Basic Lake Tahoe Diving Questions

[Scraps]

Thanks for all the information.

Sounds like diving in a wetsuit in May has a good chance of failing to meet the recreational criterion of "fun."

Must consider this carefully.

 

[Bob DBF]

To take a line from Dirty Harry
you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?


The major issue in the Sierras is that the average weather is made up from widely varied conditions. If it was my only shot at Tahoe, I’d plan the dive and be ready to dive, knowing it may not be possible.


Bob

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I’ve dived Tahoe a few times.
May will be cold. It will be 7mm or drysuit. The altitude technicality stuff has already been covered.
I just set my computer on altitude and let it do the work.
I can add a few tips on spots. My favorite is the North Shore starting at Kings Beach and heading towards the Nevada line.
I always take my kayak which opens up a ton more fun spots.
My absolute favorite is Speedboat Beach which is just past Brockway at Incline Village right at State Line.
There is a very impressive wall right at state-line on the east side of the peninsula but it takes a kayak to get there from Speedboat Beach. Legend has it that this is where the mob used to dump bodies from Frank Sinatra’s Calneva Casino and Resort, but I never found any gangster skeletons wearing cement shoes.
Speedboat Beach itself is a great little shore dive. It’s the rockiest shore dive I’ve found so far in Tahoe and also loaded with crawdads. Bring a goody bag for all the fishing lures, golf balls, and sunglasses you find.
The funnest part is when you’ve been out for an hour or so and meanwhile people have set up on the beach. When you surface and walk out of the water you’ll see a WTH! Look on their faces.
A shore dive from speedboat beach is about 30’ max. Beyond that you are way out there.
Also, remember the flag rule if you venture into Nevada waters. You can set up a float tube with a flag and tow it around underwater. Just pay attention to the screwball idiots on jet skis who may use it as a pylon.

 

[bperc]

This isn't entirely accurate, or at least wasn't a few months ago. I haven't dove the lake yet, but I've got friends who live in the area. Last time we were up visiting them, I dropped by a shop....*google delay*.....

Tahoe Dive Center in Stateline, NV. Tahoe Dive Center

I went last June with my dive buddy. We brought our own gear. We dive in dry suits. The water temp was 46 degrees. We went by the Tahoe Dive Center and talked to the owner the day we got there. He was very helpful. He showed us different dive sites and told us what to look for. Without his direction, we would have seen a whole bunch of sand! After our first day of diving at Sand Beach we stopped by to get our tanks filled. Sand Beach is beautiful. Google it! The second day we went to D.L. Bliss State park and dove the Rubicon Wall. It is a long surface swim to the point where the wall starts. Lots of small fish and boulders with a sheer dropoff.

 

[Bob DBF]

May will be cold.

As in, it can snow.

 

[wnissen]

I would take an Altitude course, even at those altitudes it makes a significant difference. We went shore diving at Baldwin Beach, which was pretty boring but kind of zen. Saw several crayfish who would wave their claws in a funny and threatening manner. Meeks Bay was a little more interesting, a gentle slope into the abyss. Neither place did we really have guides or suggestions of where to go. Everyone says the Rubicon wall is pretty great but hard to get to from shore.

 

[jridg]

We went with a group last June and did a couple days of diving through the Tahoe Dive Center - Matt is the owner and he dives the lake all the time with groups. We dove dry and I strongly recommend that.

The Emerald Bay Trail is neat - and it was different diving in the lake - the vis was relatively poor due to the high level of runoff still coming in due to the bug snows that year - however this year may be very different.

It’s fun to do that - once.....

 

[Sac City Scuba]

We have used Matt at High Sierra before and can recommend.

Correction...Matt at Tahoe Dive Center.

 

[DiverDante]

I dove yesterday and the water was about 70 degrees at the surface, dropping to mid-50's at depth. A full wetsuit with hood will be fine, a drysuit is also great but a bit hot on the surface before and between dives.

I dove with these guys on their new Tahoe charter boat. This article that shares it better than I could:
New Charter Dive Boat “Payah Kun” Now Running at South Lake Tahoe

 

[wnissen]

I dove yesterday and the water was about 70 degrees at the surface, dropping to mid-50's at depth. A full wetsuit with hood will be fine, a drysuit is also great but a bit hot on the surface before and between dives.

I dove with these guys on their new Tahoe charter boat. This article that shares it better than I could:
New Charter Dive Boat “Payah Kun” Now Running at South Lake Tahoe

Thanks, I had not heard of this. Looks like a very nice boat, though $200 per person is pretty steep!