Great Lakes Diving Tour in a week

[davecampbell]

Why is that?

Tons of old wooden wrecks, great visibility, a superb dive operation running a bunch of boats, walk-ons available, the Arabia, the Forest City, The Niagara II, proper fills, the staff are all real divers, depths to over 150 ffw if desired, etc... the list goes on and on. Read some threads on Tobermory.... I'm not the only one who thinks it's great. My wife and I are lucky, we're only 4 hrs away. We spend at least 6 weekends there throughout the season, and are thinking of buying a summer place up there just because we love the diving, and the people, so much.

 

[Tigerpaw]

Tons of old wooden wrecks, great visibility, a superb dive operation running a bunch of boats, walk-ons available, the Arabia, the Forest City, The Niagara II, proper fills, the staff are all real divers, depths to over 150 ffw if desired, etc... the list goes on and on. Read some threads on Tobermory.... I'm not the only one who thinks it's great. My wife and I are lucky, we're only 4 hrs away. We spend at least 6 weekends there throughout the season, and are thinking of buying a summer place up there just because we love the diving, and the people, so much.

Thanks for the clarification. If my dives go as planned, Lake Ontario will be the last lake for me to dive to complete all the Great Lakes. I mapped it and Tobermory is 3.5 hours from Toronto and 4.5 hours from Buffalo. So I can kill two birds with one stone and dive both locations on a weekend visit.

 

[davecampbell]

I'd spend the entire time in Tobermory. You need way more than a weekend there, there's more than 20 wrecks to dive. 1 visit isn't going to do it.

 

[Marie13]

Totally agree to spend the entire time in Toby. Be aware lodgings fill up fast.

 

[davecampbell]

Totally agree to spend the entire time in Toby. Be aware lodgings fill up fast.

we book all our weekends for the season, like NOW. Kelly @ diversden is great to work with, and we try to coordinate our trips with their special events/charters. We've become regulars, and couldn't be happier about that. We usually do a bunch of walk-on charters, but also go on shop trips with a couple of the local shops we like. Marie is 100% correct about things filling up way in advance....act accordingly.

 

[Marie13]

we book all our weekends for the season, like NOW. Kelly @ diversden is great to work with, and we try to coordinate our trips with their special events/charters. We've become regulars, and couldn't be happier about that. We usually do a bunch of walk-on charters, but also go on shop trips with a couple of the local shops we like. Marie is 100% correct about things filling up way in advance....act accordingly.

I’m used to Alpena and the Straits area. If you don’t book in January-March, you will have a hard time finding anything affordable. If there’s anything available last minute, you’ll pay through the nose. People who are incapable of planning ahead shouldn’t even bother diving the Great Lakes.

 

[rhwestfall]

While I enjoy Tobermory, I don't find it so amazing as you are saying... and I've been there half a dozen times. Enjoyed bring my daughter there when she first started diving to let her see stuff.

Seriously folks, there are only 2 "good" wrecks in Tobey - Arabia, and what is left of the Forest City. Niagara II is not anything "special" as it is an intentionally sunk item. Sweepstakes - meh... Balance are benign piles of timber. Roman numerals on the King - okay, but what else is there?

There are way more amazing dives in the Great Lakes....

 

[davecampbell]

I agree there may be other great wrecks around, but where else in Ontario do they have multiple boats (up to 10 boats) going out to 20 wrecks, and some great geological dives, with lodging only steps (literally) from the marina? Please share anywhere similar, I haven't found them.

 

[rhwestfall]

I'll give you "ease", but...

Eastern Great Lakes - Go a little south from Tobermory and get a dip on the Wexford. Dive the Picton wrecks in eastern Lake Ontario. Dive the Thousand Islands/St. Lawrence River. Lake Erie wrecks - Barcelona to Long Point (eastern basin).

These are my "hometown ones"....mostly "techreational"... Lots more west of me I'd love to get to..... and then the other Great Lakes (Straights...)

 

[davecampbell]

I've been on the ss wexford, and enjoyed it quite a bit. I found Grand Bend, and the marina, to be overly busy though. Parking was a pain, and we had to haul our doubles pretty far to get to the slip. Id probably take a wagon next time...Still worth it, but definitely not as convenient. Picton is on our list....maybe this season

and techreational is good for me....that's about where my wife and I are at currently...lol