Sinking ships for wreck diving sites is the practice of scuttling old ships to produce artificial reefs suitable for wreck diving, to benefit from commercial revenues from recreational diving of the shipwreck, or to produce a diver training site.
To avoid undesirable ecological impact, and to maximise utility, the vessel should be selected and prepared, and the site chosen, with due consideration to the local environment.
To prepare a hulk for sinking as a wreck site, several things must be done to make it safe for the marine environment and divers. To protect the environment, the ship is purged of all oils, hydraulic fluids, and dangerous chemicals such as PCBs. Much of the superstructure may be removed to prevent the hazard of it eventually caving in from corrosion. Similarly, the interior of the ship is gutted of components that corrode quickly, and would be dangerous to divers if they came loose. The ship is thoroughly cleaned, often with the help of volunteers interested in diving. A significant part of the cost of preparing and sinking the ship may be recovered from scrapping the contents of the ship, including valuable materials such as copper wiring. The hulk's suitability as a diving site may be enhanced by cutting openings in its hull and interior bulkheads, and removing doors and hatch covers to allow divers access at reduced risk.
Several factors influence the choice of site for recreational diving purposes, and these should take into consideration the possibly conflicting economic and ecological considerations.
The preparation phase usually removes a significant amount of weight, so the ship floats higher in the water than normal. This may make it necessary to stabilise the vessel by filling some compartments with water as makeshift ballast tanks to prevent excessive rolling in port or during towing. The ship is towed to the sinking location, usually in waters shallow enough to allow access by numerous divers, but deep enough to be relatively unaffected by surface weather conditions. The ship is usually scuttled using shaped explosives, in a controlled demolition. The holes may be blown so that the heavier engine room and stern floods first, then the rest of the hull. The aim is to sink the ship in an upright position.
The sinking of ships as recreational dive sites can provide wreck diving opportunities where they previously did not exist, and can provide wrecks which are particularly suitable for penetration by less skilled and experienced divers, when they have been prepared for the purpose by removing potential hazards and contents which would contaminate the site or region. However, some divers see them as artificial, less interesting and less challenging, and prefer to explore the relatively unknown or mysterious surroundings of historic and significant wrecks which occurred outside planned scuttling events, considering them to be more authentic. Scuttling programs may relieve more culturally significant wreckage from overexploitation, particularly incidental damage by less competent divers, but do not remove the threat of illegal intentional damage by removal of artifacts by wreck-robbers, who will target wrecks where there are more likely to be artifacts worth stealing.
| Vessel name | Location | Country/territory | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | (P217)[1] | K41 | East Timor | |
| 2022 | [2] | Xatt l-Aħmar | Malta | |
| 2021 | [3] | Marsaskala | Malta | |
| 2018 | Queensland | Australia | ||
| 2017 | Fishing Trawler, Gal'Oz | Hertzliya, Israel | Israel | |
| 2017 | Cape May, New Jersey | United States | ||
| 2016 | Vis | Kamenjak, Istra | Croatia | |
| 2016 | General Pereira D´Eça F477[4] [5] | Porto Santo, Madeira | Portugal | |
| 2015 | ARM Uribe (P121) | Rosarito Beach, Baja California | Mexico | |
| 2015 | Checheng Township, Pingtung | Taiwan | ||
| 2015 | [6] | British Columbia | Canada | |
| 2014 | MV Ærøsund | South Fionan Sea | Denmark | |
| 2014 | HTMS Kledkaeo (AKS-861) | Phi Phi Islands | Thailand | |
| 2013 | Tug No. 2 | Sliema | Malta | |
| 2013 | T11 Coastal Patrol Ship | Ko Chang | Thailand | |
| 2013 | NRP Almeida Carvalho (A527) | Algarve | Portugal | |
| 2013 | NRP Hermenegildo Capelo (F481) | Algarve | Portugal | |
| 2012 | HTMS Chang, formerly | Ko Chang | Thailand | |
| 2012 | NRP Zambeze (P1147) | Algarve | Portugal | |
| 2012 | NRP Oliveira e Carmo (F489) | Algarve | Portugal | |
| 2012 | HTMS Phetra (LCT-764) | Ko Man Nok | Thailand | |
| 2012 | HTMS Mataphon (LCT-761) | Ko Larn | Thailand | |
| 2012 | Lee County, Florida | United States | ||
| 2011 | Cape May, New Jersey | United States | ||
