Is there private boat diving on Great Lakes?

CAPTAIN SINBAD · Jan 26, 2014

I just received two volumes of Cris Kohl's "HUNDRED BEST SHIPWRECKS of the Great Lakes." It is an amazing book with diagrams, photographs and history. Now the book has a lot of wrecks with GPS coordinates that are not being hit by Commercial dive shops or tour boat operators. In fact, after reading this book and looking at the most dived wrecks on the internet, it appears that some of the best Great Lakes wrecks could be the least dived ones. My guess is that charter boats want to keep their costs low and the closer wrecks burn less fuel so they become the most dived ones. My question ...

Are there private boat owners or dive clubs that try to reach lesser known wrecks? If yes then can someone tell me how to get in touch with them?

Thunder Bay Minnow · Jan 26, 2014

All over!! There are charter operators that will haul you, do dive where ever you want for the right $$$$ I don't think there are ANY that are site specific. Find the location you want to dive and then hit up the local charter guys and tell them what you want to do.

Warning if a private boat owner gets caught doing things for hire without the appropriate documentation HUGE FINES!!!

underH2Oman · Jan 26, 2014

What wrecks are you interested in diving? The lakes cover a huge area and charters are abundant.
Perhaps if they are in my area we can work together to get you out to them.

j yaeger · Jan 26, 2014

like minnow said,private charters are all over for hire
or you look up your scubaboard buddys with boats in the areas you want to dive
unfortunately,even a donation for beer can be called "for hire"
but bring some anyways!!
have fun
yaeg

Jared0425 · Jan 26, 2014

The Chris Kohl books are almost 20 years old. Many of the wrecks in his book have long since been stripped or deteriorated. Now his second volume has deep wrecks that most are not dove on. Also his new release of Great Lakes Diving Guide II is almost a bible of wrecks along the great lakes. Also the numbers in the book appear to be off.

Jack Hammer · Jan 26, 2014

Many wrecks are not popular to the charter boats simply because all that remains in some cases are piles of rubble or they have proven unpopular among divers for whatever reasons. Most charters I've been on will still take you to some of those other sites if you ask. Though I would do some research on the actual conditions of the wreck before you pay to end up seeing what looks like some one dumped wood scrap over board.

CAPTAIN SINBAD · Jan 26, 2014

underH2Oman:
What wrecks are you interested in diving? The lakes cover a huge area and charters are abundant.
Perhaps if they are in my area we can work together to get you out to them.

You are situated right between three of those lakes what a great place to be. Let me know which of the three you most frequently dive in and I will search through the index to see what wrecks are the best in that lake. I am adding you to my buddy list so that we may do this sometime.

---------- Post added January 26th, 2014 at 11:27 PM ----------

Jared0425:
The Chris Kohl books are almost 20 years old. Many of the wrecks in his book have long since been stripped or deteriorated. Now his second volume has deep wrecks that most are not dove on. Also his new release of Great Lakes Diving Guide II is almost a bible of wrecks along the great lakes. Also the numbers in the book appear to be off.

I have an updated version that is in two volumes, covering hundred wrecks that are broken down lake by lake. One of the criteria for his ranking is the intactness of the wreck so there is nothing in the new books that is in the rubble category. He says he has removed a lot of old wrecks simply because some new ones have been found and they are in better condition. Let me read through the books and I will post a list of the most "diveable".

underH2Oman · Jan 27, 2014

CAPTAIN SINBAD:
You are situated right between three of those lakes what a great place to be. Let me know which of the three you most frequently dive in and I will search through the index to see what wrecks are the best in that lake. I am adding you to my buddy list so that we may do this sometime..

I get to all three but spend the most time between the St Laurence River and Georgian Bay/Lake Huron. I like the (tropical Canadian) temperatures of the St Laurence in the summer. I often dive my 3mm to 100+feet. There are several nice wrecks as well.

Do you have any preference to type of wreck or depth limitations to dive? I can perhaps recommend a few..

jbark · Jan 27, 2014

If you want to dive any of the southern lake michigan wrecks I would be open to us splitting the costs and diving with you on any of them, I am sure I can scare up one or two other guys to come along so we don't have to leave the boat alone. i have been on some of them with a dive charter over by Chicago. As far as the gps numbers go the wrecks I have taken my boat to were right where they were expected, but you never know and have to be willing to search a bit. My only restrictions would be safe weather, no penetrations and depth limit of 90-100 feet. A lot of the wrecks are deeper than I will dive currently but if you want to go there we could talk about it.

CAPTAIN SINBAD · Jan 27, 2014

jbark:
If you want to dive any of the southern lake michigan wrecks I would be open to us splitting the costs and diving with you on any of them, I am sure I can scare up one or two other guys to come along so we don't have to leave the boat alone. i have been on some of them with a dive charter over by Chicago. As far as the gps numbers go the wrecks I have taken my boat to were right where they were expected, but you never know and have to be willing to search a bit. My only restrictions would be safe weather, no penetrations and depth limit of 90-100 feet. A lot of the wrecks are deeper than I will dive currently but if you want to go there we could talk about it.

Southern Lake Michigan has four entries close of Chicago that are ranked by him among 100 best. These are:

1. Wells Burt
2. The Straits of Mackinac
3. Tacoma
4. Material Service

Of all of them are great but if I could have one pick it would be Wells Burt. It is a huge three masted wooden sail ship that went down 1883. It is in 45 feet of water and surprisingly intact.

---------- Post added January 27th, 2014 at 01:16 PM ----------

underH2Oman:
I get to all three but spend the most time between the St Laurence River and Georgian Bay/Lake Huron. I like the (tropical Canadian) temperatures of the St Laurence in the summer. I often dive my 3mm to 100+feet. There are several nice wrecks as well.

Do you have any preference to type of wreck or depth limitations to dive? I can perhaps recommend a few..

I do not do penetrations and I am not certified for tech as yet. My max depth is 130 feet. There are a lot of wrecks in Kingston Ontario area that he has listed. These are:

1. City of Sheboygan
2. Comet
3. Annie Falconer
4. Frontenac
5. Manola
6. George A Marsh
7. Munson
8. Olive Branch
9. St Peter
10. Wolf Islander 2

Done any of the above?

Is there private boat diving on Great Lakes?

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CAPTAIN SINBAD

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Thunder Bay Minnow

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underH2Oman

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j yaeger

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Jared0425

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Jack Hammer

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CAPTAIN SINBAD

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underH2Oman

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jbark

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