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Map of China Wreck
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AdvancedBoat entry

China Wreck

Delaware, United States
AOW suggested12–15 m depthBoat entry3mm wetsuit typical

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

China Wreck at a glance

China Wreck is a advanced boat dive site in Delaware, United States with depths of 12.2–15.2 m (40–50 ft). Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Tautog (blackfish), Black sea bass, and American lobster. Recent reports put the water around 24°C (76°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 3h ago
0.6 mwaves — under a meter expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 24°C · seasonal avg 27°C

Site hazards: Strong tidal currents outside the slack window, poor and changeable visibility (muddy bay outflow on the ebb), heavy boat traffic at the bay mouth, monofilament and snagged fishing tackle

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Sun
Sun6:00–21:00
Mon6:00–21:00
Tue6:00–21:00
Wed6:00–21:00
Thu6:00–21:00
Fri7:00–21:00
Sat7:00–21:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:25 · Sunrise 5:56 · Sunset 20:16

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 6.0 km from site · graded 3h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Loading tide predictions

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

What Divers Say

Known for: Tautog (blackfish), Black sea bass, Northern stone coral and encrusting growth
Best time: May through October, on the slack between high and low tide when bay water is cleanest

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

  1. Jan56%4°C0.8 m
  2. Feb58%5°C0.8 m
  3. Mar52%7°C0.9 m
  4. Apr69%12°C0.8 m
  5. May88%18°C0.7 m
  6. Jun89%23°C0.6 m
  7. Jul94%27°C0.5 m
  8. Aug91%26°C0.6 m
  9. Sep92%24°C0.7 m
  10. Oct73%18°C0.7 m
  11. Nov64%13°C0.8 m
  12. Dec63%6°C0.8 m

July hastypically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life seen at this site

Species noted at this site — not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

  • Tautog (blackfish)Commonly seen
  • Black sea bassCommonly seen
  • American lobsterOccasionally seen
  • Northern stone coral and encrusting growthCommonly seen
  • Summer flounderOccasionally seen

Fills & rentals nearby

No dive shops mapped within 25 km. Know one? Add it to the map.

Site details

The broken remains of an unidentified late-19th-century wooden sailing ship (often attributed to the 1880 barkentine D.H. Bills) lying at the mouth of Delaware Bay roughly 12 miles off Cape Henlopen. The low rubble mound, about 100 ft long and 6-8 ft high in 45-50 ft of water, still yields fragments and occasionally intact pieces of its Victorian-era English china cargo. It is one of the region's classic artifact dives but must be timed to slack tide because bay currents rip across the flat sand bottom.

boatwreck

Strong tidal currents outside the slack window, poor and changeable visibility (muddy bay outflow on the ebb), heavy boat traffic at the bay mouth, monofilament and snagged fishing tackle

Reviews

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