Top 20 wreck dives in the world

[Rhone Man]

I dove the Zenobia in Cyprus last December, day after Christmas in fact. By far the coolest thing I've done in the water yet. It's number 20. I'd love to see what the others are like. Going to hit Guam/Saipan in January for some WWII wrecks. You guys have any recomendations?

I was reading an article in a Dive magazine which pointed out that the Zenobia is only one of two roll-on roll-off ferries sunk in the Caribbean. For some reason, the Zen is famous, but the one off Ibiza (I forget the name) is virtually unheard of, despite being a very similar boat, at very similar depths, in very similar conditions at another tourist location. Go figure.

 

[alashas]

Out of that list, I've only dived the Rhone, and nowhere near the # of times as RhoneMan! I was shooting video for the first time with a new Canon S90 and had the best visibility I ever had in 10 dives at the Rhone.

Here is the hull of the bow from the crow's nest:

http://www.youtube.com/user/honeymoon2?feature=mhum#p/u/23/drSXAbxL8sU

Penetrating the bow, with a turtle at the bottom:

http://www.youtube.com/user/honeymoon2?feature=mhum#p/u/24/8c9dkuWQXKc

The mid-section, with the set of 4' wrenches, and a school of horse-eye jacks:

http://www.youtube.com/user/honeymoon2?feature=mhum#p/u/25/1yl6l7-k4zI

The swim through at the stern with the 15' propeller:

http://www.youtube.com/user/honeymoon2?feature=mhum#p/u/26/8bZE0eDylz4

Just got back from the Southwest and have a new youtube site for those videos:

http://www.youtube.com/user/honeymoon2southwest

Safe diving, alashas

 

[NeptunusRex]

I was reading an article in a Dive magazine which pointed out that the Zenobia is only one of two roll-on roll-off ferries sunk in the Caribbean. For some reason, the Zen is famous, but the one off Ibiza (I forget the name) is virtually unheard of, despite being a very similar boat, at very similar depths, in very similar conditions at another tourist location. Go figure.

Very odd. Were the others fully loaded when they went down? There are Lorries (trucks) littered all over the bottom still full of their cargo, that might be part of the apeal. Cyprus is also like the mediterraneans Hawaii so it probably won points for being more commercial. I noticed you were in HK, have some HK noodles and VB for me! :biggrin:

 

[David_57]

I have one in my log book the SMS Koln sunk in Scapa Flow, The Orkney's.

 

[Kevrumbo]

I dove the Zenobia in Cyprus last December, day after Christmas in fact. By far the coolest thing I've done in the water yet. It's number 20. I'd love to see what the others are like. Going to hit Guam/Saipan in January for some WWII wrecks. You guys have any recomendations?

Come down to the Carolines and Truk Lagoon instead . . . I'm here RIGHT NOW for the past week, and thinking of extending my stay for another week .

QUOTE: idocsteve
I understand, but if you ever dived Lake Rawlings and swam through the school bus, you'd find it hard to find anything that even comes close.

Nope . . .sorry idocsteve. Haven't seen anything yet that comes close to here, with a constant 29deg C water temperature . . .that's why I keep coming back:cool2:

 

[DevonDiver]

The list seems quite ignorant of SE Asian wrecks. As Kevrumbo has said, there is a long list of world-class wrecks around Truk, Malayasia and the Philippines.

I can't respect any list of 'top' wreck sites/destinations that doesn't consider the attractions of Coron and Subic Bay.

To my mind, the list confuses "Best" with Most Dived or Most Reported.

 

[robint]

.

To my mind, the list confuses "Best" with Most Dived or Most Reported.

Exactly!!! Every time I read one of these "Best" lists, I immediately look at who was polled, and that tells me where those people dive most often. If you did a "best" wrecks poll here on SB, you would see the C-53 in Cozumel, Spiegel Grove in Fla, and Hilma Hooker in Bonaire as the Top 3 wrecks in the world, just because so many people here on SB dive them often.


robin

 

[Rhone Man]

Exactly!!! Every time I read one of these "Best" lists, I immediately look at who was polled, and that tells me where those people dive most often. If you did a "best" wrecks poll here on SB, you would see the C-53 in Cozumel, Spiegel Grove in Fla, and Hilma Hooker in Bonaire as the Top 3 wrecks in the world, just because so many people here on SB dive them often.


robin

That's all fair comment, although it is probably also fair to note that the reason they are amongst the most dived is partly because they are pretty good dives. Also partly because they are accessible, although I note the list contained wrecks in Cuba and the Sudan. Andy's point about missing out lots of great wrecks in SE Asia makes that point though.

 

[Karel]

The SS Mediator is a nice archaeological Wreck.
Check on Home - Curacao duik magazine. (Go to English version via the homepage and look on the sites for Mediator), you can watch a youtube movie of the wreck.
Kind regards

 

[Luko]

I dived the Thisltlegorm from Sharm, the SS.Pres. Coolidge in Espiritu Santo & the Liberty in Tulamben/Bali. (also some others like the Hilma Hooker in Bonaire -not mentioned but popular- or a roman galley carrying marble columns in Corsica -very few remains and limited access).

Personally I thought that speaking about accessible wrecks, there was the SS.Coolidge and the rest of the world... even the Thistlegorm doesn't come close. I have done 4 dives on the Coolidge down to 48m and still I have not seen half of it.. which can be as deep as 70m.

The Liberty is more of a colorful reef dive than a wreck dive... totally different to other wrecks, I mean it's a wreck but the fish and the corals around are so beautiful you don't focus on the wreck itself.