good buoyancy control, and good body control. What else?

Ability to remain calm under pressure (let's call that 'confidence in your skills') & team skills IMO (you may wind up doing solo dives eventually but you need to get there first and that means teamwork)

 

[maniago]

Eventually I would like to penetrate wrecks. At first I would be more than satisfied with "easy" wrecks to dive, and remaining outside (or wrecks like the Kittiwake where penetration by non-wreck divers is okay since there's barely any sediment and there's holes *everywhere* to get out). I still have a decent way to go before I have the control I'd like underwater, but that sounds like a great suggestion to work on those skills! Cave diving is quite interesting to me as well, though the allure of wrecks is massive. I want to get out diving more, but work and training keep me in NY far longer than I'd like haha

Do your quarry dives. Every quarry has "wrecks" to dive on. That's where you get your bouyancy up to par etc. Then once in the ocean, its no different. Not sure where you are in NY, but Dutch Springs in PA is a perfect place to challenge you with all sorts of "attractions". If you want to do penetration, yeah you can pen the helo with little risk at Dutch. Personally I'm not sure what a PADI wreck cert does for anyone...

 

[Superlyte27]

Be careful. Most cave divers I know went for training to be wreck divers and never came back

Exactly what happened to me. I took up cave diving one year when the ocean was crap. I fell in love. Now my favorite diving is cave diving.

---------- Post added July 12th, 2013 at 02:07 PM ----------

While I agree that cave training can set you in good stead for wreck diving, I'm not sure that's the right call for someone based in NY. With the NE coast being a haven for wreck diving, I would have thought there might be a more direct route that could better prepare them for diving the wrecks in that area.

Since the OP has <25 dives to date (OW?) perhaps AOW/Nitrox, PPB, GUE-F, AN/DP and/or Technical Wreck would be more practical options




Ability to remain calm under pressure (let's call that 'confidence in your skills') & team skills IMO (you may wind up doing solo dives eventually but you need to get there first and that means teamwork)

My post involves a long term investment, not something that can be done over the next weekend, and certainly not something that usually can be attained at 25 dives. He didn't give a time frame. Nothing worth doing, happens overnight. This is a marathon not a sprint. That's why I asked if he wanted to "penetrate wrecks".

Of course I'm a little biased, but I believe that cave training is the most exhaustive and beneficial training anyone can receive (provided they can afford it, need it, and can pass it). So, with that said, do you want to be an awesome wreck diver making huge penetrations? If so, get Cave Training... at some point.

I stick by my original post.

 

[AlexRD]

Yeah, I don't expect to go "Okay, this this and this, time to wreck dive!"

I still have a lot of easier diving to do before I'm at that point. I just want to look towards the future. I live in NYC right now, but I want to get into more local diving (so far I've done all my diving in the Caribbean which is significantly easier than the Atlantic). That includes wrecks and quarries.

I am AOW certified as well, but I've only conducted 3 dives deeper than 60 feet (one at 110, and two at 90ft max depths), as where I dive in the Bahamas doesn't have many 60+ dive sites.

Thanks for the input so far

 

[Tortuga68]

Not to get on a soapbox, but OW + AOW in less than 25 dives = go do some more diving IMO

My post involves a long term investment, not something that can be done over the next weekend, and certainly not something that usually can be attained at 25 dives

I take your point about cave training and don't disagree, but AOW/Nitrox, PPB, GUE-F, AN/DP and/or Technical Wreck isn't exactly a zero-to-hero weekend course...

OTOH there are plenty of solid wreck divers that have never been in a cave, and if you don't live in Florida/Mexico, I stick by my original post