Great Lakes: The best way to dive them

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Hello:

I was thinking about an RV trip around the Great Lakes coast (all 5 lakes) while stopping on road to dive. It would be a long trip with lots of diving, but by the time it is done, I would have seen the best wrecks Great Lakes has to offer and also the beautiful cities and towns that surround them.

If I start from Lake Ontario (US side) and drive towards Lake Superior, can anyone give me possible stops, with wrecks and dive operators in your particular area? I am not tech certified so anything deeper than 130 would be out of scope for me.

Would love to hear any other thoughts / suggestions on this.

 

[Dhboner]

Don't miss Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula (Lake Huron/Georgian Bay). The water is amazingly clear (and cold) and there are dozens of beautiful wrecks. The village of Tobermory has several dive operators with charters running morning and afternoon.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Yes. I have been wanting to dive that place for a while now but since it is on the Canadian side it may be a trip on its own. Just a question. Besides Tobermory, are there any other great dives in Lake Superior from the Canadian side?

 

[rhwestfall]

St. Lawrence Seaway/Thousand Islands (save for your return leg from the north)
Lake Ontario - St. Peter off Pultneyville (east of Rochester)
Lake Erie - Capt. Jim Herbert, Osprey Charters out of Barcelona, NY (Welcome to Osprey Charters, Inc. Discover Lake Erie's Best Kept Secret In Shipwreck Diving and Scenic Cruises. Come on and Dive Into History !!) - plenty of good wrecks.....
there, got you to the PA border, handing you off....

---------- Post added April 5th, 2013 at 03:39 PM ----------

P.S. - Get a copy of Cris Kohl's "The Great Lakes Diving Guide" (Seawolf Communications - publisher) - let your dream/plan begin..... its all there

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

St. Lawrence Seaway/Thousand Islands (save for your return leg from the north)
Lake Ontario - St. Peter off Pultneyville (east of Rochester)
Lake Erie - Capt. Jim Herbert, Osprey Charters out of Barcelona, NY (Welcome to Osprey Charters, Inc. Discover Lake Erie's Best Kept Secret In Shipwreck Diving and Scenic Cruises. Come on and Dive Into History !!) - plenty of good wrecks.....
there, got you to the PA border, handing you off....

---------- Post added April 5th, 2013 at 03:39 PM ----------

P.S. - Get a copy of Cris Kohl's "The Great Lakes Diving Guide" (Seawolf Communications - publisher) - let your dream/plan begin..... its all there

Thanks! What a great start to an epic journey

 

[Jim Lapenta]

2nd Chris's book. It is quite extensive and detailed.

 

[Jared0425]

Well when you get to lake Huron, you would have to stop at Lexington/Port Sanilac to dive wrecks around there. The thumb has deeper wrecks that are right on the edge of rec range out of Port Austin and Harbour Beach. Then the next stop would be Alpena which has a wide variety of wrecks and has a entire museum dedicated to them. Then you will hit the Straits of Mackinac which separates our upper and lower peninsula that also has a wide variety of shipwrecks. Then you would want to stop at Whitefish Point to dive a few wrecks there. Then Muninising would most likely be the end of shallow wreck journey on Lake Superior. If you could get to Isle Royal then that would be the creme de la creme ofnyour trip. Lake Michigan has a few, but others would know where to go.

 

[al248005]

Man I wish there would be some charters out of Ohio. I really want to dive some wrecks in the great lakes but don't want to really drive all the way to NY.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

In eastern MI, make sure and hit Port Sanilac and Harbor Beach. Continue up the coast and dive Alpena (Thunder Bay) and then the Straits of Mackinaw. Continue up into the UP and dive Whitefish Bay/Point. I'm not as familiar with western MI diving. I've vacationed there on many occasions, but have never dived the Lake MI side of MI beyond the Straits. More vacation towns but not as much diving. Most of the wrecks are deeper there.

On the IL side of Lake MI, there is good wreck diving from Chicago all the way north to Door County WI.

 

[Hockeynut]

If you go up the North Shore in Minnesota, the best shore dive is the Madeira. You'll have to stop and get the combo to the gate, and a State Park pass.

Split Rock Lighthouse

The lot is spacious on weekdays and reserved for divers only. (hence the gate combo)

The trail down to the lake isn't to tough but you might want to carry the tank down before you suit up. There is a swim out to the wreck then but it isn't too bad, or you could take a direction and hit the bottom.

This looks farther than it is.

---------- Post added April 6th, 2013 at 10:19 AM ----------

And some pics here. Madeira Shipwreck - Photographs