Diving Heiterwanger See

Site Overview

Heiterwanger See is a alpine lake dive site in Tyrol, Austria, set among the country’s varied freshwater landscapes. Heiterwanger See is the sister lake to Plansee, connected and sharing its exceptional clarity and big rock walls. Submerged tree trunks and the steep walls give divers vertical drama and ghostly timber to explore. Cold and altitude mean a drysuit and conservative planning, with depth building quickly from the shore. Char and trout use the walls, and the luminous water makes for beautiful wide-angle images. It is quieter than Plansee, offering a more intimate clear-water alpine experience. Together the two lakes form one of the best wall-diving regions in the Austrian Alps. Conditions are typical of Austrian inland water: visibility generally runs from 10 to 28 metres, the current is low and the water temperature ranges between 4 and 19 degrees Celsius depending on season and depth. The marine life is freshwater and centred on arctic char, lake trout (brown trout), grayling, with the full community described below for those planning a dive. Because of its advanced rating and the need for Advanced Open Water certification, Heiterwanger See 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.