Diving in the Central Federal District ^*

Although landlocked on all sides, there are plenty of opportunities to go scuba diving in Central Russia. The long, winding Volga River begins in the Moscow Region and snakes its way through much of Central Russia, offering many dive sites along the way. Many active dive clubs within Russia’s capital city of Moscow organize dive trips to various dive sites throughout the Moscow and Tver Regions. There are several lakes and reservoirs within these territories to dive; however, the conditions are not the best. During the summer months, only a few bodies of water offer visibility near 4-7 meters, while most dive sites range from 1.5-2 meters. In the winter, however, visibility improves significantly, making ice-diving a popular activity in this area. When the surface of the reservoirs freeze, visibility improves to 7-10 meters. Other popular diving in Central Russia occurs in the Nizhny Novgorod and Samara Regions and the Republic of Tatarstan, where underwater springs and caves offer thrilling, unique diving opportunities. The Volga River mentioned above also runs through these regions, where divers can find unique fish life and shipwrecks.