There is a lot of excitement in wreck diving and it is one of the great adventures of diving. A diver is always looking for something to see, something new and exciting, and he must remember that what is dropped or sunk on the surface goes to the bottom. For a diver the depths are where all the action is located. 

I can’t say a lot of exciting things about hanging mid water. It is real boring for 30 or so minutes doing a DECO dive. Yet I think most agree that on or close to the bottom is where you will find just about everything. That may sound dumb but a diver gets lots of silly questions and a wreck diver gets even more questions such as, “how long can you stay down on a tank?” The answer is as long as the air lasts. If I breathe fast it is consumed fast, but if I breathe slowly, it lasts a little longer.  

 Wreck diving is real exciting and real dangerous.  What will you see?  If you are in the right location on the ship you might see the object that you intend to dive on. Before you attempt a wreck dive you should attend a wreck diving course and a Nitrox class. Nitrox will help keep your head clear while in or on the ship. Having a clear head is real important while in the enclosed spaces under water.

 After you have had the proper training dive with a team of others who have been on the ship before and have had the previous experience of wreck diving. It is never a good idea to dive alone or penetrate a ship without the proper training or equipment.  

 Wrecks can be very appealing to a diver. Your thought patterns may be, “well I am here and I am a diver, and here is a ship, why waste the air?  I’ll just take a little look around inside.” Not a good move. You can get lost, silted up, and make a real mistake. Oh, and did I mention, this is when you start to breath a lot faster and the air goes quicker?  How long will your tank of air last in that situation?

 Before we get into the object ship you first have to visit a local dive shop and get prepared to become a wreck diver. All diving starts with good training and equipment; and a dive buddy who is as well trained and equipped as you will be.

Canada is a great place since there are a lot of ships that were placed around the B.C. area and it makes great diving almost year around. I would like to see the U.S. sink ships in areas that can be reached above a depth of 200 feet and where the current is reasonable enough that you could dive the wreck. This would generate a lot of revenue for the local communities and create an oasis for lots of aquatic life.  

I can still remember the first time descending on a ship. What a thrill! It’s unbelievable and so exciting to see the ship gray and cold coming up from the depth. There is nothing like it for a wreck diver. 

© 04-25-2005 G.McK.