Archipelago Sea dive sites

The waters around Jurmo contain wrecks spanning several centuries of Baltic maritime history. The most notable are wooden sailing vessels from the 17th through 19th centuries, many remarkably well preserved due to the cold, low-salinity, low-oxygen conditions of the Baltic. Some wrecks still have standing masts and intact deck structures. There are also more modern steel-hulled vessels from the early 20th century. Access to certain wrecks requires permits from the Finnish Heritage Agency as they are protected cultural sites. Your dive operator will advise on which wrecks are open for recreational diving.

Jurmo is one of the outermost inhabited islands in the Finnish Archipelago Sea. From Turku you can take the archipelago ferry route via Nagu and Korpo, which takes several hours. Most dive operators based in Turku or Nagu run dedicated boat trips to Jurmo wreck sites during summer months. The crossing can be rough in poor weather, so trips are weather-dependent. Some operators offer multi-day liveaboard-style charters covering several wreck sites around the outer archipelago.

Most Jurmo wreck dives are in the 20 to 35 metre range and require at least an advanced open water certification. Wreck penetration requires specific wreck diving or technical diving certification. A drysuit certification is essential as water temperatures even in summer rarely exceed 18 degrees at the surface and drop to 4 to 8 degrees at wreck depth. Experience with limited visibility diving is important as silt can reduce visibility quickly inside wrecks. Many Finnish dive centres offer wreck speciality courses that include Jurmo sites.