Wreck Diver
Uncover history resting on the seabed
2 days
PADI Certified
Course booking
From
£265.00
Need help choosing? Our team can match the course to your experience, goals and confidence level.
PADI 5-Star
Instructor Development Centre
Small Groups
Real Instructor Attention
Unit 4, Bellman Court, Great Knollys Street, Reading, RG1 7HD
Diving Academy
Safety First
Confidence Before Speed
Course overview
What to expect
Wreck Diver
Wrecks are part history lesson, part artificial reef, and some of the most captivating dive sites on the planet, but exploring them properly takes a different mindset, which is what this specialty teaches over two focused days. You'll learn to survey and map a wreck before entering the water, master finning techniques that keep visibility clear, and use line and reel to maintain a safe path. Open to Adventure Divers aged 15 and up, with a Junior option from 12.
In detail
About This Course
Wrecks are some of the most fascinating dive sites in the world, part history lesson, part artificial reef, and often home to an extraordinary amount of marine life. They also demand a different mindset and skill set from open water diving, which is exactly what the PADI Wreck Diver Specialty is designed to teach over two focused days.
You will learn how to survey and map a wreck before diving it, building a mental picture of layout and potential hazards, and how to explore responsibly so that these fragile, often historic, sites are preserved for future divers. Special finning techniques feature heavily, since careless fin kicks can stir up silt and ruin visibility for everyone.
The course also introduces the use of lines and reels for maintaining a safe path in and around structure, a skill that builds real confidence even on wrecks you have no intention of penetrating. Throughout, you will cover how to recognise and manage the problems specific to wreck diving, from entanglement to disorientation, and how to avoid them in the first place.
Wreck Diver counts toward the Master Scuba Diver rating and sits naturally alongside Deep Diver and Search and Recovery specialties, making it a popular choice for divers building toward more advanced, technically minded diving.
The process
How The Course Works

Step 1
Knowledge Development
You start by learning how to responsibly research and plan a wreck dive before you ever reach the site, covering the hazards specific to sunken ships, aircraft and cars, and the equipment considerations that come with them. It is the groundwork that keeps curiosity from turning into a problem underwater.

Step 2
Wreck Diving Skills
You then build the specific techniques wrecks demand - running lines and reels, using a dive light properly, and safely approaching the entrances of intact structures. These are the skills that turn a wreck from an intimidating shape in the gloom into a site you can explore with confidence.

Step 3
Wreck Dives
Everything comes together on real wrecks with your instructor, putting your planning, lines and hazard-awareness into practice on the sites themselves. By the end you are certified to seek out sunken history and artificial reefs wherever your diving takes you.
PADI states: at least four dives with your instructor; prerequisite is Adventure Diver (or equivalent) certification at age 15+
Course curriculum
What You'll Learn
Learning Outcomes
- survey and explore wrecks responsibly
- special finning techniques
- use of lines and reels
- avoid and manage common wreck-diving problems
Getting ready
Before You Start & What's Next
Prerequisites
- PADI Adventure Diver certification or higher (or qualifying certification from another training organization)
- Minimum age 15 (Junior Wreck Diver certification available from age 12 to 14 with depth limits)
Next Steps
- PADI Deep Diver Specialty
- PADI Search and Recovery Diver Specialty
- Master Scuba Diver rating, toward which Wreck Diver counts as one of five specialties
Upcoming training
Dates & Booking
No fixed dates listed right now
Choose your preferred start date and the academy will confirm instructor availability with you directly.
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We will help you pick the right course, package and dates without making the process feel complicated.
Quick facts
Duration
2 days of structured training
Location
Unit 4, Bellman Court, Great Knollys Street, Reading, RG1 7HD
Certification
Recognised PADI qualification on completion
Have questions?
We're here to help
Our course directors can talk you through Wreck Diver, confirm it's the right fit for your experience, and help you find a date that works.
From
£265.00
