Michigan

Charlevoix County

Divers will travel far and wide to find the best diving. But those who live in the United States have plenty of great diving on their doorstep as well, with plentiful access to the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. From warm-water reefs to temperate seas, here are some of the top places to scuba dive in the United States.

United States



talk to life guard it is ok to dive off the left side of beach out side of swim area. Not a lot to see but a few fish and lots of sand. recommend  using a 5 mill or more wet suit its cold.

Charlevoix

Depot beach

Finding the site can be a little tricky.  Use the map as a rough guide to find the spot on the lake.  Once there, traverse the bay in a zig-zag pattern until you see a white uderwater bouy (Tropicana OJ Jug that I put there in 2005).  Drop anchor to the North a safe distance away as to not interfere with the car bodies or any of the marine life that live there.

The site consists of two car bodies that were dragged out on the Ice and sunk with the spring thaw sometime in the 50s.  The car that the bouy is tied to is an upside-down 1951 Studabaker Land Cruiser. The other car (located 10 feet away to the SouthEast) is an upside-down 1940s Pickup.

Lots of marine life calls this site home.  Mostly Rockbass and Smallmouth Bass.

Since there is no public access close to the dive site, the best way to get there is to launch a boat in either Elk Rapids or Kewadin.

Car Bodies

Sandusky Wreck Lost is storm in September 1856
110 x 25 x 11 feet,  225 ton,  grain cargo
Wooden shooner
Propeller
carved bow spree

Built in 1848 in Sandusky OH, the brig Sandusky is the oldest know shipwreck in the Preserve frequented by divers. She was bound from Chicago to Buffalo with a load of grain When she sank September 20, 1856. A violent gale sprang up on the northern end of Lake Michigan, catching the Sandusky in the Straits. The side-wheeler Queen City attempted to rescue three of the crew that still clanged to her masts that stuck out of the water. The Queen City was unsuccessful and the entire seven crew members were lost.

The Sandusky sits upright and intact in 85' of water, five miles west of the bridge, in Lake Michigan. The mooring is about 20' off the Sandusky's port stern. There are a number of interesting artifacts on and around the wreck, to include a scroll figurehead. We ask that divers not touch or disrupt any of the artifacts, as the Sandusky is showing signs of wear and damage.

he Sandusky is, perhaps, the best known and most visited dive site in the Straits of Mackinac. She is in relatively shallow water and is a well-preserved example of early Great Lakes sailing vessels. Upright on the bottom, her bowsprit still points upward and a ram's head figurehead crowns the bow. Figureheads are not typical on Great Lakes ships and this one is a replica. The original was removed for preservation after an attempted theft some years ago. While much of her hardware has illegally disappeared over the years, her rudder, tiller, capstan, working bilge pump, masts and rigging are still on site.


The wreck is buoyed during the diving season by the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve.  Dive Charters are available out of St, Ignace

Sandusky Wreck is also known as Sandusky.

Sandusky Wreck

200 foot long former car ferry scuttled as a dive site.



Straits of Mackinaw

Various Marine Life, Old Schooner at 40' depth, Grassy area offers great exploring and includes great marine life viewing along rock jetty. Specific Directions/Briefing can be obtained at Scuba North (231-947-2520)

Located at Elmwood Park in West Grand Traverse Bay, M22 north from M72 intersection. North of Old Coal Dock and South of Harbor West. Go west from Traverse City on M-22 (towards the Leelenau Penisula). Enter Elmwood Township park. Enter from the shore at the north end of the beach by the jetty. Swim along the jetty until the bottom drops off to 25'-30'. Swim south following the contour of the drop off (about 250'). You should run into the wreck.

Elmwood Wreck

Built in 1873 in Detroit MI, the wood steamer, William H. Barnum, plied the Great Lakes for more than 20 years before reaching her demise. She was under the command of the 29 year old Capt. William Smith, on his first voyage as master of the Barnum when she sank. The Barnum left Chicago harbor on April fools day 1894 loaded with corn for Port Huron. The Barnum left Chicago harbor along with 18 others ships, including the steamer Minneapolis, which sank the day before the Barnum. The heavy weather and grinding ice in the Straits proved to be to much for the Barnum and she started taking on water. The tug Crusader came to her rescue and tried to pull her into shallow water, but her efforts were also halted by the ice. The Crusader took the crew of the Barnum and they watched her vanish beneath the ice and waves on the morning of April 3, 1894. No lives were lost.

The William Barnum now lies upright and mostly intact in 74' of water five and a half miles east of the bridge in Lake Huron. She is moored on top of her single cylinder engine. Most of the decks have fall in, but are still intact in at the bow, offering penetration opportunities. The boilers are also an impressive site. The stern transom has broken up, as a result of her rudder being removed in 1969, before the laws of the Preserve protected her. Her propeller is still visible to the observant diver. The rudder can be seen in St. Igance between the ACE hardware and the city marina.



William Barnum is also known as William H Barnum.

William Barnum

The Cedarville was built in 1927 in River Rouge MI. She was 588' with a triple expansion steam engine.

On May 7, 1965, the Cedarville departed Calcite MI, near Rogers City, enroute to Gary, IN with 14,411 tons of limestone and a crew of 35. As they neared the Straits of Mackinac, a dense fog thickened. Due to a lack of communication, the Norwegian vessel Topdalsfjord collided with the Cedarville on her port side cutting a deep gash in her side between the seventh and eight hatch.

The Cedarville unsuccessfully tried to make it to Mackinaw City. At 10:25 am the Cedarville suddenly rolled over to starboard and sank in 105 feet of water about 3.5 Miles SE of the Mackinac Bridge. Twenty seven of the 35 men were rescued. All but one body was recovered.

The Cedarville is a favorite of divers in the Straits of Mackinac. She is usually moored at the bow (SE) and stern (NW), and occasionally at the gash. She is intact and lies on her starboard side, about 45 degrees from beige upside down. Her massive size and upside down orientation makes for an interesting, but sometimes confusing dive. The cabins are visible along with lots of deck equipment and the fatal gash. Caution is warranted given her size, depth, upside down orientation and variable visibility.

Present Condition
The Cedarville is in very good condition. While much of her ship stores and gear have been removed, she still has much to explore. Her cargo holds are very large, the pilothouse is easily accessible, the forward and stern crew quarters are intact, and her engine room is accessible. No penetration should be attempted without proper training. Hazards are present on the ship including open doors and hatchways, entangling line, confined spaces and heavy interior silt.

The wreck is buoyed during the diving season by the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve.  Moorings are available at the bow, crack (near midship) and the stern of the wreck.  Charters are available to the wreck out of St. Ignace

Cedarville Wreck

Schooner Barge
148' long
Lost 1891
Built 1863 Marine City Michigan
Has a great Ships Wheel
Sits uprite Bow damage from collision but the rest is intact.
Penitration is possible.

The site is buoyed each year by Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve. 

William Young

The Eber Ward was built 1888 in W. Bay City, MI. She was a 213' long wood steamer. She was named after the Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse keeper. Ironically, Bois Blanc Island is only a few miles from where the Ward sank.

On April 20, 1909 the Ward was enroute to Port Huron, from Chicago, with 55,000 bushels of corn. It was her maiden voyage of the year. There was still ice in the Straits and the Ward's bow was gated by ice and sank within ten minutes, caring five crew to their death. It was nine in the mooring of a bright fair weather day.

The Eber ward lays about 5 miles West of the bridge in 140' of water and sitting upright and intact. She is usually moored at the bow (South) and Stern/engine (North). The bow is in 125' of water and the deck is at 100'. The bow is in 135' with the deck at 110'. Given these depths, she is an advanced dive and careful dive planning is warranted. There is a lot of equipment on her deck, anchors on her bow with a interesting mushroom anchor on the port bow. The engine is visible from the deck. Her smoke stack is off the starboard side and a life boat is off her starboard stern There are penetration opportunities for those that are trained to do so.

Present Condition
Her upper works are gone but the hull remains upright, very well preserved and remarkably intact. Among other features, she has a unique mushroom anchor, two decks, a round stern, engine, boiler, early mechanical unloading equipment, and hand trucks stored in her bow top deck. Her smokestack lies on the starboard bottom and a lifeboat rests off her starboard stern. Topside a porcelain toilet and bathtub sit on the deck.

The wreck is buoyed during the diving season by the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve.

Ebar Ward

The three brothers is a great wreck for beginners because it offers a range of depths to choose from. Due to the fact that the wreck had been covered by sand for most of the time after her sinking she remains intact. The wreck however is on the verge of exploding due to the large amounts of sand still inside her. Independent ship wreck preservationists have offered to remove the sand free of charge but the DNR refused. The wreck sits upright and is broken up in the shallows. When it was rediscovered in 1996 the name was still visible on the back. Today however zebra muscles have taken over. The wreck is completely covered in Zebra muscles so gloves are a must. The site is usually marked. To get to the island a boat is required or a ferry service can be used but once their this dive can easily be a shore dive. If you have questions ask the rangers. The ranger station can be located about a hundred yards west of the wreck. The island offers many other interesting activities as well. 

The three brothers had been covered for over 20 years Then, in the winter of 95'/96', Lake Michigan decided to uncover her. When David Nagel and David Wilkins of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore returned to opn the park on April 30th, 1996, they discovered the Three Brothers lying under water where Sandy Point had previously been. Today, she can be seen from the surface and is usually buoyed. Her LON/LAT is 45.00'62" / 86.05'49".

The wreck can be accessed from shore or by boat and can be snorkeled of dove on. 

Three Brothers



Higgins lake, Michigan. ~190 miles North-North West of Ann Arbor. Dive site is located on the north west shore, at the boat launch.

Depot beach

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Depot beach