Thetis is a 28 m steel boat, a former research vessel later converted to fishing, that sank on 24 October 1985 on her way home from a trip. She stands completely upright and intact on the bottom at 30 m, which makes her the standard first wreck for divers working out of Kungshamn and Smögen.
Where it is and how deep
58.4020° N, 11.2093° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
She is a boat dive, run to the wreck by several of the west-coast centres working out of Kungshamn and Smögen. The wreck stands completely upright on the bottom at 30 m, so the deck lies out flat much as it did afloat and the shape of the boat reads clearly from the moment you arrive. At 28 m long she is small enough to circle properly inside a single dive rather than sample.
The steel hull is still fully intact, though parts of the bridge have collapsed in recent years, so what was once clean structure now has loose sections to stay off. Watch the stern in particular, where remnants of trawl net are still caught. Finish on the line rather than free-ascending: the wreck lies in a shipping lane, and surfacing away from the boat is the one avoidable risk on this dive.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Thetis
- Type
- Research vessel converted to a fishing boat
- Length
- 28 m (92 ft)
- Sunk
- 1985
- Cause
- Sank on 24 October 1985 while returning home from fishing
- Lies
- Completely upright on the bottom at 30 m, hull intact, with parts of the bridge collapsed in recent years
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Bohuslän & Gullmarsfjord: Late winter gives the clearest water once the plankton dies back; Jul–Sep is warmest and easiest for shore entries.
Know before you go
- Remnants of trawl net are still snagged in the stern; carry a cutting tool and stay clear of the netting rather than swimming through it.
- The wreck lies in a shipping lane, so ascend on the line and surface under the cover of the dive boat rather than away from it.
Dive videos
THETIS · Fredrik Majberger on YouTube
I colori del Thetis.mov · Riccardo Cingillo on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is Thetis a good first wreck dive?+
It is the usual one on this coast. She is 28 m long, stands upright and intact at 30 m and can be circled on one dive, so the wreck itself is straightforward; the depth and the trawl net in the stern are what to plan for.
Sources
- Thetis dykplats — dykarna.nu
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