New Diver to Port Huron - Need Dive Site and Tank Rental Advice

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KDAD

Contributor
Messages
758
Reaction score
449
Location
Northern New Jersey
# of dives
50 - 99
I will be in the Detroit and St. Clair Shores area on September 19 to 21 and would like to dive on Friday September 20 in lower Lake Huron and/or the St. Clair River. A buddy of mine has a boat docked in St. Clair who can bring me out. He is willing to motor up to Lake Huron. It is my first time there.

  1. Should I dive the river or stick to the lake? My target wrecks at this point at the Eliza Strong and the Sport because they are closer and not too deep. Or should I look at something else?
  2. Anywhere up there I can get rent a tank(s)? I will be driving up from Detroit either the night before or the morning of? I can rent tanks in Detroit on Thursday and return on Saturday as an alternative which logistically may work best or may have to be done. Dive shop recommendations down there?
 
I haven't done any St. Clair River diving so I can't comment on those sites. But the Eliza Strong and the Sport are both very easy dives. The wreckage from the Eliza Strong is scattered about, which is kinda cool. The Sport is mostly intact except for the wheelhouse. She's a small one, though, so it can be a boring dive. Water temps on the Sport were in the mid-50s last week and visibility was about 30', but that can change quickly if winds blow in pockets of colder water.

There are lots of dive shops in the Detroit area for you to rent tanks. Call Craig at Sea the World in Farmington Hills. There's also Motor City Scuba in Novi. There are also a few shops in St. Clair Shores, but I'm not personally familiar with them.

I'll just assume that you will have at least one person on the boat as surface support (two would be better) and at least one other diver with you on the wrecks...
 
I’ve read current in the St Clair River can be pretty stiff. Are you used to diving in stiff current? You’ll also have to watch out for the freighters. There’s video on YouTube of some guy who had to hold onto debris on the bottom when a freighter went overhead. Crazy stuff.
 
Thanks for the info so far. Current in the river and not knowing it or having a local guide is one of the reasons for heading up to the wrecks in the lake. Unless someone said that there is a dive there not to be missed I can forgo it.

We will be having surface support on the boat as the owner is a non-diver but very experienced operator.
Are there buoys on the Eliza Strong and Sport that we can tie up to? If not is dropping anchor permitted?

There might be more space on the boat for an additional diver...I might be able to work an invite.
 
Anchor Bay scuba is the closest shop to the area. They have a good selection of rental gear. Viz in the river right now ain't too good though. The current isnt that bad either.
 
Starting to consider diving the river by Thomas Edison Park. I am not feeling right having my buddy have to motor up from St. Clair the hour or so just to hit the lake and then another one to get to the wrecks. He did say today that viz was 40 from the surface from his estimation (as a non-diver)..
 
The river was chocolate milk on Saturday below marine city. Port Huron may have 20< under the bridge. Whenever the river is bright green it's a bad day. Dark blue is an awesome day. With a south wind which we've been having, the current is not bad at all. But Port Huron is still a drift dive unless you know the Eddys along the boardwalk north of Pine Grove park. The Tremble dive will take you south then north then back south to the boardwalk. Divers are there all the time so ask them if you see em.
 
I second Craig at SeaTheWorld......great guy and he’s been in the business for a long time and knows people.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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