NBM Dive Site Resource
U-480
Isle of Wight offshore, English Channel, England, United Kingdom
An Alberich-coated submarine whose Channel wreck helped revise earlier accounts of its disappearance. A documented deep technical wreck; the first-person tour describes trimix diving around 55–58 m.
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Featured Hero Photograph
Aquatic life at this dive site
What divers may encounter
Three reviewed connections are featured here. Sightings vary by season, conditions, and chance, so they are never guaranteed.
Aquatic life research in progress
NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.
Aquatic life research in progress
NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.
Aquatic life research in progress
NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.
Site media
Photographs
Three views rotate from the published gallery on each visit.
Contributor media
Dive videos
Three featured video positions are reserved on every profile.Regional location and nearby land
Location map
Regional overview includes the nearby coast for orientation. It does not establish a navigation waypoint or an entry location.Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Recent field observations
Diver-reported temperatures
Automatically checked observations from dives during the past 14 days. Three reports are visible at a time; scroll for more.A report that passes the automatic checks will appear here with the dive date, diver’s display name, and temperatures at each depth.
Reports are automatically checked for plausible dates, depths, and temperatures. They are observations, not forecasts; confirm conditions before diving.
Why divers know this place
Highlights
Submarine machinery and surviving evidence of the Alberich acoustic coating described in the wreck tour.
Shipwreck-only module
The wreck
This section appears only on shipwreck records and brings the vessel, its loss, present condition, access, and responsible wreck-diving considerations into one place.
- Vessel type
- German Type VIIC submarine
- Year built
- 1943 (launched)
- Year sunk
- 1945
- Cause of loss
- Lost on or after 29 January 1945 in a British minefield south-west of Portsmouth, according to revised loss research.
- Present condition
- Submarine machinery and surviving evidence of the Alberich acoustic coating described in the wreck tour.
- Penetration guidance
- This profile describes external wreck context and does not establish that penetration is permissible or suitable.
Before you arrive
Access notes
A documented deep technical wreck; the first-person tour describes trimix diving around 55–58 m. Current permissions, local restrictions, support, weather and tidal windows must be checked before planning access. No scheduled charter or maintained mooring is promised.
Plan within your training
Conditions and hazards
Deep water, decompression, Channel tides, fishing net, hull openings, and detached or weakened structure.
Independent resource notice
This record is a starting point for independent verification. Access, closures, moorings, weather, currents, depth, visibility, operator availability, and site conditions can change without notice. Confirm current information with the responsible operator, property owner, managing authority, or another qualified local source before planning or attempting a dive.