
Lake Vättern · Sweden · Freshwater
Hästholmen
A loop around a small island straight from a harbour ramp
Photo: Marcus.linneberg · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hästholmen is a harbour shore dive near Ödeshög on the eastern side of Vättern, built around a small island. The lake bed reaches 20 m, and the island makes navigation simple. Shoals of small fish and plenty of crayfish are the usual sight, with perch and burbot also about.
Also known as Hästholmens Hamn.
Where it is and how deep
58.2785° N, 14.6386° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Divers go in from the ramp behind the silo tower, and the usual plan is to swim around the small island. Halfway through the dive the advice is to come up to 5–7 m so as not to miss the island's edge. For an easier dive, the bay gives a maximum depth of 7 m.
Marine life and season
- Freshwater fish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Lake Vättern: Lake courses run in spring, summer and autumn, and from November training moves to an indoor pool. No month is singled out as the best.
Know before you go
- Boat traffic can be heavy, so a dive flag goes up and ascents are made close to the cliffs.
Dive videos
Scuba diving at Hästholmen, lake Vättern, Sweden, August 2022 · Nina Åxman on YouTube
Sources
- Lokala dykplatser — Atlantis Dive College
- Hästholmen (OpenStreetMap) — OpenStreetMap
Photo credits
- A small harbour behind a rock breakwater, with moored sailing yachts and motorboats under a grey sky and a red wooden boathouse on the right by Marcus.linneberg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Lake Vättern
Wreck
One of four wrecks off Karlsborg, all shallower than 20 m
Vertical walls, a steep southern slope and fallen boulders to the north
Freshwater
Pike, perch and burbot over a rocky plateau off the shore
Artificial reef
A boat scuttled in 2012, five minutes out from Jönköping harbour
Wreck
Two-masted brick freighter known to divers as Hajen
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Grönhögen stenbrott
Öland & the Kalmar Strait · Sweden
Limestone quarry full of crayfish, dived in any weather
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