Dive Switzerland

Terlinden (Küsnacht, ZH)

GPS parking 47°19'44.2"N 8°34'23.1"E  |  GPS entrance 47°19'44.1"N 8°34'21.9"E

Parking & attendance 24 parking places in the parking lot, plus 8 along the road (blue zone, Mo-Fr 07:00-17:00, max. 3 hours). Can get busy during the warmer days (divers and swimmers).

Entrance / Exit Cross the lawn and enter from the bathing stage (ladder).

Description From the point of entry follow the sandy bottom towards the middle of the lake down to 30 m, where the wall begins. The wall drops steeply down to 40 m, where it then turns to a sludge ground slowly dropping away. Towards Zurich, the partly overhanging wall slightly rises up to prominent clefts (also named Canyon). In order to enjoy some bottom time, you should simply follow the ridge of the wall. The end of the wall (at ca. 32 m) is only followed by a steep, sandy ground, so that it is recommanded for the way back to dive up to 3-6 m to enjoy the sight of many fishes in the aquatic plants that look like thin creepers covered with silt. Before the bathing stage, you bump at 3-5 m into a smal wall and several boulders where you can see perches, tenches, and crayfishes. An emergency exit sign at 5.5 m indicates the exit.

Open water descent (only for experienced divers) Following the sandy slope down to the edge of the wall will rob you of many precious minutes of bottom time. To avoid that you can swim on the surface perpendicularly to the shore until (looking towards Rapperswil) the church tower is right behind the left light of the jetty (you will hit bottom just before the wall), or the leftmost white pillar in front of the jetty is aligned with the big chimney (you should land right on top of the wall). From there, start your descent. Not hitting the bottom at 30-32 m means that you swam too far; stop and swim back towards the shore until you meet the ground.