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If folks don't know where you live, they can't give you much in the way of specific input.
Generally speaking, then, locate a charter operation that takes you out to wrecks. Might be wise to work through a dive shop or a club if you haven't done it much. Talk to the boat captain to learn about the dives scheduled. Make sure you don't forget anything. Listen to the briefing, and enjoy the dives on the wrecks.
Repeat frequently.
Generally speaking, don't go inside any wrecks until you've had some basic training in strategic death avoidance. Wrecks rust. So they silt out without even trying. If you try hard to goober around inside them, you can silt them out to the point that you can't see your light held up to your mask faceplate. Trying to find your way out then becomes rather pointless. If you run out of air before you find your way out it tends to ruin your entire day. Best advice is to not go into them in the first place (or indeed, any overhead environment) until you've had some training. Good places to start would be a GUE Fundamentals course and then a cavern/intro to cave course. Being able to penetrate deep inside wrecks and find your way back out after vis has gone to zero involves significant reel handling, line handling, communications, and gas management skills. Like the stuff you learn in cave classes, oddly enough. Wrecks can occasionally resemble big steel caves, but with wiring, cable trays, insulation, and assorted crap hanging down inside them - which you seldom find in caves.
Read all you can. SB is a place to start. But the best advice is to simply start diving them, on the outside, that is, and begin getting a feel for the entire environment.
Dive safe,
Doc
If folks don't know where you live, they can't give you much in the way of specific input.
Generally speaking, then, locate a charter operation that takes you out to wrecks. Might be wise to work through a dive shop or a club if you haven't done it much. Talk to the boat captain to learn about the dives scheduled. Make sure you don't forget anything. Listen to the briefing, and enjoy the dives on the wrecks.
Repeat frequently.
Generally speaking, don't go inside any wrecks until you've had some basic training in strategic death avoidance. Wrecks rust. So they silt out without even trying. If you try hard to goober around inside them, you can silt them out to the point that you can't see your light held up to your mask faceplate. Trying to find your way out then becomes rather pointless. If you run out of air before you find your way out it tends to ruin your entire day. Best advice is to not go into them in the first place (or indeed, any overhead environment) until you've had some training. Good places to start would be a GUE Fundamentals course and then a cavern/intro to cave course. Being able to penetrate deep inside wrecks and find your way back out after vis has gone to zero involves significant reel handling, line handling, communications, and gas management skills. Like the stuff you learn in cave classes, oddly enough. Wrecks can occasionally resemble big steel caves, but with wiring, cable trays, insulation, and assorted crap hanging down inside them - which you seldom find in caves.
Read all you can. SB is a place to start. But the best advice is to simply start diving them, on the outside, that is, and begin getting a feel for the entire environment.
Dive safe,
Doc
fin-in:
I have a similar goal and the approach I'm taking is following:
PADI Advanced OW Course (June)
PADI Nitrox Course (June)
PADI Peak Perf Buoyancy Course (June)
PADI Wreck Course (July)
PADI Deep Diver Course (Sept)
For the wreck course, I found a very well respected charter/training operation in NC (Olympus Dive Center in Morehead City) that does a great deal of wreck diving. I wanted to learn from those who did it alot. I then arranged for both a PADI Wreck Course and will be joining one of their charter boats for the 4 dives over 2 days that the course requires. My wife and I are combining this with our summer vacation. Yes, I know ... she is an amazing lady!
Keep in mind that the above training will only prepare me for external survey with very minor penetration. I plan on moving onto more advanced wreck (probably NAUI) and tech training (probably GUE) as I get more into penetration.
From what I've read, it is important to be very careful here. Wreck diving can be some of the most dangerous diving out there. I'd suggest you venture into it slowly and make sure you aren't doing things that you're not trained to do or comfortable with.
Lonefox
Contributor
fin-in:
You may want to take the advice you've been given in reference to your other postings on this board and do your open water course first. As given what i've read so far you are more likely to become a statistic than a wreck diver.
The answer is simple.
