wreck hooks

[emcbride81]

I saw a video for the North Carolina wrecks and it showed a few guys using hooks to move over the wreck. I realize that current may dictate the use of them, but is this something that most of you "wreck aficionados" use or at least carry when diving a wreck, or is it a waste of money?

[BouzoukiJoe]

If the currents ripping so much I need a hook I won't dive. Getting separated from the boat 40 or more miles out in the open ocean is not my idea of fun. I think most people just use the wreck to shield themselves from the current.

[Grin]

Depends on everything. Here in SE Florida the current changes greatly during the day, or day to day. Yesterday, we had 2 knots of current in the morning and 1/2 knot, 6 hours later. We drug a float on every dive with a hook on it. On my first dive the current pulled the bouy under for my entire dive. I didn't know that and the boat used the GPS to stay on the wreck, and when I unhooked the bouy to accend the bouy came right to the surface and the boat followed. The idea is for the bouy to stay up(not get pulled under) and make the following boats job too easy. The other option is to take 6 ft sausages down a shoot them up right as you leave the wreck for the boat to follow. But in 2 knots of current, if the boat somehow missed the sausage, you could get far, far away from the boat very fast.
If there is no current the sausages work great, as the boat can use the GPS to stay on the wreck, and when you shoot the bouy, you are not going anywhere fast (no current) and the boat will spot you sooner or later (usually right away).
So Yes! hooks are great in current! No current and the hook won't stay hooked anyway. But it isn't going anywhere with no current either. So every day you need to decide what gear is neccessaryand hooks are really nice sometimes.