Strømsholmen Seasport Center

Stromsholmen is the only dive center located directly on Norway's Atlantic Ocean Road, one of the country's most famous coastal routes. Founded in 1981 by Olav Magne Stromsholm, it is one of Norway's longest-running dive operations. The Norwegian diving portal dykking.no describes it as "established internationally as one of Europe's best places for sport diving," and one of its sites — Hottane — is listed among Norway's six best dive sites by Life in Norway.

The center is far more than a dive shop. It operates a multi-activity sea sports facility offering deep-sea fishing, seal safaris with optional snorkeling, sea safaris by RIB, cabin accommodation on the Atlantic Road, and — most distinctively — orca expeditions. Stromsholmen pioneered Norway's first swim-with-wild-orcas expeditions in the early 1990s, running 3- and 6-day liveaboards from late October to mid-January in Northern Norway.

Over 100 dive sites are accessible within short boat range, with six featured in detail on the website. The signature experience is the Vevangstrommen drift dive — a narrow 10-metre-wide pass under the Vevang Bridge where currents reach 3-4 knots, sweeping divers through a channel rich with soft corals, nudibranchs, fish schools, and squid. Skardhammaren delivers dramatic drop-off diving along a vertical wall descending to 180m, with a white sand plateau at 30m. Follingen is an atmospheric ravine covered by a kelp-forest roof, 13m deep and just 1.5m wide.

The Gulf Stream influences these waters, supporting over 1,400 recorded species. Giant kelp forests are a defining feature, with marine life including lobsters, cod, anglerfish, catfish, nudibranchs of all colours, and seals. Drysuit diving is essential — this is Norwegian Atlantic water. Visibility is typically very good below the 10m salinity layer.

Stromsholmen serves exclusively certified, experienced divers — there are no beginner or discover-scuba programs. PADI, CMAS, or equivalent certification is mandatory, and a minimum of four divers is required per booking. The center provides 18 complete rental equipment sets including 5mm wetsuits and drysuits, with two compressors (200/300 bar) and a 120,000-litre air bank.

The season runs from early June through late September. Two cabins are available on-site: one for up to 4 guests and one for up to 10. No food is served — the nearest grocery store is 1km away, and the nearest restaurant approximately 5km along the Atlantic Road. Nearest airports are Kristiansund (KSU) or Molde (MOL). Advance booking is essential for all activities.