Freedivers can explore the Zenobia's upper superstructure, top deck, and the famous trucks from around 17-18 metres. Snorkellers can view the wreck's silhouette from the surface in clear conditions. Both experiences are remarkable—but this is an advanced site requiring proper skills and respect for depth limits.
What's Accessible Without Scuba?
The Zenobia lies on her port side in 42 metres of water. Her starboard hull rises to approximately 17 metres below the surface. For freedivers, this means:
Accessible zones (17-25m):
- Upper hull and superstructure
- Top deck areas
- Trucks still chained to the deck
- External features and marine life
Not accessible without deep training (25m+):
- Vehicle decks and interior
- Lower hull sections
- The deepest cargo areas (40m+)
For snorkellers, you're viewing from above. On clear days with good visibility (30m+), you can see the wreck's outline and watch freedivers below.
The Freediving Experience
Descent
The boat anchors near the wreck. You descend through blue water with the massive structure gradually emerging below—one of diving's most dramatic reveals.
On the Wreck
At 17-18 metres, you have perhaps 30-45 seconds of bottom time (depending on experience). Enough to:
- Touch the hull (literally touch history)
- Observe trucks still strapped in place
- See marine life that now calls the wreck home
- Take in the scale—172 metres of shipwreck
The Challenge
This isn't a casual dive. 18 metres requires:
- Solid equalisation skills
- Comfort with depth
- Proper buddy protocols
- Understanding of no-decompression limits
Required Skill Level
Minimum for freediving Zenobia:
- AIDA 2 certification or equivalent
- Demonstrated comfort at 15+ metres
- Strong equalisation
- Rescue capability
- Open water experience
Ideal preparation:
- AIDA 3 or significant post-AIDA 2 experience
- Regular practice at 15-20 metres
- Previous wreck freediving experience
- Understanding of overhead environment risks
For snorkelling:
- Basic swimming ability
- Comfort in open water
- No depth certification required
Safety Considerations
Zenobia demands respect. Key factors:
Depth
18 metres is manageable but not casual. Shallow water blackout risk increases with repetitive deep dives. Rest between dives is essential.
Current
The site can have current. This affects surface swimming, descent, and ascent. Strong current days are not suitable for freediving the wreck.
Boat Traffic
Zenobia is a popular scuba site. Multiple dive boats may be present. Surface support and dive floats are essential.
No Penetration
Entering the wreck's interior is not safe for freedivers. The overhead environment, disorientation risk, and depth combine to make this extremely dangerous. Exterior exploration only.
Buddy System
Never freedive Zenobia alone. Your buddy should be capable of deep rescue and have surface support available.
Snorkelling Zenobia
For non-freedivers, snorkelling the site still offers:
- The boat journey: Short trip from Larnaca harbour
- Surface viewing: On clear days, wreck visible from above
- Marine life: Fish congregate around the wreck site
- The story: Swimming above one of diving's legendary wrecks
Snorkelling won't give you the up-close wreck experience, but it's a valid way to visit this historic site.
What You'll See
The Zenobia has become an artificial reef. Marine life includes:
- Grouper: Large specimens around the structure
- Barracuda: Often schooling nearby
- Damselfish: Clouds around the superstructure
- Moray eels: In crevices throughout
- Lionfish: Invasive but photogenic
- Octopus: Hiding in the wreck's many spaces
The trucks are still there—some chained in place, others tumbled when the ship rolled. It's an eerie, beautiful scene.
Our Zenobia Trips
At Underwater Journeys, we run freediving trips to Zenobia for qualified divers. A typical trip includes:
- Boat transfer from Larnaca (15 minutes)
- Safety briefing specific to the site
- Multiple dive opportunities with proper surface intervals
- Safety diver support throughout
- Small groups for personal attention
We assess your skills before the trip. Zenobia isn't for everyone, and that's okay—we'd rather you dive within your capability than push beyond it on a challenging site.
If you're working toward Zenobia, we can help build the skills you need through our training programmes. The wreck isn't going anywhere.
