Germany – Baltic & North Sea Coast

Germany's Baltic coast is a shallow, brackish sea whose salinity falls from west to east, so marine life thins out the further east you go. Shore dives typically reach 3–12 m over seagrass, mussel-covered boulders, harbour moles and artificial reefs, with flatfish, cod, gobies, pipefish, crabs and, in spring, nesting lumpfish. Fehmarn, the Eckernförde Bay and the Kiel Fjord in Schleswig-Holstein have small seasonal bases that run shore dives and RIB trips to nearby wrecks. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, bases at Rostock-Warnemünde and Kühlungsborn visit research reefs and wrecks, and the state underwater archaeology association guides small groups to historic wrecks off Rügen. In summer a warm surface layer sits over much colder water, so a drysuit is the norm on deeper boat dives. Heligoland in the North Sea is a strict nature reserve where scuba diving is only allowed in designated zones. Leave old munitions and wreck parts untouched.

Facts

• Water temperature & thermocline: In summer the Baltic forms a warm surface layer (around 18 °C) only about 10–20 m thick, separated by a sharp thermocline from much colder water that preserves winter temperatures; when wind blows along the coast, cold water can well up and drop near-shore temperatures to about 10 °C. Divers report 3–4 °C at the bottom on 21–25 m wrecks off Rerik. Check current conditions. (source: iow.de, taucher.net)
• Brackish water: Salinity in the shallow German Baltic coastal waters falls from about 18 ‰ in the west to about 5 ‰ in the east, because river inflow exceeds saltwater inflow from the North Sea; in the Kiel Fjord it is still roughly half that of the North Sea. Expect less buoyancy than in the ocean (adjust your weights) and smaller, fewer marine species further east – blue mussels, for example, only grow to about 5 cm. (source: umweltbundesamt.de, geomar.de)
• Season & visibility: Most bases are open from about May to September/mid-October (e.g. Tauchen Südstrand on Fehmarn May–September; Tauchparadies Schwedeneck from the second weekend of May to the second weekend of October, otherwise by arrangement), and some Rostock courses run all year. Visibility depends on wind and plankton: the Fehmarn south shore often has around 10 m in calm offshore wind, while reports from the Rostock reefs mention about 4 m. Check current terms. (source: tauchen-suedstrand.de, scubalu.de, taucher.net)
• Base rules & fees: Coastal shore sites are public, but bases charge for facilities: e.g. Tauchparadies Schwedeneck (Surendorf) €15 base fee per person per day, with a barrier chip collected at the base; Tauchen & Meer Eckernförde €10 base fee. On Fehmarn's south beach each buddy team must tow a surface marker buoy. Wreck boat trips usually need advanced certification, cold-water/drysuit experience and a booking (e.g. Fehmarn wreck tours: typically AOWD with 50+ dives; MV underwater archaeology trips: Advanced, 60+ logged dives). Check current terms. (source: operators' websites)
• Is scuba diving permitted?: There is no national law on wreck diving; it depends on water, heritage and nature-conservation law. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania scuba diving in coastal waters counts as common use and needs no permit (§ 22 LWaG MV), while diving in waters closed by the authorities is prohibited and diving bans can be imposed around hazardous wrecks. Harbours are off limits: e.g. diving in the Eckernförde marina is forbidden. Check current status. (source: bundestag.de, tauchenundmeer.net)
• Wrecks: heritage & war graves: Heritage protection is a state matter; in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania the State Office for Culture and Monument Preservation (LAKD) is responsible, and removing parts even of wrecks washed ashore is not allowed. Report new finds to the LAKD (the Freiwassermuseum association helps). Sea war graves are not covered by the German War Graves Act but enjoy special international protection, and the German War Graves Commission reports increasing looting. Look, don't touch or take anything. Heligoland's U-boat wreck UC 71 has been a listed monument since 2012. (source: bundestag.de, freiwassermuseum.de, helgoland.de, nordkurier.de, t-online.de)
• Heligoland nature reserve: The 'Helgoländer Felssockel' nature reserve covers the rocky platform around Heligoland (excluding the island, the Düne and the harbours). Diving with scuba equipment is prohibited in the reserve except within the hatched zones on the regulation's map, and a federal ordinance bans navigation in defined sea areas around the island and anchoring around the Düne. Check current status with the local authority. (source: lexaris.de, gesetze-im-internet.de)
• Military areas: At Surendorf (Eckernförde Bay) the reef lies next to the WTD 71 naval test site, where maritime weapons are still tested; the navy tolerates diving outside the restricted zone only if the rules are kept, so get the local briefing from the base first. (source: scubalu.de)
• Old munitions: About 300,000 t of wartime munitions are thought to lie in the German Baltic (up to 1.3 million t in the North Sea), and divers may come across them. Handling munitions can be fatal: do not touch, note the spot and alert the explosive ordnance disposal service via the police (110) or, in Schleswig-Holstein, the Interior Ministry situation centre (0431 160-0). (source: schleswig-holstein.de, yacht.de)
• Emergency: On land call 112 and say 'suspected diving accident'. At sea, call the DGzRS sea rescue coordination centre (MRCC Bremen, 'Bremen Rescue') on VHF channel 16 or 70 (DSC), or by phone +49 421 53687-0 (24 h); e-mail is not an alerting channel. DAN Europe members can also call the DAN Europe hotline (+39 06 4211 5685 – check the number on your card). (source: seenotretter.de, daneurope.org)
• Recompression chambers: Naval Institute of Maritime Medicine, 'Hydra 2000' chamber, Kopperpahler Allee 120, 24119 Kronshagen near Kiel: emergency +49 431 5409 1441; 60-minute lead time Monday–Friday, otherwise on request; ventilated intensive care possible in the chamber, admission at UKSH Kiel, helipad. Zentrum für Hyperbarmedizin Hamburg (Holstenstr. 79–81): +49 40 63273434, limited hours (Mon–Fri 08–16, Sat 08–12), no intensive care. Always phone before transport – the chamber may be occupied. List as of 1 Jan 2025; check current status. (source: gtuem.org)

