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SSI Wreck Diver
Malta's Finest Wreck Training

Malta is one of the world's great wreck diving destinations. HMS Maori sits at 14m in Valletta harbour. Um El Faroud lies at 36m off the southern coast. The SSI Wreck Diver specialty teaches you the skills to explore these sites safely: navigation inside structures, buoyancy control, line techniques, and situational awareness that keeps you alive.

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Certified by SSI
Course Price
€367
€265 course fee + €102 SSI eLearning
✓SSI eLearning licence: €102
✓Course fee inc. full equipment: €265
✓4 open water dives on Malta wrecks
✓SSI Wreck Diver certification
✓Expert wreck diving instructor
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12
Min Age
OW Diver
Prerequisite
4
Open Water Dives
2
Duration (Days)
30m
Max Depth
12
Min Logged Dives
Course Overview

Wreck diving done right

The SSI Wreck Diver specialty is not just about getting inside a wreck. It is about understanding the environment: where the structure sits, how light and visibility change as you penetrate, and how to navigate out if conditions shift. The course builds skills progressively, from external survey dives to guided penetration on Malta's shallowest accessible wrecks.

Malta's wreck inventory is exceptional by any standard. You will train on sites like HMS Maori in Valletta harbour before your qualification unlocks access to deeper targets. Mediterranean clarity gives you 15 to 30m of horizontal visibility on most training days, which means you can see what you are doing and learn faster.

  • Survey and assess a wreck before any penetration
  • Deploy and follow a penetration line safely
  • Maintain precise buoyancy to avoid disturbing silt
  • Manage torch use, air consumption, and turn pressure inside structures
  • Understand the risks specific to wreck environments and how to mitigate them
  • Communicate effectively with a buddy inside confined spaces
Malta's Training Wrecks
HMS Maori
14m · Valletta Harbour
MV Rozi
34m · Cirkewwa
Um El Faroud
36m · Wied iz-Zurrieq
MV Karwela
40m · Xatt l-Ahmar, Gozo
X127 Lighter
5–22m · Marsamxett / Manoel Island
Scott's Craig
12–26m · Northern Malta
Certification

SSI Wreck Diver

On completion you hold the SSI Wreck Diver specialty certification. This is a globally recognised qualification that permits recreational wreck penetration to the limits of your training. It is accepted at dive operators worldwide and counts as credit toward the SSI Master Diver rating.

Cert LevelSpecialty
Max Depth30m recreational
Counts toward SSI Master Diver
Next Level

SSI Advanced Wreck Diver

Once you hold the Wreck Diver certification, you can continue to the Advanced Wreck Diver course. This extends your training to full penetration dives using reels, primary and backup lights, and more complex wreck navigation. Malta's deeper wrecks, including Um El Faroud and MV Karwela, become your classroom. See the Advanced Wreck Diver section below for full details and pricing.

PrerequisiteWreck Diver cert
PenetrationFull penetration dives
Max Depth30m with full penetration
Marine Life

What You Might See

A sample of the species you might actually see at this course's depth. Click any card to read the full species guide.

Wreck Diver Curriculum

SSI Wreck Diver: what you cover

The Wreck Diver specialty runs across two days and combines eLearning theory with four open water dives. Training begins on shallower, accessible wrecks and builds toward guided limited penetration.

Module 01

Wreck Diving Theory

eLearning covers wreck types, environmental hazards, entanglement risks, and the principles of penetration planning. You complete this before the water sessions begin.

Module 02

External Survey Skills

Your first dives focus on the exterior of the wreck. You learn to read the structure, identify entry and exit points, and assess current conditions and visibility before committing to penetration.

Module 03

Buoyancy and Finning

Inside a wreck, disturbed silt can reduce visibility to zero within seconds. You practise modified finning techniques and neutral hover to keep the environment clean and safe.

Module 04

Navigation and Line Techniques

You learn to deploy and follow a penetration reel, maintain continuous guidelines, and use natural light as a reference. Compass bearings and structural landmarks reinforce your navigation.

Module 05

Torch Use and Air Management

Lighting plans, primary and backup torch protocols, and turn-pressure calculation are covered. You practise signalling your buddy in low-light conditions inside the wreck structure.

Module 06

Guided Penetration Dives

The final dives combine all skills in guided penetration of a real wreck. Your instructor leads you through entry, navigation, and exit while you practise everything from modules 01 to 05.

Advanced Wreck Diver Curriculum

SSI Advanced Wreck Diver: what you cover

The Advanced Wreck Diver course runs over two days and includes four dives, all incorporating penetration. Prerequisite is the Wreck Diver certification. Malta's larger, more complex wrecks serve as the training environment.

Module 01

Advanced Planning and Risk Assessment

Deeper penetration requires more detailed planning. You cover gas management for complex wreck interiors, site-specific hazard assessment, and contingency planning with your buddy.

Module 02

Full Penetration Line Work

You move beyond guided lines to deploying your own reels into unmapped spaces. Reel management, directional markers, and T-junction navigation are all practised on real wreck structures.

Module 03

Primary and Backup Lighting

Complete light failure protocols, backup torch transitions, and buddy communication in zero-visibility conditions. You practise in progressively darker sections of the wreck interior.

