Madeira shipwreck report - July 2012

[jasondbaker]

The Madeira wreck continues to top the list as the best shore dive in Minnesota. Although I've dived this wreck site many times over the years, I always see something new. The site is spread out enough that it encourages active exploration. The changing sea state of Lake Superior also adds an additional challenge, and level of excitement, to this shore dive.

Dean and I visited the wreck this past week on an absolutely perfect July day -- sunny surface weather in the mid-70's, relatively tame 1-2ft surface waves, and balmy water temps. I read 66-68F water temps on my computer down to 80ft on the first dive! The thermocline pushed up on the second dive to around 60ft -- showing how quickly water conditions can change on Superior. The visibility was 25+ft on shallower depths (<40ft) and more like 20ft at deeper depths. 

We checked in with the Split Rock Park rangers to get the Madeira site parking lot code and permit sticker. The park permit costs $5/day. For those of you who have been diving long enough to remember the old Madeira parking area and trail, the newer lot is a wonderful upgrade. This is a great example of the work that the folks at the GLSPS are doing on behalf of recreational divers. We were lucky enough to have the parking lot and dive site to ourselves for the whole day.

Dean had never visited this site before and I was happy to serve as the dive guide. I recommend diving the Madeira with an experienced guide if possible. While it's not generally a challenging site, divers will get more enjoyment out of it if someone can show them the layout of the wreck. One addition I noticed was a line connecting the deeper hull section with the pilot house. In the past it was easy to swim right by the pilot house in poor visibility because it's kind of a desert between the main parts of the wreck and the house. The line is a welcome addition.

August and September are traditionally excellent months to dive the Madeira. If you haven't been up there yet this year now is the time to go!

[Adam6521]

Wow!  That is warm, when I dove it the temp was 34 degrees!  Nice pics