Cold Water · Sweden
Gothenburg Archipelago
More than 200 known wrecks, and wolffish at Trubaduren from December to midsummer
The Gothenburg archipelago holds more than 200 known shipwrecks, and its boat diving mixes them with rock: the steel trawler Marina af Hönö southeast of Vinga, the barque Albert Höök, the Trubaduren lighthouse rising from a rock summit, and the boulder slope at Vinga Gattulven. Most dives sit between about 19 and 29 m. From December to midsummer a wolffish encounter at Trubaduren is close to certain.
About diving in Gothenburg Archipelago
The dive centres here run boat trips. In the city, a shop at Klippan sits a few steps from the quay by the harbour entrance, and its trips run out to the Vinga archipelago. In Marstrand a second centre takes certified divers to about 30 sites and runs try dives for people who have never been under water. Wreck trips and other specialised outings are run for divers with a little more experience.
The seabed mixes rock, sand and wreckage. More than 200 known shipwrecks lie in the archipelago, and the boats visit a spread of them, from a sailing barque lost in a winter storm to a steel trawler and a Russian transport ship. Around the two main islands of Södra Invinga the bottom runs from calm sand to drop-offs and wrecks. The rock dives fill the rest of the programme: boulder slopes, a lighthouse foundation on an underwater summit, and stony coves where lobster, crabs and ballan wrasse live among the stones.
The archipelago suits divers who are at home in cold water and want wrecks within a boat ride of a city. Beginner trips give new divers a divemaster's help before, during and after the dive, and technical divers are catered for too, with IANTD courses taught in Gothenburg. The Nieman wreck lies on a slope between 20 and 40 m, where visibility can vary a lot and there can be some current.
Best time to dive Gothenburg Archipelago
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
December opens the wolffish season, and from then until midsummer an encounter at Trubaduren is close to guaranteed. The water is coldest from January to March and bottoms out at about 3 °C in March. June is the month with a good chance of spiny dogfish, and it closes the wolffish window at midsummer. The water warms through the summer to its peak in August, at about 19 °C, and cools again through the autumn.
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, December
Dive types & marine life
Wolffish are close to guaranteed at Trubaduren from December to midsummer, and June gives a good chance of spiny dogfish there.
- Wreck
- Reef
- Seals & sea lions
Best dive sites in Gothenburg Archipelago
- 1
Marina af Hönö
Steel trawler 35 m long, sunk in 2006, at 19–29 m off Klåveskär, southeast of Vinga.
- 2
Trubaduren
Lighthouse standing on a rock summit at 20 m, where visibility is often very good.
- 3
Albert Höök
Barque about 70 m long, lost in a January storm in 1921, now lying at 21 m.
- 4
Södra Invinga Nieman (Ryssen)
Wreck of a Russian transport ship that carried supplies to the war in Russia.
- 5
Vinga Gattulven
Steep slope of large boulders, with rock formations to swim through.
- 6
Vinga Midsommarviken
Rocky site of stones and cliffs that suits beginners and experienced divers alike.
- 7
Tistlarna
Cluster of small skerries in the southern archipelago with several seal colonies.
Site guides
Wreck
A steel trawler sunk in 2006 at Klåveskär, southeast of Vinga
A Russian wartime supply ship off Södra In-Vinga
Two boilers and a bent rudder on a 1939 steamer off Marstrand
A swim-through under two leaning boulders on the sand at Vinga
How to get to Gothenburg Archipelago
Göteborg Landvetter Airport is the gateway, with Flygbussarna coaches into the city every 15–20 minutes. The dive boats leave from Klippan, by the harbour entrance in Gothenburg, and a second centre is based in Marstrand; public ferries to the southern archipelago run from Saltholmen.
Photos from Gothenburg Archipelago
Udo Schröter · CC BY-SA 2.0
Dive videos
Magic undersea nature outside Gothenburg · nautilusvideopro on YouTube
Questions divers ask
When is the best time to see wolffish in the Gothenburg archipelago?+
From December to midsummer, when an encounter at Trubaduren is close to guaranteed; June also brings a good chance of spiny dogfish.
Is diving in the Gothenburg archipelago from shore or boat?+
By boat. Trips leave from Klippan in Gothenburg for the Vinga archipelago, and a centre in Marstrand runs trips for certified divers to about 30 sites.
Can beginners dive in the Gothenburg archipelago?+
Yes. Vinga Midsommarviken suits beginners as well as experienced divers, beginner trips have a divemaster's support, and Marstrand runs try dives; the wreck trips are aimed at more experienced divers.
How do divers get to the Gothenburg archipelago?+
Göteborg Landvetter Airport is linked to the city by Flygbussarna coaches every 15–20 minutes, and the dive boats leave from Klippan by the harbour entrance.
Sources
- Flying Divers - Dykmål för båtdykning — Flying Divers
- Flying Divers dykcenter i Göteborg — Flying Divers
- Marstrands Dyk & Skeppshandel AB — Marstrands Dyk & Skeppshandel
- Södra In-vinga Nieman, Ryssen dykplats — dykarna.nu
- Gothenburg Average Sea Temperatures — seatemperature.org
- Gothenburg — Wikivoyage
Photo credits
Embed
Run a dive centre, club or blog? Embed this map of 4 dive sites near Gothenburg Archipelago on your own page.
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