staff reports, reno.com
March 30, 2007

Live in the area and thinking about taking up SCUBA? Coming for a visit and looking for great sites to dive? Reno-Lake Tahoe offers both. Whether you have been diving for years or you are looking for certification, Reno-Lake Tahoe has diving covered.
Not only does Northern Nevada offer scuba divers a variety of dive sites, but expert instructors are available for lessons.

Jet rests on bottom of Marina
Northern Nevada offers scuba divers a variety of submerged barges, sunken jets and underwater walls to keep them coming back for more.

The Sparks Marina, has an average depth of 60 feet, reaching nearly 120 feet at its deepest. An F-4 Phantom jet fighter was sunk, providing divers something to explore at the bottom of the marina.

The diving conditions are more suited to an advanced diver because of the low visibility, colder water temperatures and steep slope.

A lake for all skill levels
The unique clarity of the lake and the variety of shoreline, make the second deepest lake in the country appropriate for divers of all experience levels year-round.

The best time to dive at Lake Tahoe is late summer after the snow has melted and it begins to warm up, but, there are quite a few people who dive year round. Deciding where to dive around the lake depends on the skill level of the diver.

For beginning divers, Sand Harbor on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe is a good location. More advanced divers find the deeper Sunnyside and Hurricane Bay on the West Shore a better choice, where they have the opportunity to explore a sunken sailboat.

The barges at Emerald Bay are interesting, but you need a boat to get to there, or it's a long hike. The barges at Emerald Bay are part of the underwater state park designated in 1994. Divers can explore sunken barges and boats that were used in the lake for construction before the turn of the century.

High altitude diving a concern at Lake Tahoe
With an average surface elevation of 6,225 feet, high altitude diving must be addressed when diving at Lake Tahoe. A series of conversions and rules must be applied to the standard numbers in order to ensure a safe dive. Special charts are available to help with the conversions and advanced scuba classes exist to learn the differences of making a high altitude dive.

Sierra Diving Center of Reno has been assisting divers in the area for 34 years. They offer classes, equipment and guided trips for people interested in learning the best underwater places to explore. Sierra Diving Center offers certification classes regularly. For more details, visit Sierra Diving Center online.