It is a great idea to research the wreck on which you are going to dive.  It’s even a better idea to research several wrecks. Then you will always have another place to go if the first is a no dive as you learned in your early dive courses

In July we are going to Canada again to dive several wrecks in Nanaimo which is a great place to dive. Ken and Carol have a great dive boat and are a lot of fun. Michael, the dive leader, has set the stage for the dives and has set up the trip. Because we have dived the ships there several times a lot of research is not necessary.  We have researched it before and have records of the dives made on the ship in our log books and we will check those records before we dive again.

 We will go over the dive with Ken, the Charter boat owner, and see if anything has changed on the ships that we should know about before we dive. The more information you have the better. If you have never been on the ship you should do a lot of research about the vessel.  It sure makes the dive more interesting if you know the history of it, such as how long it has been down and its condition. Because we have been on the ship so many times we can see the changes that occur and the increase in the life that we find there.  The longer it has been down the better the aquatic life on the ship.

Research on a wreck, can be found on the Net. If you put in the search engine, “Ship Wrecks of the Pacific northwest,” you will get a lot of them. Regardless of where you dive on a ship find out the history.  Old news accounts, libraries are good source places. Also other divers who have been on the ship and local dive shops are excellent sources. 

Also remember that when you dive on a ship your compass is mostly useless.  So you should have a map in you head or on your slate to help locate your position. On the deck lay out the mapping of the ship.  There are all types of ways to locate the accent line. It can be bow to stern or stern to bow. Where did I get on and where do I get out?  It’s real important to your safety to know your location. Getting lost is real easy in wreck diving.

As far as equipment for diving, if your are just a visitor and have a scooter, which I don’t have, you can really cover the outside area of the ship. Remember just don’t penetrate. Plan your dive and dive your plan. Do not penetrate the ship if you do not have the necessary equipment and training to do so. My suggestion is to take the training before going. If you have not received the training don’t let anyone talk you into penetrating the vessel. Wreck diving is a real dangerous activity and a single mistake could cost you dearly.  

There is so much more to wrecking than what is written here. I love it more then any other diving I have done. The more I dive on a wreck the more I like it. Remember plan your dive and dive your plan; doing a lot of research and more research of the wreck is very important. You will love the dive and the training. There is a lot of things to see on the wrecks. What and adventure.  I can hardly wait to go in July.

© 05-16-2005 G.McK.