You start by finding a reputable dive centre affiliated with a recognised agency, and register for an open water course (after verifying for yourself that you are physically fit enough to swim 200 metres without stopping, and tread water for 10 minutes).
May I also suggest you look at www.padi.com, for a route into the wreck diving speciality. Although you would know exactly what routes to take to pursue your wreck diving dream if you took the O.W. As part of the course is dedicated to understanding the different options available after the O.W course.
http://www.padi.com/english/common/courses/rec/continue/wreckdiver.asp
It's worth noting, that there are other agencies out there other than PADI, with different course structures, it's up to you to choose which one you go with.
Lonefox:
Jeepers! Thanks Glenn. I didn't mention that part in my post because, quite frankly, I took it as an assumed beginning point. By all means become OW certified. I wouldn't recommend ever diving without at least that starting point. As you see from my post, I am very conservatively easing into wreck diving. It can be very dangerous and I don't want to become a statistic, nor do my wife and kids want me to become one.
Lonefox
Contributor
I hope that fin-in doesn't feel that he's being picked on, having seen his other postings, I am genuinely concerned that he's going to get himself into difficulty.
I can understand enthusiasm to get into the water, but please don't be impatient.
I refer to his posts on this topic....
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=132551
fin-in, you have made one very good decision, and that is to join this board, don't let impatience be your undoing, there's no room for impatience in diving, it will kill you.
The advice that people here give you, should be taken very seriously, I doubt that anyone would condone you diving uncertified. And pretty much everyone will tell you not to attempt it.
When you dive you are not in the natural environment for a human being, and simple mistakes, or lapses of concentration, hasty decisions, that may be trivial on land. Can be fatal at depth.
The benefits of getting certified are that you will be able to enjoy your dives, you will not enjoy a dive if things begin to go wrong.
Nobody is trying to belittle you or patronise you, and we don't want you to abandon scuba board with that thought in mind.
If you are truly passionate about diving, you should read everything you can get your hands on, expecially accident reports. I also recommend you check out this book... http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060194626/102-7158171-5090569?v=glance&n=283155
Some things that can go wrong......
Haste to get in the water, and not adopting a routine buddy check system can lead to you diving in with your air supply switched off, missing kit, unsecured fasteners on cylinders, bcd's weight belts, missing fins, mask etc (I've forgotten my mask before, and I've also absent mindedly put my snorkel in my mouth instead of my reg when striding off a boat).
Failure to identify the differences between fresh water diving and sea diving can lead to you being incorrectly weighted, and lead to rapid ascent/descent problems.
Old unserviced equipment that appears to work ok on the surface can fail unexpectedly, and at the worst possible times, without backup systems and at depth, this can mean drowning or getting the bends.
There are unusual and unexpected currents in some of the most unlikely places, both on the surface and at depth, they can flow in any direction, including up and down, and they can carry you away faster than you can swim, they can also change suddenly and without warning, failure to understand and respect the topography of locations you choose to dive can have serious implications.
Penetrative Wreck diving comes with an added danger of entanglement, and dis-orientation, silt-outs etc.
I don't need to go on, as all of this information is scattered around this board, and in books on the subject, but practically all divers you meet certified somewhere.
I recently finished buying my equipment, some second hand some new, all the second hand items are presently with my LDS for servicing before I consider using them, and I don't intend to dive outside of supervised environment until I have a lot more experience.
Good luck with the hobby, give yourself the foundations you need to get everything you can to enjoy it more.
I can understand enthusiasm to get into the water, but please don't be impatient.
I refer to his posts on this topic....
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=132551
fin-in, you have made one very good decision, and that is to join this board, don't let impatience be your undoing, there's no room for impatience in diving, it will kill you.
The advice that people here give you, should be taken very seriously, I doubt that anyone would condone you diving uncertified. And pretty much everyone will tell you not to attempt it.
When you dive you are not in the natural environment for a human being, and simple mistakes, or lapses of concentration, hasty decisions, that may be trivial on land. Can be fatal at depth.
The benefits of getting certified are that you will be able to enjoy your dives, you will not enjoy a dive if things begin to go wrong.
