Recife Wrecks · Brazil · Wreck · Artificial reef
Servemar X
Tug deliberately sunk in 2002, in navigation position at 20-25 m
Area photo: Elvis Boaventura · CC BY 3.0
A tugboat put on the bottom on purpose in 2002 as one of three sunk off Recife, the Servemar X sits in navigation position between 20 and 25 m and is described as very well maintained. She was placed rather than lost, and current can be part of the plan on any given day, so the site is dived to a briefing rather than dropped onto casually.
Where it is and how deep
8.1778° S, 34.7319° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive is made between 20 and 25 m, which on a hull this size means the whole wreck sits inside one working depth range rather than being spread across a profile. You go down the line onto a tug in navigation position, and the flat sand around her gives no distraction from the structure itself. She is described as very well maintained, so there is more shape to read here than the depth alone suggests.
Work the deck and superstructure first while you have the bottom time, then drop to the sand line along one side and come back along the other. Because she was sunk deliberately rather than lost, the tug sits the way a boat should sit and is straightforward to follow from end to end. Fish use her as the only hard cover on this stretch of bottom, so whatever is around that day concentrates on the structure.
There may be current, so check it on the line before you release and plan the first half of the dive into it where there is one, keeping the wreck between you and the flow when you can. Come back to the line to ascend rather than drifting off the wreck onto empty sand, and keep something in reserve in case the current has picked up while you were down.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Servemar X
- Type
- Tugboat
- Sunk
- 2002
- Cause
- Sunk deliberately in 2002 with the tugs Lupus and Minuano
- Lies
- In navigation position between 20 and 25 m, described as very well maintained
The Servemar X was not lost at sea. She was sunk on purpose in 2002 together with two other tugs, the Lupus and the Minuano, which also lie off Recife, giving the city a set of three deliberately placed hulls alongside its older casualties. Because she was placed rather than lost, the wreck is described as very well maintained and still sits in navigation position, which sets her apart from the nineteenth-century casualties nearby.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Recife Wrecks: Sep–Mar is the dry season with the calmest seas and best visibility; Apr–Jul rain and runoff can drop it below 8 m.
Know before you go
- Current runs over this site at times; check it on the shotline before releasing, swim into it first and return to the line to ascend rather than leaving the wreck.
- A tug is a compact hull and penetration is tempting; the interior is an unlined overhead environment and needs wreck training and a reel, not just a light.
Dive videos
Mergulho - Naufrágio Servemar X - Recife Pernambuco Brasil · Ação e Aventura on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Servemar X?+
The dive is made between 20 and 25 m. The tug sits in navigation position on the bottom, so the depth range covers the superstructure down to the sand alongside the hull.
Is there current on the Servemar X?+
There can be. The site is described as sometimes having current, so check it on the line before releasing and plan to swim into it during the first half of the dive.
Sources
- Servemar X dive site — Scubago / SSI MyDiveGuide
In The Logbook
- Ships sunk on purpose, and where to dive themWrecks · 14 min read
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