Recommended Lake Michigan Dives for Beginner DIVERS.

[KJackson60]

Hello everyone,
I was wondering what wreck sites you would recommend for beginner divers. The group I am with has an experience range of 6 dives to 26 dives with most in the 12-15 dive range. All are OW certified. We are not looking for anything taxing and we are not planning any penatrations. Just a couple of dives that will make everyone go "WOW, that is soooo cool!"
We are in the Chicago area so we are looking at southern Lake Michigan, preferably between Chicago and Milwaukee. Hope you can help us out.

 

[gtxl1200]

Hello everyone,
I was wondering what wreck sites you would recommend for beginner divers. The group I am with has an experience range of 6 dives to 26 dives with most in the 12-15 dive range. All are OW certified. We are not looking for anything taxing and we are not planning any penatrations. Just a couple of dives that will make everyone go "WOW, that is soooo cool!"
We are in the Chicago area so we are looking at southern Lake Michigan, preferably between Chicago and Milwaukee. Hope you can help us out.

I cant help you on Lake MIchigan. Check back regularly. there are quite a few people on here from Chicago, that can help you out. Plus there is a Captain, Of his own charter boat out of chicago, he will really know. I wish I could think of his name right now. You could send him a PM and you could get all of the answers you need.

 

[CheddarChick]

I know Capt Dan does begineer and intermediate boat dive from Loves Park Scuba
Loves Park Scuba - Lake Michigan Shipwreck Charters

 

[SDAnderson]

Welcome to the South Chippewa Basin of Lake Michigan!

Most of the local shops arrange at least a few charters in the area each summer. Your favorite dive shop monkey should be a good source of information about diving locally but you don't need them to book a seat on one of the boats.

Get yourself a copy of The Great Lakes Diving Guide, Cris Kohl's encyclopedic reference. It's indispensable if you're going to start exploring our wrecks, with information about the history, location, depths and degree of difficulty for hundreds of local wrecks. You should be able to find it at any of the local dive shops or you can buy it online.

Most of the local charters have information about the wrecks that they visit regularly. Remember, as you move north the lake gets deeper, faster. Chicago area charters, from south to north:

• N'Pursuit Adventure Charters East Chicago Harbor
• Windy City Diving Burnham Harbor
• Dive Chicago Burnham Harbor
• Enterprise Marine Waukegan Harbor
• Len-Der Charters Milwaukee River
• Shipwreck Explorers Milwaukee River
• Shipwreck Adventures Two Rivers

I'm sure someone will clue me in if I missed anybody.

My favorite shallow wrecks in the (greater) Chicago area include:

• The Straits of Mackinac. Technically not a wreck, since it was intentionally scuttled, it's an excellent dive platform. 45' to the rail, 80' to the sand.
• The Illinois & The Holly Barge. Two wrecks in one, sitting in about 35' of water.
• The Lady Elgin. Torn up and scattered over a wide area, she offers the fun (and challenge) of exploring a huge debris field and is one of the most historically significant wrecks in the area. About 75' of water.
• The Prinz Willem. An ocean-going steel hull listing slightly to one side. About 45' to the rail and resting in an 85' deep hole in the marl.

There a many, many more but these four should be on every Chicago-area divers bucket list.

 

[captndale]

Hello everyone,
I was wondering what wreck sites you would recommend for beginner divers. The group I am with has an experience range of 6 dives to 26 dives with most in the 12-15 dive range. All are OW certified. We are not looking for anything taxing and we are not planning any penatrations. Just a couple of dives that will make everyone go "WOW, that is soooo cool!"
We are in the Chicago area so we are looking at southern Lake Michigan, preferably between Chicago and Milwaukee. Hope you can help us out.

I operate the dive boat, Enterprise, out of Waukegan. The port of Waukegan is half-way between Chicago and Milwaukee. The waters off of Waukegan are generally a bit deeper and clearer than the shallow waters off of Chicago and shallower than those off of Milwaukee.

For newer divers, I would recommend diving the wrecks Lady Elgin, Seabird and Fin Seeker.

Lady Elgin, a sidewheeled steamer sank as the result of a collision with a schooner in 1860. She rests in 52 feet of water and has a very interesting history. Lady Elgin took more lives than any other shipwreck on the Great Lakes. More than 350 souls perished when she sank and changed the political climate of Milwaukee forever.

Seabird, another sidewheeler, sank in 1868 as the result of a fire onboard. Seabird took with her 100 lives and was the third worst shipping disaster of the Great Lakes. She is now in 28 feet of water near the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. There is a large boiler, the twisted remains of her walking-beam engine and a wooden paddlewheel large enough to swim through.

Fin Seeker is a modern 39 foot fishing boat that sank just last year. She is intact and upright on the bottom in sixty feet of water. Seven people barely escaped death when this boat sank in a freak storm.

 

[klavdivs]

Pearl Lake in South Beloit is a convenient site not too far out of Chicago. There is plenty of on-site support, shallower depths, and clear water to gain experience with. The bottom has been seeded with "stuff" to create a dive playground.

 

[gtxl1200]

I operate the dive boat, Enterprise, out of Waukegan.

Yeah this guy right here this is who I was thinking of... Sorry Capndale. It was to early in the morning when I was trying to think of you..

 

[ppo2_diver]

Some of the wrecks listed so far are a tad on the deep side for new OW divers. There are a couple other shallower dives that are very relaxing and not too deep. The shallowness of the dives also makes it comfortable when diving in a wet suit.

Here are a couple of them:
Wells Burt
Wings of the Wind
Lady Elgin
Flora M Hill

Plus there are a couple other barges in the Chicago area that make for some nice dives.

Have fun.

 

[KJackson60]

Thanks for all the input! I bought a copy of Chris Kohls "The Great Lakes Diving Guide". Great Book! I think we will try the the Wells Burt and the Wings Of The Wind or the Lucille. Can anyone tell me if there are any fishing nets or lines that we need to watch for? Any other hazards of note? How is the water temp and viz at the end of August or beginning of September? I know, lots of questions!

 

[SDAnderson]

Thanks for all the input! I bought a copy of Chris Kohls "The Great Lakes Diving Guide". Great Book! I think we will try the the Wells Burt and the Wings Of The Wind or the Lucille. Can anyone tell me if there are any fishing nets or lines that we need to watch for? Any other hazards of note? How is the water temp and viz at the end of August or beginning of September? I know, lots of questions!

The Lucille is rarely visited - I've never been there - and is rumored to be well filleted. The Wells and the Wings are easy and safe wrecks. Last summer's storms rearranged the sand a lot, uncovering some long buried portions and hiding some others. Visits to them are down since the SoM was scuttled a few years ago and they are looking a little less trampled these days - a good thing.

Fishing nets won't be a problem on the wrecks you are considering, fishing line can be. Nothing a cheap pair of trauma shears and a nearby buddy can't take care of.

No special hazards other than a tendency for new divers to grin so wide they swallow their ears.

Temperatures in the lake vary greatly from day to day, depending on which direction the wind is blowing and how hard. On those wrecks and at that time of year, plan on at least 50F, probably close to 60F and definitely not 70F on the bottom. Topside will be in the upper 60's at that time of year. 7mm wetsuits, hoods, gloves and boots are the minimum requirement for thermal protection unless you're a fish.

Watch your air, relax and have fun.

Wells Burt was a 200ft wooden freighter that sank 125 years ago. Here's a photo (courtesy of a link I found on a SeaLions website) of a portion of a rail, including some of the deadeyes: