Scuba Diving in Nevada, United States

8 mapped sites

Destination guide

Scuba diving in Nevada, United States

Nevada, United States has 8 public dive sites on PickADive. Use the list below to compare mapped sites by depth, access, difficulty, ratings, and reviews before opening a site page.

Open map view Check condition context

Public sites: 8; Indexed destination pages
Reviews: 0; Catalog review count
Rating: Building; Reviews are still growing
Common access: Boat; 4 dive sites

Seasonal patterns

Best months, historically in Nevada, United States

Typical conditions by month across dive sites in Nevada, United States— historical patterns, not a forecast.

Jan88%
Feb81%
Mar70%
Apr76%
May80%
Jun77%
Jul83%
Aug83%
Sep86%
Oct85%
Nov92%
Dec97%

From 8 sites’ typical conditions · historical typicals, not a forecast

Best dive sites in Nevada, United States

Showing 1–8 of 8

Scuba Beach (North Boulder Beach, Lake Mead)

Nevada · —

Scuba Beach is the National Park Service's designated diver area at the north end of Boulder Beach on Lake Mead, a gently sloping freshwater shore dive near Boulder City, Nevada. Lake Mead is often cited as one of the top freshwater dive destinations in the US, with winter visibility reaching 20-50 ft. The lake's historic water-level decline (over 150 ft below full pool) has pushed the shoreline far from the original parking area and continually changes depths and entry conditions, so check current lake elevation before diving. Quagga mussels are present - clean, drain, and dry all gear before using it in another body of water.

Shore entry

B-29 Superfortress (Lake Mead, Overton Arm)

Nevada · 29–38 m

On 21 July 1948 a U.S. Air Force B-29 Superfortress on a classified atmospheric-research flight skipped off the surface of Lake Mead and sank largely intact in the Overton Arm. The aircraft now rests in roughly 95-125 feet of fresh water (varying with lake level) and is one of the most famous inland wreck dives in the United States. The National Park Service protects the site: it may be dived only on guided, no-touch trips with the permitted operator, two divers per guide, with technical decompression certification required.

ExpertBoat entry

Cave Rock

Nevada · 3–12 m

Cave Rock is an easy, beginner-friendly shore dive on Lake Tahoe's east shore in Nevada, entered from a sandy beach beside the Cave Rock boat launch (Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park). Sandy shallows give way to rocky patches that attract trout and other fish in warmer months, then slope very gradually westward - it's a long swim to get past 10-15 ft, which keeps beginners out of trouble. At ~6,225 ft elevation this is true altitude diving, and Nevada law requires a dive flag. The area is open year-round with heated restrooms.

Shore entry

Wreck Alley - Sentinel Island (Lake Mead)

Nevada · 6.1–91.4 m

A diver-created wreck park on the northeast side of Sentinel Island in Boulder Basin, where the local technical diving community has gathered roughly a dozen sunken boats found around Lake Mead. Several wrecks are linked by permanent high-visibility cave line starting near 140 ft and descending past 300 ft, including the Southern Cross (penetrable) and smaller speed and ski boats. The shallower wall above the wrecks makes a good recreational dive, while the wreck line itself is technical territory.

AdvancedBoat entry

Zephyr Cove (Lake Tahoe)

Nevada · 3–12.2 m

A sheltered sandy cove on the Nevada (east) shore of Lake Tahoe, regularly cited as one of the most beginner-friendly shore dives on the lake and home to Tahoe Dive Center, the lake's resident dive shop. Shallow sandy bottoms grade into boulder fields with the exceptional clarity Tahoe is known for. As a high-altitude site at about 6,225 ft, dives require altitude procedures, and the water stays cold year-round.

Shore entry

PBY Catalina Wreck (Lake Mead)

Nevada · 45.7–48.8 m

The wreck of a PBY Catalina flying boat that flipped and broke in two while attempting a water landing on Boulder Basin in 1949 with its landing gear down. The airframe rests in roughly 150-160 ft of water and is dived only by technical divers on guided charters; it is one of Lake Mead's protected submerged cultural resources alongside the better-known B-29. Exact coordinates are not published to protect the site.

ExpertBoat entry

Sand Harbor (Diver's Cove)

Nevada · 3–27.4 m

Diver's Cove at Sand Harbor, in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, is the lake's most popular dive site: a sheltered, buoy-marked cove averaging about 30 ft deep with giant granite boulders and pass-throughs, a PVC buoyancy obstacle course, a small sunken barge, a Project Baseline monitoring station and other man-made oddities. Beyond the swim buoys a sandy hill slopes quickly into deeper water with large sunken trees and rocky outcrops (a sunken motorcycle lies off nearby Sand Point in about 90 ft). The gently sloping beach makes entries easy, but at ~6,225 ft elevation this is altitude diving, and Nevada requires a dive flag. Arrive before the 8 a.m. opening in summer - parking fills fast.

IntermediateShore entry

Hoover Dam Aggregate Plant (Lake Mead)

Nevada · 21.3–30.5 m

The submerged remains of the aggregate washing and classification plant that processed more than 6.5 million tons of sand and gravel for Hoover Dam's concrete, flooded when Lake Mead filled. The site spreads over roughly 8 acres of Boulder Basin and includes train tracks, a track hopper, tunnels, underground rooms and massive sorted aggregate piles. Local operators dive it as two separate sites (the Track Hopper and the Aggregate Piles) at about 70-100 ft, normally by boat charter; winter visibility can exceed 100 ft.

AdvancedBoat entry

Plan a dive in Nevada, United States

Compare nearby sites

Nevada has 8 public dive sites in the PickADive catalog. Start with the map when coastline, nearby alternatives, and travel distance matter.

Explore sites on the map

Match depth and difficulty

Current public data shows 2 advanced and 2 expert dive sites. Listed depths range from about 3m to 91m where available. Boat is the most common listed access type. Use those signals as a starting point, then confirm the plan against training, equipment, and current local guidance.

Check conditions close to the dive

PickADive can help with research and comparison, but it does not certify that a dive is safe today. Weather, current, visibility, entry, boat traffic, and local rules can change quickly.

How condition context works

Common questions about diving in Nevada, United States

What are the best dive sites in Nevada, United States?

Use the ranked list on this page to compare 8 public dive sites in Nevada. PickADive highlights ratings, reviews, depth, access type, difficulty, and mapped location so you can move from destination research to a specific site page.

Is Nevada beginner-friendly for scuba diving?

PickADive does not yet have enough beginner-labeled public site data to summarize Nevada confidently. Review difficulty, access, depth, and recent notes on each site page before deciding.

Are there advanced dives in Nevada?

Yes. PickADive currently marks 4 dive sites in Nevada as advanced or expert level. These dives deserve extra attention to depth, access, current, visibility, and local guidance.

What depths can I expect in Nevada?

Listed PickADive depth data for Nevada ranges from about 3m to 91m. Use that as a research starting point, then verify current conditions and site-specific guidance.

Can I see Nevada dive sites on a map?

Yes. Use the map link on this page to compare Nevada dive sites by location, coastline, nearby alternatives, and individual site details.