Season

• Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct
• Acceptable: Apr, Jul, Aug, Nov
• Poor: Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
• Water temperature: 3–18 °C

Cold waters: Helgoland is 4–5 C in winter and about 18 C in August. Summer cyanobacteria blooms in the Baltic cut visibility, so spring and autumn are better; winter is drysuit diving. No measured visibility source found, so months rely on general knowledge.

Dive sites (21)

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Baltic (Rostock, Rerik, Rügen)

• Amazone wreck (Königsstuhl, Rügen) – 20 m, advanced
• Auguste wreck (Rügen) – 20 m, advanced
• Ewer von Wismar wreck (off Rerik) – 22 m, advanced
• Mynden wreck (Kap Arkona, Rügen) – 12 m, intermediate
• Naval tug wreck (Warnemünde) – 8–10 m, beginner
• Riff Nienhagen (artificial reef) – 10–12 m, intermediate
• Riff Rosenort (artificial reef) – 5–6 m, beginner
• Seal dive at Hohe Düne (Rostock) – beginner
• Seeleichter wreck (Markgrafenheide) – intermediate
• U 3519 debris field (off Warnemünde) – 14–16 m, intermediate
• Zinkwrack (Tromper Wiek, Rügen) – intermediate

Schleswig-Holstein Baltic (Fehmarn, Kiel, Eckernförde)

• Docktor wreck (Fehmarn) – 4–15 m, intermediate
• Eckernförde – mole & artificial reef – 0–10 m, beginner
• Fehmarnsund bridge drift – 0–10 m, intermediate
• Hausriff Südstrand (Meeschendorf, Fehmarn) – 0–5 m, beginner
• Katharinenhof (Fehmarn) – 0–7 m, beginner
• Staberhuk (Fehmarn) – 0–5 m, beginner
• Strande (Kiel Fjord) – 0–7 m, beginner
• Surendorf reef (Eckernförde Bay) – 2–14 m, intermediate
• Westermarkelsdorf – „Stöpsel” (Fehmarn) – beginner

North Sea / Heligoland

• UC 71 U-boat wreck (Heligoland) – 23 m, advanced

Operators (9)

• Tauchen Südstrand – dive centre, Camping Südstrand, Meeschendorf, 23769 Fehmarn
• Tauchparadies Schwedeneck (scubalu.de) – dive centre, Zum Kurstrand 3, 24229 Surendorf (Schwedeneck); shop: Mühlenstraße 47, 24539 Neumünster
• Aquarius Tauchservice – dive centre, Kieler Str. 9 b, Dänisch-Nienhof, 24229 Schwedeneck
• Tauchen & Meer Eckernförde – dive centre, Jungfernstieg 69, 24340 Eckernförde
• Tauchcenter Eckernförde e.V. – dive centre, Postfach 1152, 24331 Eckernförde (beach base on the Eckernförde promenade)
• baltic-diver-circle (Divecenter Rostock) – dive centre, Zum Yachthafen 1-8, 18119 Rostock (Hohe Düne marina)
• Tauchbasis Baltic (Kühlungsborn) – dive centre, Anglersteig 1, 18225 Kühlungsborn
• Freiwassermuseum – Landesverband für Unterwasserarchäologie M-V e.V. – dive centre, Goor 4, 18556 Putgarten (Rügen)
• Tauchen Rügen (Interessengemeinschaft) – dive centre, Proraer Chaussee 50, 18609 Ostseebad Binz / OT Prora

Routes (9)

• Fehmarn boat dives: Docktor & Sound drift
• Fehmarn shore dives by dive bus
• Western Baltic wreck tours with Ingo Oppelt
• Surendorf 'Tauchtag PUR'
• Weekly dive meet at Strande
• Sunday seal dive
• Rostock reefs & wrecks by boat
• Freiwassermuseum wreck day off Rügen
• Freiwassermuseum dives off Rostock

Bases are small and seasonal, boat trips depend on wind and minimum numbers, and prices and opening hours change – confirm with the operator before you travel. Wreck positions are given only approximately (near the harbour or coast) and are not for navigation. Water below the summer thermocline can be just a few degrees; plan thermal protection and gas accordingly.