FM1520
Contributor
My buddy and I will be in Grand Rapids MI the week of 13 Nov and we are looking to dive Saturday Nov 17th. Any recommendations on charter boats in that area?
Thanks,
FM
Thanks,
FM
Grand Rapids MI
- Thread starter FM1520
- Start date
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You do realize that Nov is the time of year most of those wrecks sunk? All of the boats I'm aware of are pulled out of the water by now. Nov can be downright scary on the Great Lakes.
OP
FM1520
Contributor
No, I didn't. Being from San Diego, I don't really know much about diving the Great Lakes. I assumed they closed up for the winter at some point but thought it would be after Thanksgiving.
Historically, the worst month for weather on the Great Lakes is November. The "gales of November" as they call them. The water is still warm but the weather systems moving over them are rapidly getting colder. This historically leads to the worst storms for wind and waves that the Great Lakes see all year. For this reason, all small boats (ie dive boats) are pulled out of the water some time in October. Now you can still catch beautiful days in November for sure, but most of the boats are in for winter/off-season servicing by then. Perhaps others will chime in if they know of any boats in that area that continue to operate in November. The typical dive season on the Great Lakes is May-Oct with the best conditions in June-July-August-early Sept.
However.... You might be able to find some decent inland lake shore diving. Depending on weather, the lakes will probably not be frozen yet and with boats being pulled out of the water, some of the inland lakes could be fun to dive (normally algae starts to die off and fish slow down so more opportunity to see and watch them). My dives start to switch from the Great Lakes to the inland lakes staring in October. From October through about April we dive the inland lakes. Once the lakes freeze over, its a great opportunity for ice diving (with the proper training). Nothing like waking out on the water, cutting a hole in the ice and jumping in! 
However.... You might be able to find some decent inland lake shore diving. Depending on weather, the lakes will probably not be frozen yet and with boats being pulled out of the water, some of the inland lakes could be fun to dive (normally algae starts to die off and fish slow down so more opportunity to see and watch them). My dives start to switch from the Great Lakes to the inland lakes staring in October. From October through about April we dive the inland lakes. Once the lakes freeze over, its a great opportunity for ice diving (with the proper training). Nothing like waking out on the water, cutting a hole in the ice and jumping in!
Spoken like a true Michigan diver! A dude from San Diego says he's coming to Michigan and would like to dive and you start talking about ice diving!!! Love it! You guys are hard core
Well.... I couldn't let him think that come October we roll up the carpet and stop diving. Weather is no excuse to cancel a dive, there are ALWAYS options!
OP
FM1520
Contributor
I called a dive shop in Holland MI and yep they pulled all the boats in a couple of weeks ago. I thought diving the pacific here in SoCal was hard core but you guys are crazy. I'll put the Great Lakes on my dive bucket list - maybe next summer.
superstar
Contributor
My boats out for the season, look me up next summer and i'll take you out diving.
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