>PADI Dive Courses>Wreck Diver

Thailand Scuba Diving Courses

PADI WRECK DIVER SPECIALTY

Want to explore sunken ships, crashed planes and lost treasures beneath the surface? Then the PADI Wreck Diver programme is just want you want.

The King Cruiser Wreck is an 85 metre long car ferry, located midway between Phi Phi Islands, Krabi and Phuket - Thailand. It's one of those rare days with sapphire blue clear, warm water, no surface swell and almost no current. The Kingcruiser sits in about 30 metres of water, but you can see her upper deck from the surface.

You drop down the buoy line at the stern to about 18 metres, and tour down the port side of the middle deck where cars were once housed. Dropping down a little further, you take a look at the propeller, then come up a bit and continue along the port side, finally exploring the captain's cabin before moving over to the mooring line. Rabbitfish and yellowtail barracuda swirl around the Kingcruiser Wreck during the entire dive, and, as you come up to the Captain's Cabin, you see the biggest lionfish you're ever likely to see, proudly displaying its venomous spines. You surface in the warm Phuket sun after about 40 minutes diving time.

The King Cruiser represents something you'll find at most top resort dive destinations: a world-class wreck dive. Artificial reefs such as shipwrecks create new environments for aquatic life, and they help lessen the crowding at the other dive sites during busy months. Although not intentionally sunk (at least, not for diving purposes!), the wreck is at a depth and location well suited to diving, so you can dive it reliably without being a tec diver.

No matter which dive destination you choose today, chances are you can wreck dive there. If your primary underwater interests involve photography or aquatic life, you certainly don't want to miss the opportunities that wrecks offer. So no matter where you dive travels take you, ask about the wrecks as well as the reefs.

During your Thailand wreck diving programme you'll go on 4 open water dives, which may be conducted over at least 2 days. This is where you'll put in to practice the information you gained from listening to your instructor and from the PADI Wreck Diving Manual and video. Topics covered include:

• The planning, organisation, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of wreck diving;
• The preparation and use of lights, air supplies, special equipment, penetration lines and reels;
• Limited-visibility diving techniques and emergency procedures.

The elective wreck dive conducted during the programme may count toward this specialty.

*Wreck penetration-training dives are limited to within the light zone and within 40 metres from the surface, vertical and horizontal distance included. If the wreck used for training is located in deep water (over 18 metres), the Deep Diver rating is recommended as a pre-requisite for the Wreck Diver programme.

Private Instruction

Location: Phuket

Boat Dives: 4 - including the 4 wrecks at Racha Yai Island

Duration: 2 days

Total Price per person (incl. all taxes): US$ 354

Note: If you prefer, you can pay for your course on the start date here in Phuket.

• PADI course price list