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What Are the Best Locations for Lake SCUBA Diving?

   October 10th, 2024   Posted In: Articles   Tags:

SCUBA diving is not contained to just the ocean. Many bodies of water, including lakes, are popular for SCUBA diving. Land locked states have some of the most excellent dive sites. Some of the best locations for lake SCUBA diving are listed below.

Just don’t confuse this list with some of the best freshwater locations for SCUBA diving. Many of those are not listed here due to the fact that we are focusing only on lakes!

Lake diving is often associated with cold water diving. Not all lakes are cold, but make sure you have proper exposure protection such as the right thickness of SCUBA diving wetsuit or perhaps even a drysuit.

Here’s a list of 10 amazing lake locations for SCUBA diving, not in any particular order:

1. Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada

Lake Tahoe reaches 1,645 feet deep and is the deepest SCUBA diving lake in the United States. Highlights found while SCUBA diving in Lake Tahoe on the California side are swim-throughs of granite arches and monumental boulder labyrinths and Native American relics.

The maritime heritage underwater trail was submerged here as well which includes many historic watercrafts that have been sunken. These popular dive sites can be found at Emerald Bay State Park.

On the Nevada side, Incline Village and Sand Harbor Recreation Area are the best areas to dive. Massive boulders and rainbow trout can be found here as well as a deeper, sunken barge.

2. Great Lakes

The Great Lakes have some of the best lake SCUBA diving sites in the United States of America and perhaps the world. The lakes are filled with shipwrecks! It is an excellent place for wreck diver enthusiasts! 

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron near Michigan has about 100 historic shipwrecks. The depths to dive some of these shipwrecks are anywhere from 20 to 130 feet making this an excellent dive location for divers of all levels

Also in Lake Huron is Arabia, a wooden schooner found in Tobermory, Ontario. The ship went down in 1884 due to heavy seas. The Arabia sits in 120 feet of water and has an intact bow. Many other shipwrecks can be found here as well!

3. Lake Kaindy- Kazakhstan

Lake Kaindy is a sunken, underwater forest. Its green color gives it a magical feel for SCUBA divers.

4. Blue Hole- Santa Rosa, New Mexico

The Blue Hole is linked to several underwater caverns and lakes accounting for up to six miles in diameter. The water is 62 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. This lake is well-suited for SCUBA instruction so you will find the typical lines and platforms around for ease of teaching.

5. Clear Lake, Oregon

Clear Lake is found in Willamette National Forest and was created by a volcanic eruption. This very cold lake has amazing visibility! While on the surface, you can easily see 200 feet down! Below, you will find a submerged forest filled with 80-foot-tall trunks.

6. Spring Lake, Texas

Spring Lake is special in that in order to be able to dive it, you need to become a volunteer through the Dive Authorization Course. It is a federally protected lake that is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in North America. The water is 72 degrees Fahrenheit year-round and home to many, many turtles!

7. Capo d’Acqua in Capestrano, Italy

This lake has two mills and a village from the Middle Ages. This privately owned lake needs special permission to dive. 

8. Lake Baikal, Russia 

This lake is best for ice diving but can be dove in the warmer months. It is the oldest and deepest lake in the world at 1700 meters deep! Jacques Cousteau dove here. Sites to see are sponge gardens, walls, canyons, and train tracks. There are even seals! 

9. Anhumas Abyss in Bonito, Brazil

This underground lake is accessed by rappelling down 24 stories. The crystal clear waters are filled with schools of fish. The number of divers and snorkels allowed in each day is limited, making this a unique experience!

10. Lake Lyngstoylvatnet, Norway

Lake Lyngstoylvatnet formed from an avalanche that buried homes and bridges making it a unique dive site to explore. Luckily, the people that inhabited this town were not yet back from the winter hiatus. The once farmland is now an underwater town.

Discover the Wonders of Lake Scuba Diving

SCUBA diving is not just for diving in the ocean. The world has some amazing lakes and freshwater locations that offer spectacular scenery including sunken wrecks and villages, and amazing freshwater life. Get out there and explore!

Candace is an avid scuba diver and freelance writer with a PhD in Biomedicine. She has been diving since 2002 and is currently a PADI IDC Staff Instructor. When she is not instructing, she enjoys writing about scuba and volunteering at the local aquarium where she dives with the sharks!

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