The end of diving in the flooded Ojamo mine?

According to the saying that bad news travels fastest, the information that the legendary Finnish mine Ojamo will be closed for divers at the end of 2019 has spread like lightning. Yes, there will be significant changes from the new year, but from what we have been able to establish, diving in Ojamo will still be possible.

From the information we have reached, the team responsible for running the dives will change. We do not know the details, but this situation is the result of friction that has arisen between the site manager and those responsible for organising and running the dives.

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People close to the mine have told us in private messages that the team, which will cease operations at the site on 31 December, wanted more transparency and to work together on a more democratic basis. We have also received information that many people intend to give up diving at Ojamo, under new management and rules.

The Ojamo Mine is located 60 km west of the Finnish capital Helsinki. Every year the site attracts thousands of divers with its beauty. The mine site is part of the town of Lohja, known for its industrial character. The mine itself was started up in the 18th century as an open cast mine. It was only with time that mining was moved deeper and more tunnels were created.

Today, when the mine is filled with water, the entrance looks like another small forest lake, of which there are many in the area. The shallowest tunnels start at a depth of 28 m from the bottom of the open pit. According to the plans, the deepest part of the mine is at a depth of 250 m, and in the past this was the main mine shaft.

Thanks to the water level, which is level with the ground, the approach to the dive is extremely easy and does not present any difficulties. Divers coming to the site can park their cars right next to it and jump straight into the water. Although there are many kilometres of tunnels in Ojamo, the longest railing is only 1.7 km long and is located at a depth of 88 m.

Characteristic of this place is that the tunnels run practically horizontally, so that depth deviations are very slight. There are many shafts and mining rooms, which make it possible to move from level to level. All this makes diving at this site much easier to plan than in naturally formed caves.

Photo: Michał Czermiński