Wreck diving is a whole different experience to reef diving – mixing history with the beauty of the underwater world. There are two different types of wrecks; those purposefully scuttled for recreational use and those that have sunk due to external factors i.e. it didn’t mean to go down! When diving on a wreck, we often require additional diving skills and, in some cases, extra formal training. 

Diving through a wreck can be the most magical scuba experience! However, there are a few additional things you might want to think about during the making of your dive plan;

• NDL’s 
• Depth
• Communication and signalling 
• Navigation and mapping
• Equipment and redundancy
• Visibility and disorientation

Subject to the wreck you are diving will determine how accessible it is, how coarse the silt may be and how much extra gear you will need to bring with you. Wrecks sunk on purpose are often more accessible. Take the HMAS Swan for example. The Swan was purposely sunk in 1997 for divers and sits at a depth of 32 meters with the top deck being in 18m and the crow’s nest nestled in 8m. Therefore, perfect for free divers, open water divers and those with advanced certifications- there is something for everyone! The wreck was purposefully made to allow accessible and safe penetration with all of the doors being cut out to have clear entry and exit points. The boiler room which is often the deepest and most navigationally challenging room has been blocked off so that divers can’t access it, making for a safer and more relaxing recreational dive. Wrecks such as those at Truk (Chuuk) Lagoon require additional training. These wrecks hit a depth of up to 70 meters and therefore require technical training. Wrecks like these are generally not sunk on purpose or expecting to go down at their location therefore making them more navigationally challenging with less accessible entry and exit points. 

As recreational divers, there are a few things that we can do to make our wreck diving experience more pleasurable and comfortable; 

Buoyancy

It goes without saying that having good trim and buoyancy whilst scuba diving is essential. This is so that we don’t damage the reef, our equipment and get the most out of our bottom time. Did you know that having poor buoyancy actually affects your bottom time?! The more energy you expend, the less efficient you are and the more air you use! 

When going through a wreck, good buoyancy is even more pivotal in having a great time! In wrecks, silt and sediments often settle. Depending on what the bottom is made out of, depends on how coarse this sediment is and how easy it is to ‘kick up’. The worst thing in a wreck is having a trail of silt following you. You may have to apologize to your buddy after the dive! However, we’re not here to judge and there are a few simple things that you can do to adjust your buoyancy before hitting up a wreck. 

1. Do a weight check. By doing a weight check at the start of the dive, you are ensuring 2 things 1) you can sink and 2) you’re not going to plummet to the bottom like a rock. Both feelings are uncomfortable, trust me. You especially don’t want this if you’re free descending. To do a weight check at the start of your dive, take a normal breath in on the surface and hold it, fully deflate your BCD and when you are at eye level, release your breath. After following these steps, you should sink like a delicate feather. If you’re still snorkeling, you may have to add an additional weight and if you sink before releasing your breath you may want to consider taking one off or you might find yourself bouncing off the bottom. 
2. Make sure your weights are distributed evenly. Depending on if you have an integrated system or a weight belt depends on where you will have your weights placed. The main thing is making sure that they are distributed evenly. If you need 6kg, for example, having a 3kg on your left hip and a 3kg on your right is perfect. If you need 7kg, this makes things a little trickier. Instead of putting 3kg on one side and 4kg on the other try putting a 3kg+0.5kg together on both sides or having a 1kg block on your tank band with 3’s on the side. 

Kicking

There are 2 main types of kicking in the scuba world, the flutter kick and the frog kick. I would usually always say that the frog kick would be my go-to and 99% of the time, it is! However, having spatial awareness when navigating narrow hallways in wrecks sometimes means that using a modified flutter kick is a better alternative. Just ensure you lift your feet a little higher and tilt your chest down to make sure you’re not hitting walls or dragging your feet. 

Fins 

Fins are a small yet pivotal piece of your wreck diving experience. In some cases, for example drift diving, longer fins such as freediving fins are well suited to the type of dive. However, when it comes to wreck diving, smaller tech-style fins are more appropriate. Often the tech fins also have anti-silt technology which will give you that extra layer of comfort when gliding through a coarse wreck. Shorter fins allow for more precise finning and minimal disturbance to bottom sediments. 

Our favorite all-round fins are the Apeks RK3, Cressi Origins and Fourth Element tech fin. 

Here at Swan Dive, we offer an incredible SDI wreck specialty course which runs through dive planning, what to do in an emergency (e.g. a silt out) and wreck penetration. Allow one of our experienced and enthusiastic instructors to guide you through one of the most iconic wrecks in Australia- the HMAS Swan while you learn vital information about diving on shipwrecks. 

Image: Emma Burdett

Written by Meg.