Being able to go and dive when you want, where you want gives you a great sense of freedom. There’s no reason to let your gear sit and wait until your next getaway dive vacation, there’s probably plenty of exciting dive destinations just down the road from where you live.

Shore diving on Beaver Island

So you’re a newer diver and you just returned from your get away dive vacation and you’ve got the “diving jones”. What’s next? First, locate other divers in your area. They will be able to introduce you to the local dive sites or at the very least, point you in the right direction. As a newer diver it is always a good idea to dive a new location with someone who has been there before. The best way to find the nearest dive club is to do an internet search. You may be surprised how many dive clubs there are in your area.
Here in the state of Michigan we are blessed with many inland lakes, not to mention our great lakes. Divers here have many options from shore diving local lakes to chartering a boat on the big lakes. We even have some river diving which allows divers the opportunity to swim with thousands of rushing salmon and steelhead during the fall run. The diving opportunities are out there, go get ‘em.

Tarp for gearing up

Before you head out there are some things to consider. Where will you be diving? How will you access the water? If you are shore diving you may be able to pull right up to the water’s edge but most often you will need to trek your gear over certain distances or challenging terrain. Don’t worry though, there’s an app for that.
One piece of equipment that will make you trips more enjoyable is a simple tarp. Place it on the ground where you wish to gear up and it will keep your equipment free of dirt and sand. These tarps are very inexpensive and can be found at most retail stores.

My favorite piece of equipment that allows me to get my gear to hard to reach dive sites is what I affectionately call my “Scuba-Sherpa”. This rolling cart is tuff and rugged and rather inexpensive. You can fit all your gear in it and it rolls over most terrain.

My Scuba Sherpa

To find lake access check out your state’s department of natural resources website. The following link is to the Michigan DNRE website. http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-30301_31431_32340—,00.html
If a lake has public access you can get information about the lake including how to access it, topography maps, boat launches, underwater structures, fish species, etc.

Do you have a place in mind that you want to dive? Just down the road or in the next county? Contact your local dive club, find a buddy and go explore. There are so many reasons why you should dive locally; it will make you a better diver, you’ll meet some great people, and it will help you satisfy that “diving jones” until that next getaway dive adventure. “To the next dive, CHEERS!”
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Biography: Patrick Huver is a certified Master Diver and Dive Control Specialist. He is also a certified Adaptive Diving Assistant for disabled divers. Patrick been diving for over seven years and has logged his share of dives and road miles as well as frequent flyer miles.
“I’ve always enjoyed traveling. You could say I was born with a “traveling jones”. At the tender age of three I set out alone from my Kalamazoo suburb home on my tricycle. I can’t remember where I was headed but eventually I was found heading down Interstate I-94 on my trike. All my life I was always interested on what was over the horizon or around the next bend. My curiosity grew even stronger as I would pass by a body of water, often wondering what was below the surface. It was inevitable that I would take up the sport of Scuba Diving.