Module 04

Complex Navigation

Multi-level wreck interiors, vertical drops through deck hatches, and navigation using structural reference points rather than guidelines. Your spatial awareness and judgment are the focus.

Module 05

Emergency Procedures

Out-of-air protocols inside a wreck, buddy team separation responses, and controlled ascent from depth through a confined exit. Practised until the procedures are automatic.

Module 06

Full Penetration Dives

Four open water dives, all including penetration elements. By the final dive you plan and execute the penetration independently under instructor supervision.

SSI

SSI Wreck Diver

Specialty certification: light-zone wreck penetration, widely recognised by dive centres globally.

Cert typeSSI Specialty certification
Depth limitYour existing cert limit (18m OW / 30m AOW)
Min. Age12 years
PrerequisitesOpen Water Diver
Card issuedDigital card via SSI app within 24hrs of completion. Physical card available on request.
ValidLifetime. No renewal required.
Next stepSSI Extended Range Wreck Diving: XR-level wreck penetration to 40m.
Pricing

SSI Wreck Diver options

All packages include the €102 SSI eLearning licence. All options include full equipment.

Most Popular
Wreck Diver
€367

€265 course fee + €102 SSI eLearning. All equipment included.

  • ✓SSI eLearning licence (€102)
  • ✓Course fee inc. full equipment (€265)
  • ✓4 open water dives on Malta wrecks
  • ✓SSI Wreck Diver certification
  • ✓Max 4 students per instructor
Book This
Private Instruction
€632

€530 course fee + €102 SSI eLearning. One-on-one instructor, full equipment.

  • ✓SSI eLearning licence (€102)
  • ✓Full course fee (€530)
  • ✓Dedicated one-on-one instructor
  • ✓Flexible scheduling to suit you
Enquire

All prices include VAT · See cancellation policy in FAQ

Next Level

SSI Advanced Wreck Diver

Continue the progression

The SSI Advanced Wreck Diver course is the natural continuation after your Wreck Diver certification. Where the Wreck Diver course introduces you to penetration in a controlled, guided environment, the Advanced course extends that into independent full penetration with your own reel work, complex multi-level navigation, and full light failure protocols. Malta's larger wrecks, including Um El Faroud off the southern coast and MV Karwela at Xatt l-Ahmar in Gozo, provide the ideal training environment. Four open water dives over two days, all including penetration elements of increasing complexity.

Advanced Wreck Diver Pricing

The same €102 SSI eLearning fee applies. If you have already completed the Wreck Diver eLearning, check with us as some content may carry forward.

Full Equipment Included
Advanced Wreck Diver
€367

€265 course fee + €102 SSI eLearning. All equipment included.

  • ✓SSI eLearning licence (€102)
  • ✓Course fee inc. full equipment (€265)
  • ✓4 penetration dives on Malta wrecks
  • ✓Reel and line equipment provided
  • ✓SSI Advanced Wreck Diver certification
  • ✓Max 4 students per instructor
Book This
Private Instruction
€632

€530 course fee + €102 SSI eLearning. One-on-one instructor, full equipment.

  • ✓SSI eLearning licence (€102)
  • ✓Full course fee (€530)
  • ✓Dedicated one-on-one instructor
  • ✓Flexible scheduling to suit you
  • ✓Faster progression through the syllabus
Enquire

All prices include VAT · Prerequisite: SSI Wreck Diver certification

FAQ

Common questions

No prior wreck experience is required. The SSI Wreck Diver course is designed to take you from recreational open water diver to competent wreck diver from scratch. You need a minimum of 12 logged dives and an Open Water Diver certification or equivalent. Your first dives on the course will be external surveys of the wreck before any penetration is attempted.
The specific wrecks depend on conditions and your entry level. HMS Maori in Valletta harbour, at 14m, is typically used for initial training dives because of its accessible depth and clear structure. As you progress, MV Rozi at Cirkewwa or sections of Um El Faroud may feature. Your instructor will brief you on the sites for each day at the morning briefing.
Wreck penetration carries inherent risks that open water diving does not: the possibility of entanglement, disorientation, silt disturbance reducing visibility, and blocked exits. The course exists precisely to give you the knowledge and skills to manage those risks before you encounter them independently. All training dives are supervised by an SSI instructor. The skills you learn, including guideline deployment, torch protocols, and turn pressure discipline, are the same techniques professional wreck divers use on every penetration dive.
Yes. Many students complete both courses in a single trip to Malta. The two courses together cover four days of water time and eight open water dives. If you are planning this, let us know when you book so we can sequence the dives and dive sites to make the most of your time and progress. Contact us via WhatsApp to discuss a combined schedule.
Cancellations made more than 72 hours before the course start receive a full refund. Cancellations within 72 hours are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. If poor weather or sea conditions prevent diving on your scheduled day, we will rearrange the session at no additional charge. The SSI eLearning fee is non-refundable once access has been granted.
Malta's wrecks support a variety of Mediterranean marine life. You can expect moray eels in crevices and hatchways, octopus settled in corners of the superstructure, grouper patrolling the exterior, bream moving in loose schools around the bow and stern, and nudibranchs on encrusted surfaces. Amberjack are common at deeper sites like Um El Faroud. The wrecks function as artificial reefs and attract more concentrated marine life than the surrounding sandy seabed.

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