PADI Wreck Diver Specialty

Your PADI Wreck Diver certification is valid for life and never expires. However, it applies strictly to artificial overhead environments (shipwrecks, sunken planes, etc.). It does not certify you to enter natural underwater cave networks or flooded caverns, which require completely separate, highly specialized Cavern and Cave Diving training.

Your safety and comfort are our absolute priorities. Wreck penetration is completely optional; you are never forced into a space that makes you uncomfortable. Our instructors choose wrecks with large, open entry and exit points where natural ambient light is still visible. If you ever feel anxious, a simple hand signal to your instructor will instantly pause or end the drill safely.

Entering an overhead environment without training is highly dangerous. Inside a wreck, you cannot make a direct vertical ascent to the surface in an emergency. Furthermore, without proper «frog kicking» techniques, an untrained diver can cause a sudden «silt-out,» turning clear water into absolute darkness within seconds. This course teaches you how to prevent and manage these specific hazards.

A silt-out occurs when a diver’s fins accidentally kick up the fine sediment and rust that rests on the floor of a shipwreck, reducing visibility to zero. During the course, we teach you tech-diving propulsion styles (like the frog kick) to prevent this entirely. We also train you to navigate safely along a pre-laid guide-line with your eyes closed so you know exactly how to exit by feel alone.

No, Diving Atlantis fully provides all specialized equipment required for your training—including high-intensity primary dive lights, pocket slate boards, and specialized penetration reels/finger spools. If you already own your own dive light or spool, we highly encourage you to bring it so you can become fully comfortable using your personal gear under supervision.

Tenerife offers several excellent sunken structures depending on your certification level and ocean conditions. We utilize various coastal locations, including accessible fishing boats and harbor wrecks in the south, which feature great entry pathways and are packed with local marine life like barracudas, stingrays, and moray eels. Our favourite is the Tabaiba wreck, that we will definitely visit with you on your wreck specialty course. We also dive in Meridiano and el Condesito wrecks. Read our article about wrecks in Tenerife.

The depth of your course dives depends on your existing certifications. If you are a standard PADI Advanced Open Water diver, your training will be conducted down to a maximum of 30 meters. If you also hold a PADI Deep Diver Specialty, we can utilize deeper wreck structures down to the 40-meter recreational limit.

The Rule of Thirds is a strict gas-management protocol used for overhead environments. You allocate one-third of your breathing gas for entering and exploring the wreck, one-third for exiting the vessel completely, and keep the final one-third stored safely in reserve for unexpected emergencies or delayed safety stops.

To start the Wreck Diver Specialty, you must hold a PADI Adventure Diver certification or higher (which means you have completed at least three adventure dives, including underwater navigation). Most students find it best to complete their full PADI Advanced Open Water certification before starting the Wreck course.