Axwell
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
SS Axwell is a British steam vessel that lies approximately 2 nautical miles south of the Owers and 11 nautical miles from Littlehampton. On 13 November 1917, she was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine UB-56, commanded by Hans Valentiner, while carrying a cargo of coal from Warkworth to Rouen; two lives were lost in the attack.
The wreck sits upright on the seabed at 45 metres, with the bow and the bridge area rising approximately 8 metres above the bottom as the highest points. The hull remains largely intact, and the torpedo damage is clearly visible around the boiler room. The superstructure has gone, but the lower sections of both masts are still in place.
At a maximum depth of 38 metres and rated as a technical dive, Axwell is suited to divers with the appropriate certification and experience for that level. Diving is on the flood tide only.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Goldsinny WrasseCtenolabrus rupestrisReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · OGL v3