Arizona

Maricopa County

Divers will travel far and wide to find the best diving. But those who live in the United States have plenty of great diving on their doorstep as well, with plentiful access to the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. From warm-water reefs to temperate seas, here are some of the top places to scuba dive in the United States.

United States



West side; a new marina is being built on this site... Argh!

Peoria

Scorpion Bay & Dirty Shirt



West Side of Lake Pleasant. This is located where the road meets the lake.

Desert Tortoise Road

Depth and vis changes during the year.  In the early spring you can get to 90+ feet with 30+ foot vis.  During the summer and fall you will have 40-60 foot depths and vis will be between arm's length to the other side of your mask.
Great spot for classes.  Very easy access to water. We set xmas trees at 60' in January to form a reef of sorts.  Popular spawning ground for Bass

Enter the park on S. Park Rd, go past Desert Tortoise Rd about 1/2 mile is a hidden left onto Sunrise Rd.  Follow it to a T intersection.  Go left.  The road runs into the lake at Beismeyer Point.

Beismeyer Point



East side of Lake Pleasant. Vista Point is located at the end of a very old boat ramp.

Vista Point

It's the closest 'open water' site from the East Phoenix area, solely used for dive training and as a picnic area.  The lake is stocked with fish, but don't expect to see them.  It's a man-made rock lake with a sandy beach, and the swimming / dive area has buoys to keep boats and jet skis out.  Water temp is usually 50-60F.

From the Phoenix area to Canyon Lake:  Take Highway 60 (Superstition Freeway) to Apache Junction.  Exit at Idaho Road and turn North to Highway 88 (Apache Trail).  Travel 14 miles Northeast on Apache Trail, on the left between the first and second bridges.  There's a large sign for the picnic area, with a short walk from parking down to the beach.

Acacia picnic site

This dive site has many points of underwater interest, A sunken school bus at 45ft to 60 ft at back end. A sunken van at 35 ft and A set of 6 rings at different depth starting at 30 ft to 50 ft for bouancy practice.And a Pirate skeleton at 40ft  with a treasure chest ( Scuba Steve ).On the other end of the cove at abuot 65ft are two sunken boatsThis cove has plenty of shore to set up canapies and stageing area,beautiful mountain scene surrounds cove.... 

Easily accessable by car,paved road all the way down to the dirt parkinglot,just a few miles from bullhead city.head towards Katherine landing on katherine Dr and take a right turn onto cabinsite Rd just before entering Katherine landing.well marked.

Cabinsite

Lake Mohave

Commonly known as "Rocky Point" a favorite vacation spot for many Arizonans.  About 4 hours away from Phoenix - No passport required. Several good shore diving locations. About 30 miles north of Puerto Penasco, at the northeast corner of the Sea of Cortez



Rocky Point

Lake Mead

Narrow Canyon Dive, with rapid drop from shore (0') to 200' plus.
Some large fish, sandy bottom, walls from 15' to 50' apart.
Great dive for Intro to Tech, learning deco or just want a 'slot canyon' type experience diving.
Pretty, quiet area with excellent views of the back of Hoover Dam

Easiest from Las Vegas Boat Harbor.

Lake Mead - Black Canyon

Series of wrecks off of Sentinel Islands East Shore. 
There is a beer keg buoy about 30 yards of shore at mid point of island.
Buoy has a large chain going down to ~70' and is attached to a huge bolder. Running off the rock is a line to several sunken boats. First is a small schooner at about ~120', second is a sail boat at about ~150'. Several others are there to explore as well.
Depths are dependent on height of water in Lake Mead which can vary considerably year to year.
Easy to find and use routes, but does go off into deeps beyond rec level quickly - ideal for tech training/deco training.



Scorpion Bay & Dirty Shirt

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Scorpion Bay & Dirty Shirt