Shotline Diving – Shore Dives & Access Points
Shore Diving the Great Lakes & Rivers
The region’s many lakes, rivers, and bays give divers a near-unlimited resource for training, practice, gear checks, or simply getting underwater for fun. From quiet inland lakes to river shore entries with steady current, shore diving is often the easiest way to stay active between charter trips and big expeditions.
Sites range from beginner-friendly, shallow entries to advanced dives with current, depth, or navigation challenges. Many are shared spaces — boat launches, public parks, cottage lanes, and waterfront communities — so we treat every site as if we are guests, both above and below the waterline.
Shore dive catalogue
Ongoing project: known shore dives are published as dive-sites and expanded over time.
Search Shore Dive Sites
Start with a site name, town, lake or river, or a well-known landmark. Search will surface any related dive-sites, nearby wrecks, and special sites documented in Shotline.
Quick ideas: “Minet’s Point”, “Hudson Terraplane”, “Jaycee Gardens”, “Wolfe Island shore”, or a local park name.
Why Shore Diving Matters
Shore diving is more than “the thing you do when the boat is full.” It’s a core part of Great Lakes and river diving culture because it allows divers to:
- Maintain skills between charter trips or big expeditions.
- Test and tune equipment after service, upgrades, or configuration changes.
- Introduce new divers to local conditions in a controlled environment.
- Explore history close to home — old wharves, piers, crib work, and near-shore wreckage.
- Build community through club nights, training evenings, and “after work” dives.
Shotline uses shore diving as one of the main ways to document new sites, verify existing records, and encourage low-impact diving practices across the region.
Shore Dive Quick Guide
- Check access: parking, hours, local rules.
- Walk the entry/exit before gearing up.
- Plan navigation for low-viz or featureless bottoms.
- Match the dive to the least-experienced diver in the team.
Guest Behaviour
Most shore entries are shared spaces. Tidy staging, quiet voices, and no-souvenir, no-touch diving go a long way to keeping access open.
Finding Shore Sites in Shotline
Shore-accessible locations are gradually being tagged, verified, and linked through multiple tools in the archive:
- Master Wreck Index: region, depth band, rating, and relationships.
- Wreck & Shore Map: visual overview of wrecks and shore sites; click through to records.
- Dive-Sites CPT: current catalogue of known shore dives in the Shotline system.
- Verified by Mark: field-checked notes on access, parking, and conditions.
Shore Access, Safety & Low-Impact Diving
All access notes in Shotline are planning tools only. Conditions, ownership, and local rules change. Treat every shore entry as someone else’s space and every site as part of the historic record:
- Parking: obey signage, do not block driveways, ramps, or emergency access.
- No souvenir collecting: take photos, video, sketches, and notes — not artifacts.
- Garbage out: the only thing you should remove from a site is trash.
- Underwater behaviour: no touching wrecks, no moving artifacts, careful finning, no tying into fragile structures.
- Dive planning: match the dive to training, experience, gas, and conditions on the day.
Aim to be the diver who “leaves only bubbles, takes only memories” — and whose presence makes sites better, not worse.
Shore Dive Site Directory
Browse documented shore dives below. Each entry links to a dive-site page with access notes, depths, navigation tips, and site-specific etiquette where available.
