Diving Achensee – Dampferwiese (Steamer Wreck)

Site Overview

Achensee – Dampferwiese (Steamer Wreck) is a wreck dive site in Tyrol, Austria, set among the country’s varied freshwater landscapes. Dampferwiese is the Achensee’s signature wreck dive, where a small steamer rests in the clear, cold deep water. The timber hull is draped with freshwater growth and is home to char, trout and schooling perch. At depth, it suits Advanced divers comfortable with a colder, deeper profile and a drysuit. The surrounding submerged forest and the Scholastika wall make for a varied, atmospheric dive. It is normally reached by boat from Achenkirch and pairs with the lake’s wall dives. Clear Tyrolean water makes the wreck readable from a distance for wide-angle photography. Conditions are typical of Austrian inland water: visibility generally runs from 10 to 26 metres, the current is low and the water temperature ranges between 4 and 17 degrees Celsius depending on season and depth. The marine life is freshwater and centred on arctic char, lake trout (brown trout), european perch, with the full community described below for those planning a dive. Because of its advanced rating and the need for Advanced Open Water certification, Achensee – Dampferwiese (Steamer Wreck) is best approached with the right thermal protection and, where relevant, altitude or overhead training. It is a representative example of why Austrian lake diving, with its cold clarity, submerged forests and wrecks, attracts divers who want something different from tropical reefs.