IN THE DEPTHS OF VÄTTERN

Visibility in Vättern is generally very good but the water is cold. A drysuit is a must, even in the middle of summer. Weather and wind can change very quickly from flat calm when you jump in to a full storm by the time you come out. Vättern is known for rapid changes in the weather, and you should always check the weather forecast carefully, especially if you're going out by boat. Otherwise, it’s easy to dive as there’s always good visibility. Welcome to Vättern’s underwater world!

1. nydalen

Dive type: NATURAL Boat required: NO

Max. depth: 35

Difficulty: EASY

Signal crayfish build their nests/holes here in the muddy and gravelly bottom. Further out it starts to slope closer to 35 m after the first drop. There is plenty of boat traffic in the area, so a diver down flag is mandatory. Please inform the harbour warden of your dive.

2. granvik harbour

Dive type: NATURAL Boat required: NO

Max. depth: 10 Difficulty: EASY

The dive site is a small port/guest harbour well suited for shallow dives if you’re not yet confident. You can choose to get in/out at the foot of the stone pier or ideally from the head of the jetty. Keep an eye on your buoyancy, as the flat clay bottom can easily be stirred up and ruin visibility. Between the stone pier and the head of the jetty lie the remains of a jetty/raft and in some places traces of the industrial centre Granvik once was

4B. BYÄLVEN

Dive type: WRECK Boat required: YES

Max. depth: 11

Difficulty: MEDIUM

The Byälven is an interesting wreck that’s also suitable for snorkelling. The boat was carrying quicklime when it ran aground on the north side of the island of Fjuk. The vessel sprang a leak and in a desperate attempt to save her, the captain grounded her inside the bay. The load of unslaked lime reacted with the inrushing water and cracked the hull. Several parts of the ship are scattered across the area.

5. MÅSEN

Dive type: WRECK Boat required: YES

Max. depth: 38

Difficulty: ADVANCED

Another great wreck to dive off Fjuk, and often the site is marked with a buoy. If not marked, it's quite easy to find the wreck with sonar and to set your own buoy. Take a boat, for example from Motala or Karlsborg to position N58 31.450 E014 49.010

Easy to dive, and the wreck sits completely on the bottom. It does lie a little deep (38 m) so you need some experience. However, most of the dive can be spent on deck at about 35 metres. Often good visibility. Close by are the Ulrika and Kung Ring which can also be visited if as you're in the area.

6A. Greve von Rosen

Dive type: WRECK Boat required: YES

Max. depth: 41

Difficulty: ADVANCED

Loaded with stone from Borghamn. Sank in 1856.

3. KUNG RING

Dive type: WRECK Boat required: YES

Max. depth: 16 Difficulty: MEDIUM

Interesting and straightforward wreck dive where the site is marked with a buoy. Usually good visibility, as always in Vättern. The wreck lies straight up and down, slightly sunk down into the clay. There are also parts of the sides of the wreck. There are very many of fish of different sizes, with crayfish living in holes dug in the clay/sand around the wreck. Take a boat, for example from Motala to position: 58° 33' 536 N 014° 48' 694 E

4a. elsa af lidingö

Dive type: WRECK Boat required: YES

Max. depth: 21

Difficulty: MEDIUM

Sinking the Elsa af Lidingö was a project run by the local diving club DK Octopus, in Motala. In 2011, the County Administrative Board agreed that, after decontamination, the boat could be sunk and converted into an artificial reef. The wreck lies at a depth of 21 metres in the area around Fjuk.

6B. Borghamn

Dive type: NATURAL Boat required: NO

Max. depth: 40

Difficulty: MEDIUM

There are several different dives to try here. You can park your car at Borghamn Strand. Follow the promenade. The bottom near the land consists of marble blocks/slabs and there’s a lot of marble/limestone sludge on the bottom. The dives here can be very deep so make sure you keep an eye on your depth gauge.

7. Stocklycke harbour

Dive type: NATURAL Boat required: NO

Max. depth: 15 Difficulty: EASY

Easy natural dives with car parts (doors, roofs etc.) and large logs if you dive towards the south. Steep rock wall that turns into a sand bottom at a depth of 10-14 metres. The sand bottom runs northwards, but after a while it changes into large blocks and ravines. It can be difficult to get out. The easiest way is to climb up inside the staircase by the stones.

8. Hästholmen harbour

Dive type: NATURAL Boat required: NO

Max. depth: 25 Difficulty: EASY

Hästholmen is a good dive for people who aren't experienced. There’s a set of steps for swimmers that allows you to walk into the water. A short surface swim to the small island (Lortaknölen) is required. You can also walk in from the concrete pier and swim around the point. Off the island, the depth drops in ledges. Lots of crayfish, and night dives are recommended!

9. Hästholmen firing range/ stora lund

Dive type: NATURAL Boat required: NO

Max. depth: 30

Difficulty: MEDIUM

The former Stora Lund firing range lies between Öninge and Hästholmen, north of Ödeshög. A good starting point is below the car park or down the side of the rock where there’s a sloping road down to the water. One good dive is to jump in from the edge below the car park, where the bottom slopes down quite quickly to plateaus of different depths. Then swim northwards, and around the rock to walk out in the bay. On the way you’ll see several blocks and formations. Further out, at a depth of 57 metres, there are also the remains of a Fokker CV-E aeroplane that crashed here in 1937. It was found in 2013 and the pilot’s body was removed.

10. ÖNINGE

Dive type: NATURAL Boat required: NO

Max. depth: +40

Difficulty: EASY

Easy to walk out from the land. Immediately off the rocks, the bottom drops steeply. If you want, you can dive very deep here, down to 40 metres without any problems. At a depth of 12 metres there’s an old diving tower. It’s OK to drive down for unloading and loading but please note that parking is to the left of the boom (before going down to the water).

11. THURE TAGE (HAJEN)

Dive type: WRECK Boat required: YES

Max. depth: 32

Difficulty: MEDIUM

Sank in 1913 due to severe weather. The ship was loaded with bricks from the factory south of Hjo.

12. MATHILDA

Dive type: WRECK Boat required: YES

Max. depth: 34

Difficulty: MEDIUM

Mathilda lies at 32 metres and is very well preserved. The year was 1896. A man named Johansson and his son loaded the boat in Hjo harbour. It was market day and the boat was heavily loaded with potatoes. The weather was bad and the Johanssons pondered for a long time whether it was really safe to go north to unload their cargo. In the end they cast off, which proved to be a fatal decision. Just north of Hjo, the boat foundered and both father and son went down with their ship.