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Minets Point, Barrie ON
Minets Point, Barrie ON minets-point-barrie-on MINET’S POINT Location: Minet’s Point, Barrie, Ontario, Canada Lake Simcoe DIVE SITE DETAILS Description: Minet’s Point is a versatile dive site offering a combination of natural underwater terrain and artificial structures. Its accessibility and diverse features make it a popular destination for divers of all levels. HIGHLIGHTS: 1. Underwater Topography:…
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Morton’s Wharf
Morton’s Wharf morton-s-wharf SITE IDENTIFICATION SITE DESCRIPTION Morton’s Wharf, located in Kingston, Ontario, offers a unique dive site that allows divers to explore the remnants of a historically significant structure in Lake Ontario. The wharf, once a bustling center of maritime activity, now lies submerged, preserving a piece of Kingston’s rich industrial and maritime heritage.…
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Naval Anchor Dive Site
Naval Anchor Dive Site naval-anchor-dive-site Identification & Site Information: Dive Site Description: The Naval Anchor Dive Site is a well-known dive spot in the St. Lawrence River, characterized by its historical and ecological significance. Its focal point is a large, historic naval anchor resting on the riverbed, offering a combination of maritime history and underwater…
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Navy Bay, Royal Military College (RMC), Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Navy Bay, Royal Military College (RMC), Kingston, Ontario, Canada navy-bay-royal-military-college-rmc-kingston-ontario-canada IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION DESCRIPTION Beneath the shallow waters of Navy Bay at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, lie the remnants of a unique and historic experimental submersible. Designed and built in the early 1950s by RMC’s Mechanical Engineering Department, this two-man submarine…
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Netherby Drift
Netherby Drift netherby-drift Identification & Site Information •Type: Drift Dive •Depth: •Minimum: 10 feet (3 metres) •Maximum: 30 feet (9 metres) •Drift Time: •Duration: Approximately 40 minutes •Speed: 2.5 km/h (1.5 mph) Dive Description The Netherby Drift offers a thrilling drift dive adventure along a rocky “reef.” The underwater terrain is a treasure trove of…
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Nicholson’s Point
Nicholson’s Point nicholson-s-point Dive Site: Nicholsons Point, Bath, Ontario, Lake OntarioOverview:Nicholson’s Point is a popular dive site located on the shores of Lake Ontario near Bath, Ontario. This dive site offers a unique underwater experience with various attractions and a diverse aquatic life to explore. Divers of all levels can enjoy the submerged remnants and…
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North Bay Liberty Grove WI
North Bay Liberty Grove WI north-bay-liberty-grove-wi Shore Dive Information Let me know if you’d like a printable dive briefing card or underwater site map. 45.2682 -87.0307
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Old Egg Harbor Dock Site
Old Egg Harbor Dock Site old-egg-harbor-dock-site Resources & Links 45.049304 -87.297725
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Old Rockwell Insane Asylum Coal Docks (KPH Dive)
Old Rockwell Insane Asylum Coal Docks (KPH Dive) old-rockwell-insane-asylum-coal-docks-kph-dive Shore Dive Report: Old Rockwell Insane Asylum Coal Docks (KPH Dive) Location & Access •Entry: Access from the side with a rocky slope leading to the water. Functional dock ladders simplify entry and exit. •Depth: Average depth of 25 feet (7.6 meters) near the dock; depth…
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Old Town Dock, Clayton, NY
Old Town Dock, Clayton, NY old-town-dock-clayton-ny Shore Dive Report: Old Town Dock, Clayton, NY Location: Old Town Dock, Clayton, NY (in front of the pavilion, which was historically the train depot) Overview This dive explored the remnants of the historic Clayton city front dock, a steamer dock from the 1800s. The site is rich in maritime…
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Ottawa River Cave System
Ottawa River Cave System ottawa-river-cave-system Exploration & Site Profile Name: Ottawa River Cave SystemOther Names: None documentedRegistry: Natural formation (Ontario/Quebec border)Type: Subterranean karst cave networkLocation: Ottawa River, near Westmeath, Ontario, across from Three IslandCoordinates: Approximate, not publicly recordedLength: ~6 miles (10 km) mappedDepth: ~32 ft (10 m) below surfaceAccess: By boat along Ottawa River; local…
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Owl Lake, Ontario, Canada
Owl Lake, Ontario, Canada owl-lake-ontario-canada Owl Lake Dive Site Report IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION Location: Owl Lake, Ontario, Canada Coordinates: Exact coordinates not provided; the site is accessible via a dock and clearing area at the southwest end of the lake. LAKE DIMENSIONS •Short Axis: ~400 yards (north to south) •Long Axis: ~600 yards (east…
Live Great Lakes & Rivers View
Shore-Accessible Sites on the Shotline Map
Zoom into harbours, bays, and river bends. Markers for wrecks and shore sites will link into Shotline records where available — use this view as your spatial starting point.
Tip
Use layers to focus on one lake, corridor, or region at a time.