ORP Groźny - a great wreck for beginners

ORP Groźny went into service in the Polish Navy in 1957. She was leased with 7 other ships by the USSR authorities and served in the Polish Navy until 1971* (the data is not precise – 1969-1971r).

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It was a large submarine chaser, according to Soviet project 122bis (called BO – Bolshoy Ochotnik, in NATO code – Kronstadt). Originally it was designated “DS-48” (Duży Ścigacz), after that it was changed into “368”. It was the first ship of the Polish Navy that bore that name.

The vessel was sunk near the port of Jastarnia for training purposes, for divers of the Polish Navy. It rests at a shallow depth of 18 metres and, being free of nets, is a great introduction to wreck diving for any diver.

The wreck is almost 53 metres long and 6.5 metres wide. At the time of its service its crew consisted of 57-60 sailors. With 3 diesel engines of 1100 hp each, it developed a speed of 18 knots and had an operational range of 1500 NM. Its armament consisted of: 1 85mm calibre cannon, 2 37mm anti-aircraft guns, 6 large-calibre 12.7mm plot machine guns, 2 MBU-900 depth charge rocket launchers, 2 BMB-1 depth charge bomb throwers and 2 depth charge stern throwers

The bow starts at a depth of 13 m and the stern at 15 m. The maximum depth at the bottom is 18.2 m (stern). Before being sunk, the ship was deprived of all elements that could make diving difficult, so it is very diver-friendly. The dive itself in this position is pleasant and stress-free. Provided, of course, that the visibility is good, which in the Gulf is very variable. If you are a novice diver, this is an ideal wreck to start gaining experience in wreck specialisation in the so-called controlled conditions. Most diving centres and schools offer trips to the “Groźny” during the season.

Source: wikipedia.org