ACHAIKA HOPE
Protected Area
Area marina protetta Capotesta - Punta Falcone
Why dive here
With 74+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dolphins, mobula rays (devil rays), oceanic whitetip sharks and ocean sunfish (mola mola) - ACHAIKA HOPE offers some of Sardinia's richest wreck diving.
The Achaika Hope holds a proper place in our list of favourite Mediterranean wrecks. She’s a big old steamship, all 100 metres of her, sitting upright at 25 metres off Razzoli Island. She ran aground in a storm back in ’69, and you can still feel that drama when the surge picks up a bit. We love how intact she is – you can trace the whole deck, peer into cargo holds that now shelter schools of silvery juvenile barracuda, and even see the distinctive shape of her boilers in the engine room area. Exploring the Achaika Hope feels like stepping back in time. The bow points seaward, almost defiantly, while the stern is closer to the rocks where she met her end. Swarms of damselfish flicker around the mast, which still reaches up towards the surface, and we often find large groupers lurking in the deeper, darker sections of the holds. Visibility here is usually excellent, giving you a real sense of her scale as you drift along the length of her hull. For wreck divers who appreciate history and an accessible, impressive structure, this one’s a real treat. Just be mindful of local conditions; that same surge that brought her down can make for a more lively dive.
Typical ACHAIKA HOPE Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Depth of 25m - Advanced Open Water certification recommended.
Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.
Always perform a 3-minute safety stop at 5m before surfacing.
ACHAIKA HOPE Wreck History
Year Sunk
1969
Vessel Type
cargo ship
Cause
grounding
The ACHAIKA HOPE was a post-war steam ship, built in Sunderland, England, in 1949. In December of 1969, while under the ownership of the Achaika Shipping Co., the vessel was on a cargo run through the Mediterranean, sailing from Sete in France to Izmir in Turkey. Her journey came to an abrupt and violent end when she ran aground on the rocks surrounding Razzoli Island, part of the beautiful but treacherous Maddalena Archipelago in Sardinia, Italy.
Now resting at a depth of 25 meters, the ACHAIKA HOPE is a classic Mediterranean wreck dive for advanced divers. The clear Sardinian waters offer excellent visibility for exploring the remains of this mid-century cargo vessel. Divers can navigate its decaying structure, peer into its cargo holds, and imagine its final, fateful moments. The wreck serves as a stark reminder of the hidden dangers lurking beneath the waves, even in this idyllic island paradise, and has since become a popular and fascinating site for the local diving community.
Nearest Dive Centres to ACHAIKA HOPE
Dive shops near ACHAIKA HOPE
AREA11 DIVING CENTER
Nautica Sabatani
ASD FOCUS
ORSO DIVING CLUB
SCUBA REVOLUTION
KALLISTE PLONGEE
Reviews for ACHAIKA HOPE
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for ACHAIKA HOPE
ACHAIKA HOPE Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for ACHAIKA HOPE, sourced from NOAA buoy data - nearest station: Open-Meteo grid (39.61, 8.94) (0km away)
August Averages
Air Temperature
26.16°C
79°F
Wind Speed
5.49 m/s
10.7 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1013.9 hPa
Based on 5 years of monitoring data · Data sources: NOAA NDBC
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