Need some info on Great Lake Diving

[Lone Frogman]

I'm seriously thinking about a dive trip to the Great Lakes this summer. I bought the book the Great Lakes Diving Guide. I found myself almost overwhelmed by the amount of dive sites. Maybe some you of you locals can give me some help. The last few years my dive trips have been to Florida where dive boats are plentiful. I usually travel on the weekends and spend a full week diving. Sometimes four dives a day. It appears to me that dive boats are not as plentiful in the summer around the Great Lakes. I'm mostly looking for wreck dives 40 to 100 ft and good viz is aways nice. What about shore dives? I have been on a few dive trips before so I know you take what you get when you plan ahead. Which side of the lakes get the most wind? Anybody have any suggestions on what areas I should look at ? Dive half the day and traveling half the day to get to the next dive site would work too. I read on one of the other threads that there may be a few charters available on weekdays. Liveaboard? Thanks

 

[fppf]

Which Lake?
We dive Erie, most wrecks are in the 100 to 130 foot range. Osprey charters out of westfeild NY is one of the best on the lake. There are a few 40 foot range wrecks up near Buffalo but they are nothing to write about. The problem is ice and wind tear up the shallow wrecks fast. There really is no shore diving in Erie that I know of. You can do drift dives down the Niagara river (yes above Niagara Falls).

Wreck dives in the lakes are going to be cold even in mid summer for the most part. Below 80 feet even in Aug its only 45 degrees. The St Lawrance has warmer temps I hear. I'm sure others will chime in about the other lakes.

 

[Lone Frogman]

I will be diving dry. I'm not a tech diver. The shallower wrecks attract me for more bottom time with nitrox. I do understand about the ice and surge damage. I would like to see some clean wrecks in good condition so I can be flexable. I have not picked a lake yet. I may dive more then one. I have alot of reading (The Great Lakes Diving Guide) to do.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Tobermory, Ontario is a nice introduction to Great Lakes Diving. The preserves in Lake Huron on the Michigan side are nice too but I'll take Tobermory first
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[ACR]

Tobermory, Ontario is a nice introduction to Great Lakes Diving. The preserves in Lake Huron on the Michigan side are nice too but I'll take Tobermory first
Ber :lilbunny:

I second that one, Toby has a great selection of wrecks if wrecks are what you're looking for!

 

[dab]

You may want to look hard at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena. You could dive here most of the summer and not see everything really well, and most are within recreational limits. The problem you are likely to have is most charter boats only operate on the weekends. If you are willing to charter the entire boat (most are smaller boats in northern Mi) then you may be able to find willing captains. Try Steve Kroll Welcome To Great Lakes Divers in Rogers City, he is flexible and has a great boat. Also, Straits Scuba runs charters out of St. Ignace and the wrecks in the Mackinaw Straits are excellent, although they are for more advanced divers Straits Scuba. The Alpena chamber of commerce may have some additional links to charters for Thunder Bay. It really is a great area to dive.

Another thought may be to consider staying on a liveaboard and diving Isle Royale. Again, it is more advanced diving, but there is nothing like it. Isle Royale is the only national park in Michigan, located in the western part of Lake Superior. Beautiful wrecks within recreational limits, for the most part, no zebra mussels, and the scenery is spectacular. Here are a couple of liveaboards:http: //www.mn-blackdogdiving.com/ and: RLT DIVERS INC Both run great operations and would make a fantastic trip. Good luck with whatever you decide. The Great Lakes offer the finest wreck diving in the world (IMHO)!

 

[Divers Incorporated]

You will really enjoy the Great Lakes Regardless of where you go. We offer a few weekend trips each summer and a bunch of Day Dives. We currently have scheduled trips to Tobermory, Kingston, Munising, Port Sanilac and Alpena. Check out our Trip Page for Info. All have dives in the ranges you want.

As a side note RLT Divers is only running out of Pensacola, Florida. He closed his operation in Alpena early last year. You can also check out diving in Sanilac at Rec Tec Charters, and the Milwalkee area has a great boat charter too.

Hope this helps

Rich

 

[covediver]

You will have a great time in the Great Lakes, be it the maritime trail in Wisconsin or the various sites on the Upper Peninsula. The Straits was a great place as was the areas readily accessible around Marquette-Munising.

Scuba Diving Magazine has several recent stories on Great Lakes diving.

Shipwrecks of Northern Michigan - Scuba Diving Magazine

 

[dab]

As a side note RLT Divers is only running out of Pensacola, Florida. He closed his operation in Alpena early last year. You can also check out diving in Sanilac at Rec Tec Charters, and the Milwalkee area has a great boat charter too.

I think you may be confusing RLT (Ralph Thoren), with RJ Dives (Randy Johnson). RLT only operates out of Grand Portage MN, and specializes in Isle Royale trips. He also does some warm water stuff in the Winter. Randy Johnson (RJ Dives) tried doing Alpena and Pensacola trips but eventually moved everything down to FL.
RLT offers a great Isle Royale trip.

 

[grf88]

Lots of good wreck diving in Kingston Ontario and if you like water a little warmer in Brockville which is just over a hour from Kingston. Tobermory is also very good but you will have more selection in Kingston and Brockville and there are a number of good shore dives as well. Check out:
Ontario Scuba Diving
to get an idea of the wrecks.
Also:
Lake Ontario

Charters should be no problem weekdays or weekends, if you need some recommendations PM me.
Glenn