About the Course
Whether purpose-sunk as an artificial reef for scuba divers, or lost as the result of an accident, wrecks are fascinating windows to the past. Ships, airplanes and even cars are fascinating to explore and usually teem with aquatic life. Each wreck dive offers a chance for discovery, potentially unlocking a mystery or spying something others have missed. The PADI Wreck Diver Specialty course is popular because it offers rewarding adventures while observing responsible wreck diving practices.
If you’re at least 15 years old and have earned a PADI Adventure Diver certification or higher, you can enroll in the Wreck Diver Specialty course.
Take This Course If You Want to
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Explore inside wrecks
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See fascinating artifacts
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Learn special finning techniques
Learn How to
- Survey a wreck
- Use lines and reels
- Avoid common problems
How to Become a Wreck Diver
Every wreck is different. During the PADI® Wreck Diver course, you’ll learn how to explore different types of wrecks by investigating their layout, history and hazards, and practice specialized wreck diving skills.
Pre-requisites & Minimum Age
Minimum age: 15
Course prerequisites: PADI Adventure Diver (or similar from another training organization)
Time Commitment
PADI eLearning: 2-4 hours
Entire course: 2-3 days (dives must be completed over a minimum of two days)
Medical Requirements
Scuba diving requires a minimum level of health and fitness. Chronic health conditions, certain medications and/or recent surgery may require you to get written approval from a physician before diving.
Avoid disappointment, download and review the Diver Medical form to ensure you won’t need a physician’s approval to dive before enrolling in a scuba course. Instructors, divemasters and dive shop staff are not physicians and should not be asked for medical advice; only medical professionals can give medical clearance to dive.
If you (or your physician) have questions about medical fitness to dive, contact the experts at Divers Alert Network (DAN).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Looking for a detailed explanation of what's involved with learning to scuba dive? This comprehensive article covers everything you need to know about scuba certification.
Other Costs & Equipment
There is an additional cost to complete your certification. The cost may be influenced by class size, environment, equipment, boat fees, etc.
In addition to scuba gear required for the environment, during this course you may use:
- Dive lights
- Slate and underwater compass for mapping and navigation
- Line and reel (for practicing wreck penetration)
Other equipment appropriate for wreck diving in your area (ask your instructor).
After this course
The first dive of the PADI Wreck Diver Specialty course may count toward your Advanced Open Water Diver certification – ask your instructor about earning credit.
An Enriched Air Nitrox certification can help you spend more time diving inside wrecks and the Peak Performance Buoyancy course can help you avoid ruining the visibility and making unnecessary wreck contact. Each PADI Specialty you complete gets you one step closer to becoming an elite Master Scuba Diver.





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