Wreck diving is probably one of the most interesting type of dives that’s doable almost for all levels. There just something so mysterious and exciting about exploring an abandoned wreck in the bottom of the sea. The adventure thrills, the creepy yet amazing skeleton of the ship, and the sense of re-discovering the unknown makes wreck diving so intoxicating. Bali has one of the most popular wreck diving site in the north coast. It’s the USS Liberty Ship, a previously US Army cargo ship serving in World War II that was torpedoed by Japanese submarine on its way to the Philippines. Deserted in Tulamben’s coastline, a volcano eruption in 1963 pushed the ship to completely submerged underwater. The USS Liberty is the only shipwreck in the whole world that’s accessible just from shallow water, resting on a sand slope in 9 to 30 meter down. The easy accessibly makes this wreck a stunning attraction for beginner divers who just try on their open water! If this is your first wreck diving, we’ve covered things that you need to do, what you want to see, types of wreck diving, and which safety accessories you need to bring.
Why Wreck Diving Bali is Alluring
How many times you have sailed with ships? Probably several times. How many times you see the machines and structures of the ships up close? Probably never, unless you are a ship engineer. This is one of the reason why wreck diving is so alluring for many. It’s not everyday we can see structures of large machinery down to its smallest parts, so close and undisturbed. Seeing something so grand, once floating gallantly on the ocean, now sit in the sea floor and reclaimed by nature evoke bemused feeling to anyone who see it. Part of the beauty of wreck diving in Bali is seeing how colourful coral gardens blooms on the skeleton, alive with swarming school of fishes and basically turned into a wonderful marine ecosystem.
What Kind of Wreck Diving You Gonna Do?
Wrecks tends to have many rooms and parts inside—it was a ship, after all! Due to the structure, wreck diving is categorised into three: the non penetration diving, limited penetration diving, and full penetration diving. Non penetration diving means swimming over the wreck to just see the sceneries around the wreck site. It’s the least dangerous and highly recommended for anyone who just have their first wreck diving.
Limited penetration diving means entering the “light zone” of the wreck. You will only dive as far as the lights illuminate parts of the wreck. Much like what Mufasa told his son Simba. Full penetration wreck dive should only be done by professionals who’s been familiar with wreck diving techniques and the dangers inside it. In full penetration dive, you go behind the “light zone”. You need to have great navigation skills as you could get lost on the darkness or get tangled between cables and fishnets. The USS Liberty wreck dive in Tulamben Bali allows you to do the all three–pick one according to your level.
Read More: How to Exploring Bali at Its Best So Your Trip Will Be Worthy?
What You Need to Bring
Though wreck diving is entirely amusing, it should be proceed with cautions. You need to always remember the safety procedures and bring equipment that could help your safety guard. Some necessary items for wreck diving are dive lights, wreck line and reel (especially when you do penetration diving), underwater slate, thick gloves which won’t get easily ripped as you grip the coral-covered structures.