Wreck diving is a specific type of scuba diving which requires more skill and experience than normal diving. This type is usually carried out for the underwater exploration of ships, aircraft or other natural or artificial wreckage.
Wreck diving is a branch of scuba diving that involves exploration of artificial or natural wreck sites across the world. It serves as an important archaeological resource and offers divers to experience history firsthand.
Like any deep sea activity, it has its dangers such as entrapment, dangerous marine life and fragile wreck sites but nothing that can not be avoided with proper training and preparation.
This was a brief overview of wreck diving. For a more detailed analysis, keep reading this article.
What Are The Types Of Wreck Diving?
There are 3 main types of wreck diving: non-penetration, limited penetration and full penetration. Non-penetration involves swimming around the wreckage without going inside it.
While limited penetration is going within the light zone of the wreckage, the extent where divers can see the way out. Whereas full penetration requires going beyond the light zone into fully submerged areas of the wreck.
What Are The Reasons For Wreck Diving?
Shipwrecks are very attractive for many reasons. They serve as artificial reefs which act as beautiful habitats for marine life. Most wrecks have interesting, historical significance to them which attracts divers to these spots. Such wrecks allow divers to fully appreciate relics of history and are often declared underwater cultural heritage sites
Wrecks can also be an important archaeological resource as they may contain artefacts which can have great monetary or historical value.
What Are Some Hazards Of Wreck Diving?
Wrecks pose a variety of site specific hazards to divers. Wrecks are often very fragile and can collapse at any given time, possibly injuring the divers exploring it.
Divers can get entrapped in deeper submerged areas of the wreck and some wrecks are also home to dangerous aquatic life that can pose a threat to the divers.
You Need Special Diving Equipment
If a diver is not performing penetration diving then no special equipment is required. Equipment requirements vary according to what type of diving is being performed with the condition of the wreck being kept in mind.
In limited penetration diving, a diver is required to carry at least one primary light and one diving reel in addition to standard diving equipment. An additional amount of breathing gas is also advised and so a diver may need to carry a larger air cylinder.
Full Penetration Diving Requires Extra Equipment
When a diver is performing full penetration diving, it is essential to carry special equipment. The most important are primary, secondary and a tertiary positioning light for visibility. Protective gloves are also mandatory so that no sharp object may harm the diver.
All the extra equipment carried for such dives should be assembled compactly so that no parts of the equipment hinder mobility during the dive. For such purposes rubber bands or hocks are commonly used.
Wreck Divers Require Special Training
Wreck diving is a form of diving that requires divers to be precise and accurate with their movements. Wrecks are often scouted by unmanned vehicles, following which, professional divers form a complete plan to navigate and explore the wrecks. This task requires patience and years of experience. A single miscalculation could compromise the wreck and may even put the lives of the divers at risk.
This is exactly why wreck divers need to go through serious training exercises with professional trainers to make sure they can dive responsibly without causing any setbacks to the exploration.
How Do Divers Reach The Wreck?
Various methods are used worldwide to transport divers to the wreck. The method will always vary depending on the local conditions of the wreck and the facilities available in the immediate vicinity. In low visibility areas hooking can be used if the wreck is structurally stable and can support an anchor. Alternatively, If visibility is high, a short line can be dropped which is safer for the wreckage itself.
Strong currents can be used to drop the short line in from up-current. In addition to this, a tag line can also be used between anchor lines and the stern of the vessel for a secure transfer between high sea currents.
Wreck Diving Allows You To Explore Famous Sites
There are many famous wreck sites around the world. Some are artificial, where a wreck is deliberately sunk to attract divers like the USS Spiegel Grove. There are also many natural wrecks like the Scapa flow in Scotland which has one the best preserved World War 1 wrecks. Bermuda is also one such place that single-handedly has more shipwrecks per square mile than any other place on the planet.
To learn more about the Bermuda wreck diving , watch this video,
Wreck diving allows divers to interact closely with their history, enabling them to experience once in a lifetime events throughout the waters of the world.
Wreck Diving Is Gaining Popularity
Wreck diving really allows the diver to submerge into the history of the wrecks. Each wreck has its own story to tell and sometimes it can be a very tragic one. Divers have utmost respect for the sites they visit. This form of storytelling has piqued the interest of divers globally and has inspired hundreds to partake in wreck diving themselves.
Wreck diving has repeatedly managed to bring light to various historical documentaries about wrecks and the narratives revolving around them. These stories are heartfelt and allow viewers to form an emotional connection.
Conclusion
Wreck diving is an exciting activity and can be a good hobby for casual drivers to explore different parts of the sunken world. It is often challenging and at times requires great skills to navigate and explore the wreck site safely.
This activity, although fun, has its own various risks attached to it, but with proper training, equipment and precautions, they can be minimised, making wreck diving an enjoyable experience for all.