Nobody is trying to belittle you or patronise you, and we don't want you to abandon scuba board with that thought in mind.
If you are truly passionate about diving, you should read everything you can get your hands on, expecially accident reports. I also recommend you check out this book... http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060194626/102-7158171-5090569?v=glance&n=283155
Some things that can go wrong......
Haste to get in the water, and not adopting a routine buddy check system can lead to you diving in with your air supply switched off, missing kit, unsecured fasteners on cylinders, bcd's weight belts, missing fins, mask etc (I've forgotten my mask before, and I've also absent mindedly put my snorkel in my mouth instead of my reg when striding off a boat).
Failure to identify the differences between fresh water diving and sea diving can lead to you being incorrectly weighted, and lead to rapid ascent/descent problems.
Old unserviced equipment that appears to work ok on the surface can fail unexpectedly, and at the worst possible times, without backup systems and at depth, this can mean drowning or getting the bends.
There are unusual and unexpected currents in some of the most unlikely places, both on the surface and at depth, they can flow in any direction, including up and down, and they can carry you away faster than you can swim, they can also change suddenly and without warning, failure to understand and respect the topography of locations you choose to dive can have serious implications.
Penetrative Wreck diving comes with an added danger of entanglement, and dis-orientation, silt-outs etc.
I don't need to go on, as all of this information is scattered around this board, and in books on the subject, but practically all divers you meet certified somewhere.
I recently finished buying my equipment, some second hand some new, all the second hand items are presently with my LDS for servicing before I consider using them, and I don't intend to dive outside of supervised environment until I have a lot more experience.
Good luck with the hobby, give yourself the foundations you need to get everything you can to enjoy it more.
daniel f aleman
Contributor
fin-in,
It's a long way from diving for golfballs in a pond to wreck diving in Lake Erie.
Take your time - start with an Open Water Course at your local dive shop, they will be more than happy to figure a dive program for you which will be paced to your abilities.
It's a long way from diving for golfballs in a pond to wreck diving in Lake Erie.
Take your time - start with an Open Water Course at your local dive shop, they will be more than happy to figure a dive program for you which will be paced to your abilities.
I have also given some thought into this process. Everybody has given some good input. Also check out a post I made about getting into wreck diving. I posted this after giving allot of thought about what's involved in wreck diving.
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=128314
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=128314
All things said above are 100% correct. i would also add that there are other considerations than just your safety and ability to stay alive. Taking the proper courses also teaches you to think about and practice things like; wreck conservation, progressive penetrations, gear choices, and anti sliting techniques. And since you mentioned fresh water wreck diving now you have to discuss dry suit use and cold enviroments.
Just to give you a quick idea here are a few things I have done to prepare myself for fresh water wreck diving, specifically the Great Lakes. I have purchased a completely different rig from my recreational dive set up. I have learned and practiced dry suit diving. i am still working on diving with doubles. And I have scheduled a couple of adv. classes for this summer. After spending the summer working with new equipment, dry suit diving, and new info and techinques from my classes, maybe next year, maybe I will start with some easy penetrations. What you don't want to do is have everything at once when you are starting out. Don't attempt a cold, deep , wreck dive all at once. Work on each aspect individually and then work to combine the skills and your knowledge.
With what has been indicated with your current training, hopefully, I will see you on the bottom of the Lake in about 2 years...........Good Luck
Just to give you a quick idea here are a few things I have done to prepare myself for fresh water wreck diving, specifically the Great Lakes. I have purchased a completely different rig from my recreational dive set up. I have learned and practiced dry suit diving. i am still working on diving with doubles. And I have scheduled a couple of adv. classes for this summer. After spending the summer working with new equipment, dry suit diving, and new info and techinques from my classes, maybe next year, maybe I will start with some easy penetrations. What you don't want to do is have everything at once when you are starting out. Don't attempt a cold, deep , wreck dive all at once. Work on each aspect individually and then work to combine the skills and your knowledge.
With what has been indicated with your current training, hopefully, I will see you on the bottom of the Lake in about 2 years...........Good Luck
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