PADI Wreck Specialty

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Hal

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Location
Washington, D.C.
Anyone taken the PADI wreck specialty class? I'm trying to decide whether its worth the time/money. Have been on/in quite a few wrecks and interested in eventually moving to real penetration (rather than swim-throughs). As others here have indicated, am not looking for another card. Is the PADI class another card or is it a step towards penetration dives?

Thanks,

Hal
 
Hal,

Loaded question. Depends on the instructor, to a large extent. Here is the link to the PADI course description. According to the website, PADI Wreck Diver now includes use of penetration reels, limited visibility techniques, and other topics appropriate to a discussion of wreck penetration:
http://www.padi.com/english/common/courses/rec/continue/wreckdiver.asp

The course may very well be worth your time and money, depending on (1) how much experience you have diving wrecks; and (2) the experience and willingness to impart same of the instructor. A wreck diving course that covers the fundamentals of wreck dive planning in great detail would be an invaluable investment with the proper instructor. Whether this course meets those conditions or not is something you must decide for yourself.

If you decide that you'd like to take steps toward "wreck penetration dives", in my humble opinion you would benefit from another course. Wreck penetration may involve reel handling, line handling, communications and light/hand signals, and techniques and skills appropriate to team movement in an overhead environment. Regardless of the extent to which these topics are addressed in the PADI specialty course, I suspect they are not covered as in depth as you will find in cavern and cave training. This training is pretty conveniently located close by your location.

Suggest you think about contacting Splash Dive Center, in Alexandria, VA if this is the path you think you want to follow. Here is the link:
http://www.splashdivecenter.com/

Ron Carmichael runs a variety of cavern and cave courses that would constitute a more solid foundation for team diving in overhead environments. PM for further details.

Best,

Doc
 
Thanks. I've done quite a few wrecks but without any specific training. I could certainly learn alot about things like wreck dive planning. Will be in St. Thomas and would take the course with a shop there that I dove with in the past and liked very much. Thanks for the Spalsh Dive reference. Not too far from where I am.

Hal
 
Hal:
Anyone taken the PADI wreck specialty class? I'm trying to decide whether its worth the time/money. Have been on/in quite a few wrecks and interested in eventually moving to real penetration (rather than swim-throughs). As others here have indicated, am not looking for another card. Is the PADI class another card or is it a step towards penetration dives?

Thanks,

Hal

I took a Padi Wreck class last summer. We did use standard reels and did a short penetration. We talked in some detail about protocols for moving through a wreck with a line and what to do i blackout conditions. These were in the book, but I think the more important things I took from the class were due to the Instructor (He was working on his tech instructor training at the time). Note that there is no requirement that the course include penetrations, so you may want to make sure your instructor will include it.

He went in depth on some topics that the book spent little time on. I'm not sure if pool sessions are required, but we did some. Buddy breathing and equipment exchange in the pool, following a line with a blindfold on, and several simulated doors to get a better idea of swimming in confined spaces. All this together, he instilled more of a Tech diving mentality in us. It made me respect the dangers involved and ask if I really need to go in there.
 
Like the others said.....the instructor is everything. I took the PADI wreck specialty class, and in my opinion, it was wasted $$, mainly because the instructor did the absolute minimum required to get us through the class.

We went over the book work before the OW dives, very briefly, just to see if I had read the information. Then we did the OW dives. On dive 1, we were asked to draw a picture of the wreck on our slate, marking potential hazards as well as rough measurements of the vessel. Some people had very detailed drawings, some had nothing, but it didn't matter. After a short surface interval, we went down and did a quick swim through of the wreck. We did not set a line, since the instructor thought there were too many other divers around the wreck and we needed to hurry. There was no discussion during any point of the class where we discussed using a reel. On dive 3, we penetrated a different wreck (plane), again without being required to set lines. We were allowed to just swim around the wreck, penetrate at will, do whatever we wanted basically.

If you can assure the instructor you are considering will actually teach you the proper and safe way to wreck dive, I would say go for it. Unfortunately, my instructor seemed to be more interested in herding us through as quickly as possible. For me, it was fun, but a total waste of money.
 
imo it's a basic class, just like most of the padi specialties. i did it some months back and it was ok. i learned some things, as i'm sure you would also. you need to start somewhere. an advanced wreck class and a cave class are in the works for me in 2006.
 
Thanks. From what everyone is indicating, looks like I need to get a better sense of how good the classes are at the place where I'd take it. In thinking about it, since I'll be diving anyway, I suppose the real question is whether it is worth the cost above what those wreck dives I'd be doing anyway would cost.

Again, thanks.

Hal
 
Doc Intrepid:
Hal,
If you decide that you'd like to take steps toward "wreck penetration dives", in my humble opinion you would benefit from another course. Wreck penetration may involve reel handling, line handling, communications and light/hand signals, and techniques and skills appropriate to team movement in an overhead environment. Regardless of the extent to which these topics are addressed in the PADI specialty course, I suspect they are not covered as in depth as you will find in cavern and cave training. This training is pretty conveniently located close by your location.

Suggest you think about contacting Splash Dive Center, in Alexandria, VA if this is the path you think you want to follow. Here is the link:
http://www.splashdivecenter.com/

Ron Carmichael runs a variety of cavern and cave courses that would constitute a more solid foundation for team diving in overhead environments. PM for further details.

Best,

Doc

Yeah...but then he has to go to Florida Springs, FL for the class :-)

Paul in VT
 
Thats really good info guys. I am looking to take the PADI wreck course as well. Now I will be a little more careful about who my instructor is and exactly whats being taught...
 
Hi,

Many posts have said it well: course is just a framework, the instructor is key. It is especially useful to maintain a long-term relationship with the instructor, a good one will continue to provide many tips and coaching.

Of the various cards that one can collect, though, some sort of formal wreck (or other similar overhead environment) training is useful. It will open doors when travelling (on non-diving trips where we were able to get in a dive excursion, we were often the only ones the DMs would take on into a wreck, because we had the cert card).

Cheers,

Walter
 

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