Wreck or Reef?

[del_mo]

I'll take a wreck with swim throughs resting against a pristine reef (Hilma Hooker, Bonaire).

 

[Rick Inman]

Wreck. Junk. Stuff.

When I was in Hawaii last March, someone turned me on to the large intake pipes that feed the labs. I scootered down to them many times and had a blast. Deco-ed back up on the reef, but really enjoyed the pipes.

The owner of the LDS called me the Fred Sanford of diving.

True dat.

 

[diver 85]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyD7C04x70Q

 

[vladimir]

I'll also vote for any wreck in the Truk Lagoon, the Yongala in the Coral Sea, and the Rhone in BVI. Those barely discernible wrecks in incredibly low vis off of NY? Not for me anymore, thanks. I'd still prefer a great reef, but those are great wrecks for the reef diver at heart.

 

[RJP]

How about 65 year old wrecks that are now essentially reef ecosystems all their own?

Truk Lagoon

My thoughts exactly. The Fujikawa Maru, The Shinkoku Maru, and many/most other wrecks there are clearly among the best wreck dives in the world, but also double as phenomenal "reef" dives as well!

Of course most people go to Truk to visit places like the engine room of the Fujikawa...

And explore the holds of ships like the Hoki Maru...

Or of course the tanks on the deck of the San Francisco Maru...

But witness the coral encrusted stern telegraph on the Rio De Janeiro Maru...

...or the rudder and prop of the Yamigiri Maru

...or any of the "reef" type stuff to be found on the decks of most of the wrecks in Truk

 

[Teamcasa]

Would you rather dive a Wreck or Reef?

It depends on where the wreck is and what is growing on, living in or around it.

 

[RJP]

Most "wrecks" are tourist attractions welded shut and made happy for the paying customers.

Actually, most of the diveable wrecks out there were put down by war, weather, or human error.

Sure there's a handful of well-known ships like the Oriskany, Spiegel Grove, or Hilma Hooker that get talked about - and dived - a lot, but in the grand scheme of things the total number of wrecks that have been stripped, cleaned, and welded shut is very small compared to the thousands and thousands of wrecks that are out there.

 

[jpx8diver]

It's a tricky question. Most reefs are..reefs.

Most "wrecks" are tourist attractions welded shut and made happy for the paying customers.

Either way you will see fish and if that is what you are paying for you will be fine.

I disagree. These so called "junk wrecks" you described are probably in quarries for training. I'll dive wrecks anytime compared to reefs. My friends and I had the opportunity to dive Bikini Atoll several years ago and you cant compare that to any reefs. The wrecks in Chuuk, second to bikini in terms of wreck diving, are mostly freighters but in Bikini, these are warships, gunships and submarines that wasn't altered for divers. They were towed there to see how the Nuke will affect sea going vessels. The aftermath is what we see down there now. Its unfortunate that they've canceled the diving in Bikini due to the economy plus their requirements for divers and equipment is very strict.

The same cant be said for reefs. yeah, the life surrounding them vary form reef to reef but i bet, if i go to the healthiest reef in the south pacific, the same or similar critters can be found in the healthiest reef in Hawaii or the Caribbean.

 

[robint]

It depends on where the wreck is and what is growing on, living in or around it.

EXACTLY!!!!!
I have done lots of wrecks and reefs and love them all dependent on what I see ON them.

 

[knotical]

Reefs.
Diving has much the same appeal as walks in the woods. Getting away from as much man-made crap as possible.