wreck

Log This Dive

VIKING

Forget those sun-drenched reefs; VIKING is for divers who appreciate a bit of grit and history, especially if you’re into the stories the North Sea has to tell. This isn’t a site about a thousand fish species, it’s about the atmosphere. Dropping down onto the steamship, you feel the chill of the water, the history palpable around the superstructure. We love how the wreck’s lines are still so defined, the bow and stern easily recognisable, even after all these years on the seabed. The VIKING is a genuinely dangerous wreck, not because it’s collapsing, but because of how intact it is. This is a big ship, sitting upright, and we’d suggest good buoyancy control if you plan to get a closer look at the propeller or the impressive engine room. Penetration isn't the name of the game here; instead, it's about exploring the exterior, imagining the life this vessel once held. Visibility can be a lottery out here, but on a good day, the light filtering down onto the dark steel, now draped in dead man's fingers and anemones, creates a moody, evocative scene. Our favourite time to dive it is late summer when the water has warmed up a little, and the currents tend to be a touch kinder. Keep an eye out for cod lurking in the shadows and the occasional crab scuttling across the deck plates.