Question How Do They Choose and Prepare Ships for Wreck Dive Sites?

[Submarine_MiG]

Hi everyone!

I've got a question that's been bugging me, and I'm hoping some of you might help me out. Recently, I heard about two new wreck dive sites being set up in Thailand, and it got me thinking... What goes into making these? I mean, you can't just drop a ship in the ocean and call it a day, right?

So, here I am, super curious but kinda clueless about the whole process. Here’s what I’m wondering:

1. Picking the Spot:
   • How do they decide where to sink a ship for a dive site? There’s gotta be more to it than just randomly choose. Are there environmental checks to make sure they’re not disrupting the local sea life?
2. Ship Makeover:
   • Before a ship becomes an artificial reef, what kind of prep work is needed? I'm guessing they have to clean it up and remove anything harmful, but what exactly does that involve?
3. The Rules:
   • Is there a bunch of red tape to get through before you can sink a ship on purpose? Who gives the thumbs up, and how do they make sure it’s all good for the ocean and the critters living there?
4. Why Do It:
   • Apart from giving us divers something cool to explore, what’s the bigger picture? Is there a conservation angle, or is it more about creating new habitats for marine life?

I’m all ears and ready to soak up any stories, facts, or insights you’ve got. If you’ve been involved in these projects or know something about them, please share! I’m here to learn and, who knows, maybe get inspired for my next dive adventure.

Thanks a ton for helping a fellow diver out!

Cheers,
Submarine_MiG

 

[SlugLife]

It's something I'm a little curious about, although I suspect it's often not as complex or interesting as it might first appear.

Is the ship actually being sunk, because it's motivated by creating a reef and a dive site for scuba-divers? Or is it being sunk, because disposal would be expensive or complicated? Or is it being sunk because it's the government and they can just get more tax-$, and salvage reduces the amount of money that pads congress's pockets with MIC money. Each sunk ship, is another ship that can be justified being built. (I'm not trying to get too political here.) My guess is the reef cover-story isn't really why ships are sunk.

I would expect you'd want to at least drain any oil, gasoline, or known toxic chemicals, and that's probably done in the US anyway.

 

[Cthippo]

Gaurentee it costs more to prepare a ship for becoming a reef than shipping it to Pakistan to be driven up on the beach. Removing all oil, cleaning bunkers, removing asbestos and hazardous materials, cutting access holes, etc are all expensive. It takes a dedicated and reasonably well financed group to make it happen.

As for where, has to be shallow enough to be accessible, but deep enough to not be a hazard to navigation or destroyed by storms, someplace reasonably level with a hard bottom and that is not an existing reef (because why bother). Also, close enough to where divers can reach in reasonable time.

 

[lowwall]

Vessel-to-Reef Projects | US EPA

Using vessels as artificial reefs is an option for disposal. Artificial reefs serve to benefit the environment. Vessel-to-reef projects can follow the best management practices guidance. Guidance are provided for how to clean up vessels for use as reefs.

www.epa.gov

That's just for the cleaning of the vessel. There's obviously a lot more that goes into the preparation including stuff like removing entanglement hazards, doors and hatches, cutting some through passages. And there's the whole site selection process, towing and sinking etc. These are big projects.

 

[happy-diver]

Here's one for sidemount divers

 

[clownfishsydney]

1 In my opinion political concerns have dictated where a lot of ships have been scuttled as dive sites in Australia. Quite a few have been in places where it was totally inappropriate (currents, distance from ports) or in places with few local divers. Even the state that got the ex Royal Australian Navy ship was decided on a political basis.
2 Government EPA type departments generally set the cleanup protocol. Some input by dive organisations about access holes etc has sort of set a standard as to where holes are cut or places welded shut. In my view the environmental impact of the cleanup exceeds the benefit to the environment of having a ship that clean. Less would be cheaper and less impact on environment.
3 Yes, a huge amount of red tape. Rules are set by state governments in Australia and I assume the same applies in USA. EPA is main one and workcover (occupational health and safety department) also seem to have input. Main thing though would be funding, who is paying for all of the above (and also donating the ship). Some people in Sydney have been trying for over 10 years to get a ship scuttled here for diving but they have all gone to remote locations in Australia where the actual financial and other benefits are nothing like it would be if it was outside Sydney Harbour.
4 In Australia, all the recent ships have been for divers, not really for conservation. Other structures have been put in the water for fishers and all the older ships sunk off Sydney were for fishers (but were certainly failures for that purpose).

 

[scubayinzer412]

If you want write Mikro, he was in charge for the thaiships

Mikko Paasi | Tec CCR Instructor Trainer & Explorer | Malta | Thailand

Take your technical diving education further and experience the silent world of SF2 eCCR rebreathers. Come to explore deep sea WW2 historical wrecks or fascinating caves with me to Malta or Thailand.

www.mikkopaasi.com

 

[Cthippo]

It would be nice if we could get something chonky to dive on in Puget Sound, and I know of a few ships that would be candidates, but it's hard to think of a really good spot around here. Deep, but not too deep, good vis, low current are not normal conditions in the sound.

 

[Boarderguy]

It would be nice if we could get something chonky to dive on in Puget Sound, and I know of a few ships that would be candidates, but it's hard to think of a really good spot around here. Deep, but not too deep, good vis, low current are not normal conditions in the sound.

Once you find a site or ship to explore this might come in handy. Saw it earlier while I was avoiding work.

 

[Cthippo]

Nice. Navionics is not free, I believe, whereas the NOAA data is. I really wish Google Earth would add the NOAA data as a layer.