Wolf River Dive Report

[FreediveWI]

It's more dependent on the wind and time of year. Every August we get warm water when the east winds blow. Last summer we ended up with 68 degrees all the way to 110' with a good 30' of vis. When the cooler water comes in, as the winds switch direction, the water will clear up even more- around 50', but the temps drop to around 40. Winter charters can see water temps drop into the low to mid 30's as the currents keep the water flowing, which prevents freezing, and thus cooler temps. This is why someone can have a regualtor work great on an ice dive one weekend and then go out for a winter charter the next and have everything freeze-up solid.

THe best vis that I have actually measured, with a fiberglass tape measure, is 85' on the wreck of the Willy in February. Most of the good vis is due to the introduction of Zebra mussels from Europe. When I was a kid we were lucky to have 10'-15' of vis and now it's a bad day when we have less than 20'. I have dove the Carferry Milwaukee plenty of times when I couldn't see my own fins, and now we have recorded many 50' days.

April and November have always been the worst months. That's when you have the highest winds and the lowest vis. Still, there are a few days that you can go out, but the first couple weeks of August is always a safe bet- warm water, calm seas and decent vis.

A drysuit is a good idea, but there are plenty of divers who go in wetsuits. Most charters do 2-3 tanks dives, although you can jump on an evening charter for a single tank to test the waters.

Hope this helps you out,

Jon