The Practical Guide to Wreck Diving

Bonaire: Hilma Hooker Drug-running boats are a boon to the diving community. They’re sunk often and quickly. For divers who like a good story, they tend to keep revealing details long after the drain-plug was pulled. On Bonaire, the Hilma Hooker is one such gift — although it wasn’t deep-sixed quickly in the dead of night. The DEA was already hot on its stern in 1984, and would have preferred its evidence dry, but the already detained vessel couldn’t comply. Over the next five days, it took on water and sank. Luckily for us, this happened in a convenient location. Find it 3 miles south of the main city of Kralendijk, marked by yellow stone 43 on shore — the swim out is only 300 yards. Buddy Dive Resort instructor German Arango favors this wreck because even a simple swim around its entirety — and it’s just 235 feet long — yields a look at the wreck’s nameplate. The vessel sank with everything inside. Those who penetrate can easily identify the crew quarters, the head and the engine room. Go Now: buddydive.com

Oahu, Hawaii: Sea Tiger “Some wrecks are twisted metal, and the entries and exits precarious — I love the Sea Tiger because it has none of that,” Lewis Heuermann, PADI IDC Staff Instructor for Dive Oahu, says of this artificial reef, sunk in 1999. Wreck-specialty students must map a wreck, navigate the exterior and, if they choose, explore the interior. “The Sea Tiger makes all those skills very easy and very accessible to most divers,” says Heuermann. He takes his students to the bridge, cabins and cargo holds. “The cargo holds are easy to drop into, then swim around and swim out vertically without navigating any passageways.” Plus, it’s here that Heuermann watches his students’ eyes light up as the wreck’s history flickers to life. The Sea Tiger had several lives, including illegally transporting immigrants from China before the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society bought it to aid in the fight against drift-diving fishermen. “When you see a ship from the outside, it’s like seeing the tip of the iceberg,” Heuermann says. “Only from the inside does the whole story come together.” Go Now: Dive Oahu

Bali, Indonesia: USAT Liberty “If we were talking about serious wreck penetration, the Liberty wouldn’t even be considered,” says Simon Pridmore, Indonesia dive guidebook author. “As a recreational dive, it’s nearly perfect: It’s a big, interesting historical wreck, and it has pretty much everything you need.” The 411-foot-long Liberty lies off the beach of Tulamben, a fishing village on the Indonesian island of Bali. In 1963, lava pushed it to its current location in the sea, where it sits with a maximum depth of 100 feet. Most of the wreck is much shallower, starting at 13 feet. “It’s also very open,” says Pridmore. “It was broken up on the beach, spread out by lava and, every year, storms break it up a bit more.” This fractured structure creates a warren of interest points to map, with highlights that include the rudder, boilers, massive cargo holds and the coral-covered stern gun. The wreck also offers several swim-throughs, one of which spans 80 well-lit feet — in other words, the Liberty is anything but enclosed. “The fun is trying to figure out what is what,” Pridmore says. “The coral growth is astonishing.” Go Now: aquamarinediving.com

Salt Island, British Virgin Islands: RMS Rhone "When we dive a wreck, we’re looking for four things,” says Mike Rowe, Course Director for Sail Caribbean. “One is the general condition of the wreck: We want a stable, safe structure. The Rhone lends itself well to that — it’s been underwater for 150 years and was built from iron, so it’s retained a solid structure.” Second are points of interest. Although most of its artifacts have already been salvaged from the Rhone, which sank in 1867, the ship is still a fertile finding ground with canons, portholes, silver teaspoons and coral-encrusted rum bottles. The third requirement is a lack of hazards. Says Rowe, “With the Rhone, anything that would have fallen or come apart has likely already done so.” The fourth condition applies to divers who wish to penetrate: Is it easy to do so? The Rhone split in two, which grants divers easy, unobstructed access to its holds. The severing also broke the vessel into two dives. “The bow is dark and ominous,” says Rowe of the mostly intact section at 80 feet. “Whereas the shallower stern is a real aquarium.” The stern is also where even snorkelers can linger over what is Rowe’s favorite part of the site: the 18-foot-tall propeller sitting in 20 feet of water. “It’s pretty incredible — you jump in past a prop that’s 1 foot across, and then here’s this massive thing — but that’s what was needed for a 310-foot-long iron ship to reach a cruising speed of 14 knots.” This is what’s perhaps most compelling about the Rhone: The longer the ship remains, the greater our appreciation for its struggles. Go Now: bvitourism.com

Key Largo, Florida: USCGC Duane There is a big disconnect between understanding a wreck’s layout mapped on paper and in its actual water-filled hallways. Take the Duane, one of South Florida’s artificial reefs, which was sunk in 1987. “I’ve had students who could recite the deck design,” says Shawn Robotka, IDC Staff Instructor at Ocean Divers in Key Largo, Florida. Then, mid-dive he quizzes them via slate as to which room they're in. The students only shrug. Beginners are mentally tracking no-decompression limits while physically handling new gear, such as reels and lights. Plus, information is harder to process at depth thanks to the effects of nitrogen. “On paper, wrecks appear pristine. But the Duane has been down some 20-plus years — it’s covered in coral. And, in person it's much darker," says Robotka. "It's a very relaxed and easy wreck to work with," Robotka says. Many possible hazards were removed prior to sinking. One thing that was left in place: an extensive railing system for teaching students how to tie-off reels. It's one more skill — just like navigation — that becomes second nature with practice. Go Now: oceandivers.com

