29 replies to this topic

[Walter]

My first dive on any wreck is external only. I'll penetrate on later dives, if I believe it is safe to do so.

My first wreck dive was the Sugar Wreck off West End Grand Bahama Island. It was my 6th lifetime dive. I dived it twice that day and returned to it on dives 697 & 700 a few years later.

For my first wreck dive, I was undergoing my OW training.

I stay outside on the first dive for safety reasons while I get to know the wreck. I penetrate wrecks because I enjoy the experience.

[WreckWench]

Rule of thumb...

always go 'inside' athough 'external penetration is fun too! And only 'penetrate' when you are very...very...good!


Oh wait...you were talking about 'wrecks' weren't you???

[ScubaHawk]

My very first real wreck dive was in Thailand - just swimming by a wreck was cool - but when I saw this black hole going into it (The Black Hole of Death) I knew I just had to see what was inside. Which I did 3 dives later. Since then I've been hooked - I have to see what's around the next bend, over the next hill and in that dark, scary looking room.

[CaptSaaz]

Right now external only until I get more training. I will only enter if there is an obvious, overhead exit, and these are few. If I can dive regualrly next season, we'll see about doing some penetrations.

I've been diving seriously for just over a year and got my adv certification on a wreck dive, the USS San Diego off the coast of Long Island. Our instructor basically said he'd kill you if you stuck more than your head into the wreck. More people have died entering this wreck than on the Andrea Doria. We behaved ourselves and had an awesome dive.

[Diverbrian]

Typically, I will do a survey dive and then a separate penetration dive later.

Exceptions, I have video of a submarine in NC. It will be viewed extensively and I am going down there with enough gas (as this is a small boat) to go to the hole that I have marked in my head, do a brief penetration (again, I know from my time serving on submarines that I won't be able to get in too far), come out and swim around the wreck with the bait fish on the ascent. Dive plans are written as I intended on this dive a month or so ago and got blown out.

Now, I will be doubly ready.

[PerroneFord]

All I can do is survey dives are the moment... but I am hoping to learn to do penetrations later.

I have been interested in doing wreck penetrations for over 20 years.

[WreckWench]

All I can do is survey dives are the moment... but I am hoping to learn to do penetrations later.

I have been interested in doing wreck penetrations for over 20 years.

Dang it Perrone! You don't look old enough to be dreaming about wreck penetrations for 20 years...unless you were dreaming of being a pirate as a kid!!

[TraceMalin]

Is your preference for this aspect of the sport strictly external survey, or do you also do penetration of the downed vessel?

If external only, why? If you go inside, why?

I'd also be interested in learning about your first wreck dive, and the training that led up to it.

IMHO, wreck penetration is absolutely the best scuba diving activity there is next to cave diving! But, the diving conditions or the mission of the dive usually will determine whether or not I explore inside a wreck or stay outside of one.

When I first started wreck diving, I'd usually do an external survey first and then penetrate a wreck on subsequent dives, but anymore, I do the opposite. I've found that it takes a lot of gas and time to swim around the exterior of a wreck on a first dive. Then, if you are going to penetrate on a second dive your bottom time will be more limited or you may have less gas in your doubles or stages than you would like. This would mean two external dives and then having to return on another day to penetrate a wreck. I did my share of this and found it annoying.

After I became an instructor and started teaching wreck diving, I would have my students thoroughly research a wreck and we'd create missions and dive plans for their certification dives. Once the internet became popular it changed everything. Information that was once gained through hours in the library became available instantly in just a few keystrokes. Now, it's possible to track down deck plans in minutes, get photos and up to date sketches of wrecks, post to boards and have people email you detailed information about wrecks and even streaming video.

We tease one of my former students, Chris, a dentist in New York City about his artifact recovery research. We'll start immitating him, "Guys, listen, I think I've found the location of the very last saucer on the wreck of the USS Diverkiller! When it sank it started listing to port, the saucer would have rolled down the first stairway landing on B deck. At the time, a 23 year old yeoman named Joseph Conaghy was walking by and picked it up just when he realized the ship was in trouble. He carried it past exactly 8 state rooms before leaving it... etc..." He laughs at stufff like this when we make fun of him, but he'll research the wrecks we dive months in advance and formulates a great strategy for artifact hunting. It hasn't worked for him yet, but you've got to love the work he puts into it.

