Curso Wreck Diver

The Wreck Diving specialty at WeDive Lagos takes place on the Ocean Revival complex — four decommissioned Portuguese Navy vessels sunk as an intentional dive destination off the Algarve coast. Hermenegildo Capelo and Almeida Carvalho are frigates at 33 m; Oliveira e Carmo is a corvette at 28 m and Zambeze is a patrol boat at the same depth. The specialty course covers wreck penetration principles, equipment configuration for overhead environments, and navigation within wreck structures — using actual large naval vessels rather than smaller, simpler recreational wrecks as the training site. Propeller's Paradise, an unidentified wreck at 12 m in the WeDive catalogue, provides an accessible shallower option for initial wreck familiarisation before moving to the deeper structures.

The specialty is available through SSI or PADI, both of which are active in the WeDive instructor team. João Pedro Freire's TDI Instructor credentials mean there is technical diving knowledge available on staff for candidates who want to understand where recreational wreck diving ends and technical overhead diving begins — and what further training would cover. Several Ocean Revival vessels are large enough to offer guided penetration routes, giving the course a practical overhead environment component rather than limiting it to exterior circuits on smaller structures. The Ocean Revival complex has been described in the centre's own listing as a world-class European dive destination, and using it as the primary training site is a significant practical advantage.

Divers completing the specialty at WeDive are immediately positioned to continue wreck diving on the Ocean Revival complex across all four vessels, each with a distinct profile and layout. The 28–33 m depth range of the main wrecks sits at and just beyond the recreational limit, making the specialty a natural bridge for divers considering technical training through TDI — available at the same centre. The daily boat operation to these sites, combined with instructors who hold skipper qualifications, means the specialty training integrates into the real dive programme from the first session.

For divers who want to combine wreck diving with other skills, the Photo and Video specialty is also on offer at WeDive, and Ian, the team's underwater photographer, is available to support that angle. The Algarve wrecks offer shooting opportunities at multiple depth ranges — Propeller's Paradise at 12 m for ambient-light work, the deeper frigates for more technical photography setups.