Lessons Wreck Penetration

[Redshift]

Haven't done wreck training, but have done cave and although we are taught and practice not silting up the whole place, we also practice zero viz exercises without lights / blacked out mask... There's air sharing, lost line and exiting... So we need to feel, think, communicate, etc without seeing.
Of course that it will be a limited experience, but hopefully enough for the instructor to see how the divers react and for the divers to understand how it feels not to see and having to deal with it. So what you describe is also a concern in cave courses.

Although I'd like to be one of those lucky divers never having been in a no viz. situation before taking up cave diving. Ha! My 5th OW course dive was already a "limited viz. we were dropped in the wrong place" dive.

 

[rongoodman]

Although intimidating at first, those lights out exercises became absolutely mellow after awhile.

 

[Akimbo]

There are a plenty of divers on this board with lots of time on wrecks all over the world. What have you learned beyond silt-outs, gas planning, and using a reel to make wreck diving safer and more interesting?

What advice would you give someone to be better prepared for a wreck class, or to become a better wreck diver?

 

[tomfcrist]

There are a plenty of divers on this board with lots of time on wrecks all over the world. What have you learned beyond silt-outs, gas planning, and using a reel to make wreck diving safer and more interesting?

What advice would you give someone to be better prepared for a wreck class, or to become a better wreck diver?

1. Never take the wreck for granted, regardless of how many times you have dove on it. Never assume that a penetration will be easy or hard, but go into the wreck with an open mind.
2. Complacency is a bitch. Just when you think you have it all figured out, a new challenge will be presented to you.
3. Its OK to not penetrate a wreck if you arent functioning at full speed.
4. Finally, Learn early on how big of a hole you can safely fit through. Although entertaining, there is nothing fun nor cool about being stuck halfway through a hatch like a cat with its head in a jar.

 

[mathauck0814]

There are a plenty of divers on this board with lots of time on wrecks all over the world. What have you learned beyond silt-outs, gas planning, and using a reel to make wreck diving safer and more interesting?

What advice would you give someone to be better prepared for a wreck class, or to become a better wreck diver?

I think I go a little different direction with it than most. There are those GUE types that believe in drilling until everything is perfect and then going on a dive. I tend to think the wreck itself is a good teacher. I'm also fortunate to live in a place where we have both intentionally prepared and more "real" wrecks so that you can pick your spots. Some things are best learned in the wreck, like how to navigate out in the dark when you're not exactly sure which way you zigged when you ought to have zagged. I acknowledge that it requires deliberate moderation of risk to know how not to bite off too much all at once and good mentorship/awareness from those that you're diving with. My friends and eventual dive team mates were good at letting me get myself into a little bit of trouble without getting in too far over my head.

 

[BoltSnap]

Silt up, blackout and current where you end up inside a wreck where you don't want to be and don't know that you are there.

---------- Post added June 25th, 2014 at 09:00 PM ----------

أHas anyone had a door to an opening close on them while they were inside a wreck and it was difficult to open it again to get out?

 

[Akimbo]

... Some things are best learned in the wreck, like how to navigate out in the dark when you're not exactly sure which way you zigged when you ought to have zagged...

Perhaps, but that can be a pretty harsh teacher. There's a lot wreck divers can do to improve their odds and make dives far more interesting. Top of my list is research and familiarity with ship construction. Knowing how ships are built can tell you a lot about which direction to turn when everything goes wonky.

Here are a few things that come to mind:

• Learn how different types of structural beams are oriented. Familiarity makes it much easier to remember your way out.
• Noticing the camber on overhead beams can identify inboard and outboard.
• Knowing how riveted plates are lapped can point you toward the weather decks instead of the bilge
• Understanding how electrical cable trays are routed can be a road map
• Learn how to use hull frames to navigate
• Recognizing the difference between watertight and partition bulkheads can make a rat maze more like a city street.
• Anticipating locations of corrosive hazards like batteries, fuels oils, solvents, and gasoline can prevent your corrugated hoses (BCs, rebreathers, and double-hose regulators), drysuit seals, and wetsuits from failing before you reach sunshine or on your next dive
• Understanding how cargo is stowed can tell you spaces to avoid and explore
• Knowing hull lines can tell you if you are near the bow or stern when you drop onto a wreck in poor visibility. Same with different types of deck machinery and rigging.
• You probably should learn the difference between a really cool looking brass valve on a high pressure cylinder versus one on a fresh water pipe before hacksawing it off

Even if you can't get deck plans of a particular wreck, time aboard similar vessels is invaluable. Studying photos is also a great help. That's true for everything from submarines to fishing boats.

For me, the best part of doing the research is it transforms a jumble of unrecognizable crap into a viewport into history. It is also a great way to enjoy wreck diving when you can't get wet.

---------- Post added June 25th, 2014 at 02:40 PM ----------

Love this, next time I re-up my SAR/R-I I'll be ready with the history of that term...

I wouldn't put money down on this as the origin. For all I know it goes back to the 1830s when Louis Braille developed the alphabet and Augustus Siebe developed deep sea gear. In any case, "Braille diving" paints a great picture. I suspect it is a case of recurrent discovery.

 

[lowviz]

... I suspect it is a case of recurrent discovery.

Seems most reasonable. The real gem is the phrase 'recurrent discovery'. Speaks directly to the current condition of recreational diving manufacturers, divers, and dive education.

Thanks for that insight and good laugh...

 

[Jared0425]

Also note the condition of the wreck, whether it is fresh water or salt. Even fresh waters wrecks are not subjagated to corrosion like salt waterr wrecks, the shallower the wreck is, the more unstable it is after storms and ice above 120ft. If you dive a wreck multiple times, take notes at which you think are the weak points and avoid them or use them to your advantage if possible in a bad situation. Do not go inside a wreck for the first not knowing the twists and turns in the hull, but peak in in multiple penetration areas and note escapes or exits. Follow up dives should then let you peak in with your fins outside the door and look up before you exhale to avoid possible debris falling on you.

The story I am about to tell you happened when I was 12-13 years old and was still a new diver with only 50 dives or less under my belt. When I was this young I would always try and find the deepest part of the wreck or the how far in we could go. The wreck is the package freighter Regina. We did our dives and I was punished for being foolish so I could not dive with my other friends. A few days later, a new diver and expierenced diver decided to the Regina in the bow area. Both divers went through the spar deck and made their way to the chain locker room.the diver silted it out causing diver 1 to panic and diver 2 to reach help. Vis went to zilch and later on in the afternoon, they found both divers out of air, and the other one was dead trying to squeeze out of the port hole.

Another story happpened to my friend Rick. Rick and is buddy decided to dive the Argus, which is a steel freighter lying up side down in 230ft of water off Port Austin. They wanted to see if they could get up into the cabins. He went in first and his bubbles caused the ceiling (floor) to collapse on his head. Panic started to build because he was clamped by the debris weighting his legs down. So he hooked his line to himself amd procceded to move what he could of the debris. The water is 37degrees, vis was 10-15ft now it's zero and he is in 230ft of freshwater. He tries to wrestle some of the gear off of him and he manages to get out of the foclse area and only had 800psi left when he started to do the uplink and he had 62 minutes runtime. It was a hell of a day

 

[Akimbo]

Here are some great resources to learn about ships:

List of museum ships - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of submarine museums - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sinking ships for wreck diving sites - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia