Lake Diving

[TimmyG]

I am an avid Scuba diver and hear that there are some interesting dive sites in lake Winni.
Does anyone have any experience they would care to share? Are there any dive shops that are recommended?

Thanks in advance.

TG

[Grady223]

Dive Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro - they have a dive bat and can take you to all the sites. Here is their website: http://www.divewinnipesaukee.com/

[Janet]

Are they open? My brother-in-law has sent them an email numerous times requesting info with no response.

[Gatto Nero]

If you're an avid ocean diver I am willing to bet you will become bored very quickly when you dive the lake. Aside for a decent wreck or two I have found that there is nothing much to see. Lots of muck and poor vis has been my experience. I just use my gear now to check my mooring once a year.

[GWC...]

Originally Posted by TimmyG

I am an avid Scuba diver and hear that there are some interesting dive sites in lake Winni.
Does anyone have any experience they would care to share? Are there any dive shops that are recommended?

Thanks in advance.

TG

Didn't attend UConn; but did learn how to do a search...

Search result for diving...

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

Even though I live down on the coast and I could dive in the salt water anytime, I still prefer the lake; there is more down there than you think. There has been more than 350 years of civilization on the lake and people have been using it as a dump 300 of those years. It's like they say, one man's trash is another's treasure.

If you're into rocks and geology the lake holds a vast accounting of local geological timeline. It’s fun to swim along the bottom turning over the rocks to see which ones are neutral buoyant (Geodes) and look for arrow & spear heads. Or roll that old log over and see if it has been dugout.

Mud... Well, what's in that mud??? Did you know that rum bottle you lost over the side of your horse barge back in 1796 is still laying in the exact spot, but now its worth over $3000? That's if it has the King's tax stamp in it and the cork is still in place and you can get it to the surface without it exploding... You do know why it's called Rum Point, don't you?

Modern-day treasures; what’s a modern-day treasure? Does a box full of silver half-dollars (150, pre 1940) or a roll of fifty dollar bills ($1600), a Tag Heuer watch, a gold rope necklace, a loaded 45 automatic pistol in almost new condition or the countless other items I’ve found over the years constitute as Modern-day treasures?

The diving on the lake is just about as good as it gets, it clear (well, sort of), it’s warm (well, sort of), it’s full of history, it’s challenging, it’s interesting and it’s an adventure. At least that’s the way I see it.

If you see me on the bottom… wave, I’ll be the one covered in mud toting along the goody bag full of junk off the bottom. Come to think of it… you won’t see me down there because I’ll be plowing up a silt storm the likes of which you won’t believe.

BTW: Tom's number at the Dive shop 603-569-8080

[Gatto Nero]

I found an anchor once. I guess I was just not blessed with the patience to bother with putting on all that gear for what I have seen down there. Maybe I'm just getting old or I got spoiled by the The Wall at Grand Cayman, the crazy nighttime marine life in Cozumel, or even harbor seals off Cape Ann. There's just no comparison, for me anyway.

[bilproject]

TIMMYG e-mail me we'll try some diving this summer. I'm across from Brown's on Bear. My place dates back to 1896 and the Hotel that was on Bear dumped their garbage straight out off my dock. Steamboat is around the corner and there is a barge 75 ft off the Bear island post office. I have not been down in Winni but a friend has. Water is cold 5mm+ or drysuit and visablity is low and decreases as summer progresses. Many sites are in high boat traffic areas. There are also some interesting rock formations off Parker Island and a Navy test site off of Rattlesnake I understand. Bizzers chart lists dive sites I do however want to add some dives in the lake to my log. Just came back from my 3rd trip to Cozumel and can agree with the prior post that lake diving is not as full of experiences. I think Winni. Divers is telling us about a lifetime of experiences diving in the lake.

[Gatto Nero]

I went looking for the wreck off Steamboat once. I knew it was shallow so I only used a shorty, but I had all the rest off my dive gear on. Turns out it's in about 5' of water. Everybody else on the boat, all with just snorkels, thought it was a riot. Boy, did I feel stupid.

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

Last fall I completed my 21st trip to Cozumel, undeniably one of the top dive sites in the world or at least it was a few years ago. In fact blue water diving anywhere is the best, but when you can’t be there, what’s left, sit home and dream about just how good it was… or don the gear and head for the murky depths of Winnipesaukee?

Speaking of Ship Island… That’s a good place to find geodes, but you will need more than a Shorty. I recommend a 7 mm suit anytime you go below 30’.

[Waterbaby]

Originally Posted by Gatto Nero

I went looking for the wreck off Steamboat once. I knew it was shallow so I only used a shorty, but I had all the rest off my dive gear on. Turns out it's in about 5' of water. Everybody else on the boat, all with just snorkels, thought it was a riot. Boy, did I feel stupid.

What a great story, though! (Also good that you can repeat it on a public board, shows perhaps that you can laugh at yourself? I love that in a person!) Great luck to you on future dives!

[TimmyG]

My very first dive after I got PADI certified in CT was the North Wall on Grand Caymen followed by the stingray cove dive. I have been very fortunate to dive all over the world as my work sends me all over.
I have only been diving a few times in the last 7 years (divorce can do that) but try to get into the water all the time. My last dive was Feb2007 in Hawaii (see Pic) and now that I have a boat I am really excited about the freedom to go where I want, when I want.
I look forward to seeing some of you in the water. My pics are too large to post. Any way to share?
TG

[Grant]

The information below is copied directly from the Dive Winnipesaukee site, and is a very good summary of some of the more popular dive sites around the Lake. They run charters from their boat, which is docked right behind the shop in Wolfeboro. Don't worry about a buddy -- there's usually a solo diver or two or three looking to buddy up. These are only some of the sites -- there are lots more, depending on what you like to dive. I never get bored diving Winnipesaukee, and my list of "must dive" sites seems to grow longer each year. My last dive in the lake was the "Steam Barge" (listed below) that I did with Senter Cove Guy late last season. My dive season down here in PA begins this weekend. Can't wait. Next Winni dive coming in about 4 weeks. If you're ever looking for a buddy during the season, PM me here, and we'll see if we can connect.

Lake Winnipesaukee Dive Sites

Lady of the Lake - "The Lady" was built in 1848-1849 by the Winnipesaukee Steamship Co. She was a side wheel paddle wheeler, 125 feet long, and went on to dominate commercial lake traffic until 1872, when the steamship "Mt. Washington" was launched. In 1893, she was docked in Glendale Cove (now named Smith Cove), stripped of machinery, and used for temporary housing for the workmen building Kimball's Castle. In 1895, her keel was filled with rocks and she was going to be sunk in deep water north of Rattlesnake Island. While being towed, she sank unexpectedly in the middle of the cove. She rests upright in 30 feet of water in front of Marine Patrol Headquarters. She is one of the easiest and most popular dive sites in the lake. The water temperature ranges between 65-78 degrees in the summer, requiring full wetsuits. The average visibility is 20-25 feet. The double layered oak hull and decking remain intact allowing for diving through the deck holes and peeking out the portholes. There is a tremendous fish population living on and around the wreck including; small mouth bass, yellow perch, sunfish, hornpout, and an occasional carp or eel. Click here to see renderings of "The Lady", before and after.

Steam Barge - This wreck sank in the early 1900's near Weirs Beach. It can be found in about 45 feet of water due east of the black and white buoy off of Doe Point. It was a work barge designed for driving pilings into the mud. The wreck is intact. It sits upright and the crane and boiler are still attached. This is a cold dive (52 degrees F in the summer) so a hood and gloves are strongly recommended.

Empty Pockets" and The Diamond Island Dory - These 2 wrecks are located close to one another off the NW point of Diamond Island. "Empty Pockets" is a twin engine cabin cruiser about 28 feet long. It rests in about 54 feet of water. Registration suggests that it sank in the late 1970's. The hull is completely intact.

The Diamond Island Dory is located to the southeast of "Empty Pockets" about 40 yards towards the island. This 19 foot boat is in about 35 feet of water. There may still be a line running from the starboard side bow rail of "Empty Pockets" to the Dory.

Old Navy Underwater Laser Testing Site - Just south of "Empty Pockets" is the location of the Navy's old underwater laser testing site that dates back to the 1950's. SCRIPTS conducted testing to study laser transmission through water. A railcar that ran on a track, like a coal-mining railcar, was used to measure how fast the laser beams were traveling through water. The track is in about 25 feet of water with staging in deeper water.

Ship Island Wrecks - There are two wrecks located off the eastern side of Ship Island. The 1st wreck lies directly east of Ship Island on a rocky slope in 30 feet of water. It appears to be a 25 foot cruiser with a closed bow from the 1950's. The hull is visible along with a big block motor and shaft and batteries. The 2nd wreck lies north of the 1st wreck in 85 feet of water. It is about 18 feet long, a red hull with white decking and a steering wheel. There is no motor and no visible hardware. Both wrecks can be found on a single dive. Both wrecks lie on rocky bottoms surrounded by boulders and ledge.

To locate the shallower wreck, anchor off Ship Island in 15-20 feet of water directly facing Little Barndoor Island. Check the following compass headings from the surface.

150 degrees to eastern black marker buoy off Moose Island.
215 degrees to southern red marker buoy off Ship Island.
265 degrees to northern black marker buoy off Ship Island.

Swim down the slope to about 27 feet of water on a heading of 80-90 degrees. At depth, turn north and follow the slope no deeper than 30 feet until the wreck is found.

The deeper wreck is north of the 1st wreck. There may still be a line from the 1st wreck to the deeper wreck. There are 3 white marker bottles 3-4 feet off the bottom leading to the deeper wreck.

Horseboat Barge - This flat-bottomed vessel was one of the earliest on the lake. Typical of Yankee ingenuity, the barge was powered by two horses on a treadmill with a large stern sweep for steering. It was used primarily to deliver coal and other goods to the islands in the 1850's and 1860's. This type of barge eventually became obsolete with the invention of the steam engine. There are only two known examples of this type of boat left in the United States. This 60 foot long wreck lies near the western end of Bear Island, just south of the mail boat dock. The bow rests in 22 feet of water while the stern slopes down to almost 40 feet. The hull remains mostly intact but there is no evidence of any decking left. The bottom and sides are still in good condition. Some tools and pieces of coal can be found around the area of the barge. This area was also a dump site for a prominent hotel located on Bear Island, so many artifacts can be found here as well.

Parker Island - Interesting rock formations were formed when the glaciers pushed through the area creating very distinct cuts, tunnels, and striations. Quartz veins have been exposed. The rock ledge forms what appears to be a staircase made for a giant, which starts in about 15 feet of water and descends down to 60 feet.

Loon Cove - The wreck of the Echo Junior lies in about 45 feet of water on the south side of the red buoy in Alton Bay. The 28-foot hull is still intact. It burned to the waterline on its maiden voyage. The engine of the 1940's speedboat is a 12-cylinder Allison Aircraft engine.

Clark's Point - An excellent location for a shore dive. This site is accessible from McKinney Park. The dive starts off in a shallow, rocky area with some sandy patches, great for practicing skills. Move away from shore and there are enormous rock formations with the depth dropping to about 30 feet. Continue out to a depth of about 45 feet and the "wall" starts. The "wall" drops down to 90 feet with a maximum depth of 105 feet. There are some interesting wall contours, with a few resident eels. There is also a cavern at the bottom of the wall.

Goodhue and Hawkins Navy Yard - A lot of boat hulls, barges, and engines were sunk throughout the mooring fields during the many years of the yard. To the right of the anchored sailboats, there is a single engine steamship located in 39 feet of water. Next to the steamship is the hull of a small cruiser.

Rum Point - Located on the shores of West Alton, this site has tremendous rock and wall formations. There is an assortment of fish life. Join us in the hunt for the sunken logging truck that sank in 1965 towards Echo Shores or the missing shipment of illegal rum. This point was one of the popular launching sites during prohibition and a load was lost.

[GWC...]

Originally Posted by TimmyG

My very first dive after I got PADI certified in CT was the North Wall on Grand Caymen followed by the stingray cove dive. I have been very fortunate to dive all over the world as my work sends me all over.
I have only been diving a few times in the last 7 years (divorce can do that) but try to get into the water all the time. My last dive was Feb2007 in Hawaii (see Pic) and now that I have a boat I am really excited about the freedom to go where I want, when I want.
I look forward to seeing some of you in the water. My pics are too large to post. Any way to share?
TG

You really need to spend a few moments checking this website - there is a wealth of information at your finger tips...

Here's the thread:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ead.php?t=5481

[Senter Cove Guy]

I'd like to find me some geodes. In post #6, Winnipesaukee Divers said "...turning over the rocks to see which ones are neutral buoyant (Geodes)...". Does that mean they will almost float when moved? That would make finding one seem almost too easy although one could "move" a lot of rocks before finding one that is "neutrally buoyant".

I don't mind spending the time looking for the "right rock" but I'd like to have some confidence that the one (or more) that I bring up turns out to be a real geode when it's cracked open.

Besides being neutrally buoyant, are there any other distinguishing features?

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

Geodes are always sooth and rounded, like dinosaur eggs. You've heard me say it before; "the most productive part of the dive is the last 15 minutes". That’s because you know the dive is coming to the end and your senses are heighten. So, while I'm marking time exploring, I touch just about everything down there, especially rounded rocks, the ones that move easily are worth a closer look. You've heard me also say; "treasures are never just sitting there with a sign saying "Treasure Here", you have to search for them". I can't tell you how many times I dismissed something thinking it was either a rock or trash, then decide to have another look at it and have it become a real treasure.

This past summer I was diving over at Birch Island, I was cruising over a stretch of sandy bottom (there are never any treasures in sand because it moves and covers over them), I came on a small rounded stone buried in the sand. I slid my hand over it and kept on swimming out deeper to a more productive area. After a while I thought the texture was too smooth for a lake rock and returned back for another look at it. It turned out to be a rare clay bottle (a coveted treasure to find in the lake) that now sits proudly on the clay bottle shelf above my desk.

My wife Linda says we’re running out places to park all my treasures. I guess that means we need more shelves…

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

I'm sorry; I got caught up in the story of my latest find and then had to run out for a job and forgot where I was going with the reply... To answer your question, Geodes aren’t neutrally buoyant; they are "negatively" buoyant. It depends of the density of them and whether they have an air pocket in them. If you encounter a smooth rounded rock that looks like it came out of a river, push on it or turn it over, if it moves easily it worth investigating further. They come in all sizes and shapes from a baseball size to a garbage can size.

The most productive area for me is in the rock pile over at Ship Island, thirty to sixty feet deep. I figured all those fractured rocks must have come from the Ossipee caldera. I sure wouldn't want to have been around when it blew up, imagine it raining rocks... Geodes come from volcanic activity, it's an interesting story about how they are created, look it up sometime. My old dive buddy Don and I found a large one (the size of a wastebasket in the shape of an egg) in that area. We put it on a large flat rock that looked like a table, thinking we'd come back for it later. I've been back several times since then, but I can't find it or I get distracted with other finds. So, it there waiting for you, happy hunting.

[Soapmistress]

WoW.....hey thanks to everybody for an interesting read. I don't know how to dive or anything, but i do love history, so lots of interesting info about the lake

[scubajay1153]

Originally Posted by Soapmistress

WoW.....hey thanks to everybody for an interesting read. I don't know how to dive or anything, but i do love history, so lots of interesting info about the lake

We can fix that for you and have you diving with the bunch from here before the end of spring! You never know, you may just become as addicted to poke around under the water of the lakes, rivers and even the ocean!

[Soapmistress]

Originally Posted by scubajay1153

We can fix that for you and have you diving with the bunch from here before the end of spring! You never know, you may just become as addicted to poke around under the water of the lakes, rivers and even the ocean!

I do love to explore, and even though I'm in my late....cough....forties, I still dream of finding a hidden treasure. The kid in me still rules but for diving.....hmmmm, not so sure. I think I'll hang out on the boat, and hold down the hatch.

I don't water ski either....lol....but hey, I do like to fish

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

I once taught a woman in her 60's and her mother in her 90's to dive. They did real good until we went to Nubble Light for their open water dive. It was an all day affair just getting them in and back to the parking lot, I guess we should have picked an easier spot.

I'm in my mid 60's and still averaging 70 dives a year. Although, most of my dives aren’t what you would consider fun (mooring field hell), but I do occasionally get some exploring in.
It’s the adventure of a lifetime.

[scubajay1153]

The best thing maybe to just give it a try in the spring and see if you like it? You never know, you could just have a great time!

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Originally Posted by Soapmistress

I do love to explore, and even though I'm in my late....cough....forties, I still dream of finding a hidden treasure. The kid in me still rules but for diving.....hmmmm, not so sure. I think I'll hang out on the boat, and hold down the hatch.

I don't water ski either....lol....but hey, I do like to fish

You can do a lot of exploring with a swim mask and fins. I know because that's what I do!

[scubajay1153]

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Gal

You can do a lot of exploring with a swim mask and fins. I know because that's what I do!

Very true! But the tank of air helps to see the deeper things for longer Either way its good fun and good exercise!