Diving Ossiacher See

Site Overview

Ossiacher See is a alpine lake dive site in Carinthia, Austria, set among the country’s varied freshwater landscapes. Ossiacher See is a shallow, warm Carinthian lake, easy and friendly for training and relaxed fun dives. Macro life is good around the weed beds, and wrecks include a sunken bus and a motorboat. The warm surface and easy shore entries make it comfortable in a wetsuit through the summer. Perch, roach and tench use the structures, and the clear shallows suit photography practice. It is a gentle, accessible lake that pairs well with the more dramatic Millstätter See nearby. It is ideal for beginners, refresher courses and easy wreck orientation. Conditions are typical of Austrian inland water: visibility generally runs from 6 to 16 metres, the current is low and the water temperature ranges between 6 and 25 degrees Celsius depending on season and depth. The marine life is freshwater and centred on european perch, roach, tench, with the full community described below for those planning a dive. Because of its beginner rating and the need for Open Water certification, Ossiacher 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.