In previous articles I have written about education and training. Wreck diving is an event that requires a lot of training and equipment. I would tell you not to do it unless you have the training and the equipment. Your dive shop is more then willing to aid you in the start of this adventure. The trainers that are associated with the shop will guide you through the training and make sure that the equipment that you need is in your possession and that you know how to use each piece of it.

 Remember that your instructor will be with you on your first few dives according to the training schedule. He or she wants to make sure that you can use all of the equipment in case of an emergency. Going into a ship in a cold water environment with a few pieces of equipment for life support is brave to say the least. What an accomplishment! If you have a fear of closed spaces I would suggest that you stay on the outside of the ship. Many divers love the life on the outside of the ship but never venture inside. Do not let your dive buddies talk you into anything that you don’t want to do. There wrong with being cautious. Take the training anyway because there is a lot to learn just being on the outside. A lot of the time when we dive we cover the outside and never venture in. Those dives are just as exciting. 

Wrecks are fascinating and real dangerous. The closer you get the more the curiosity you will have. That is a good thing if you do it correctly. Look up the history of the ship, how it went down, and the overall history area and because there is always the unknown search the history before the dive. And if you are on a charter boat, they will tell you the best location and what you may see on the ship. The more information you have, the better.

Before you begin wreck diving you will have had a lot of dives and will have had several required courses under your weight belt and will understand the importance of the training. Most diving certification agencies have a continuing education program before you get to the wreck diving course. After the courses and the required training you will be ready to go deep and stay just a little longer.

Here we must stop. During your class you will be told about the law and wreck diving. I am sure you have seen a lot of dive films on television about divers finding ships and treasures. Remember that there are laws about removing anything from a wreck. I will tell you that you should never remove anything from any ship. Simply put, if every diver removed an item from a ship and 500 divers dove on that ship every year, there would be nothing left to see after a year or so, not counting the loss of the historical value.

So please do not remove anything from any wreck since it will cost us all, and you could be the cause of placing the wreck off limits to divers. In the next article I will write more about the subject. But just remember that you are the care provider of the site and if each diver will remember that, then all divers can enjoy the wreck diving adventures and they will continue for years.    

 © 05-01-2005 G. McK.