SDI Wreck Diver

Who this course is for:

Individuals who wish to know more about the wreck diving including:

• Researching wrecks
• Mapping wrecks
• Proper use of lines while wreck diving
• Exploring underwater history

Course prerequisites:

• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver, or equivalent
• Minimum age 18, 15 for limited penetration course with parental consent
• Minimum age 10 with parental consent for a non-penetration course
• Junior Open Water Divers may not participate in any penetration activities or dives deeper than 18 metres/60 feet
• Divers must have a deep diver specialty certification or be able to provide proof of experience in order to dive deeper than 18 metres/60 feet in this course

What you can expect to learn:

The SDI Wreck Diver course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:

• Why wreck dive?
• Surface supports
  • Communications, when and if necessary
  • Back-up procedures
• Buddy system
• Buddy contact
  • Contact with varied visibility
  • Buddy lines
  • Line signals
  • Buddy positioning in close proximity
• Navigation/charting
  • Usage of the slate
  • Larger than normal
  • Pre-dive marking
  • Pre-planning the dive using charts, other information
  • Directional determination
• Disorientation
  • With/without buddy
  • Lost buddy
  • Light failure
  • Emergency procedures
• Special equipment
  • Lights: primary and backup, size, burn time, and usage
  • Knifes and cutting devices
• Limited visibility diving
  • Silt-out
  • Psychological considerations
  • Light usage
  • Importance of light and backup
  • Dark vision, don’t shine light in buddy’s eyes
• Life lines and reels
  • Type of line
  • Tie-offs
  • Directional markers
  • Line handling and reeling must be practiced on land prior to performing this skill underwater
• Special emergency procedures
  • Safe Wreck
  • Hazardous or otherwise unsafe wrecks
• Mapping the wreck
  • Vertical, horizontal, and feature identification

What’s in it for you?

Upon successful completion of this course graduates may:

• Dive wrecks that are similar to the type of wrecks they were exposed to during training
• Plan and execute a wreck dive

Also, the SDI Wreck Diver certification counts towards a single specialty rating to achieve the SDI Advanced Diver Development program.

SDI Wreck Diver minimum requirements:

• Open Water Dive 1
  • Pre-dive review of dive computers
  • Plan dive
  • Test lights
  • Familiarization with areas
  • Basic charting outside wreck
  • Usage of lines outside wreck, optional
  • Surface and log dive
• Open Water Dive 2
  • Plan dive
  • Figure surface interval
  • Descend
  • Team complete mapping
  • Usage of lines outside wreck, optional
  • Surface and log dive
• Open Water Dive 3
  • Plan dive
  • Descend
  • Usage of lines inside wreck, optional
  • Surface and log dive
• Open Water Dive 4 (Optional)
  • Plan dive
  • Planned dive explained
  • Dive/explore as determined
  • Surface and log dive