| 2011 | HTMS Sattakut (LCI-742) | Koh Tao | Thailand | |
| 2011 | HTMS Prab (LCI-741) | Chumphon | Thailand | |
| 2011 | Avoca Beach, New South Wales | Australia | ||
| 2011 | West Bay, Grand Cayman | Cayman Islands | ||
| 2009 | Barwon Heads, Victoria | Australia | ||
| 2009 | Comino | Malta | ||
| 2009 | Key West, Florida | United States | ||
| 2007 | Delaware Bay | United States | ||
| 2007 | Bay of Islands | New Zealand | ||
| 2007 | USTS Texas Clipper | South Padre Island, Texas | United States | |
| 2007 | Ċirkewwa | Malta | ||
| 2006 | Gozo | Malta | ||
| 2006 | Gozo | Malta | ||
| 2006 | HTMS Kut (L-731) | Pattaya | Thailand | |
| 2006 | Florida | United States | ||
| 2006 | Xihwu Boeing 737 | British Columbia | Canada | |
| 2005 | Wellington | New Zealand | ||
| 2005 | Mooloolaba, Queensland | Australia | ||
| 2004 | Hebat Allah [7] | Hurghada, Red Sea | Egypt | |
| 2004 | Morehead City, North Carolina | United States | ||
| 2004 | Whitsand Bay, Cornwall | United Kingdom | ||
| 2003 | MV Camia 2 | Boracay island | Aklan | |
| 2003 | CS Charles L Brown | Sint Eustatius | Leeward Islands | |
| 2003 | Quebec | Canada | ||
| 2003 | Chaikou, Green Island | Taiwan | ||
| 2003 | HTMS Khram (L-732) | Ko Phai | Thailand | |
| 2002 | Mombasa | Kenya | ||
| 2002 | Florida | United States | ||
| 2002 | Yankalilla Bay, South Australia | Australia | ||
| 2001 | Albany, Western Australia | Australia | ||
| 2001 | British Columbia | Canada | ||
| 2001 | Veracruz | Mexico | ||
| 2000 | Tutukaka | New Zealand | ||
| 2000 | Puerto Morales | Mexico | ||
| 2000 | HaiTzuKuo, Xiaoliuqiu | Taiwan | ||
| 2000 | San Diego, California | United States | ||
| 2000 | Stanegarth | Stoney Cove | United Kingdom | |
| 1999 | Qawra | Malta | ||
| 1999 | Cozumel | Mexico | ||
| 1999 | Tutukaka Heads | New Zealand | ||
| 1999 | Gozo | Malta | ||
| 1998 | Looe Key, Florida | United States | ||
| 1998 | Um El Faroud | Qrendi | Malta | |
| 1998 | Marsaskala | Malta | ||
| 1998 | Tug No. 10 | Marsaskala | Malta | |
| 1997 | British Columbia | Canada | ||
| 1997 | Dunsborough, Western Australia | Australia | ||
| 1996 | British Columbia | Canada | ||
| 1996 | MV Captain Keith Tibbetts (formerly Russian-built frigate 356) | Cayman Brac | Cayman Islands | |
| 1996 | Inganess Bay | British Virgin Islands | ||
| 1995 | British Columbia | Canada | ||
| 1995 | MV Jean Escutia | Puerto Morelos | Mexico | |
| 1994 | INS Sufa | Eilat, Israel | Israel | |
| 1994 | Rottnest Island | Australia | ||
| 1994 | SAS Pietermaritzburg, formerly | Miller's Point, Western Cape | South Africa | |
| 1994 | Nova Scotia | Canada | ||
| 1992 | British Columbia | Canada | ||
| 1992 | North Carolina | United States | ||
| 1992 | Ċirkewwa | Malta | ||
| 1991 | New Jersey | United States | ||
| 1991–2001 | "Wreck Alley" – Marie L, Pat and Beata | British Virgin Islands | ||
| 1991 | MV G.B. Church | British Columbia | Canada | |
| 1990 | Fontao | Durban | South Africa | |
| 1990 | USCG Hollyhock | Florida | United States | |
| 1990 | T-Barge | Durban | South Africa | |
| 1990 | Destin, Florida | United States | ||
| 1990 | Morehead City, North Carolina | United States | ||
| 1989 | YO-257 | Oahu, Hawaii | United States | |
| 1989 | Ocean City, Maryland | United States | ||
| 1989 | Port St. Lucie, Florida | United States | ||
| 1988 | North Carolina | United States | ||
| 1988 | Stuart, Florida | United States | ||
| 1988 | Virginia | United States | ||
| 1988 | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | United States | ||
| 1987–2000 | Wreck Alley | San Diego, California | United States | |
| 1987 | Florida | United States | ||
| 1987 | Florida | United States | ||
| 1987 | [8] | Matauri Bay | New Zealand | |
| 1987 | Panama City, Florida | United States | ||
| 1987 | Gulf of Mexico | United States | ||
| 1985 | Florida | United States | ||
| 1983 | Key West, Florida | United States | ||
| 1982 | Grand Bahama Island | Bahamas | ||
| 1982 | Waianae, Hawaii | United States | ||
| 1980 | Daytona Beach, Florida | United States | ||
| 1980 | Isla Mujeres | Mexico | ||
| 1980 | Oro Verde | Cayman Islands | ||
| 1978 | North Carolina | United States | ||
| 1975 | Wachapreague, Virginia | United States | ||
| 1974 | SS Theodore Parker | North Carolina | United States | |
| 1972 | Key West, Florida | United States | ||
| 1970 | Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina | United States | ||
| 1970 | Glen Strathallen | Plymouth Sound | United Kingdom | |
| 1968 | Palm Beach, Florida | United States | ||
| 1944 | Jun'yō Maru | Samalona Island, South Sulawesi | Indonesia | |
| 1942/1984 | Haifa, Israel | Israel |