“Wreck Valley” Diver

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"Wreck Valley" Diver, the elite Scuba rating authored at Swim and Scuba of Long Island- earn this PADI Distinctive Specialty Rating that sets you apart as an Northeast Atlantic Wreck Diver.

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There is a comprehensive listing of dive sites in the New Jersey / Long Island area, covering shipwrecks, artificial reefs, beach dives, and selected inland sites. The emphasis is on recreational ( less than 130 ft ) diving in northern New Jersey, New York and Long Island since that's where we live and dive. The current total is over 400 references, although this includes a few shipwrecks that are of purely historical interest.

Wreck Valley is a superb place for wreck diving. Estimates of the number of wrecks off this coast are between 4000 and 7000. To get some idea of what a staggering figure this is, take a look at the charts here, and for every black cross denoting a shipwreck, imagine 15-20 more. As if this was not enough, every year many excellent new "shipwrecks" are added by active artificial reef programs in both New Jersey and New York. Wrecks vary in age from the 18th century to World Wars I & II to the present day.

By visiting 5 Atlantic Ocean local wrecks, and having earned the Wreck and Deep Diver certifications, including dives at the two core wrecks the Stolt and the San Diego, and taking the brief class to familiarize you with the Northeast's Wreck Valley, you will earn this Prestigious Distinctive Dive Specialty rating.

http://www.scubadiving.com/travel/northeast/wreck-valley-new-york-new-jersey

Why is Long Island wreck diving its own discipline?

The stretch of water off Long Island and northern New Jersey is called Wreck Valley because of how
many ships are on the bottom of it. Diving them is not the same activity as diving a warm, clear reef,
and that is the reason a distinctive specialty exists for it.

  • Cold water, year round. Most serious local diving is done in a drysuit, which is a
    skill in itself rather than a warmer wetsuit.
  • Visibility that changes by the hour. Planning assumes you may lose sight of the
    wreck, so navigation and line work matter more than they do in clear water.
  • Boat diving with current. Entries, descents down a line, and staying with the
    structure are the skills the day actually turns on.
  • Depth. Many of the well-known wrecks sit deep enough that bottom time is short and
    gas planning is not optional.

What is the Wreck Valley rating for?

The Wreck Valley rating is a PADI Distinctive Specialty, which means it is a course written for a
particular kind of local diving rather than a global standard. It exists to take a diver who is
comfortable in open water and make them competent on cold, deep, low-visibility steel.

Prerequisites depend on the diver and where they are starting from, so ask rather than assume. In
practice, divers arrive at it after advanced training and some combination of deep, wreck and drysuit
experience.

What should I do before I book a local wreck dive?

Local diving rewards preparation more than enthusiasm. If you have not been in the water since last
season, do a shore dive or a pool refresher before a wreck day: the first cold-water descent of the year
is a poor time to discover that a skill has gone rusty.

Wreck Valley Diver rating: common questions

What is the Wreck Valley Diver rating?

The Wreck Valley Diver rating is a PADI Distinctive Specialty written at Swim and Scuba for Northeast Atlantic wreck diving. It is a course for a particular kind of local diving rather than a global standard, meant to make a diver who is comfortable in open water competent on cold, deep, low-visibility wrecks.

How do you earn the Wreck Valley Diver rating?

You earn it by visiting 5 local Atlantic Ocean wrecks, including dives at the two core wrecks, the Stolt and the San Diego, after earning the Wreck and Deep Diver certifications, and by taking a brief class on the Northeast's Wreck Valley. Prerequisites depend on the diver, so ask rather than assume.

What makes wreck diving off Long Island different?

Local wreck diving means cold water year round, so most serious diving is done in a drysuit. Visibility can change by the hour, boat dives involve current and descents down a line, and many well-known wrecks sit deep enough that bottom time is short and gas planning is not optional.