K-18 "Bryza" - wreck of the liaison vessel

Today we remind you of a wreck sunk especially for divers (unfortunately, so far the only one) – K-18 “Bryza”. It was a liaison cutter built in the Gdańsk River Shipyard in Gdańsk – Stogi. During its service on the surface it belonged to 43 Squadron of Auxiliary Floating Units in 9th Coastal Defence Flotilla in Hel.

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The main task of the ship was the transport of passengers and goods between the port of Hel and the nearby Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot. The “Bryza” was one of 51 ships created according to the project 772U, created for the needs of the Soviet Navy. The twin vessels can still be found in the Black Sea Fleet. The dimensions of the ship are about 30 m long and more than 6 m wide. The “Bryza” developed the speed of 10 knots, and it remained in the active service in 1965-2003.

On Sunday, 17 August 2009, the boat was towed 200 metres from the Hel beach and sunk. The wreck settled on a gentle slope, so that its bow is at a depth of 11 metres and the stern at 20 metres. The vessel was intended for training purposes from the very beginning and it maintained this character also while lying on the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Devoid of any elements that could pose a threat, “Bryza” is a great place for divers beginning their adventure with wreck diving. The wreck is very easily accessible, and most of the dives on it are conducted from the shore.

Since we are already talking about diving, let us now move on to what is most important… that is, practical information. First, we have to decide whether we are going to attack the Breeze from a fin, or whether we are going to take advantage of the offer of one of the diving centres and set off in an organised group, using the possibility of setting off by boat.

If we decided for the first option, we should now leave our car somewhere. The best location will be the plot of the University of Gdansk. To get there, you need to get the key at the reception desk of Hel Sealarium. Of course, nothing is for free and we will have to pay a fee for this pleasure when returning the key. Now, when we have parked our car and clarified the equipment, we have to decide how to cover the distance separating us from the wreck.

The easiest, and most enjoyable way, will be to use our compasses and swim to a specific azimuth. For most of the distance separating us from the target we will operate at a depth of 2-3 metres, with time the depth will increase to 5 metres. When we are almost at the target we will find ourselves on a slope descending 20 metres. If we take our azimuth and turn slightly left, at the depth of 14 meters we should find a railing that will lead us to the wreck. Depending on the pace we set for ourselves and the weather conditions, it should take us no more than 15 minutes to complete this route.

Another way to reach the goal, in case you are swimming from the shore, will be to swim along the concrete pier at the end of which there is the already mentioned handrail.

Diving from the shore is a good idea, but for it to be enjoyable and not difficult, the weather conditions must be right. Autumn and winter are not the best time to practice this method because, apart from the dive itself, we will have to spend about 30 minutes in icy water. An additional difficulty will be the wave. If it is too big, we will have to push ourselves hard, and in addition, it will bounce us quite considerably. In this case, if only we have such a possibility, I recommend using scooters.

I encourage all divers to use the services provided by diving centres and diving bases in the field of wreck exploration. Many of them organise expeditions to the vessels located in the region of Gdańsk Bay. The cost of such expedition is about 150 PLN and the programme usually includes diving on two wrecks. In this option we find ourselves most probably on board of one of the typical diving boats – Baltic Quest, Litoral, Sztorm or similar. After reaching the destination we enter the water and by a tightrope we reach the wreck.

We can easily devote 30-40 minutes to its penetration, taking into account that the “Bryza” is not a large vessel, a lot of time can be spent on its interior, which has been specially prepared for the needs of divers. Apart from very large decks, which are open to the outside, we also have technical rooms, to which we will be led by stairs, and very narrow rooms, from which we will enter from the back. The Bryza is a very pleasant and easy wreck, for divers at any level of training, however the exploration of the interior should be done gradually and through the prism of one’s own skills.

The area around the wreck is quite bright and visibility is generally around 7m. It is therefore not necessary to have a strong light. We can easily cope with the use of backup torches. A big plus for sure is the lack of nets surrounding most wrecks and very easy navigation in its vicinity.

An interesting initiative was certainly the hiding of 99 commemorative medals on the “Bryza”, which were an additional attraction and incentive for divers visiting the area. The method turned out to be so effective that from the very moment of its sinking, there was a great number of persons willing to dive on the wreck, and the ship has enjoyed unflagging popularity until today. In the region of the bay, this is undoubtedly one of the most interesting wrecks, and in terms of the possibility to venture into its interior, as well as accessibility for diving enthusiasts – definitely number one!

Photo: Tomasz Stachura