Shore Diving the Yatush Wreck

I dove the Yatush wreck in May 2026 on the same morning as the Satil, the other top shore wreck dive in Eilat. The Yatush is the deeper of the two, at 32 meters at the deepest point.

It also carries a history that stretches far beyond the Gulf of Aqaba, to the rivers and coastlines of Vietnam.

The Wreck

The Yatush is a patrol cruiser that served in Vietnam for years before being transferred to the Israeli Navy when the Americans withdrew their forces from Southeast Asia.

It was deliberately sunk in August 1987 to create an artificial reef and dive site, joining a small collection of intentionally scuttled vessels along the Eilat coastline.

The wreck sits at the end of a steep sandy slope, with the bow reaching around 30 meters and the stern sitting shallower at roughly 25 meters.

At just 15 meters long it is a compact boat, but the profile of the hull is intact and the penetration is genuinely worthwhile.

The Dive

The Nitrox Plan

Doing the Yatush and Satil back to back is a popular combination in Eilat, but it requires planning.

The Yatush at 32 meters sits right at the edge of what EANx 32-33 allows before maximum operating depth becomes a concern.

We ran EANx 33 on the Yatush and EANx 32 on the Satil, which kept the surface interval down to just over an hour while staying within safe oxygen exposure limits on both dives.

What Marine Life I Saw