Diver at the wreck of the Hilma Hooker, Netherlands Antilles.

Wreck diving is a type of recreational diving where shipwrecks are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificial dive sites. Shipwreck diving enables sport divers to visit the past. Each wreck is considered a time capsule into history waiting to be explored. Sport divers also make interesting artifact finds while exploring the remains of sunken ships. This enables the sport diving community to make its own contribution to historians and archaeologists by giving them the information needed for wreck identification and further research. Image File history File links 6943_aquaimages. ... Image File history File links 6943_aquaimages. ... Recreational diving is a type of diving that uses SCUBA equipment for the purpose of leisure and enjoyment. ... Shipwreck of the SS American Star Shipwreck in the Saugatuck River mouth in Westport, Connecticut A shipwreck or sunken ship can refer to the remains of a wrecked ship or to the event that caused the wreck, such as the striking of something that causes the ship to sink, the...

Reasons for diving wrecks

A shipwreck is attractive to divers for several reasons:

• it is an artificial reef, which creates a habitat for many types of marine life
• it often is a large structure with many interesting parts and machinery, which is not normally closely observable on working, floating vessels
• it often has an exciting or tragic history
• it presents new skill challenges for scuba divers
• it is part of the underwater cultural heritage and may be an important archaeological resource

A reef surrounding an islet. ... Marine biology is the scientific study of the plants, animals and other organisms that live in the ocean or any other body of water. ... A machine is any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of tasks. ... HIStory - Past, Present and Future, Book I is a double-disc album (one half greatest hits, one half studio album) by American musician Michael Jackson released in June of 1995 by the Epic Records division of Sony BMG. The first disc, (HIStory Begins) contains fifteen hit singles from the past... Scuba diving is swimming underwater while using self-contained breathing equipment. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. ... Reearchers investigating the archaeology of shipwrecks need to understand the processes by which a wreck site is formed so that they can allow for the distortions in the archaeological material caused by the filtering and scrambling of material remains that occurs during and after the wrecking process. ...

Wreck diver training and safety

Wrecks may pose a variety of unique hazards to divers. Wrecks are often snagged by fishing lines or nets and the structure may be fragile and break without notice. Penetration diving, where the diver enters a shipwreck is an advanced skill requiring special training and equipment. Many attractive or well preserved wrecks are in deeper water requiring deep diving precautions. It is advisable to have a pair of shears or a diving knife which could be used in the event that the diver is entangled with fishing lines or ropes and to have a spare light source in case the primary light fails. If penetrating a wreck, a guideline tied off before entering a wreck and run out inside the wreck is advisable. A guideline helps a wreck diver in finding the way out easier in case of low visibility due to stirred up sediments. For penetration diving, a greater reserve of breathing gas should be allowed for, to ensure there is sufficient to get out of the wreck. Most wreck divers use a minimum of the rule-of-thirds for gas management. This allows for 1/3 of the gas down and into the wreck, 1/3 for exit and ascent and 1/3 reserve. In addition, because of the potential fragility of the wreck, the likelihood of disturbing sediments or disturbing the many marine animals that take advantage of the artificial habitat offered by the wreck, extra care is required when moving and finning. Penetration diving or no clear surface diving is a type of diving where the SCUBA diver enters a confined space from which there is no direct, purely vertical ascent to the safety of breathable air of the atmosphere at the surface. ... The meaning of term deep diving depends on the level of the divers diver training, diving equipment, breathing gas and surface support: in recreational diving, 30 metres / 100 feet may be a deep dive in technical diving, 60 metres / 200 feet may be a deep dive in surface supplied...

Many diver training organizations provide specialist wreck diver training courses, such as SDI, andPADI Wreck Diver, which divers are advised to take before wreck diving. Such courses typically teach skills such as air management and the proper use of guidelines and reels. Other organizations, such as TDI teach advanced wreck courses, that emphasize a hight level of training, experience and equipment . The Nautical Archaeology Society in the UK, teaches awareness of underwater cultural heritage issues as well as practical diver and archaeological skills. Other organizations, such as the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC) deliberately create artificial reefs to provide features for divers to explore, as well as substrates for marine life to thrive upon. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This page lists SCUBA diver training organizations. ... Diver training is essential for safe diving. ... SDI may refer to: Strength Deployment Inventory (http://www. ... The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) is the worlds largest recreational diving membership organization and diver training organization. ... TDI may stand for: Tabbed document interface, a type of graphical user interface Texas Department of Insurance The Dartmouth Independent, a newspaper at Dartmouth College Time Delay and Integration, timing synchronization in an image sensor Toluene diisocyanate, an organic chemical Turbocharged Direct Injection, a diesel engine used in cars made... The Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) is a charity registered in England and is a company limited by guarantee. ... Cultural heritage (national heritage or just heritage) is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations. ... Underwater archaeology is the study of past human life, behaviours and cultures using the physical remains found in salt or fresh water or buried beneath water-logged sediment. ... Construction in place of an artificial reef from hollow tile blocks An artificial reef is a man-made, underwater structure, typically built for the purpose of promoting marine life in areas of generally featureless bottom. ...

Protection of wrecks

A notice proclaiming the protected status of HMS Hazardous near Portsmouth, England

In many countries, wrecks are legally protected from unauthorized salvage or desecration. Download high resolution version (1024x768, 49 KB)Notice showing protected status of HMS Hazardous I took this photo myself This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 49 KB)Notice showing protected status of HMS Hazardous I took this photo myself This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Salvage may refer to: Look up salvage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In the United Kingdom, three Acts protect wrecks:

• Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 : certain designated, charted, historic or dangerous sites may not be dived without a license
• Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 : all military aircraft and 16 designated ships are considered war graves that can only be dived with a license. Other non-designated ships may be dived providing the divers do not enter, disturb or remove artifacts
• Merchant Shipping Act 1995 : all wrecks and cargoes are owned: each artifact removed must be reported to the Receiver of Wreck

Wrecks that are protected are denoted as such on nautical charts (such as admiralty charts); any diving restrictions should be adhered to. The Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 (1973 c. ... The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (1986 c. ... A war grave is a place where war dead are buried. ... The Receiver of Wreck is an official of the British government whose main task is to process incoming reports of wreck in order to give the legitimate owner the opportunity to retrieve their property ensure that law-abiding finders of wreck receive an appropriate reward This involves researching ownership, liaising... The Receiver of Wreck is an official of the British government whose main task is to process incoming reports of wreck in order to give the legitimate owner the opportunity to retrieve their property ensure that law-abiding finders of wreck receive an appropriate reward This involves researching ownership, liaising... Portion of chart of Bering Strait, site of former land bridge between Asia and North America. ... Admiralty charts are nautical charts issued by the UK Hydrographic Office and subject to Crown Copyright. ...

See also

• Shipwrecks
• Archaeology of shipwrecks
• Aviation archaeology
• Nautical Archaeology Society
• Marine salvage
• Diver training