POUL CARL - Bornholm

The Poul Carl, resting at a modest 18 metres off Bornholm, is one of our favourite North Sea wrecks. It’s a steamship, sunk in a collision back in 1942, and the decades underwater have transformed it from a dangerous wreck, as the records state, into a proper habitat. What hits you first is the sheer scale of the cargo hold. You can swim right in, and often the light filtering through the hull plates creates these hazy shafts, illuminating schools of cod that hold tight to the shadows. We love exploring the engine room, which is still quite intact, with machinery draped in anemones. Visibility here can swing, but on a good day, the structure of the ship stands out against the green-blue water, and you really get a sense of its history. It’s not a drift dive, so you can take your time poking around for crabs in the nooks and crannies. This wreck suits divers who appreciate history and don't mind a bit of a chill; the water isn’t tropical, but the character of the Poul Carl more than makes up for it.

Location
Bornholm, Denmark, Mediterranean & Europe
Coordinates
54.751278, 12.697722
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
18m

Marine Protected Area: Klinteskov kalkgrund

Best Time to Dive in Bornholm

The warmest water temperatures in Bornholm occur in January, averaging 3.3°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 3.3°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

  • January: 3.3°C (air: 3.1°C)
  • February: 3.3°C (air: 3.2°C)
  • March: 3.3°C (air: 3.9°C)
  • April: 3.3°C (air: 6.0°C)
  • May: 3.3°C (air: 10.9°C)
  • June: 3.3°C (air: 16.1°C)
  • July: 3.3°C (air: 17.4°C)
  • August: 3.3°C (air: 18.0°C)
  • September: 3.3°C (air: 15.7°C)
  • October: 3.3°C (air: 11.5°C)
  • November: 3.3°C (air: 7.1°C)
  • December: 3.3°C (air: 3.5°C)

Nearby Dive Sites in Bornholm

Nearest Dive Centres to POUL CARL

Marine Life in Bornholm

Home to 67 recorded species including 43 reef fish, 7 clams & mussels, 5 sea snails & nudibranchs, 4 crabs & lobsters, 2 starfish, 2 other.

Notable Species

Recommended Packing List for POUL CARL

Based on average water temperature of 3.3°C.

  • Drysuit - water at 3°C demands a drysuit with thermal undergarments
  • Hood & Gloves (7mm+) - critical to prevent heat loss
  • Mask - essential for every dive
  • Fins
  • BCD - buoyancy compensator
  • Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
  • Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
  • Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
  • Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
  • Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories