The PADI Wreck Diver Specialty teaches you how to safely and responsibly explore wrecks while developing the skills to understand their layout, recognize potential hazards and plan your wreck dives.
Over four open-water wreck training dives with a PADI Instructor, you'll learn how to survey and navigate a wreck, practice specialized finning techniques, identify potential hazards, and work with lines and reels used in wreck exploration. You'll also develop a better understanding of wreck dive planning, responsible wreck diving practices and how to minimize your impact on these unique underwater sites.
To enroll in the PADI Wreck Diver Specialty, you must be at least 15 years old and certified as a PADI Adventure Diver or hold a qualifying certification.
The USS Spiegel Grove is one of Key Largo’s most iconic wreck dive sites and an incredible place to put wreck diving skills into practice. Its massive structure gives divers opportunities to work on wreck surveying, navigation, buoyancy, finning techniques and responsible wreck exploration.
Planning to dive the Spiegel Grove? Learn more about this massive wreck and what to expect before your dive.
At Sail Fish Scuba in Key Largo, your PADI Instructor will guide you through the planning, procedures and skills involved in safe and responsible wreck diving.
Throughout four wreck training dives, you'll learn how to:
Wrecks introduce hazards and situations you may not encounter on a typical reef dive. Training helps you recognize those hazards, understand the wreck environment and make better decisions before and during the dive.
A wreck is more than something sitting on the bottom. Learning to survey its layout and identify important features can completely change the way you experience the dive. Instead of simply following the wreck, you begin to understand how it is positioned and how you want to explore it.
Many wrecks have become artificial reefs and important habitat for marine life. Good buoyancy, careful finning and avoiding unnecessary contact help protect both the wreck and the marine life that has made it home.
If wrecks are already some of your favorite dives, the PADI Wreck Diver Specialty is a natural way to continue your dive education. You'll spend four training dives doing something you already enjoy while developing new skills and becoming a more knowledgeable wreck diver.
Yes, the PADI Wreck Diver Specialty can introduce limited wreck penetration when the wreck, conditions and training objectives are appropriate.
You'll learn how to evaluate a wreck, identify potential hazards, plan entry and exit points, and use lines and reels for wreck exploration.
You'll also practice the buoyancy and specialized finning techniques that become especially important when diving around or inside wreck structures.
The PADI Wreck Diver training does not qualify you for unrestricted penetration into every part of a wreck. More advanced overhead environments require additional training, equipment and experience.
The PADI Wreck Diver Specialty includes four open water dives completed over a minimum of two days.
With each training dive, you'll build practical wreck diving experience in Key Largo under the guidance of a PADI Instructor.
The course combines practical underwater training with the knowledge needed to become a more capable and confident wreck diver. Each dive builds on the last, giving you hands-on experience with the procedures, planning, and considerations that become increasingly important when wreck diving.
Total Course Time: 2–3 days. Training must be completed over a minimum of two days.
Course Price: $499 + tax, plus PADI eLearning.
The PADI Wreck Diver Specialty Course is a scuba diving course with in-water training, so all participants are required to complete the Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire before beginning the course.
The Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire is designed to help assess your overall health and identify any medical conditions that could affect your ability to dive safely. The Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire is required for all recreational scuba diving and freediving courses.
1. If you respond with a “yes” to statements 3, 5 or 10 on page 1 of the Diver Medical form, you must obtain written clearance to dive from a physician as a prerequisite to in-water activities.
2. A “yes” response to statements 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 or 9 on page 1 of the Diver Medical form requires you to respond to statements on page 2. A “yes” response to any statements on page 2 requires written clearance to dive from your physician as a prerequisite to in-water activities.
3. There can be no restrictions or conditions noted by your physician (for example, depth limits, water temperature restrictions, etc.)
4. Medical clearance from a physician is valid for one year.
Scuba diving, freediving, and snorkeling are physically strenuous activities that require participants to be in good overall physical and mental health. If you have any concerns about your health or fitness to dive, we strongly recommend consulting with a physician prior to your participation. As a certified diver, it is your responsibility to maintain and refresh your knowledge and skills through regular practice and ongoing education.
Wreck diving requires excellent buoyancy, trim and situational awareness.
Wrecks can introduce additional hazards including sharp metal, entanglement hazards, current, unstable or deteriorating structures, limited visibility and areas where direct access to the surface may be restricted.
The PADI Wreck Diver Specialty can introduce limited recreational wreck-penetration skills when the wreck, conditions and training dive are appropriate. It should not be confused with technical wreck training for more complex overhead environments.
Knowing the limits of your training—and being willing to stay outside the wreck when a dive exceeds those limits—is part of being a good wreck diver.
Ready to take your wreck diving further? Join Sail Fish Scuba for the PADI Wreck Diver Specialty in Key Largo and build your skills in wreck navigation, surveying and responsible wreck exploration.
With a maximum 4:1 student-to-Instructor ratio, you'll get individual attention throughout your training. Space is limited
