Sand Harbor, Tahoe

Hi,
I am planning to dive Tahoe, from the shore, next Sunday.
I would like to try the place of Sand harbor in Nevada, and need more information.

I already got a lot of information on this website :
Dive Sites

"The bottom depth averages 30 feet. Those interested in more of a challenge will have to swim 300 feet beyond the swim marker buoys. There is a challenging slope ranging from 40 to hundreds of feet deep. This slope offers vertical cliffs, large sunken trees, and numerous rocks. "
Can someone please help to understand in which direction I have to swimm and where it's bettet to park my car ?



I already dive several time in Tahoe, Hurricane bay and Rubiccon wall. Thanks to help me to dive a new place.
Mickael

You'll be diving off the smaller cove that is just south of the main cove (away from where the boats launch). It can be ridiculously busy during the weekends. With the recent snow, I can't imagine that many visitors will frequent this area. Straight from the mouth of the cover, you have to swim quite a distance to get into deeper water. To me at least, in the area that I dived, the bottom was shallow/flat and then suddenly dropped down. I don't have much experience diving at altitude and decided not proceed over the precipice. It reminded me an awful lot of the drop at Monastery Beach where the darkness swallows the bottom. The sandy bottom didn't interest me but I loved the large boulders and rock formations that formed the shoreline. Did I mention that visibility was ridiculously wonderful?

In Nevada, if I recall correctly, you must use a dive flag and remain within proximity. Safe & happy diving.

Claude

Consider dragging that dive flag with you. Once my buddies and I were at Sand Harbor and planted our flag. The harbor patrol followed us for almost 45 mins and then fined us all because we were too far from our flag. I didn't dive in Nevada for a long time after that out of protest.

So, there is like a wall, or more like a slope ?
Which direction I have to go ?

About the flag, I will bring a surface flag. But Once I am deep, I don't know how they will do to know where I am underwater ? Did I say that I don't do any bubble ?

Hi Myka:

I hovered at the edge of the precipice but did not head down into the deeper water. From what I could see, it looked like a steep slope instead of a 90 degree drop. It bothered me that at the edge, I could not see much. At Monastery, you don't lose visibility to the bottom until you're around 100 feet. At Sand Harbor, where I dove, the loss of visibility is immediate. It's almost as a if thick fog hugged the edge. I swam toward #1 and swept the northern side of the cove on my way back.

I don't recall how far outside the cover I swam before encountering the drop but I do not believe it was very far. It's been years since I've been at Sand Harbor but I do believe that buoys the edges of the trench. A scooter might not be a bad idea, if you intend to cover a lot of terrain. Safe & Happy Diving.

Claude

Claude

Myka, I was just at Sand Harbor today. The parking lot is cleared of snow, as is the path to the water. Actually all the snow at lake level is pretty much gone.

Right now the Rangers don't seem to be in "enforcement mode" as far as scuba divers are concerned. The tendancy to write tickets seems to elevate as the weather warms up and boat traffic becomes common. Everything inside the no wake zone inside "Diver's Cove" is considered a swim area, so you do not need to tow a float inside the cove. And outside it, since you are diving a RB, how's anyone to know?

BTW, Diver's Cove is the cove you have the three paths starting from.

The path to the deep is shortest is you take a course of approx 260 degrees magnetic from the beach. If you go farther south you'll follow a plateau of about 40' for a long ways, and further north, it's just a long swim. Anyway, after following the course of 260 degrees, about a 10 minute swim will take you to about a depth of 45', where the sand rolls over into a 45 degree slope, broken by occasional outcroppings. The bouy is about halfway. If you want a proper wall, Rubicon Wall (which you've dove, IIRC) is the best option.

The parking lot you've pointed out is actually the only parking, there is a lot that is very close to the cove but it is only available by reservation only for big events. Park as close as you can to the path or it's a long hike.

Hope this helps.


All the best, James

Myka:

About the flag, I will bring a surface flag. But Once I am deep, I don't know how they will do to know where I am underwater ? Did I say that I don't do any bubble ?

Click to expand...

Rebreather for the WIN! LOL

How cold does it get at depth?

From what I've read online, for this time of year it can vary between 40°F - 50°F. I'd love to dive Tahoe sometime and I'm trying to figure out if my 7 mm suit could do the trick. With my limited experience of 10 dives down in Monterey, I've been pretty comfortable in 50°F water.

thanks everybody for your answer. If I understood well, I will find a slope but not a wall, and I will have to swimm a lot. I will maybe change my mind and dive stateline wall ?
Anyway, thanks a lot.
Mickael
(about the temperature : it's cold, or very cold, I never check exactly how cold it is...)

mattaphore:

How cold does it get at depth?

From what I've read online, for this time of year it can vary between 40°F - 50°F. I'd love to dive Tahoe sometime and I'm trying to figure out if my 7 mm suit could do the trick. With my limited experience of 10 dives down in Monterey, I've been pretty comfortable in 50°F water.

Click to expand...

As of a couple of weeks ago, the water temperatures were still in the high 30's to low 40's, which is a fare bit colder than 50 deg. I have seen people dive wetsuits in the winter, but I don't know how. I guess it is for very short open water checkout dives.

Unless your dives will be very short, I recommend a drysuit for Tahoe in the Winter.

By summer, the shallow areas of Sand Harbor will be in the high 60's, which is very nice. If you are in a wetsuit, you may want to wait until summer.