wreck

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HMS HARSTAD

The HMS Harstad, lying deep at 51 metres off the Cornish coast, is one of those wrecks that just gets under your skin. We've spent a good few decompression stops thinking about the story she tells. Built as the trawler Kos XVII, then pressed into service as a Norwegian minesweeper, she’s a small ship, only 36 metres long, but she’s full of character. You can still make out the bow mount and some of her structure, despite the years. She went down in 1943, and the cold, dark waters have preserved her surprisingly well. When the visibility is good, which we find is often the case outside of late summer, the sight of her masts reaching up from the seabed is quite something. We particularly love the wheelhouse area, where conger eels have found their permanent residence, and those big jewel anemones just add incredible splashes of colour. This is a dive for experienced wreck enthusiasts, those comfortable with deeper profiles and managing their gas in low light. Expect proper UK diving – a bit of chill, a bit of current sometimes, but a genuinely rewarding wreck that feels like stepping back in time.