Wreck Diver

By definition a shipwreck is defined as “the destruction or loss of a ship or vessel by sinking”. This may sound awkward to many people but to us divers it is heaven. Divers can witness the ability of nature to transform a manmade construction into a marvelous artificial reef where nature transforms itself into the most bizarre artist and unleashes its beauty.

The inside of a shipwreck is one of the most hostile environments under water but it is also one of the most amazing and adventurous places divers like to go.  This is where time stands still and you can imagine how the crew lived on ships from different eras.  In modern ship wrecks the most amazing thing is to go down the ships engine room and see the once so active engine now stand completely still in the middle of a stroke, it is a sight to marvel at and remember long after the dive is completed. Wreck Diving is an activity that provides an incredible amount in the form of visual sights and excitement.

But as much as wreck diving give you a fantastic experience, it requires of you that you do it safely. It is not difficult to swim inside a wreck, but to get out of a situation where visibility is reduced to zero and you also share gas with your team member requires that you have practiced the right action to make it all the way out. Going inside a wreck is easy. Getting out safely is the tricky part.

The Wreck Diver course in SwedTech Diving provides you with the necessary basic training you need to become a capable and above all a safe wreck diver. You will learn how to move around safely inside the wreck, evaluate dangers and also communicate with your team mates. SwedTech Diving believes firmly that basic training is as a solid block on which each diver can build up skills effectively. 

After passing the course, the student is able to:

  • Configure and use equipment for technical diving according to SwedTech Diving equipment configuration
  • Plan and conduct non-decompression penetration dives with air or nitrox as bottom gases
  • Understand and plan overhead dives, both in physical overhead environment and with decompression stops which create artificial ceilings
  • Solve multiple equipment problems which can come up when diving with technical diving equipment 
  • Solve problems during diving using back-up plans
  • Solve a problem of gas loss and prevent a serious gas loss
  • Solve problems without having a reference such as in a total darkness or silt-out situation
  • Simultaneously use several different swimming techniques to manoeuvre forward, backward and during turns
  • Show excellent buoyancy control, both during the bottom phase of the dives and during the ascent
  • Understand and use the advantages of diving in a well-balanced team
  • Orientation on a wreck

Course outlines

  • The student should have at least 10 hours of dive training in the water
  • The course must be taught on wrecks in an ocean or sea
  • The student should have at least 10 hours of theory and briefings
  • the course could be taught using single cylinder, twinset or rebreather

Limits

  • Maximum PO2 for bottom gases is 1.4 bar
  • Maximum PO2 for decompression gases are 1.6 bar
  • Maximum Equivalent Narcotic Depth (END) during the course is 30 meters
  • Maximum three students per instructor during the practical training in the water

Prerequisites

  • The student must be at least 18 years old
  • The student must be in excellent health
  • Have passed the Extended Basic Skills course or equivalent with other organisation
  • Have a proof of at least 100 dives in various environments, at least 20 of them should be to around 30 meters
  • Have made at least 50 dives with the equipment used on the course (excl. the deco cylinder)
  • Use several different swimming techniques to manoeuvre forward, backward and during turns
  • Show excellent buoyancy control, both during the bottom phase of the dives and during the ascents