Austria – Carinthian lakes

Carinthia's lakes warm up to well over 20 °C at the surface in summer, but below a sharp thermocline the water stays cold and dark, so most dives combine a sunny, plant-filled shallow zone with a cold wall below. The Weissensee, at about 930 m and protected as a nature park, is the region's diving highlight: clear water, sunken forests, steep walls up to 70 m and more, almost no motorboats, and two bases – Yachtdiver in Techendorf and Diving Weissensee on the east shore. In winter it freezes into Europe's largest natural ice surface and becomes a classic ice-diving destination with organised weekends. The Wörthersee offers deep walls and wartime relics below its warm surface layer, the Millstätter See – Carinthia's deepest lake at 141 m – has dramatic walls such as the Liafels, and the Klopeiner See requires a municipal dive permit. Smaller lakes such as the Längsee and the Freibach reservoir round out the picture.

Dive sites

• Freibacher Stausee
• Klopeiner See – Strandbad Süd
• Längsee – Strandbad
• Millstätter See – Döbriach (Strandbad Tschinder)
• Millstätter See – Liafels
• Millstätter See – Millstatt east (Heroldeck)
• Millstätter See – Seeboden (Strandbad Ertl)
• Ossiacher See – Gerlitzenbad (Sattendorf)
• Weissensee Ost – Grillplatz
• Weissensee Ost – Große Steinwand
• Weissensee Ost – House reef Kutsche & Madonna
• Weissensee Ost – Kleine Steilwand
• Weissensee Ost – Mikado
• Weissensee – Elda wreck
• Weissensee – Erker's Bay
• Weissensee – Laka Wall
• Weissensee – Mopla (Techendorf house bay)
• Weissensee – Rock Ronacher
• Weissensee – Steilwand North
• Weissensee – Tschöllankofel
• Wörthersee – Reifnitz (Parkplatz 2)
• Wörthersee – Sekirn Steilwand
• Wörthersee – Strandbad Bad Saag
• Wörthersee – Teixlbucht / Messnerspitz