best lake for wrecks?

[merkin]

Sorry guys I'm from FL and don't have a clue (you may have already noticed that!)...

[TCDiver1]

Huron, without a doubt IMO. All the others have good wrecks but Huron has the mostest of the bestest.

[reefraff]

Erie: Lots of wrecks, but the lake is shallow and storm-prone, thus many of the wrecks are pounded and visibility is not good.

Michigan: Lots of wrecks, especially around Milwaukee/Chicago, depth is moderate so wrecks tend to be protected and accessible.

Superior: Fewer wrecks, very deep, very cold, storm prone, hard to get to. What there is is very good, however.

Huron: Good number of wrecks, but they tend to be in the shallow water areas. Not so easy to get to, a lot of ice damage, poor visibility.

Ontario: The only one that gives Michigan a run for the money. Good conditions and lots of traffic have made for some very good diving.

Best of the Best:

Tobermorey. Situated at the end of the Bruce Penninsula, between Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay and on top of the Niagara escarpment, this is as good as wreck diving gets - in the Great Lakes or anywhere. A wide variety of ships foundering over a long period and found at every depth means something for everyone. The cold, clear water has left most of the wrecks in excellent condition and storms are limited. Besides the best diving, the area is just simply beautiful.

St. Lawrence River. The secret here is traffic, traffic, traffic. Currents, poor visibility and ongoing traffic mean you need to know what you're doing, but there is no shortage of bottom fun here. Easier to get to than Toby or the Straits, too.

Straits of Mackinac. As with the St. Lawrence, the shear volume of traffic that passes through the area has left a lot of wrecks at the bottom. Also an area prone to some ferocious currents, vis is usually better than in the St. L., water is colder.

If you want to learn more, Kris Kohl has written a series of books that provide a wealth of information on wreck diving in this neck of the woods. You won't find a higher concentration of old wooden ships in such excellent condition anywhere in the world that I know of. The zebra mussels have covered pretty much everything, but they've also cleared up the water...a double-edged sword. If you get tired of salt in your mouth, come join us.

Unusual handle, by the way. Wishful thinking or...?

Steven

[fredk]

My only comment would be that the vis on the St. Lawerence can be very good at times, I was on the Keystorm in August and the vis was 60ft. it was assume temp. 75 not bad for cold Canada.

[sparky30]

I think Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence river running into it. Lots of wrecks.. decent temperatures, not too deep... All around great diving.

[canuckdiver]

well, I may be biased, but the st. lawrence and the kingston area has a LOT of wrecks, quite a few in really good condition, it's convienient to get to, with lots of charters and dive shops. To me, this makes it the best of the best.


=-)

[wetman]

Not entirely sure where the comment above on poor vis in the st. lawrence comes from because every dive i've done there has been fantastic vis. And its my bet for the best dives in the area, followed by lake ont.

steve

[vlada]

Easy to get to - almost never get blown out (unlike Erie, which i like but don't do often having one charter being cancelled 3 times in a row)

Haven't been in lake Michigan yet

Here are some pict of lake Ontairo (Kingston) wrecks:


Comet (http://community.webshots.com/album/44443984kEIYyy)

Marsh (http://community.webshots.com/album/44443894PovFaS)

Munson and Wolf Islander (http://community.webshots.com/album/41553325LDUxLK)

manola (picton) (http://community.webshots.com/album/51600043imZqMy)

there is more where it came from is interested - click on the bar on the left:)

[Nitrox Junkie]

It would be a toss up between The Straits of Mackinac and Superior. I know that Superior is a lot harder to get to especially from Indy (Miles, Miles, Miles) but the diving is awsome. When I dove Isle Royale last summer I was in awe. Very good diving. That would again be IMO... Everyone has their favorite spot but to me getting away (Very far away) from home to go on a dive trip makes it that much better.

Jeff Great lakes diver:cheers:Very far away but always the great lakes......

[Jimmy B]

www.northerntechdiver.com
www.scubaq.ca/ontarioscubadiving/index.htm
www.gluediveclub.com

need I say more

Jimmy B:D

[ScubaQ]

I would have to say the St Lawerence is the best for many reasons

1) very cool drift diving, nice gental currents LMAO
2) I have always had great visibility when diving there.
3) 100's of ship wrecks to choose from.
4) A very large variety of different types of ships to see.
5) very cheap accomidations, if you know where to look :)
6) Lots of dive shops and charters
7) Very hard to get weathered out.

The only pain in the arse is when you want to dive wrecks on the otherside of that dotted line. You can spend an extra hour dealing with customs:bonk:

ScubaQ

[merkin]

You guys are making me want to move to Canada. Where could you live in the states to have reasonable access to wrecks in the great lakes (i.e. what big cities with academic medical centers)?

[taz22]

merkin once bubbled...
You guys are making me want to move to Canada. Where could you live in the states to have reasonable access to wrecks in the great lakes (i.e. what big cities with academic medical centers)?

Syracuse would be approx 2 hours from the Brockville-Kingston St. Lawrence 1000 Islands / Lake Ontario Region that we have been talking about. I believe they have a medical training centre at Syracuse University.

[wb416]

(since there's no category for Georgian Bay), then my vote would swing to Huron.

I've not had the privelage to dive the Ontario/St.Lawrence Seaway yet, but a buddy that has dove the Jodrey and such thinks some of the best wrecks he's visited are in Huron. There are several fine places to dive in Huron (not all in recreational depths) starting up near the Straits, down to Roger City, Alpena, The Thumb, Sanilac, Sarnia, and back up and around toward Tobermory.

