Course overview

Explore Sri Lanka's south-coast shipwrecks with the PADI Wreck Diver specialty in Hikkaduwa, a town known for sunken vessels resting between roughly 18 and 30 metres. Over four dives you learn to survey wrecks, plan safe penetration limits and run guide lines, all on real historic wreck sites close to shore. You finish certified as a PADI Wreck Diver, qualified to explore wrecks responsibly.

What you’ll learn

• Survey and map a shipwreck safely
• Plan wreck dives and manage no-decompression and air limits
• Use guide and penetration lines and reels
• Avoid hazards such as silt-out, entanglement and sharp structure
• Carry and deploy a redundant light and backup gear
• Apply special finning and buoyancy techniques around wrecks

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 15
• PADI Adventure Diver or Advanced Open Water Diver (or equivalent)
• Comfortable with buoyancy control
• Diver medical clearance signed by a physician

What's included · What's not

Probability of sightings · month-by-month

What you're likely to see each month, based on historic operator logs.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1
   Theory & first wreck dives

   Wreck-diving knowledge, planning and your first two dives surveying a Hikkaduwa wreck from the outside.
2. Day2
   Mapping & line work

   Two further dives mapping the wreck, laying guide lines and practising hazard avoidance to complete certification.

Verified through iDive

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Frequently asked questions