Local Diving
Explore the underwater world at home in Ontario.
Local diving is REALLY COOL!
Scuba diving in Ontario offers a unique and exciting experience due to the presence of numerous well-preserved shipwrecks and diverse underwater ecosystems. Here's some information about scuba diving in the Great Lakes:
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Shipwrecks: The Great Lakes are known for their large number of shipwrecks, making them a paradise for wreck diving enthusiasts. These wrecks range from wooden schooners to steel freighters and steamers. Many of the wrecks are well-preserved due to the cold, freshwater environment, offering fascinating opportunities for exploration and historical discovery.
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Tobermory, Ontario: Tobermory, located at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula in Lake Huron, is often regarded as the shipwreck diving capital of Canada. The Fathom Five National Marine Park in Tobermory is home to over 20 shipwrecks, some of which are accessible to recreational divers. The wrecks, including the Sweepstakes and the Arabia, provide captivating diving experiences and attract divers from around the world.
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Dive Conditions: The Great Lakes present unique diving conditions compared to tropical or saltwater destinations. Water temperatures can range from cold to cool, with averages varying throughout the year. Divers should wear appropriate exposure protection, including drysuits or thick wetsuits, to maintain warmth. Visibility can be excellent, particularly in the spring and early summer, but it may vary depending on weather conditions, currents, and locations.
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Marine Life: While the Great Lakes may not have the same abundance of marine life as saltwater environments, they still host a variety of fish species and other organisms. Divers can encounter trout, salmon, bass, pike, walleye, and various smaller fish. Additionally, the wrecks often serve as artificial reefs, attracting algae, mussels, and other invertebrates.
Exploring the shipwrecks and underwater landscapes of the Great Lakes can be a rewarding and memorable experience for divers. However, it's important to prioritize safety and responsible diving practices to ensure an enjoyable adventure.
The local charters are also more of a taxi service to get you to the wrecks and dive sites, nothing more. There is normally no divemaster on board or in the water with you. This is where we come in.
Aquasub run charters include:
- A PADI certified Pro to brief you and help in any way we can throughout the day.
- Oppourtunities to complete training dives on most of our charters
- We will match you with an appropriate dive buddy if you didn't bring your own
If you have never been diving locally you can sign up for a Discover Local Scuba Diving course. This program will have a PADI pro with you for your first 2 dives on the boat and in the water. They'll help you get sorted with the equipment, buoyancy and show you around the dive sites.
Our dive trip weekends are for the charter trip fees only, with Tobermory being the only exception. You will need to make arrangements for accommodations (we have lodge and tent spaces for Tobermory but most other trips do not have group accommodation), transportation and equipment. We have rentals available and on some trips we have have group accommodations available too.
Join us in Tobermory!
The shipwreck capital of Canada, Tobermory is home to a great many wrecks at depths suitable for divers from new to experienced. We have charters running every month with convenient accommodations at the Trail's End Lodge as well. With two different charter boats going out each day, you can pick your preference of the deeper wrecks or the shallow wrecks and we provide a fantastic dinner on Saturday evening for everyone!
Join us in Southern Georgian Bay (Penetanghuishene)
Monthly day trips on the Georgian Explorer are one of the most popular charters trips we offer. These trips feature a 3 dive day on the shallow wrecks near Christian and Hope Islands like the Marquette, Michigan and Maple Dawn (The 3M's!) These charters include a hot lunch, hot and cold drinks all day and a light breakfast of fruit. Perfect for every diver!
Join us in Shanty Bay
Shanty Bay is a great local beach entry that features a half dozen sunken boats as well as a menagerie of other items located through a detailed navigation line. Shanty Bay has a simple, beach entry with a slow, gradual decent that can reach beyond 100 feet. It is the perfect spot for practice and training dives for submariners of all skill levels!
Join us in Humber Bay
We have frequent evening trips organized out of Humber Bay Park West aboard the River Diver charter. These two-tank charters visit two shipwrecks - The Lymon Davis and The Sligo and depart the dock at 6:30 PM on scheduled evenings. They make a great, inexpensive interruption to your work week. These dives are great for fun dives and for training dives and seating is limited so grab a spot while you can.
Equipment requirements for all Local Diving trips with Aquasub...
Diving in Ontario requires the following:
- 7mm wetsuit or a dry suit
- hood, gloves, boots
- mask and fins
- BCD
- Cold water regulator
- a dive computer
- weights
- an appropriate number of scuba tanks
If you need to rent gear for your dive trip you have two options.
- You can stop by the shop and pickup everything you need
- You can order online and we can deliver it to the dive charter for you for an additional fee
Check out our ACTION PACKED local dive schedule below!