Discover Wreck Diving with Midwest Scuba Center

Wreck diving is one of the most rewarding specialties in scuba. Every site is unique — a living museum of history, marine life, and adventure. At Midwest Scuba Center we teach both PADI Wreck Diver and SDI Wreck Diver specialties so you can choose the certification path that best fits your goals and experience.

We structure the training in two clear levels so you can progress at a pace that matches your interests and schedule.

Two Levels of Training

Level 1 – Non-Penetration Wreck Diver

• Focuses on safe exterior exploration, navigation, and mapping.
• No penetration dives.
• Includes two open-water dives.
• Can be completed in a single day.

You will learn how to survey a wreck, identify hazards, maintain buoyancy and orientation around the structure, and practice responsible wreck diving techniques without entering overhead environments.

Level 2 – Limited Penetration Wreck Diver

• Includes everything in Level 1 plus limited penetration training.
• Adds 1 or 2 additional dives focused on guideline use, light techniques, air management, and supervised limited penetration (within the ambient light zone).
• When combined with Level 1, the full course typically takes two days and totals three or four dives.

Limited penetration means swimming through or within the natural light zone of an entry point while maintaining a continuous guideline and proper gas reserves. This is the recreational standard taught by both agencies for safe overhead exploration.

Course Prerequisites

PADI Wreck Diver

• Minimum age 15
• PADI Adventure Diver certification or higher (or equivalent from another agency)

SDI Wreck Diver

• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver certification (or equivalent)
• Non-Penetration (Level 1): Minimum age 10 with parental consent
• Limited Penetration (Level 2): Minimum age 15 with parental consent (or 18 without)
• Junior Open Water Divers may not participate in penetration activities or dives deeper than 60 feet / 18 meters
• Deep Diver specialty (or documented experience) is required for any training dives deeper than 60 feet / 18 meters

A current medical questionnaire (and physician clearance if indicated) is required for all participants.

What You Will Learn

• Researching and respecting wrecks (including legal and historical considerations)
• Hazard recognition (sharp edges, entanglement, silt, limited visibility, disorientation)
• Exterior surveying and mapping techniques
• Use of dive lights, reels, and guidelines
• Navigation on and around wrecks
• Air management and turnaround pressures for overhead environments
• Techniques to avoid disturbing the wreck or stirring silt
• Emergency procedures specific to wreck diving

These skills transfer directly to wreck diving anywhere in the world — from Great Lakes sites to tropical artificial reefs and historic shipwrecks.

Take Your Wreck Diver Course With Us – Locally or on a Trip

You have two great ways to complete your PADI or SDI Wreck Diver Specialty with Midwest Scuba Center:

Option 1: Take the course on one of our dive trips Join us on a group dive vacation and earn your certification while exploring real wrecks in warm, clear water. We’ll build the training into the trip schedule so you can learn and dive in an exciting destination at the same time.

Option 2: Complete the course locally before your trip Get certified here at home first. This way, when you arrive on vacation, you’re free to enjoy every dive without spending time in class. You’ll already have the skills and confidence to explore wrecks more fully during your trip.

Whether you prefer to train on location or arrive already certified, we’ll help you choose the option that best fits your schedule and travel plans. Just let us know which approach works better for you when you enroll.

Why Train with Midwest Scuba Center?

We are a long-established Midwest dive center with deep experience teaching specialty courses and organizing group trips. Our instructors emphasize practical skills, safety, and real-world application so you leave the course ready to explore wrecks confidently and responsibly.

Whether you want a single-day non-penetration introduction or the full limited-penetration certification, we tailor the schedule and dive sites to local conditions and your goals.

Ready to Start?

Contact Midwest Scuba Center to check upcoming dates, confirm you meet the prerequisites, and reserve your spot.

Sign up today and turn every wreck into a story you’ll remember.