Great Lakes Diving Tour in a week

[Tigerpaw]

Hello, I recently passed my one year anniversary of diving and I'm hooked. For the upcoming year I plan to focus on skills while also diving for fun. One of the Divemasters I was diving with is from Michigan and he suggested the Great Lakes. After doing some research I am intrigued and have decided to go for it. My goal is to take a week and dive all of the great lakes. From the research I've done so far, it seems like many of the dive shops are only open on the weekends and for Lake Ontario and Erie I will need to take the border into consideration when selecting a dive shop. (Don't want to deal with border crossings)

For now my plan is to stay in Mackinaw City, MI as on the map it appears that it's a good central location between Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan. I'm figuring from there I can get to those lakes and do four dives per lake over a 3-4 day period. From there, I'll take a day and make the 10 hour drive to Buffalo and from there dive Lakes Ontario and Erie, 4 dives each over a 2-3 day period.

In my searches, it seems as though many of the dive shops are only open on the weekends, which would pose a problem. I've also read that the weather can change quickly so my next question would be what time of the year would be the best to do this. I realize there are some must see wrecks but I can do those on a return trip, for this first trip it's more about the dives and getting it done in a weeks timeframe.

Looking forward to your thoughts and suggestions and comments about my plan. I have a drysuit and I have Deep, Wreck and Nitrox certifications and training. Thanks in advance!!!

 

[grantctobin]

I applaud your ambition, but I think you’re going to have difficulties given boat, site, and fill availability. I’d call @Tracy , see what he has available, then look at DRIS schedule and a few of the misc small operators. There could be some spots not on my radar, but there’s pretty limited shore diving depending on the lake you’re looking at. If your goal is to simply hop in for ten minutes in the body of water and check it off your list, great. Seeing any of the wrecks in say, the Straits, takes a boat and short term availability to do so is poor.

 

[Marie13]

Many of the dive charters on the Great Lakes are booked by dive shops/private groups/dive clubs for their own trips. These trips are often booked months in advance. Hoping to book one seat on a charter often doesn’t happen, unless you know someone.

Charters are usually long weekends -Friday through Sunday or maybe just the weekend.

Your timeline is too ambitious. Probably impractical.

Lodging can book up quickly and trying to get last minute rooms is often a bust. June through a bit after Labor Day is prime Great Lakes wreck diving time. Some may go into early October but it is very weather dependent.

I have two weekend trips booked in the summer. The Straits and Alpena. I’ve dived both before. One is a trip put together by a friend (he usually doesn’t advertise as they full up quickly) and another through a dive club. I also hope to be doing local diving on Lake Michigan.

Dive shops are open all week, but if you’re taking about the boats only running on weekends, yes, that is usually the case.

 

[rhwestfall]

I don't think you realize the size/expanse of the geographic area.....

It would be overly ambitious to think it possible in a month, let alone a week....

 

[Marie13]

@Tracy

Talk some sense into the OP

 

[Marie13]

@Tigerpaw

Reread OP. Saw you so have a drysuit. That puts you one up on a lot of non-Great Lakes area residents who want to dive here.

 

[Beau Holden]

After going to the ship wreck museum at White Fish Point and trying to imagine the Edmund Fitzgerald trying to make it in into White Fish Bay before she went down, Is what made me decide to begin my diving journey. I told my wife, at that time, with all the history on the bottom of these lakes, I have got to see it. So when we got home, within 4 days, I had signed us both up for OW and sent 7k for gear. My love of the lakes and underwater exploration begin in 2003 and it lasted until 2011. I bought books on the wrecks and learned so much about the shipwreck history beginning with The Griffin in 1679.

I have been on wrecks in Huron, Michigan and Erie. Started doing underwater shipwreck archeological work out of Cleveland. If you want to just be able to say, "hey I have dipped my toe in all the Great Lakes" that is find and go for it. Now if you want to feel the passion of diving them, begin your research on the history and then decide what wrecks you want to see.

 

[grantctobin]

@Tigerpaw

I see you’re from TX. Do you have any cold water diving experience? Are you used to diving in a 7mm? I’m expecting you don’t have drysuit experience. The Great Lakes are COLD.

I have a drysuit and I have Deep, Wreck and Nitrox certifications and training. Thanks in advance!!!

@Marie13 might help if you read his post before you continue to gatekeep

 

[Marie13]

I have been on wrecks in Huron, Michigan and Erie. Started doing underwater shipwreck archeological work out of Cleveland. If you want to just be able to say, "hey I have dipped my toe in all the Great Lakes" that is find and go for it. Now if you want to feel the passion of diving them, begin your research on the history and then decide what wrecks you want to see.

Don’t get me started on the folks who can’t be bothered to do any research at all before wreck diving.

 

[Beau Holden]

Don’t get me started on the folks who can’t be bothered to do any research at all before wreck diving.

So true. The first time I was on the Regina and the Price. It was a very humbling experience to know there were no survivors, when I first laid my hand on them. These two wrecks done more for my passion of wreck diving then any other. The wrecks are more than a hunk of metal and a bunch of boards at the bottom of the lake. By far, so much more enjoyable doing a wreck and knowing the history behind it.