I know all the Great Lakes have their treasures, but I'll have to cast my vote for Huron.

But I'd be happy to change my vote if you want to convince me with a little diving in your favorite areas of other lakes! :-)

wb

[Coyote]

I dove the Comet in Sept and the vis was great 70+ feet, did the Aloha an hour later and the vis sucked, couldn't even see the Effie Mae, it's amazing how conditions can change so quickly.

[O-ring]

Everyone knows the best lake is Lake Rawlings (http://www.lakerawlings.com/)

[Bubble Boy]

its not exactly one of the great lakes but I wish I would have known about it when I was in Norfolk on course.

[O-ring]

What? You ARE aware that it has a sunken bus, right? Jeez...it is at least as great as any of your lakes...

[Bubble Boy]

O-ring once bubbled...
What? You ARE aware that it has a sunken bus, right? Jeez...it is at least as great as any of your lakes...
I guess "size does matter"

[Silverback]

I've been to the tip of the Bruce, cold diving, lumber yard for wrecks. Plus you stand a very good chance of getting blown off. And, there are really only a couple of wrecks that are worth diving, Arabia, Forest City, and the newer Niagara. I've read and researched some of the wrecks that are in and around Alpena. They sound very interesting and make me want to get back in Lake Huron. I may get there once my technical skills are allot better. (Its one thing hanging on a wall for your deco, its another doing it blue water.)

Anyway, I forget who mentioned bad vis in the Lawrence... you must have been there when a algee bloom was in play.. I've seen very bad vis on the Vickory (-10 feet) but that is really not the norm. I've seen any where 70 to 100+ vis, coupled with temps getting into the Mid 70's, and that's right down to 150' I'd say this is one of the best spots in Great Lake areas. Now you mix that with the wrecks Picton and Kingston, you've got some mighty fine diving.

SB

[divedude]

merkin once bubbled...
You guys are making me want to move to Canada. Where could you live in the states to have reasonable access to wrecks in the great lakes (i.e. what big cities with academic medical centers)?
Kingston's, Queen's University
AND the best fresh water wreck diving
Hey, Canada's a great place to live

[TCDiver1]

Buy this book and decide for yourself.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0967997623/inktomi-bkasin-20/102-9352928-8675345

Ontario, primarily Kingston, wreck diving is great but don't sell yourself short on not diving Huron or Superior. Many, many excellent wrecks of varying depth and condition in these lakes.

Some of you Canadians need to broaden your wreck diving horizons!;)

[Butch103]

gedunk once bubbled...


Some of you Canadians need to broaden your wreck diving horizons!;)


We have, we dive Brockville and Kingston, and sometimes that great diving lake Crowe.......
;) :bonk:

Tobey is a great spot to dive also........

[DivingGal]

Butch103 once bubbled...
We have, we dive Brockville and Kingston, and sometimes that great diving lake Crowe.......
;) :bonk:

Tobey is a great spot to dive also........

we "must not" forget Crowe... LOL dude.

[seahunter]

I'm partial to Georgian Bay. It's not listed so I voted for Lake Huron but that's not really fair since the advantages of Georgian Bay do not apply to Lake Huron.
Realize that Georgian Bay includes many recognized diving areas each of which rival those already in this thread. They include among others Tobermory with the best wreck diving services in the Great Lakes (boats and stores) and some excellent wrecks for the advanced diver plus lots of easy wrecks for the newer divers, Midland/Penetang area with lots of excellent shallow wrecks and warm water, Parry Sound with another bunch of good wrecks, Fitzwilliam Island off Manitoulin with some seldom visited and excellent wrecks, Killarney with another 1/2 dozen great wrecks, plus more wrecks in Wiarton, Lions' Head, Hope Bay, Owen Sound, and many more places. There is also some great cave, wall, cavern and rock dives all around Georgian Bay in Tobermory, Giant's Tomb, Killbear and a dozen other places.
Additionally, there are good diving services (boats and air) in at least a dozen different locales around the bay close to cheap accommodations (plus camping in at least 12 different provincial parks).
Diving Georgian Bay can be done on a day basis. That is, it's so close to major cities that many divers drive up for the day.

In my experience there is no other place in North America that offers the variety and quality of diving close to home and with good diving services.
This may surprise some divers but that's because they've limited their view of Georgian Bay to Tobermory. Get out a road map and look at Georgian Bay. It is almost as large as Lake Ontario and has many more rivers, bays and islands than any other Great Lake except for Lake Superior. Georgian Bay has often been called the 6th Great Lake and rightly so.
Manitoulin Island on it's north edge is the largest fresh water island in the world.
My point is that Georgian Bay is NOT Tobermory!

[seahunter]

BTW, I just discovered an author who claims to have documented a total so far of 4262 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.
He estimates that there are likely 5000 wrecks in total.

Let's stop discussing which lake is the best and get diving!!

[fish_bowl]

I AM LAKE SUPERIOR COLD AND GRAY. NO OTHER LAKE HAS GOT WHAT IT TAKES. ALL ARE INFERIOR. I AM LAKE SUPERIOR.

Sorry guys I'm originally from the Soo and I love Lake Superior and although I have just started diving, I would love to go home and do some exploring. Mayge I'll see a Sturgeon.