Is Åland Islands wrecks good for beginner divers?

Yes, partly: 6 of the 9 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Cable Wreck (Hanko Underwater Park), Conservativ (Garpen 1) and Osborn & Elisabeth. The others need more experience or a higher certification.

What is the water temperature in Åland Islands wrecks?

The water is usually between 4 °C and 20 °C over the year.

Åland Islands wrecks

Diving in Finland

9 documented dive sites, 6 of them for Open Water divers.

Good months: Apr–Nov
Water: 4–20 °C
Levels: Open Water, Advanced, Experienced, Technical
Nearest airport: MHQ

When to go

Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.

Pick a month

Best
Good
Possible
Closed
Not documented yet

Åland Islands wrecks in November

Good season

Air: 5 °C; 2 °C at night
Rain: 50 mm; average for the year
Wind: 16 km/h; on average

Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.

Compare with another destination

Åland's season runs from late March or early April (depending on ice) to mid-December; surface water peaks at 18–20 °C in July. Diving in Finland is possible year-round, with ice diving in winter (PADI Travel).

Source: visitaland.com

Dive sites in Åland Islands wrecks

From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.

Open Water friendly

usual dive down to 18 m6 sites

Wreck

down to 18 m

Cable Wreck (Hanko Underwater Park)

A wooden-hulled wreck dated to the mid-17th century, the oldest site of the Hanko Underwater Park, reached by a guide rope from a buoy.

Open Water

Wreck

down to 14 m

Conservativ (Garpen 1)

The wreck of the brig Conservativ, sunk near Hanko in 1847, lies on its side at about 8–12 m, reached by a guide rope from a mooring buoy.

Open Water

Wreck

down to 18 m

Osborn & Elisabeth

A 28 m two-masted cargo ship wrecked in 1873 northwest of Hanko, marked with a surface buoy and guide rope down to the wreck at 10–18 m.

Open Water

Wreck

down to 15 m

Lilla Ankargrundet wreck (Ajan?)

The broken remains of a wooden ship believed to be the sailing barque Ajan, lost in 1890, in the Hanko Underwater Park.

Open Water

down to 12 m

Meijerfelt's cannon racks

Nine cannon racks lie in a row on the seabed at a depth of about 10 m off Hanko.

Open Water

Wreck

down to 15 m

Planet (schooner), Rödhamn

A sheltered 1898 wooden schooner wreck in the Rödhamn archipelago where details such as the wooden anchor windlass are still preserved.

Open Water

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m1 site

Wreck

down to 24 m

Nederland (schooner)

A Dutch schooner that sank outside Mariehamn in December 1917 while carrying hand-carved cobblestones from Lysekil to Gävlen.

Advanced

For experienced divers

usual dive down to 40 m1 site

Wreck

down to 37 m

Plus (iron barque)

An iron-hulled three-masted barque built in 1885 for the Laeisz company, lost in 1933 near Hertonklobben, southwest of Mariehamn.

Experienced

Technical and specialty dives

1 site

Wreck

down to 47 m

SMS Hindenburg (icebreaker)

A German Imperial Navy icebreaker sunk in 1918 by a drifting mine frozen into the pack ice, now at 37–47 m; dived only with a special permit.

Technical

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

Reported here, season not documented yet:

Pike
Jellyfish

Where is Åland Islands wrecks?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Åland (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

Nearest airport: MHQ

Åland Islands wrecks: frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive Åland Islands wrecks?: The good months to dive Åland Islands wrecks are Apr–Nov. Åland's season runs from late March or early April (depending on ice) to mid-December; surface water peaks at 18–20 °C in July. Diving in Finland is possible year-round, with ice diving in winter (PADI Travel).
Is Åland Islands wrecks good for beginner divers?: Yes, partly: 6 of the 9 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Cable Wreck (Hanko Underwater Park), Conservativ (Garpen 1) and Osborn & Elisabeth. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
What is the water temperature in Åland Islands wrecks?: The water is usually between 4 °C and 20 °C over the year.
How do you dive Åland Islands wrecks?: The nearest airport is MHQ.

About this page

Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash

Photo credits

Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash