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Map of Pretoria Wreck
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IntermediateBoat entry

Pretoria Wreck

Wisconsin, United States
Open Water suggestedVery remote12–16 m (39–52 ft) depthBoat entry

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

Pretoria Wreck at a glance

Pretoria Wreck is an intermediate boat dive site in Wisconsin, United States with depths of 12–16 m (39–52 ft). Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Burbot and Lake trout. Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Next window today· 8:00–18:00 · favorable & moderate · sunset 17:54

Wind forecast for this hour · 3:00 · run 15 h ago
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Tap a factor for its source and model point

Site hazards: Very remote · Very cold Lake Superior water · Rapidly changing weather and long boat ride

All 4 hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Mon8:00–10:00 favorable, 10:00–11:00 moderate, 11:00–18:00 favorable

12 kn wind (12 kn wind)

Tue15:00–18:00 moderate

19 kn wind (19 kn wind)

Wed8:00–10:00 moderate, 12:00–14:00 moderate, 14:00–16:00 favorable, 16:00–18:00 moderate

12 kn wind (12 kn wind)

Thu8:00–11:00 moderate, 11:00–13:00 favorable, 13:00–14:00 moderate, 15:00–18:00 moderate

16 kn wind (16 kn wind)

Fri8:00–18:00 favorable

8 kn wind (8 kn wind)

Sat8:00–18:00 favorable

8 kn wind (8 kn wind)

SunNot in the forecast yet

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

Every forecast dive window each day, site-local time, from wind forecasts. Numbers under each bar are daylight averages.

First light 7:04 · Sunrise 7:36 · Sunset 17:54 · some windows run past sunset

Source: Open-Meteo wind · updated 25 Oct, 12:24 GMT-5

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Compare this weekend’s windows near Pretoria Wreck

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Loading tide predictions

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

Dived here today — did the forecast match?

What Divers Say

Best time: July-September in stable, calm weather when the buoy is in place.

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

  1. January, 18% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 19 knots
  2. February, 15% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 19 knots
  3. March, 20% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 19 knots
  4. April, 22% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 19 knots
  5. May, 34% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 16 knots
  6. June, 46% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 15 knots
  7. July, 66% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 13 knots, historically most favorable
  8. August, 51% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 14 knots
  9. September, 40% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 15 knots
  10. October, 20% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 18 knots
  11. November, 16% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 20 knots
  12. December, 15% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 20 knots

July has typically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life seen at this site

Species noted at this site — not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

Rough labels: “Commonly seen” usually means two or more recorded sightings near this site in public dive logs (GBIF), “Occasionally seen” one; “Seasonal” and “Rarely seen” come from dive-guide research. Not a measured rate.

Fills & rentals nearby

No dive shops mapped within 25 km (16 mi). Know one? Add it to the map.

Data updated June 2026

Site details

The 338-foot Pretoria, the largest wooden schooner-barge ever built on the Great Lakes, foundered off Outer Island in a 1905 storm with the loss of five crew. Her broken hull — large sections of sides, deck and bottom — lies on sandstone bedrock in a maximum of 54 feet of water amid a debris field that extends for miles. A WHS seasonal mooring buoy marks the main wreckage, making this remote Apostle Islands site a worthwhile intermediate dive when Lake Superior cooperates.

boatwreck

Very remote — Outer Island is the farthest of the Apostle Islands

Very cold Lake Superior water

Rapidly changing weather and long boat ride

Large debris field easy to lose orientation on

Reviews

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