Subject 4 articles
Types of Scuba Diving
Types of scuba diving go well beyond a calm reef in clear water. Wrecks, caves, currents and darkness each bring something special to see and their own set of risks.
Articles in types of scuba diving
- Cave Diving
Flooded caves: cavern versus cave, guidelines, gas rules and why training matters.
- Drift Diving
How drift dives work, the gear you need and how to stay together.
- Night Diving
Nocturnal marine life, lights and light signals, and how to prepare.
- Wreck Diving
Sunken ships and aircraft: outside versus inside, the hazards and the rules.
Beyond the reef
Once divers are comfortable with the basics, many look for something new. This subject covers four of the most popular kinds of specialty diving. Wreck diving explores sunken ships and aircraft. Cave diving enters flooded caves and sinkholes, one of the most demanding forms of diving there is. Drift diving lets the current carry you along a reef or wall. Night diving shows a familiar site in a completely different way.
Overhead and open water
One idea divides these types more than any other: whether there is a clear path straight up to the surface. Drift and night dives are open-water dives, so in an emergency you can ascend directly. Diving inside a wreck or a cave puts a ceiling over your head, which training agencies call an overhead environment. In an overhead environment you can't simply swim up, so the gas you carry, the lines you lay and the lights you take become critical.
Training for each type
Agencies offer specialty courses for each type covered here. Night and drift diving are often part of an advanced open water course. Wreck penetration and cave diving need dedicated training, special equipment and a lot of experience. Diving inside a wreck or cave without that training is one of the most common factors in diving deaths.
Skills you'll build on
Every type here relies on the core scuba diving skills. Excellent neutral buoyancy keeps silt settled inside wrecks and caves and keeps you off fragile reefs at night. Clear hand signals and a good buddy check matter even more when visibility is low or the current is strong. Good gas planning, explained in scuba tanks, becomes essential the moment there is a ceiling overhead.