Cold Water · Lithuania
Klaipėda & Curonian Spit
Intact Baltic shipwrecks at technical depths off the Lithuanian coast
Klaipėda is the dive base for the Lithuanian Baltic, a coast dived for its shipwrecks. Boats leave the port for wrecks lying between 20 and 80 m, from the Fusilier at 19 m off Nemirseta and the Anna Katrina Fritzen between Klaipėda and Juodkrantė to the SS Tristan, upright at 56 m. What brings divers here is wrecks at technical depths that few divers have yet seen.
About diving in Klaipėda & Curonian Spit
The diving here is by boat from the port of Klaipėda, including the wrecks off the Curonian Spit such as the Anna Katrina Fritzen between Klaipėda and Juodkrantė. A day out to the Baltic wrecks can take in two dives. Some wrecks lie close to the coast, while the warship SMS Friedrich Carl is about five hours by boat from Klaipėda. Before each dive, divers are briefed on the importance of preserving the wrecks and warned not to touch or lift anything from them.
Wrecks off this coast lie at depths between 20 and 80 m. Visibility in the first 20 m is usually poor, but below that depth the water is dark and clear. The SMS Friedrich Carl still has its portholes, cannons and the bow plaque with the German Imperial Eagle in place, and the wreck is not overgrown. Illegal trawling is the main threat and has seriously damaged several wreck sites, and ghost nets are caught on the wrecks.
This is a coast for trained wreck divers, and above all for technical divers comfortable in cold water. Wreck Diver training is required for the wreck dives. Bottom water sits around 5 °C and ranges from 1 °C to 20 °C through the year. Divers looking for easy shallow diving should look elsewhere: beyond the two shallower wrecks, the named sites are deep dives for technical divers.
Best time to dive Klaipėda & Curonian Spit
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Winter is the coldest part of the year, with the sea off Klaipėda averaging about 5 °C. Spring barely warms it, to an average of about 6 °C. Boat trips to the Baltic wrecks run from Klaipėda in May. July and August are the warmest months, and the summer average rises to about 18 °C. Autumn holds some of that warmth, averaging about 14 °C, before the water cools again into winter.
Dive types & marine life
- Wreck
Best dive sites in Klaipėda & Curonian Spit
- 1
SS Tristan
Cargo ship about 80 m long, standing upright on the seabed at 56 m.
- 2
SS Edith Bosselman
Small freighter with a passenger deck, lying on its port side between 42 and 52 m.
- 3
Elbing IX
Steamer at 45 m, mined on its way to rescue survivors of the Friedrich Carl.
- 4
SMS Friedrich Carl
WWI warship on its starboard side, from 72 m at its upper edge to 82 m.
- 5
Fusilier
Transport motor ship lying at 19 m off the shore near Nemirseta.
- 6
Anna Katrina Fritzen
Steam freighter torpedoed in a wartime convoy, broken up at 18 to 24 m between Klaipėda and Juodkrantė.
Site guides
Wreck
A torpedoed steam freighter, pieced together from scattered wreckage
Wreck
The steamer that hit a mine racing to the sinking Friedrich Carl
Wreck
A large wartime transport sunk off Nemirseta, lying in shallow water
Wreck
A First World War warship with the Imperial Eagle plaque still on its bow
Wreck
A Maersk-built freighter whose bell carries another ship’s name
Wreck
A Type VIIC U-boat sunk in a training collision with its own target ship
How to get to Klaipėda & Curonian Spit
Palanga International Airport is 32 km from Klaipėda along highway A13, and the dive centre and boats are based in Klaipėda. Car ferries cross from Klaipėda to Smiltynė on the Curonian Spit, where buses leave for Juodkrantė and Nida.
Questions divers ask
What certification is needed to dive the Klaipėda wrecks?+
Wreck Diver training is required for the wreck dives, and the deeper wrecks, such as the SS Tristan at 56 m, are technical dives.
What is the best month to dive off Klaipėda?+
July and August have the warmest water, and boat trips to the wrecks also run in May. In winter the sea averages about 5 °C.
Can divers take souvenirs from the wrecks?+
No. Divers are briefed before each dive on preserving the wrecks and must not touch or lift anything from them.
How do divers get to Klaipėda?+
Palanga International Airport is 32 km from Klaipėda by highway A13. Car ferries link Klaipėda with Smiltynė on the Curonian Spit.
Sources
- Wreck Diving in Lithuania — X-Ray Mag
- Nardymo centras — Oktopusas D.C.
- Wreck Fusilier — Oktopusas D.C.
- Wreck Anna Katrina Fritzen — Oktopusas D.C.
- Elbing IX — dive3d.eu
- Nardymas — NZ55
- Nardymas Baltijos jūroje — Nardymo Akademija
- Klaipeda water temperature — seatemperature.info
- Palanga International Airport — Wikipedia
- Curonian Spit — Wikipedia
- Klaipėda — Wikipedia
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