Wreck diving: Beware of entanglement

by B. N. Sullivan

What:  This photo of Jerry ascending from a wreck dive is a reminder that the potential for entanglement is one of the hazards of diving on natural wrecks.  Wrecks that have been intentionally sunk as artificial reefs and diver playgrounds usually are prepared ahead of time to minimize hazards that could lead to diver entanglement or entrapment.   Doorways and portholes are removed or welded open, and cables, lines, and other sources of entanglement are taken off the vessel.  This is not the case with natural wrecks, i.e., vessels that have sunk as a result of an accident, or war.  Proper training in wreck diving will educate the diver about how to recognize and cope with the risks entailed in diving on natural wrecks.

Where:  I took this photo of Jerry at the site of the wreck of the Zenobia, a modern ship that sank in 1980 off the coast of Larnaca, Cyprus.  The Zenobia was a huge vessel, more than 172 meters (560 feet) in length, with a beam of about 23 meters (75 feet).  Click here to see a photo of the Zenobia, just before she sank.

We made a number of dives on the wreck of the Zenobia in the 1990s.  In case you missed our series of articles about those dives (with photos), here they are:

• Diving the Wreck of the Zenobia - Introduction
• The Wreck of the Zenobia - A Brief History
• First dives on the wreck of the Zenobia
• Bottom Time on the Wreck of the Zenobia
• Diving Inside the Zenobia's Parking Deck
• Final Dives on the Wreck of the Zenobia
• Photo: Our friend Joe photographs Jerry on the wreck
• Photo: Diving on the Wreck of the Zenobia