United States Dive Sites — Page 34

Continued from the United States dive sites guide, which covers regions, seasonality, and planning details.

Sand Hollow Reservoir

Utah · 3–18.3 m

A warm, red-sandstone-rimmed reservoir in Sand Hollow State Park near Hurricane, completed in 2002 and now southern Utah's most popular training and recreation dive. A designated scuba area holds purpose-sunk attractions including a twin-engine Cessna 320, a 26-foot Reinell boat, a VW-style bus, toilets, a practice bomb and a buoyancy course, lying at roughly 35-60 feet. Summer water reaches 75-80 F with 15-20 ft visibility, and the reservoir is dived year-round.

Shore + boat

Sandusky Wreck (Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve)

Michigan · 21.3–25.6 m

The Sandusky is an 1848 two-masted brig, the oldest known dived shipwreck in the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve, lost with all hands in a September 1856 gale while carrying grain from Chicago to Buffalo. Her hull sits intact in about 85 ft of Lake Michigan five miles west of the Mackinac Bridge, slightly heeled to port, with deck depths around 70 ft. A replica scroll figurehead adorns the bow below the intact jib-boom, and the windlass, bilge pumps and centerboard winch remain in place; a seasonal mooring buoy marks the site.

IntermediateBoat entry

Sandy Channel State Recreation Area

Nebraska · —

A 134-acre cluster of sand-and-gravel borrow pits beside the Platte River near Elm Creek, considered one of the clearer dive spots in Nebraska. The first pit holds sunken boats, small planes, sculptures and training platforms placed for dive classes, and all of the lakes are open to divers. Bottoms are sandy/muddy and silt easily, so good buoyancy is important.

Shore entry

Sandy Hook - ANASTASIA

New Jersey · 9.8–18 m

Artificial reef built from "Anastasia" (historic discovery) VESSEL NJDEP deployment record: Ship, material: "Anastasia" (historic discovery) VESSEL.

Boat entry

Sandy Hook - Coleman Barge II

New Jersey · 9.8–14 m

Artificial reef built from 45' Deck Barge - "Coleman Barge I" NJDEP deployment record: Ship, material: 45' Deck Barge - "Coleman Barge I", deployed 1989.

Boat entry

Sandy Hook - Darren Cardinal Wreck

New Jersey · 9.8–17.1 m

Artificial reef built from 65' Tug Boat VINIK HUNTRESS NJDEP deployment record: Ship, material: 65' Tug Boat VINIK HUNTRESS, deployed 2020.

Boat entry

Sandy Hook - MACEDONIA boiler

New Jersey · 9.8–18 m

Artificial reef built from Large Boiler from the "Macedonia" (historic discovery) NJDEP deployment record: Steel, material: Large Boiler from the "Macedonia" (historic discovery).

Boat entry

Sandy Hook - Ponoco Barge

New Jersey · 9.8–14.9 m

Artificial reef built from Ponoco Barge (historic vessel) NJDEP deployment record: Ship, material: Ponoco Barge (historic vessel).

Boat entry

Sandy Hook - V.L. KEEGAN

New Jersey · 9.8–17.1 m

Artificial reef built from 110' Tanker - "V.L. Keegan" (dismantled) NJDEP deployment record: Ship, material: 110' Tanker - "V.L. Keegan" (dismantled), deployed 1989.

Boat entry

Santa Monica Bay Center

California · 12.8–21.9 m

Artificial reef built from Quarry Rock

IntermediateBoat entry

Santa Monica Center

California · Up to 18.3 m

Artificial reef built from Quarry Rock, Concrete Shelter, Car Bodies, Streetcar

IntermediateBoat entry

Schildberg (Atlantic) Quarry

Iowa · 3–30.5 m

A flooded limestone pit quarry owned by Schildberg Construction on the north edge of Atlantic, long used by Omaha- and Des Moines-area dive shops, clubs and public-safety teams for training. Average visibility runs 10-15 ft and drops sharply after storms; above roughly 60 ft the water is clear, while deeper water is about 41F, low-oxygen and sulfurous. Access has been intermittent - diving historically required written permission and liability waivers from Schildberg, and trespassing signage has been reported at the gate in some years, so confirm access before traveling.

IntermediateShore entry

Scorpion Anchorage (Santa Cruz Island)

California · 6.1–19.8 m

The main landing and most-dived area on eastern Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park, with rebounding giant kelp forest wrapping from the anchorage around Cavern Point. Popular spots include Scorpion's Rock (20-50 ft of kelp, gorgonians and invertebrates) and the wreck of the Spirit of America sitting upright on sand at about 65 ft outside the anchorage. The area is inside the no-take Scorpion State Marine Reserve.

Boat entry

Scripps Canyon

California · 21.3–30.5 m

A narrow, sheer-walled branch of the La Jolla canyon system near the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, with vertical rock walls plunging toward roughly 1,600-foot depths. A popular site for scientific and recreational diving thanks to the high density of marine life on its walls, usually dived by boat. Coordinates estimated at the canyon head offshore of Scripps Pier.

AdvancedShore + boat

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

Sculpin Ledge Channel

Massachusetts · Up to 7 m

A dive site in United States. The site reaches a maximum depth of about 7 m. The site is reached by boat.

Boat entry

Sea Emperor

Florida · Up to 19.8 m

Artificial reef built from 171' Hopper Barge, the "Sea Emperor"

IntermediateBoat entry

Sea Fan Grotto (White Rocks, Catalina Island)

California · 3–18.3 m

A classic Catalina boat dive just east of Blue Cavern Point where massive rock slabs form a wide-mouthed cavern in about 25 ft of water, famous for 'hanging gardens' of golden gorgonian sea fans on its ceiling and walls. The cavern extends roughly 20 ft back with a chimney exit rising to 10 ft, and natural light is always visible; kelp reef outside slopes deeper for a longer dive. Lies along the Blue Cavern Onshore SMCA shoreline, so take is prohibited.

Boat entry

Sea Girt - 40' Mainship boat mold

New Jersey · 17.4–21.9 m

Artificial reef built from 40' Mainship boat mold (hull) NJDEP deployment record: Ship, material: 40' Mainship boat mold (hull), deployed 1987.

IntermediateBoat entry

Sea Girt - 80' Barge - Car float

New Jersey · 17.4–21 m

Artificial reef built from 80' Barge - Car float NJDEP deployment record: Ship, material: 80' Barge - Car float, deployed 1989.

IntermediateBoat entry

Sea Girt - A Frame

New Jersey · 17.4–21 m

Artificial reef built from 140' Barge - "A" Frame NJDEP deployment record: Ship, material: 140' Barge - "A" Frame, deployed 1989.

IntermediateBoat entry

Sea Girt - Capt. Etzel

New Jersey · 17.4–21 m

Artificial reef built from 110' Navy Deck Barge - (YC-1504) Open Lighter (renamed "Capt. Etzel") NJDEP deployment record: Ship, material: 110' Navy Deck Barge - (YC-1504) Open Lighter (renamed "Capt. Etzel"), deployed 1994.

IntermediateBoat entry

Sea Girt - Capt. Victor Medina's Reef

New Jersey · 17.4–18.9 m

Artificial reef built from M-48 Patton Medium Tank NJDEP deployment record: Military vehicle, material: M-48 Patton Medium Tank, deployed 1994.

IntermediateBoat entry

Sea Girt - Car Float 52

New Jersey · 17.4–18.9 m

Artificial reef built from 270' Barge - "Car Float 52" NJDEP deployment record: Ship, material: 270' Barge - "Car Float #52", deployed 1988.

IntermediateBoat entry