Cold Water · Sweden
Stockholm Archipelago & Dalarö
Intact wrecks from the 1600s in Sweden's first maritime cultural reserve
The Stockholm archipelago extends east of the city into the Baltic, and its diving is wreck diving in cold, dark water. The main base is Dalarö, about 35 minutes' drive south-east of the city, where Sweden's first maritime cultural reserve holds the Anna Maria, the Bodekull and the Jutholm Wreck. Most dives run from 11 to 25 m. The draw is intact wrecks from the 1600s, some preserved well enough that only guided divers may visit them.
About diving in Stockholm Archipelago & Dalarö
Wreck diving here is centred on Dalarö in the southern archipelago, about 35 minutes' drive from central Stockholm. Guided tours to the dive park wrecks start from the village, and guided evening dives go in from the shore at the Dalarö dive park. The offshore wrecks are boat dives: on the S/S Ingrid Horn a buoy marks the spot and a rope leads down to the stern. From Stockholm, shore trips also run to archipelago wrecks such as the Trassel on Rindö and the Svartfotsvraket off Djurö.
The bottom is often muddy, and on the S/S Najade the visibility stays very limited until the thermocline. Dalarö was a hub for Baltic shipping, where the naval fleet was based and customs duties were levied, which is why so many wrecks lie here. Among them are the merchant ship Anna Maria, built in Amsterdam in 1694 and lost to a fire in 1709 with a cargo of planks and bar iron; the frigate Bodekull, sunk in 1678; and the unidentified Jutholm Wreck from around 1700.
The archipelago suits drysuit divers who come for wrecks and maritime history. The Baltic here counts as extreme diving: cold, dark and with poor visibility. Courses run from beginner level to technical diving, and the dive park's services cater for both beginners and experienced divers, which makes Dalarö a place to build cold-water skills. Divers looking for warm water or reef life should look elsewhere.
Best time to dive Stockholm Archipelago & Dalarö
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Autumn, winter and spring are the best time to dive the Dalarö wrecks, and the diving does not stop for the cold: a drysuit is needed in every season, and the New Year dive is a fixture of the winter trip calendar. In February and March, the coldest months, the sea averages about 1 °C (33 °F). Summer brings the warmest water, peaking in August at about 19 °C (65 °F), when it still only feels cool. The S/S Najade is closed to visitors from 1 February to 15 August.
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December
Dive types & marine life
Perch and other fish hide among the planks of the Svartfotsvraket. The S/S Najade, a steel freighter wreck, lies inside a seal reserve.
- Wreck
- Night
Best dive sites in Stockholm Archipelago & Dalarö
- 1
Anna Maria
Fluit lying in Dalarö's harbour at 16 to 22 m, partly destroyed by the fire that sank her.
- 2
Bodekull
Frigate built in 1660 on the order of King Charles X Gustav, often called the Dalarö Wreck.
- 3
Jutholm Wreck
Merchant ship lying off the Jutholmen lighthouse, at 11 to 16 m.
- 4
S/S Ingrid Horn
German cargo ship at 24 m, lying in the middle of a shipping route.
- 5
Trassel
Old rebuilt steamboat in the small-boat marina, fairly intact, with penetration for experienced divers.
- 6
Dyviksvraket
Fishing boat at about 13 m, a short way out from land; dived on evening and night trips.
- 7
Svartfotsvraket
Broken-up old boat entered from a beach; the site of the traditional New Year dive.
Site guides
Wreck
An Amsterdam-built fluit that caught fire and sank at the Dalarö quay
A cannon still on its wooden carriage aboard a frigate lost in 1678
Wreck
A three-masted fluyt with no name, resting beside the Jutholmen lighthouse
Wreck
Perch hiding among the burned planks of an old boat off Djurö
How to get to Stockholm Archipelago & Dalarö
Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) lies 37 km (23 mi) north of Stockholm. Dalarö is about 35 minutes' drive from the city centre, and buses for the southern archipelago leave from Gullmarsplan. Trips run from the dive resort at Dalarö and from a dive shop in central Stockholm.
Dive videos
The Grumpy Lady Shows Her Good Side | S/S Ingrid Horn · LinuzTechDive on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Do the Dalarö wrecks need a guide?+
The best-preserved ones do: they may only be visited together with a trained wreck guide. Guided tours to the Anna Maria, the Bodekull and the Jutholm Wreck start from Dalarö.
When is the best time to dive the Dalarö wrecks?+
Autumn, winter and spring. Winter does not stop the diving: the New Year dive on the Svartfotsvraket is a tradition.
Is a drysuit needed in summer?+
Yes. The water is cold and dark in every season, and even in August, the warmest month, the sea averages about 19 °C (65 °F).
How do divers get to Dalarö from Stockholm?+
Dalarö is about 35 minutes' drive from central Stockholm, and buses for the southern archipelago leave from Gullmarsplan. Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) is the main airport.
Sources
- Vrakdykning Stockholm — Vrakdykarpensionatet Captain Baltic — Vrakdykarpensionatet Captain Baltic
- Dalarö Dive Park — Vrak – Museum of Wrecks
- 1709 Anna Maria — Vrak – Museum of Wrecks
- 1700 Jutholmsvraket — Vrak – Museum of Wrecks
- Visit the CB underwater museum with a diving guide! — Central Baltic Programme
- Utfärder - Dykhuset — Dykhuset
- Diving in Sweden — Wikivoyage
- Stockholm archipelago — Wikivoyage
- Stockholm Average Sea Temperatures — SeaTemperature.org
- Stockholm Arlanda Airport — Wikipedia
- Dyviksvraket — Scubago
- Djurö - Svartfotsvraket — Scubago
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