Diving in Canada

[@lison]

Hi There

I'm planning a trip to Canada later this year and wonder if anyone has done any wreck diving in the Great Lakes area?

We are hoping to dive in the Georgian Bay or Kingston area and would appreciate the names of any dive centres you have good opinions of,

many thanks

Alison

[alison boler]

Hi Alison
I've just editted and sent 2 really fantastic trip reports on diving Chicago and the Great Lakes (not by me) up to our website and they should appear in the next few days. Keep looking in the trip report index and they will be there for sure before the end of next week.
I lived in Chicago for a number of years and can tell you from personal experience that Lake Superior in particular is a fabulous dive location - I also hear that Huron is good too. Obviously, in Chicago we dived Lake Michigan which has a lot of wrecks too. Diving the Great Lakes is all about wreck diving and there are literaly thousands of them and they are mostly in a fantastic state of preservation due to the water conditions and the enforced "no salvage" rules.
You will need to organise diving in advance - it is NOT a case of turn up and go out, by and large.
You don't say when you're going. In the summer, the air temperature is HOT and the surface water is pretty warm. However, you will hit very sharp thermoclines and it is not unusual to be in <10C towards the bottom (of the dive, not the lake!). I have dived in 5C when the air temp was in the 90s. You feel a complete idiot putting a hood and drysuit on but believe me - 20m down you will be SO glad you did.
Anyway, do read these reports - they are written from the US side of things - but mention the Canadian sides of the Lake and are very informative and very inspiring.
All the best

Allie

[@lison]

Allie - thanks for the reply.
We are planning to go in September and will be taking drysuits!
I'll certainly check back for the reports,
thanks again

Alison

[Warren Izzett]

Hi Alison,

I've dived several times in the Fathom Five marine park in Lake Huron. You need to head for Tobermory at the end of the Bruce peninsula. This is about four hours drive from Toronto. Divers Den in Tobermory were very good when I've used them.

There are several well preserved wooden wrecks and the Arabia in about 32m is a real treat sitting upright with the bowsprit intact.

Tobermory is a picturesque little town built around the harbour. The Princess Hotel is nice and has a drying room for dive kit.


Warren Izzett

Hi There

I'm planning a trip to Canada later this year and wonder if anyone has done any wreck diving in the Great Lakes area?

We are hoping to dive in the Georgian Bay or Kingston area and would appreciate the names of any dive centres you have good opinions of,

many thanks

Alison