Having done our "intro into cave" course on Gozo a few months earlier, we were eager to dive in a cave or mine again. There are a number of countries in Europe where you can mine dive, for example with our neighbours in Belgium and Germany. As we were travelling through Sweden with our campervan and diving gear, Sweden was our first choice.
What an insane experience, the mine has perfect facilities and the mine diving is amazing!
And the fun part? Mine is for almost everyone, because there is also a section where you can dive in open water with your advanced certification. And even if you don't dive, you can have a great time!
Mine diving at Adventuremine Tuna Hästberg in brief
Where is it located?
Tuna Hästberg is located in southern Sweden, in the region of Dalarna. From Zwolle about 1,400 kilometres.
It is a small town and is located in beautiful surroundings. Surrounded by forests as far as the eye can see and beautiful lakes, nature lovers will have a great time here! There are hardly any facilities in this village, the nearest supermarket is a 25-minute drive away.
How deep is it?
More than 7 kilometres of line were laid at the different levels at 15, 35 and 70 metres depth.
How is the visibility?
It hardly gets any better! With over 30 metres of visibility and no plants or animals, it almost feels like diving in tap water.
And the temperature of the water?
The water is cold: 4/5 degrees all year round. The same goes for the mine above water. There is a heated room where you can warm up between dives.
What does it cost to mine dive in the adventure mine?
You pay 60 euros per person per day "diving fee", which you pay when you register online.
Can you fill scuba tanks there?
Yes indeed! They have a nice setup and you can have air and nitrox filled. It is also possible to fill 100% oxygen and helium.
How to make a reservation
Via diving.adventuremine.se you can register in advance. You can upload your cave or mine diving certificate there. Once your details have been checked, you will receive a login code so you can make a booking and pay.
What does a day of mine diving in Tuna Hastberg look like?
Going down:
The adventure mine is located at the highest point of the village and after driving up the hill a bit through residential areas, you come to a fairly empty site. Behind some fences is an equipment lift and by the time we arrived a few divers were already busily loading gear. Start time early in the morning, you'll be underground all day.
Once the lift is full of equipment, it goes down 80 metres. There is no lift for people, so we go down the 428 steps on foot. That's quite a long descent (but even worse, up again at the end of the day!) The staircase has a handrail and despite being humid, it is not slippery.
A very handy tip: make sure you have everything with you. Diving gear, warm clothes, plenty of food, drinks and whatever else you think you might need. You can get back to your car in between but..... do via those 428 steps!
Once we arrived at the bottom, we all unloaded the equipment and the last 150 metres to the mine dive zone were covered by trolleys.
Once I arrived at the dive zone, I was severely impressed. I knew there would be a nice platform to dive from and all the necessary facilities, but. Well! It's all super organised!
The upper platform has benches for dressing up and a heated area for recovering between dives and socialising. The lower level is for your wet gear and to put on your equipment.
You don't even have to worry about your heavy equipment going down the steps because there is a winch.
Everything has been thought of. Your tanks can be filled from a buffer on the diving platform and there is a charging point for DPVs.
The minediving:
Not only on dry land has everything been thought about. When it comes to entering the water, things are also well done!
You can enter the water straight from the diving platform or you can via the diving ladder. We easily hang the sidemount tanks down by the platform.
Everything is well lit, so you can see just fine underwater. The water is super clear and a little below you can already see the rod at 6 metres for your final deco.
Before you go underwater, you report so that the time you went underwater can be noted upstairs. Of course, you report back after returning.
You can swim all kinds of different routes. The mine has 7 kilometres (!) of laid line, so you have a huge choice of routes.
We swim a relatively shallow (max 21 metres) route the first time with no restrictions.
My depiction of mine diving does not match reality. The corridors are not straight and smooth, but even have a slightly natural feel to them.
Underwater, you can see all kinds of things from the days when the mine was still open: pipes, cabinets with switches, levers, stairs, support beams and a mine cart. In one of the corridors there is even a cottage, a rest and shelter for the miners.
I think it's largely old junk, but don't let my mining buddies hear that!
They look at me pityingly when I enthusiastically tell them that the corridors and stone walls are so beautiful. Instead, they get excited by what I describe as "clutter".
Sometimes you swim through narrower corridors only to float through large spaces again.
The water is super-clear and super-clean. Because nothing else lives in the water, there is also nothing floating in the water.
Surface interval
In the time between your mine dives, the key is to warm up and regain your strength. You leave your wet gear down on the lowest level. This keeps most of the upper level dry, but it also saves you lifting. The tanks can be filled down below at the water's edge.
In the meantime, we warm up in front of the stove in the dry heated room. There is a kettle and a microwave, so bring something to eat warm. With a water temperature of 4 to 5 degrees celcius, you can use any extra heat.
Up again
When you go diving again the next day, you can leave all your gear downstairs. There is a drying room where you can leave your dry suit and other gear to dry. Once your days of mine diving are over, everything is loaded back into the lift and you can toil up the 428 steps again.
What do you need to dive safely in the mine
To mine dive in Tuna Hästberg, you need a mine or cave diving licence with the necessary equipment.
Diving in an overhead environment carries certain risks and it is therefore important to have undergone proper training.
During your time underground, it is compulsory to wear a helmet; you can borrow one on site.
You can read more about what is and is not allowed at https://diving.adventuremine.se/information-2/rules/
Can you mine dive without a cave or mining certification?
Yes indeed! That's the great thing about the Adventuremine in Tuna Hästberg. You can also dive there with your Advanced Open Water certificate.
In addition to your advanced, you also need a dry suit and nitrox specialisation.
You have the opportunity to make a unique dive in open water, obviously 80 metres underground. The water is beautifully lit, allowing you to experience the clarity of the water and beautiful shadows.
The dive is always accompanied by an experienced guide to a maximum of 21 metres and never longer than 1 hour. As diving in the cold and dark water is strenuous, you need 25 logged dives.
You will be a special experience richer after two impressive dives.
Don't want to dive?
Don't want to dive at all and still want to experience the mine? Then go on an adventure tour through the dry parts of the cave. Several tours are offered.
Or ultimate relaxation in the most unique sauna ever!
We only dived this particular iron ore mine and only saw the sauna during a short tour during our surface interval. I was impressed and hope to have time to go in the sauna there some day.
But, of course, I prefer diving!
Accommodation near the mine
There are not many accommodations in the area. In Tuna Hästberg itself, there is only a kind of group accommodation with a few beds. Cabins can be booked at 18 km and a hotel 26 km away.
If you are in an RV like us, you can consult with the Adventuremine about whether you can spend the night on their property. We ourselves slept ten minutes away in our in the woods by a small lake. Zero facilities, but great views!
Learn more about mine diving
For scuba diving : https://diving.adventuremine.se
For all other activities and information on the area etc: https://adventuremine.se