I pretty much just pull up some pictures or sketches of a wreck I'm about to dive and figure out where I'd like to explore. I work out a plan and try to visualize the entire dive. Then, if we happen to anchor in a spot on the wreck that will allow me to do the plan, I will. If we hook at the wrrong side of the ship or if other factors aren't right for my dive plan I'll change it.

When the visibility is poor outside, I usually go right inside the first hatch or hole that I find. I'll tie off a primary line & head into the wreck. On some wrecks when the current is kicking, the marine life is much more plentiful and if vis is good you can see lots of pelagics. I've noticed this on wrecks like the USCG cutter Duane off Key Largo. So, if you're looking at sharks, tuna and such, you might want to hang around outside and enjoy. If there is nothing really interesting around a wreck and if I've penetrated on a first dive, I might just run a line out to explore the debris field if there is one or just head out in the sand and see what there is to see if a wreck seems dull.

My first wreck dive... I ran across a sunken rowboat in a lake in 10 feet of water as a kid. In thought it was so cool! I still think it is even though I've been on some of the largest and most intricate. It's neat to revisit it and see how it's falling apart over time.

Trace

[PerroneFord]

Dang it Perrone! You don't look old enough to be dreaming about wreck penetrations for 20 years...unless you were dreaming of being a pirate as a kid!!

When I was a youngster, I used to read about naval battles. I built model boats and would play with them in the bathtub. I would watch all the shows on TV about ships and stuff. I knew I wanted to go visit those ships one day.

In college, I learned more about naval conflicts, especially WW2 and Vietname. My father served in WW2 and used to tell me things. Though he wasn't in the Navy, he was in ships going around the world. After college, I decidedto get certified, and I had shipwrecks in mind. My first OW dive was on a shipwreck, and that was it for me. I knew that's where I would spend the bulk of my time when I was able.

So even though I haven't been diving in many years, I've been learning about ships, reading about diving, and trying to learn as much as I can about the technical side of diving so that as I progressed my experience, I'd be doing it from a position of understanding, rather than ignorance, like with my OW cert.

I hope one day to dive on some very cool ships around the world. My progression to this path begins in 2 weeks when I take my Nitrox course and get back in open water...

[Walter]

I've found that it takes a lot of gas and time to swim around the exterior of a wreck on a first dive. Then, if you are going to penetrate on a second dive your bottom time will be more limited or you may have less gas in your doubles or stages than you would like. This would mean two external dives and then having to return on another day to penetrate a wreck. I did my share of this and found it annoying.

Tomorrow is another day. I'm patient and here for the long haul.

[TraceMalin]

I've found that it takes a lot of gas and time to swim around the exterior of a wreck on a first dive. Then, if you are going to penetrate on a second dive your bottom time will be more limited or you may have less gas in your doubles or stages than you would like. This would mean two external dives and then having to return on another day to penetrate a wreck. I did my share of this and found it annoying.

Tomorrow is another day. I'm patient and here for the long haul.

Well, Walter, if you want to bother with all the foreplay & slowly taking your time to really get to know the lay of the land, more power to you. I will pretty much punch through the first hole that comes into view!

Trace

Edited by TraceMalin, 14 October 2005 - 09:35 AM.

[Walter]

Good luck to you, Trace.

[annasea]

Well, Walter, if you want to bother with all the foreplay & slowly taking your time to really get to know the lay of the land, more power to you. I will pretty much punch through the first hole that comes into view! 

Trace

And you're single because . . .

[ScubaHawk]

Well, Walter, if you want to bother with all the foreplay & slowly taking your time to really get to know the lay of the land, more power to you. I will pretty much punch through the first hole that comes into view! 

Trace

And you're single because . . .

"snicker"