...welcome back to the Great Lakes State! I did the same thing, left with the military, moved to civilian jobs and didn't get back to the mitten for 20 some years.
Depending on where you settle, and what you will settle for, there are always place to dive.
Lake Fenton is pretty well DONE. Not only will the algae bloom when the water starts to warm and ruin the vis, but the little marina we use to dive from has been sold to developers and he is putting 15 condo's on the site and will close access to anyone else. I understand that one of the condos has sold for $660,000, and in that neighborhood, it must be a DOOZIE!
A little farther north, Higgins Lake is good diving. We park along the road by the American Legion and wade out across the sand flats to the deep water. The walk is about 100 yards, but seems like 2 1/2 miles by the time you make your third or fourth trip. Gull Lake, over by Kalamazoo/Battle Creek is good too. Clean and clear, but a bit hard to get into, as parking around there is kind of limited and there is plenty of boat traffic on the weekends. Charters are available from some of the towns in the thumb, with great diving in Lake Huron, and the same is true in Alpena, if you want to run up north. Most charters will have room for 'walk ons' at an affordable price.
My partner, Dave, and I were just up in the Ontario town of Tobermory to dive the clear and very cold water of Georgian Bay and northern Lake Huron and had a world class time, diving with the nice folks from Divers Den. That is a great town to go to for a long weekend and just dive you brains out.
So, there are plenty of opportunities around. I didn't mention the one body of water where I have probably spent more time than any other, and that is Gilboa Quarry near Findlay, OH. We (the GLWC) make a trip down there a couple times a year to dive and socialize (drink beer and tell lies and laugh at each other) and it's really worth a trip too.
Drop a line when you get back this way, and maybe we can get wet together!
Welcome back!
