Lake Mead Dive Sites
Click on a site for more info
- The Aggregate Plant - The Dam Crack. - WWII Higgins Craft - B-29 - River Drift - PBY - The Intake -
Lake mead water temps, visibility, and water levels vary throughout the winter and summer months.
Summer months-
​
In the summer the bottom temps are in the 60s. The surface can get to the 80s.
The visibility in the summer is lower but still better than most lakes. The water level in the summer drops on average 10'.
​
Winter months-
​
In the winter time the bottom temps get to the 50s and the surface also 50s. The visibility in the winter is amazing and gets passed 100'. The water level in the winter gets on average 10' deeper.
The Hoover Dam Aggregate Classification Plant
The Hoover Dam aggregate plant was left behind by the Dam workers after the the dam was complete and Lake Mead was created. This site is one of our favorite dive sites in Lake mead. Spread out over 8 acres, it is filled with train tracks, tunnels, Underground rooms, random structures, and massive aggregate piles that are the actual materials that created the dam itself!
​
We have created 2 different sites out of the Aggegate plant. So we can give you best possible experience out of your bottom time.
​
1st site = The Track Hopper
Depth ranges from 85 to 100'
​
The track hopper was used to run belly dump train cars over it filled with raw aggregate brought by train from the Arizona side of the Colorado River, The aggregate was then gravity feed into square wholes under the tracks that lead to an under ground room. The underground room is connected to a 100 foot tunnel that had a conveyor belt in it that brought the raw aggregate to the crusher. The Track hopper structure is still mostly intact. What you will see is, the train tracks, the track Suport beams, the v shaped concrete structure, the squares that lead to the under ground room, the maintenance shaft, and if there is time you will see some of the buckets left behind that were used by a massive Craine to move aggregate.
​
2nd site = Aggregate piles
​
The aggregate was separated into 4 different piles by the size of the rock. The Agg piles site is were you will see the massive aggregate piles, the foundation of the massive sand classifier, and the underground water tank room. At the end of the dive there is one of the tunnel entrances, were we can take a picture or video with the hard hat wearing skeleton worker. For more experienced divers we can arrange for you to be guided into the tunnel to see one of the shaft wheels that let the aggregate fall through onto the conveyer belts and carried out to the train cars.
​
​
The Hoover Dam drift dive tour
​
​
Site = The River Drift
Depth ranges from 20 to 50'
​
We created this dive for divers that come with non divers to have something fun to do at the same time! Non divers can come along and enjoy the boat ride through the canyon, the hot springs hike, and kayak to the dam.
​
The Hoover Dam kayak and drift dive starts by launching the boat out of willow beach. On the boat trip up the river you will see water caves, random historical sites, and hot spring water falls. once we are at the dam site we launch the kayaks from the boat and paddle to the bottom of The Hoover Dam. you will then be able to take pictures with the dam. once back to the boat staging area we will take a short hike up the gold strike canyon filled with hot spring waterfalls. We will then head down river and drift dive through the ringbolt rapids. The boat follows your bubbles and then picks you up down river.
​
For the second dive, we take you farther down the river were there are multiple artifact sites left behind by the Hoover Dam workers. This section is a much calmer drift with giant walls and massive boulders. At the end of the dive you will cross the floor of the river to the opposite side and ascend into the Emerald cave were the clear river water glows from the sunlight. The cave is not an overhead environment and is only about 25 feet deep depending on the water levels so no certification needed.This site is also visited by thousands of kayakers so it becomes a fun scavenger hut for treasures unknown. The visibility in the river stays clear all year. We frequently see big horn sheep on these dives.
​
The Dam Crack
​
​
Site = The Dam Crack
Depth ranges from 20 to 150'
​
The dam crack is located in Black canyon. This site is the closest you can possibly get to the dam with out getting torpeadoed! It starts with an amazing ride through the black canyon behind the Hoover Dam. As we get closer to the dam we will stop to give you and your group time to take a photo with the Back side of the Hoover Dam. Not everyone gets to see the dam from this angle so it's pretty awesome we get to help you experience this view point. We then Moore up at the dam crack site where the high scallers once swung from they're ropes to drill and blast away at the canyon walls. On occasion we see big horn sheep come down to get a drink. Altho this sight is very deep in the center, it is a multilevel dive site fun for every level of diver. We Take you into the canyon it self were the 2 walls can be seen throughout the dive with various cracks, crevasses, rock formations, and sheer walls.
​
WWII Higgins Craft
Site = The WWII Higgins Craft
Depth ranges from 45 to 60'
​
If you have ever watched saving privet Ryan or read about the beaches of Normandy, then you have most likley seen a Higgins craft. The military used the Higgins craft to storm the beaches carrying troops and supplies from larger ships to land. Once they got to the beach, the front dropped down, everyone ran out, and stormed the beach. The Higgins craft in Lake mead was used to survey the Colorado river. It was later then sold to the marina and then sunk. Its now an awesome any level dive site for us to check out.
​
The Lake Mead B-29
Site = The Lake Mead B-29 Super Fortress
Depth ranges from 100' to 115'
​
The Lake Mead B-29 is a more advanced dive. The minimum requirements to dive the B-29 are, Aow, and Nitrox. Absolute experienced buoyancy skills for this dive are a must.
The B-29 crashed into the Lake in 1948 while testing what was to become the missile guidances systems of today. All of the crew survived the crash and were later rescued by the National Park Service. The B-29 then sank to the bottom of the lake and years latter it was discovered.
We were very gratefully granted a permit to give a very limited amount of guided tours on the B-29 for 2 years.
The PBY
Las Vegas scuba diving lake mead
lake mead scuba diving
lake mead scuba diving Las Vegas boat charter
Las Vegas scuba diving lake mead
​
​
Site = The PBY
Depth ranges from 150' to 160'
​
The PBYCatalina flying boat crashed into Lake Mead in 1949. It took off from the Boulder City Airport for a test flight, and attempted a water landing in the Boulder Basin area of Lake Mead. Unfortunately, the landing gear was still down. The landing gear hit the water and the plane flipped and broke into 2 pieces.
​
The PBY dive is for technical divers only. Minimum requirements PADI Tech 50 or, equivalent Deco procedures.
​
​
Wreck Ally
Site: Wreck Ally - Big sail boat - Cabin cruiser - Race boat
Depth: 100' to 130'
Wreck ally is located at sentinel island in Lake mead. It has been created by the local technical dive community of lake mead. These divers have collected around 20 random sunken boats that they have found throughout the years while diving lake mead, and brought them to one convenient place for everyone to enjoy diving. This site starts at 100 feet so it is very deep and not for beginner divers.
The 1st Intake
Site = The 1st Intake
Depth ranges from 20' to 115'
​
The 1st intake was decommissioned due to the water levels dropping to the point it could no longer pump correctly. A 2nd intake was created and then the same thing happened as the 1st. Finally they drilled a massive tunnel under the lake, out to the deepest area of the lake were the river ran through. So now even if the water level went below the dams lowest level, we would still get water to Las Vegas.
​
This is a multi level dive site. There are various structures and a massive tunnel that goes down to 100 feet deep. There is a grate that covers both sides of the tunnel so you can not penetrate the tunnel but it is still very cool to see the massive pipe and follow it down to depth!
scuba diving in Las Vegas lake mead.
lake mead scuba.
lake mead boat charted scuba diving.
scuba diving in Las Vegas lake mead.
