After spending two weeks in Amed, the highlight of it all was definitely completing the PADI Wreck Specialist course. If you have ever thought about getting certified as a PADI Specialist or if you haven’t heard of PADI Specialities, take a break from your search engine and read on as I’ll tell you all about getting Wreck certified!
Wrecks are always exciting dives! In my opinion, there is nothing better than how you feel while you are swimming along and suddenly you look up to shadows of the wreck in front of you. To see how nature takes over something that is “lost” forever is magical. There’s a reason why the wrecks near Amed are so sought after by guests at Two Fish, they take you to another world, another time.
The PADI Wreck Speciality takes you on four exciting wreck dives where you learn how to maneuver a wreck, spot hazards, spot marine life and the most exciting, safely penetrate a wreck!
During the wreck course, I got to visit two wrecks, one being the historical USAT Liberty Wreck and the other artificial reef called Boga Wreck in Kubu. Liberty Wreck was a United States Army cargo ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942 where it was beached in Tulamben. In 1963, Mount Agung erupted and the Liberty slid down the beach to where it now lies. The Liberty is Bali’s most famous wreck and is a must see if you come diving in Bali. As for Boga Wreck, it is called an artificial reef because a resort in Kubu sank the ship for divers to explore, gutting the inside and placing objects inside for divers to find. There’s even an old jeep inside!
My first two dives were on the Liberty Wreck and they did not disappoint. The first two of the specialty dives were more like fun adventure dives with tasks to complete while enjoying the views of the wrecks. Another DMT, Ming, and I had the task of measuring the height, width, and length of the cargo room of the Liberty so we could use these to help us in mapping it. Melissa, my instructor got me to note points of interest and the amount of time it took us to reach the bow as I was to lead us out of the dive back to the beach at the end. During both dives, we were lucky enough to catch big Bumphead Parrot Fish, as well as some big, marble groupers.
After the first two dives, it was on to the more interesting tasks! Learning how to tie a penetration line, the safety of penetrating a wreck and finally penetrating Boga Wreck! During the first dive, I got to practice in laying out the penetration line on the top of the wreck as well as noting the entrance and exit points. I was now ready for the last dive, the penetration dive! With my regulator in my mouth and eyes on my decompression time, I followed my instructor through Boga Wreck’s first floor, past the jeep filled with life and up into the second floor where we made our exit. It all seemed so fast and was all so exciting! We surfaced and there I was a certified PADI Wreck Specialist!
By April Wilder, Two Fish Divemaster Candidate
Check out the video, posted in an earlier blog!