Scapa Flow Scotland: SMS Coln "It’s instant shipwreck gratification,” says Scapa Scuba dive shop instructor Kieran Hatton of the SMS Coln, the Scapa Flow, Scotland, wreck within recreational limits that he deems most rewarding. On June 21, 1919, German troops mistakenly heard that peace talks failed and they needlessly scuttled 52 ships. Of these, the 510-foot-long Coln is the most intact of the four German cruisers remaining off the coast of the Orkney Islands. It now lies on its starboard side in 118 feet of water. “You can see the graceful lines of an early 20th-century warship,” Hatton says, “and a few guns still in place.” Other features not to miss include range finders on the armored conning towers, the manual anchor winches and, says Hatton, “the anchor chains — these things are as big around as your arm.” Add it all up, and it should satisfy your wreck-diving curiosities. Adds Hatton, “If that doesn’t work, it’s time to take up parachuting.” Go Now: scapascuba.co.uk

Chuuk Lagoon, Micronesia: Nippo Maru National Geographic’s May 1976 cover inspired Bob Bodkin to take up diving. The image showed an encrusted tank on the San Francisco Maru, part of the Truk Lagoon (now known as Chuuk Lagoon) fleet. For Bodkin, this location — and these wrecks — became instantly synonymous with exploration. He’s now a wreck and technical diver who has returned to Chuuk every year since 2003. The vessel that first nudged him to explore on his own was another tank-carrying sunken vessel: the 352-foot-long Nippo Maru, which sank in 1944. Recreational divers can take in the coral-covered masts, the wheelhouse and telegraph, and the deck where a tank remains. Those with more training can press on. “The ship sits upright, and it’s very open,” he says. “You have three ways into the engine room: the torpedo hole, the galley and the skylight. With every dive, I kept going a lit bit deeper [inside]. My training gave me confidence.” This is the high that has Bodkin hooked. He adds: “It’s a much better feeling when you are doing the exploring. You feel like you have found something rather than been led to something.” Go Now: trukodyssey.com

Grand Cayman: USS Kittiwake With the PADI Wreck Specialty course comes the privilege to explore all five levels of the Kittiwake, purpose-sunk in 2011 — and, says Pete Foster-Smith, Sunset Divers’ operations manager, the confidence to do so. When told that the fourth and final dive of the course includes optional penetration, students often express concern. Then they finish the coursework, as well as dives one, two and three, and “99 percent go through the wreck,” says Foster-Smith. The wreck’s biggest advantage is how safe it is for beginners. Kittiwake has multiple exit points and — although the course teaches students how to handle possible hazards in a wreck — the vessel was swept clean of such potential dangers. Go Now: sunsethouse.com

Vanuatu: SS President Coolidge Get ready for the superlatives: It’s the largest, most accessible wreck in the world. The SS President Coolidge, sunk by mines in 1942, was a luxury-ocean-liner-cum-troop-ship. The wreck spans 653 feet, and it’s a shore dive off the island of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. Here, divers have what is possibly the largest menu of rooms to explore. Even open-water divers can explore the bow, which sits at a depth of 66 feet. Those holding at least an advanced-diver certification can continue on to the promenade deck at 110 feet, which is relatively open in terms of structure. Divers fin past rifles, gas masks, helmets and more. This route — which might lead some to suspect that this is the most artifact-heavy wreck — is also a proving ground. Divers with wreck training and who feel comfortable doing so may ask guides for a tour inside. Mild-penetration routes include cargo holds one and two, and the medical-supply room. Several of the routes — including traveling from cargo hold one to the salvage cart — could be classified as a cavern dive because light, aka an exit point, is always visible. With its accessibility and the fact that each dive reveals glimpses of possible future routes, the Coolidge might also be the most addictive wreck-diving experience.

St. Eustatius: CV Charles L. Brown From the moment you tie up at the mooring ball, you can see the entire ship — that’s really cool,” says Hugh Teel. The Connecticut dive-shop owner returns to Statia, a satellite island of St. Maarten, regularly to introduce his divers to the Charlie Brown, purpose-sunk in 2003. The 320-foot-long cable-laying ship, sits at 102 feet deep, where currents regularly rush past. This makes it hard for sponges and the like to take hold — but it attracts horse-eye jacks by the dozens. It’s also why Teel is convinced that wrecks are alive. “Place your hand on the outside of any porthole,” he says, “and you can feel the ship breathing.” The life-affirming current is also reason to try penetration — to seek relief when the current is too strong. The most obvious place to start is the “highway,” a 120-foot-long passage that runs through the superstructure. Portholes placed every few feet provide a view of the surface, and serve as optional exit points. It’s like penetration without any of the risk, which is also really cool. Go Now: Scubaqua Dive Center

St. Eustatius: CV Charles L. Brown From the moment you tie up at the mooring ball, you can see the entire ship — that’s really cool,” says Hugh Teel. The Connecticut dive-shop owner returns to Statia, a satellite island of St. Maarten, regularly to introduce his divers to the Charlie Brown, purpose-sunk in 2003. The 320-foot-long cable-laying ship, sits at 102 feet deep, where currents regularly rush past. This makes it hard for sponges and the like to take hold — but it attracts horse-eye jacks by the dozens. It’s also why Teel is convinced that wrecks are alive. “Place your hand on the outside of any porthole,” he says, “and you can feel the ship breathing.” The life-affirming current is also reason to try penetration — to seek relief when the current is too strong. The most obvious place to start is the “highway,” a 120-foot-long passage that runs through the superstructure. Portholes placed every few feet provide a view of the surface, and serve as optional exit points. It’s like penetration without any of the risk, which is also really cool. Go Now: Scubaqua Dive Center

Nassau, Bahamas: Sea Trader: Sunk just two years ago on the southwest side of New Providence Island, this mind-blowing wreck is already a favorite hangout for sharks and groupers — and, of course, divers. Go Now: Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas