By Mehdi, PADI Instructor at New Wave Divers

PADI Wreck Diver Course in Boracay

If sunken ships and aircraft fascinate you, the PADI Wreck Diver course in Boracay is one of the most rewarding specialties you can take here. Boracay is one of the rare destinations where you can train on two completely different wrecks in a single course — the Tribird plane and the Camia II cargo ship — close enough together to dive on the same two days. Across four dives you learn to survey a wreck from the outside and then safely venture inside, with your instructor leading the way the whole time.

This guide walks you through exactly how the wreck diving course works at New Wave Divers: the two wrecks you dive, what you learn, who can join, what is included, and where it takes you next.

Why take your Wreck Diver course in Boracay

Most dive centres can only show you a single wreck, and many only take you around the outside. Boracay is different. Two contrasting wrecks sit within easy reach of the shore, and both are in good condition for training: a small aircraft and a proper cargo ship. That means your four course dives are spent on two genuinely different environments — the intimate fuselage of a plane and the holds, engine room and cabins of a ship — rather than circling the same structure four times.

Add the usual Boracay advantages — warm water, short boat rides, calm conditions for much of the year and small-group instruction — and it is an ideal place to learn wreck diving properly. You train on real structures, not simulations, and you finish the course having experienced both a plane and a ship, around and inside.

The two wrecks you dive: Tribird and Camia II

Your course is built around Boracay's two signature wrecks, each with its own character.

The Tribird is a small aircraft resting on the seabed. It is broken open, easy to read and bright with reef life, which makes it the perfect wreck to learn on. You will survey it from the outside first, then ease inside the fuselage with a guide line laid behind you — light filters through its openings, so it is a gentle, atmospheric introduction to penetration. You can read more about the site itself on our Tribird dive site page and in our guide to wreck diving the Tribird.

The Camia II is a larger cargo ship sunk deliberately as an artificial reef. It sits upright, atmospheric and full of character — a proper ship to put your new skills to the test. The engine room glows with ambient light and schools of nocturnal fish, and the captain's cabin is a perfect place to practise careful buoyancy in tighter quarters. See the Camia II dive site page for more on what lives there.

What you learn on the PADI Wreck Diver course

Wreck diving is as much about discipline as it is about exploration, and that is exactly what the specialty teaches. Over the course you will learn to:

• Survey and map a wreck — build a mental picture of the structure, find your reference points and plan your routes before you go anywhere near the inside.
• Use special finning techniques — move without stirring up the fine silt that settles on and around wrecks, so you keep the visibility clean for yourself and your buddy.
• Lay penetration lines and reels — run a continuous guide line so you always have a clear, physical route back to open water, and learn to follow it out methodically.
• Recognise and manage wreck hazards — sharp edges, entanglement, overhead environments and limited exits, and how responsible planning keeps every one of them in check.

Every dive builds on the last, and every penetration is planned, lined and led by your instructor, with clear limits and a safe exit always in reach.

How the course works: e-learning plus four dives

The PADI Wreck Diver course has two parts, and you can get the first out of the way before you even arrive in Boracay.

Before you arrive — you complete the PADI Wreck Diver eLearning online, at your own pace, on any device. It takes roughly two to four hours and covers the different types of wrecks, common wreck-diving hazards and responsible practice. Message your instructor any time you have a question. Doing the theory at home means you spend your time in Boracay where it matters: on the wrecks.

At our dive centre — you complete four wreck dives, typically over two days. Day one is exploration: you dive both the Tribird and the Camia II from the outside, surveying, mapping and practising your finning. Day two is penetration: you return to each wreck and go inside, laying your line and exploring the fuselage, holds and cabins with your instructor beside you. The whole course usually spans two to four days depending on your schedule and dive plan.

Who can take the course

The Wreck Diver specialty is open to divers who already have some experience under their belt. To enrol you need to be:

• At least 15 years old.
• A certified PADI Advanced Open Water diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another recognised agency). If you are not there yet, the Advanced Open Water course is the step before this one.
• Reasonably comfortable in the water — no special fitness is required beyond being fit to dive, but good buoyancy control makes wreck diving far more enjoyable.

Not certified at all yet? That is fine — everyone starts somewhere. Begin with a try dive or your PADI certification path, build up through Open Water and Advanced, and the wrecks will still be here waiting.

What is included

Your course fee at New Wave Divers covers everything you need to dive the wrecks properly:

• All scuba equipment for the four dives
• A dive computer
• Torches for the penetration dives
• The PADI Wreck Diver eLearning (online, start it before you travel)
• Your experienced PADI instructor, in the water with you throughout
• Your PADI Wreck Diver certification on completion

We keep the hardcoded figures off this page so prices never drift — check the Wreck Diver course page for the current rate, and remember you save when you book online and pay cash.

Where Wreck Diver takes you next

Every PADI specialty you complete is a step toward the elite Master Scuba Diver rating — the highest recreational level in the PADI system, which calls for your Advanced and Rescue certifications plus five specialties. Wreck Diver is one of the most popular of those five, and it pairs naturally with others you can take here.

The Deep Diver specialty is the obvious partner — it takes you to 40 metres on Boracay's wrecks and walls — while an Enriched Air (Nitrox) rating lets you stretch your bottom time on the shallower dives. Browse everything on our PADI specialties in Boracay overview, or see the full menu on the specialties page. Not sure which to add? Our team is happy to help you plan — just get in touch.