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Prerequisites

 

• Minimum age: 18 years old.
   

• Certifications: PSAI Advanced Open Water, PSAI Advanced Buoyancy Control and PSAI Sport Wreck Diver* or equivalent certifications from a recognized dive agency.
  
  PSAI Advanced Nitrox or equivalent recommended.**
   

• Minimum of seventy (70) logged dives prior to entry to the course with at least twenty (20) logged dives deeper than 18 meters (60 feet). Twin set experience recommended.

 

*) If you don't have a recreational Wreck Diver Specialty rating, you can earn it in conjunction with the PSAI Advanced Wreck course.

 

**) Most wreck penetration dives are planned as decompression dives. While there are wrecks shallow enough to allow penetration within no-stop limits, most wrecks are in deeper waters, where no-stop limits don't leave much time for actual exploration.

 

 

Course Contents

 

• Potential risks & hazards associated with wreck diving

• Equipment for advanced wreck diving

• Propulsion techniques and buoyancy control

• Wreck penetration guidelines

• Gas management

• Pre-dive preparation for wreck diving

• Advanced wreck diving procedures and operations

• Underwater communication options for wreck diving

• Managing stress and preventing panic

• Dealing with emergencies

• Review of accident analysis

• Researching wrecks to dive

• Wreck diving conservation and the law

 

What you do

 

We'll first get your dive skills up to the level appropriate for wreck penetration. If you haven't done the ABC program, that is where you'll start. We'll do line drills both on land and underwater - day time and night time. For those we have perfect dive sites in Hong Kong. You'll also complete most of the academic study. Once you're ready, we'll go and do the actual wreck penetration dives: most common destinations are Subic Bay or Coron in the Philippines.

 

• Approximately 20-25 hours for classroom and practical demonstrations:
  these are done mostly at dive sites before and after dives. 

• Confined water (pool) sessions as needed

• Minimum of six (6) wreck penetration dives

 

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Materials

 

PSAI Advanced Wreck Penetration-Overhead Diver manual (and PSAI Wreck Sports Diver manual if you have not completed a recreational Wreck Diver Specialty).

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Equipment Requirements

 

• Standard technical diving equipment appropriate for the environment of the wreck dive.
   

• Cylinders with dual outlet manifold or manifold “doubles”. Two (2) independent first and second stage regulators, one (1) with a long hose. Cylinder outlets and regulator to manifold attachments are to be DIN.
   

• Penetration equipment including
  - Primary and two (2) secondary lights
  - Redundancy for buoyancy – Dual bladder BCDs recommended
  - Reels and directional markers
  - At least two line cutting devices
  - Surface Marker Buoy(s) with reel/ascent line
  - Decompression lines and appropriate aids for the specific wreck environment
  - Safety cylinder(s) to be tied off on descent/ascent line
  - Slate, pencil and compass
  - All equipment must meet the minimums defined in the PSAI Advanced Wreck Penetration - Overhead Manual.

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