Winter diving

Winter scuba diving in Lake Thun may appear to be sheer madness to all non-divers, but it certainly can be justified, and is, in fact, even more popular than diving in the summer. Daniel König, the owner of  Tauchschule Scubaqua in Thun-Gwatt, is also a passionate diver, and explains the advantages of winter diving in Lake Thun.

“Visibility underwater is never better than in the winter. As a result of the melt water that is transported into Lake Thun by the streams in spring and summer, visibility is very hazy during these seasons. You have to dive down to as far as 20 metres in order to get below this so-called thermocline. The thermocline is considerably higher in the winter and you thereby have a wonderfully clear view, even at shallow depths.”

The features that make Lake Thun particularly fascinating are its depth and the impressive rock walls, which seem to drop-off to infinity. The slopes of the surrounding mountains continue into the lake, and extend to almost unfathomable depths of up to 217 metres below the surface.

Before diving with a dry-suit for the first time in winter, you are recommended to visit an appropriate course that addresses the special features of winter diving.

Further information about diving courses in Lake Thun:
- Scubaqua, Tel. 033 335 18 00,  www.scubaqua.ch
- Tauch Treff Lake Thun, Tel. 033 243 33 33, www.tt-thunersee.ch