ARTHUR - West Coast (Gothenburg)

The Arthur is one of those wrecks that just grabs you, even at 45 metres. We love dropping down and seeing her stern start to emerge from the gloom, often with huge schools of cod milling about the broken deck. She’s a steamship, sunk by a German U-boat in 1916, and you really feel that history as you fin over her. You can poke around the collapsed superstructure, imagining the cargo she was carrying from Leith to Gothenburg. The visibility here can vary, but on a good day, it's pretty clear, and the light filtering down gives her a ghostly, atmospheric feel. This site is definitely for experienced divers comfortable with deeper dives and the often chilly Swedish water. Keep an eye out for conger eels tucked into crevices; they’re regular residents, and we’ve spotted giant lumpsuckers here too, sometimes clinging to the bow. Our favourite part is exploring the propeller, often covered in colourful anemones. It’s a proper expedition dive, a real taste of West Coast wreck diving.

Location
West Coast (Gothenburg), Sweden, Mediterranean & Europe
Coordinates
57.766167, 10.932167
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
45m

Wreck History - ARTHUR

Year Sunk
1916
Vessel Type
cargo ship
Cause
scuttled

The story of the steamship Arthur is a stark reminder of the perils of naval warfare during World War I. In November 1916, the vessel was on a passage from Leith, Scotland, to the neutral port of Gothenburg, Sweden. Before it could reach the safety of its destination, it was intercepted in the North Sea by the German submarine U-75. Rather than being sunk by a torpedo, the Arthur was captured, and the U-boat crew scuttled the ship using bombs, ensuring its demise.

Resting at 45 meters off the west coast of Sweden, the Arthur is a challenging dive reserved for technical divers. The cold, dark waters of the North Sea have kept the wreck in a remarkable state of preservation. Descending onto this WWI casualty is a somber and fascinating experience. Divers can explore a vessel that was stopped in its tracks, a victim of a calculated act of war. The wreck is a tangible connection to the Great War and the naval conflict that dominated these waters over a century ago.

Marine Protected Area: 2025774 Rön, Röns skär, Röns huvud

Best Time to Dive in West Coast (Gothenburg)

The warmest water temperatures in West Coast (Gothenburg) occur in January, averaging 1.9°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 1.9°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

  • January: 1.9°C (air: 1.7°C)
  • February: 1.9°C (air: 1.9°C)
  • March: 1.9°C (air: 3.2°C)
  • April: 1.9°C (air: 6.3°C)
  • May: 1.9°C (air: 11.7°C)
  • June: 1.9°C (air: 16.3°C)
  • July: 1.9°C (air: 16.8°C)
  • August: 1.9°C (air: 16.8°C)
  • September: 1.9°C (air: 14.3°C)
  • October: 1.9°C (air: 10.0°C)
  • November: 1.9°C (air: 5.6°C)
  • December: 1.9°C (air: 1.3°C)

Nearby Dive Sites in West Coast (Gothenburg)

Nearest Dive Centres to ARTHUR

Marine Life in West Coast (Gothenburg)

Home to 134 recorded species including 70 reef fish, 10 other, 9 whales & dolphins, 8 seagrass & algae, 8 clams & mussels, 7 sharks & rays.

Notable Species

Recommended Packing List for ARTHUR

Based on average water temperature of 1.9°C.

  • Drysuit - water at 2°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