wreck

Log This Dive

PRESTON NORTH END

Okay, let's set the record straight: "Preston North End" isn't exactly the *Preston North End* you might be imagining from the football pitches. This is the shipwreck. And before we go further, if you’re coming to Iceland for wreck diving, you’re often coming for the challenge and the history, not necessarily a riot of colour. This is a deep one, hitting 50 metres, so it's strictly for experienced technical divers comfortable with cold water and potentially limited visibility. The SS Preston North End, a British steam trawler, met its end on the Geirfugladraugar reef way back in 1904. Not 1950, as some records incorrectly state. She ran aground, then slipped off the reef into the deeper water where she now lies, largely intact but exposed to the relentless North Atlantic currents. What we love about this wreck is the sheer sense of history you get when descending onto her. The bow points eastward, with her stern angled down the slope, often shrouded in the gloom. You can make out the superstructure, the deck gear, and the massive propeller, now a skeletal relic. The marine life here isn't tropical, but you'll find wolfish lurking in the shadows, cod cruising the deck, and sometimes even a respectful gathering of lumpfish clinging to the metalwork. Our favourite time to dive her is on a calm day, with minimal swell, aiming for slack tide if you can time it. That’s when the water settles, giving you those precious extra moments to really appreciate the scale of this old girl and the silence of her final resting place.