GERD - North Sea Coast
The GERD, a dredger that went down in 1969, sits shallow off Esbjerg, making it a surprisingly accessible bit of history for the North Sea. At just 4 meters deep, it’s a site for a relaxed dive, good for newer wreck divers or those looking for an easy day out. You’ll find the wreck spread across the seabed, its steel structure now home to a scattering of crabs tucked into crevices and small schools of fish darting through the broken sections. It’s not a site for dramatic swim-throughs, but there’s a quiet satisfaction in exploring the remains, imagining the heavy weather that brought it down. Visibility can be a bit variable here, as you'd expect on a sandy bottom, so we’d suggest timing your dive for a calmer day.
- Location
- North Sea Coast, Denmark, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 55.439200, 8.267667
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 4m
Marine Protected Area: Vadehavet
Best Time to Dive in North Sea Coast
The warmest water temperatures in North Sea Coast occur in January, averaging 4.6°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 4.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 4.6°C (air: 3.3°C)
- February: 4.6°C (air: 3.6°C)
- March: 4.6°C (air: 4.1°C)
- April: 4.6°C (air: 6.7°C)
- May: 4.6°C (air: 11.2°C)
- June: 4.6°C (air: 15.4°C)
- July: 4.6°C (air: 16.2°C)
- August: 4.6°C (air: 16.7°C)
- September: 4.6°C (air: 14.7°C)
- October: 4.6°C (air: 10.8°C)
- November: 4.6°C (air: 6.9°C)
- December: 4.6°C (air: 3.3°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in North Sea Coast
- 101 (POSSIBLY) - 20m (wreck)
- Aalborg Sportsdykkerklub
- AAROSUND - 10m (wreck)
- ACTIV - 14m (wreck)
- ADAMAR - 24m (wreck)
- AGNES - 0m (wreck)
- AGNETE - 5m (wreck)
- AGNETHE - 12m (wreck)
- Albertus (reef)
- ALBIS - 2m (wreck)
- ALEX - 15m (wreck)
- Alholm Rev (reef)
- ALLIANCE - 10m (wreck)
- ALLIANCE H 156 - 22m (wreck)
- ALMA - 20m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to GERD
- Aquatic Marine
- Blivdykker.dk - ["PADI"]
- Broagerlands Dykkercenter
- Carlsens Dykkercenter A/S - SSI
- Dieter's Tauchshop
- Diving 2000 A/S - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in North Sea Coast
Home to 105 recorded species including 55 reef fish, 9 crabs & lobsters, 8 other, 7 clams & mussels, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs, 5 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- dab (Limanda limanda) - Reef Fish
- Protestant (Clupea harengus) - Reef Fish
- Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - Reef Fish
- whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
- Ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) - Clams & Mussels
- Fluke (Platichthys flesus) - Reef Fish
- Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
- sprat (Sprattus sprattus) - Reef Fish
- Common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) - Clams & Mussels
- bull rout (Myoxocephalus scorpius) - Reef Fish
- Sea potato (Echinocardium cordatum) - Sea Urchins
- Sand mason (Lanice conchilega) - Worms
- eel (Anguilla anguilla) - Reef Fish
- Edible periwinkle (Littorina littorea) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Common sea star (Asterias rubens) - Starfish
- long rough dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides) - Reef Fish
- Pollock (Trachurus trachurus) - Reef Fish
- Common shore crab (Carcinus maenas) - Crabs & Lobsters
- New Zealand Mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Common dragonet (Callionymus lyra) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for GERD
Based on average water temperature of 4.6°C.
- Drysuit - water at 5°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