Most wrecks are located well offshore, meaning almost all wreck dives are also boat dives. Depending on currents and visibility, it can be a tough task to find your way back to the anchor line after the dive has come to a conclusion – and if you can’t locate it, you’ll ultimately end up exceeding no-deco limits or perhaps opting for a long surface swim back to the dive boat. Here are a few helpful tips for finding your way around a wreck.
Dive Into the Current
Start your dive into the current so your return trip back to the anchor line is an easy one. If you’re diving on an intact wreck in good visibility, you probably will have no trouble returning just by noting where you are once you arrive at the wreck, but if the wreck is scattered or visibility is limited, you would do well to use a tether line reel if possible. Although this method limits your ability to explore, it also ensures you’ll have an easy time making your way back to the anchor line. Be careful not to release extra line as this poses a serious entanglement hazard.
Use the Perimeter Search Method
This tactic calls for a descent to the bottom of the anchor line, after which you’ll swim directly to one side of the wreck, take note of a unique characteristic and its position relative to the line, and then take some time to explore the wreck by going around its perimeter. Once you’re finished, you can make your way back to the side you started on and easily backtrack to the anchor line.
Use a Strobe
If visibility is moderate, you can easily keep track of the anchor line by attaching a strobe about 20 to 30 feet up from the wreck. This way, you’ll be able to see the strobe from a distance, and you can explore freely while staying within sight of the strobe.
Use a Compass
Learn to use a compass to find your way around underwater, and your likelihood of ever being really lost will decrease dramatically. Take note of your heading when you set out to explore, and reverse as you make your way back to your starting point. You can then set out in a different direction and return, repeating this as many times as you need to in order to cover the whole wreck. You can easily learn this process by staying within sight of the anchor line. Swim just a short distance following your compass, then reverse course and take note of the heading. With practice, you’ll be able to find your way around underwater even in very low visibility conditions.
When shore diving, you can use a compass or you can triangulate by taking note of objects on shore. If the shoreline is fairly featureless, you can put up a tent, fly a flag, or put up a strobe light or two to make it easy to find your way back to the spot where you entered the water. This way, you won’t have to walk a long distance in full kit.
Try a few of these methods out next time you’re wreck diving, whether visibility is good, bad, or otherwise. The more you practice them, the easier it will be for you to make your way around underwater in the future.