Lithuania is a land of lakes: the country has more than 2,600 natural lakes larger than half a hectare. Diving here is not only for summer: Divemen dives in spring, summer and autumn, and under the ice in winter. According to our instructor, the water is clearest when it cools down, in October and November.
Below are the places we dive ourselves. You will find each of them in the videos on our YouTube channel.
Where to dive in Lithuania: our sites
Lake Galvė (Trakai)
Galvė is a lake on the northern edge of Trakai, in Trakai Historical National Park. It covers 361 ha and is almost 47 m deep at its deepest point. The lake has 21 islands, and Trakai Island Castle stands on Castle Island (Pilies sala).
Divemen's Open Water Diver course does its open water dives here (four of them), and so does the Advanced Open Water Diver course.
On 7 February 2019 the pleasure boat "Skaistis", about 27 m long, which used to take holidaymakers out on the lake, sank at a pier in the northern part of the lake. It settled at a depth of about 6 m. One of our videos shows a dive to this boat.
Lake Asveja (Dubingiai)
Asveja, also called Lake Dubingiai (Dubingių ežeras), lies in the Molėtai, Švenčionys and Vilnius districts, about 8 km west of Pabradė. It is the longest lake in Lithuania: 21.9 km, or 29.7 km with its bays. It is 50.2 m deep at its deepest point. Asveja is in Asveja Regional Park. Our video "Nardymas Asveja" shows a dive in this lake.
Lake Tauragnas (Aukštaitija)
Tauragnas is the deepest lake in Lithuania: it reaches 62.5 m in its western part. The lake is in Utena district, next to the small town of Tauragnai, in Aukštaitija National Park. It is about 9.5 km long and covers about 500 ha, and its banks are high, up to 40 m in places.
The maximum depth for recreational diving is 40 m, so going deeper is only for divers who have completed technical diving courses. You can see a dive in Tauragnas in our video.
Lake Baltieji Lakajai (Labanoras Regional Park)
Baltieji Lakajai (the White Lakajai) is a lake in Molėtai district, about 8 km east of Molėtai, in Labanoras Regional Park. It covers about 700 ha, is 8.6 km long and 45 m deep at its deepest point. Depressions 5–40 m deep run along the lake's trough, and there are three forested islands.
Our videos show the underwater forest and underwater canyons of Baltieji Lakajai, and rebreather (CCR) diving in the depths of this lake.
Lake Ilgis
Ilgis is one of the most common lake names in Lithuania: more than 20 lakes in different districts are called Ilgis. You can see a dive in one of them in the video "Ilgio ežeras" on our YouTube channel.
Fort VIII of Kaunas Fortress
Fort VIII (Kauno tvirtovės VIII fortas) is a fort of Kaunas Fortress in Milikoniai, north-west of the Kaunas city centre, built in 1889–1890. It was the first fort of Kaunas Fortress built with concrete and the first to have electricity. During the First World War, the retreating garrison blew up the remaining ammunition. The blast damaged the fort and its drainage, so much of the underground part is flooded. A good deal of the fort's original equipment remains in the flooded casemates, including parts of its electricity generator.
Our video shows a dive in the fort's flooded tunnels. This is diving with a ceiling overhead: you cannot ascend straight to the surface, so such dives need special training.
The fort has a bat reserve, the Milikoniai theriological reserve: the fort is an important wintering site for bats. During the bats' hibernation, from September to May, visiting the Kaunas bat reserves is forbidden.
Under the ice
In winter, when the lakes freeze, we dive under the ice (video "Under ice / Po ledu"). The only way back to the surface is through the hole in the ice, so you need the Ice Diver course, the right equipment and a team on the ice.
What you will meet underwater
The lakes where we dive are home to pike, perch, roach, bream and tench, and in some of them also eels and crayfish. Baltieji Lakajai, for example, also has vendace and smelt, as well as eels and crayfish, while burbot, vendace and eels are among the fish caught in Asveja. You can see pike and an eel in our videos "Lydekaitės" (young pike) and "Ungurys" (eel).
Safety when diving in Lithuanian lakes
- Dive with a buddy and stay within the limits of your certification: an Open Water Diver certificate, for example, lets you dive to 18 m, and the maximum depth for recreational diving is 40 m.
- Stay warm. Lake water is colder and darker than warm seas: even in midsummer it is only 12–15 °C at 10 m, and in some deeper spots only 4–5 °C. Choose a dry suit or a thick wetsuit, for example a two-piece suit with 7 mm in each part. In cold water a regulator with a dry chamber also helps.
- Overhead environments only with training. Under the ice or in flooded structures there is a ceiling above you, so dive there only after the right course.
- Protect nature. Most of these lakes are in national or regional parks.
Dive with Divemen
Would you like to dive these places with us? Contact us and tell us which certificate you have. If you are not certified yet, start with our diving courses in Vilnius: the first course's open water dives take place in Lake Galvė.
Frequently asked questions
What is the deepest lake in Lithuania?
Tauragnas in Utena district, in Aukštaitija National Park: it is 62.5 m deep at its deepest point. The maximum depth for recreational diving is 40 m; going deeper is only for divers who have completed technical diving courses.
Which certificate do I need to dive in Lithuanian lakes?
The first certificate is Open Water Diver: it lets you dive to 18 m. Divemen's open water dives for this course take place in Lake Galvė, Trakai.
Can you dive in Lithuania in winter?
Yes. Divemen dives in spring, summer and autumn, and under the ice in winter. Ice diving requires a special Ice Diver course.
What suit do I need for Lithuanian lakes?
A warm one: even in midsummer the water is only 12–15 °C at 10 m. Choose a dry suit or a thick wetsuit, for example a two-piece 7 mm suit.