Catch & Dive in Øygarden · 60°36′N 4°51′E · From 2 days
The day you catch your own dinner.
Out into the island belt west of Bergen to haul crab pots, free-dive for scallops and pull oysters from cold, clean water — a fire-bowl feast of your own catch, a night in a still island sound, and fresh pots up before breakfast.
Øygarden is the strand of islands that shields Bergen from the open North Sea — a maze of sounds and skerries where the water is cold, clear and absurdly generous. This is the trip that puts it on the table. Literally.
The crab pots go down ahead of you, so there is weight on the line from the first haul. While the free-divers are down after scallops with our local guide, the rods come out for whatever is biting — and nobody has to get wet to take part: the guide brings scallops up for the dry-shod, and the pots do not care who pulls them.
Then a holm of our choosing, a fire bowl, and the only menu we never write in advance: crab, scallops straight over the coals, prawns, oysters shucked on the spot. When the fire burns down, the boat lies in a still sound with the islands around you — and the pots you set at dusk come up again before breakfast. One night is the minimum; the fjord argues convincingly for two.
The highlights
No timetable — where we linger shifts with the season, the weather and what you want out of the day.
The pots
Set ahead of you, hauled hand over hand. What is in them is yours.
The free-dive
Scallops in ten metres of gin-clear water — freediving with wetsuit, mask and your own breath, the guide right beside you. Optional, always: the guide dives for anyone who would rather watch with a warm mug.
Fire on a quiet holm
The catch cleaned and cooked where it came ashore — crab, scallops off the coals, oysters shucked on the spot.
The feast
The long table, the day's work on it, and a glass raised to the fjord.
A night in the islands
Lines ashore in a small island harbour, or at anchor in a sound so still the mast light doubles in the water.
Kayaks off the stern
Sea kayaks come along, free to borrow — the still morning sound before the pots come up belongs to the paddlers.
The morning haul
Dusk-set pots come up before breakfast — the second feast travels home with you.
Route and pace flex with weather and season
What is included
Included
- The whole vessel, your group only
- Local captain and crew
- Fresh fruit, snacks and mineral water
- Flexible route and stops
- Fuel and harbour fees
- Blankets aboard — bring your own rain shell
By arrangement
- Freedive guide and full equipment — arranged when you book
- Crab pots set ahead of your arrival
- Rod fishing tackle for the whole group
- Sea kayaks aboard — free to borrow
- A second night in the islands
- Full catering beyond your own catch
Aboard Fjord Queen
A 50 ft / 15.2 m Prestige 500 Fly — flybridge for the crossing out, sheltered saloon for the weather that arrives anyway.
Questions
What does it cost?
Every trip is quoted individually — nights, season and group size all move the number. Send us the dates and we reply with a complete quote. Once you approve it, the usual terms apply: a 20% deposit holds the dates, the balance falls due 40 days before departure.
How many can sleep aboard?
Up to six guests overnight in the boat's cabins — by day the usual twelve applies, so a larger party can join for the feast day and wave the overnight crew off.
Do I need a diving certificate?
No — this is freediving: wetsuit, mask, fins and your own breath, no tanks, with the guide right beside you. The scallop grounds start shallow, and nobody is required to get wet: the guide brings scallops up for everyone at the fire.
What if we catch nothing?
It has not happened yet — the pots go down ahead of you precisely so the trip never starts from zero. The fjord decides the menu, not the quantity.
When is the catch at its best?
Crab peaks from late summer into autumn; scallops and oysters are superb in the cold months of the season. May and June trade a little shellfish weight for the longest, brightest nights at anchor.
Is the boat private to our group?
Yes. The vessel is reserved exclusively for your group — no other guests aboard and no shared seating.
How many people can come?
Up to twelve guests. The price is for the whole boat, so it does not change with group size.
What happens if the weather is bad?
West-coast weather moves quickly, and the captain will often reroute to sheltered water rather than cancel. If conditions make the trip unsafe, we reschedule or refund in full.