DIVING SITES & TIPS

Lake Tahoe provides unique and challenging opportunities for divers. Emerald Bay is the site of one of the few underwater state parks in California and the final resting place of several old boats and barges used in the early days of Tahoe marine activity. Just two miles to the north of Emerald Bay is Rubicon Point, a sheer granite wall which drops vertically over a thousand feet to the bottom of the lake and offers a wall dive with spectacular geologic formations (to view recent bathymetric images of the lake bottom click here).  However, due primarily to the lake's average elevation of 6225' (1897 m) above sea level, diving at Tahoe should be undertaken with caution. Listed below are recommendations and resources for divers wishing to sample one of the world's most beautiful alpine lakes.

~  Diving Safety  ~

Lake Tahoe is a high altitude, cold water environment!  Diving related accidents occur every year at Lake Tahoe. It is essential that divers observe the following precautions!

  • Do not use sea level dive tables while diving in Lake Tahoe! They are of no value at altitude, and if you dive the limits of the tables you will be well beyond your no decompression limits. If you don't already have them, purchase and use high altitude dive tables at one of the local dive shops (see below).
  • Dive the tables conservatively! At this high altitude even small errors play a crucial role in a diver's safety.
  • If you just arrived from a lower elevation, you have residual nitrogen and should consider yourself a repetitive diver. If you just arrived from Reno, you are in the B pressure group. If you just arrived from an area close to sea level, you are in the H pressure group.
  • Dive with a Buddy! Solo diving in this remote location is asking for trouble. Divemasters and 20-year diving veterans have died here diving solo. Do not overlook all recommended pre-dive equipment checks.
  • Open water or basic certified divers should limit their depth in Lake Tahoe to 48' (14.6 meters) which is equivalent to 60' (18.3 m) at sea level. Advanced divers should limit their depth to 96' (29.3 m) which is equivalent to 120' (36.6 m) in the ocean.
  • Ascend no faster than 30' (9.1 m) per minute, and preferably no faster than 20' (6.1 m) per minute during the last 55' (16.8 m) of ascent. Perform a 5 minute safety stop at a depth of 10' (3 m) after each dive.

~  Diving Emergencies  ~

In the event of a diving related emergency at Lake Tahoe, follow these guidelines:

  • Bring the victim to the surface SLOWLY!
  • Remove the victim from the water and begin artificial respiration.
  • Administer oxygen as soon as possible.
  • Activate EMS.  If you can get ashore or communicate with someone on shore, use the nearest telephone to call 911. If you are in a boat with a VHF marine radio, call Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe on Channel 16. If you are in a boat with no radio, but have a cellular phone, call the dispatch number for the nearest law enforcement agency (see a complete lising on the Emergency Services page).
  • Contact the Divers Alert Network at 919-684-8111 to find the nearest available hyperbaric chamber.

Keep in mind that, due to the remote nature of most of the dive sites south of Rubicon Point, medical assistance following diving related accidents is difficult to obtain!

~  Dive Sites  ~

Emerald Bay:
Emerald Bay Underwater State Park is the site of many fascinating artifacts dating back to the construction of Emerald Bay Resort in 1884 (now the location of the Boat Camp) and the Vikingsholm in 1929. The largest of these are two barges sunk in 35' of water along the southern side of the bay.  In 1994 the Los Angeles Maritime Museum in cooperation with the California Department of Parks and Recreation installed a mooring buoy for dive boats at the barge site. An Interpretive Panel bearing information on the history and construction of the vessels was placed between the two barges. For photographic images of the largest barge, click here.
Many items once used at the old Emerald Bay Resort were dumped in the area just off the present Boat Camp dock. They include several small dories and launches and, reportedly, a Model A Ford!  Please be aware as you view and enjoy these artifacts that we all have the responsibility of preserving them for others to see and enjoy. All artifacts you find while diving in Emerald Bay Underwater State Park are protected by state law and may not be taken or disturbed regardless of size or value.

Rubicon Point:
Located two miles north of the entrance to Emerald Bay, Rubicon Point is marked by a spectacular granite cliff rising two hundred feet above the lake (see photo).
Photo by Dave Marion

The sheer face of Rubicon Point rises above the lake.  Below the boat the Rubicon Wall drops almost vertically over a thousand feet to the bottom of the lake.
Just north of the point is beautiful Lester Beach at D.L. Bliss State Park, a good base for diving activity. The Rubicon Wall drops vertically hundreds of feet into the lake below the cliff and has become a popular site among advanced divers. Due to the clarity of the water and the huge, rugged rock formations there, this surely ranks as one of the world's most awe-inspiring dives. The Rubicon Wall is considered an advanced dive. This site is not recommended for novice divers without supervision!

Dollar Point Wall:
Located just off Dollar Point on the North Shore, this wall drops dramatically over 260 feet into the lake. This site is located 1.5 miles east of the Lake Forest Boat Ramp (at the Coast Guard station) and is accessible only by boat. After a careful approach to the red nun buoy marked "12" at Dollar Point, anchor directly south of the house with the green roof in 20 feet of water. After entering the water swim due south for 100 feet to reach the wall. This site is not recommended for novice divers without supervision!

Much of the information above was provided courtesy of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. You are advised to print this page (click here for print version) for future reference if planning a dive trip at Lake Tahoe, or write CA State Parks, P.O. Box 266, Homewood, CA  96142, for their Divers' Guide to Lake Tahoe.

~  Dive on the S.S. Tahoe  ~

Bow of the S.S. Tahoe

After 3 1/2 years of planning, a series of dives was completed in summer of 2002 by New Millennium Dive Expeditions on the 169' steamship, S.S. Tahoe (see related story on this website). The "Queen of the Lake" lies on a 32° slope in over 400 feet of water in Glenbrook Bay. The treacherous expedition featured the deepest scuba dive ever in Lake Tahoe and the deepest high altitude dive ever completed. For more images of the 105 year-old vessel click here. The group is presently seeking funding for continuing dives to study the wreck.

 

~  Dive Shops  ~

At the present time there are no dive shops at Lake Tahoe. The closest is located nearby in Carson City and listed below.

Strictly Scuba Dive and Snorkel Center
2384 S. Curry
Carson City, NV                (775) 884-3483
Open Monday through Friday from Noon to 6 PM; Saturday from 8 AM to 6 PM (Closed Sunday)

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