NH-Lakes area (Winnepesaukee, small lakes)

[cavedivingwoman]

'Need some local info---I'm visiting some relatives and want to make a dive in Winnepesaukee. Can anyone recommend an operator?

Also, I'm having difficulty finding steel tanks to rent around there. Hints?

thanks!

 

[RIOceanographer]

I have heard these guys are good (I have no first hand experience with them):

http://www.divewinnipesaukee.com/

 

[reefseal]

They are the only game in town unfortunately. Good luck on tanks. They rent Aluminum 80s only. They have a boat and do dive charters. There is really nothing worth diving there. Some old historic horse barges, a "wreck" called lady of lake at 30 or so feet.

 

[Damselfish]

There is really nothing worth diving there. Some old historic horse barges, a "wreck" called lady of lake at 30 or so feet.

agree, my few dives in Wini didn't make me want to go back, I''d only bother as a place to get wet and practice. Lady of Lake was mostly a boat-shaped pile of silt covered wood. I think we saw one fish on that dive, that was the highlight (aside from actually finding it as the marker was missing.)

 

[cap_bert]

I suggest dive winnipesaukee as above as a helpful LDS/operator. or if you are looking for shore diving, there is McKinney Park in wolfeboro, NH. there are directions to McKinney Park on divenewengland.com. I hope this helps.

 

[lord1234]

it may be worth it to take the drive to cape ann, or to ME...

 

[Green_Manelishi]

'Need some local info---I'm visiting some relatives and want to make a dive in Winnepesaukee. Can anyone recommend an operator?

Also, I'm having difficulty finding steel tanks to rent around there. Hints?

thanks!

Pay no attention to anyone who says Lake W is not worth diving. Are you diving to dive or to "see things"?

Ask Dive Winn. if they will take you to dive the wall at Clark Point. It's rather a nice dive. I've also been told there is a spectacular wall off of Rattlesnake Island.

 

[Curly]

Agreed -- Winnipesaukee is a fun place to dive...if you know where to go. Granted, most of the wrecks are smaller and older, but there's plenty to see in 70 sq miles of Lake. Depths to 213' -- abundant aquatic life.

Dive Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro (eastern side) has a shop, and a boat docked right behind the shop. I dive with these guys regularly, and it's always a good time. The Diamond Island Navy SCRIPTS test site is a fun dive -- with the nearby "Empty Pockets" wreck. I just revisited it on Sunday. Numerous artifacts can be found -- primarily near the big islands with the older homes on the western side of the Lake. If you like old bottles, pottery, and boats, there's something there for you. Granted, it's cold, dark and murky below 40 feet, but it's certainly worth checking out if you're in the area!

The folks at Dive Winnipesaukee are MOST helpful and knowledgeable. 603-569-8080.

On the other (western) side of the Lake, Fathom Divers also runs charters and is staffed by a very astute team of professionals.

 

[Curly]

agree, my few dives in Wini didn't make me want to go back, I''d only bother as a place to get wet and practice. Lady of Lake was mostly a boat-shaped pile of silt covered wood. I think we saw one fish on that dive, that was the highlight (aside from actually finding it as the marker was missing.)

There is no marker on the Lady -- or at least there never was before. It's only in 30 feet of water and in a high-traffic cove. It was meant to be scuttled at depth, but sank before they ever got it out of the cove. It's remarkably intact for a vessel of that age. It's 125 feet long, and still has most of its deck. Check out some of the oak timbers used in its construction -- you can't find oak that big in the US anymore. There are a lot of smallmouth bass and a huge school of rock bass that live there, along with a large American eel that lives between the sides of the double-layer hull. It's also a great ice dive.

 

[Damselfish]

The friend we went with said there was sometimes a marker - basically divers kept putting a marker on it (your basic bleach bottle) and the authority types kept taking it off. But this was a long time ago. (And there really only was one fish when we were there!) To each their own - just not the sort of stuff that interests me enough to bother.