LAKE PLEASANT, PHOENIX, ARIZONA
Located just North of the Valley of the Sun this desert lake provides a great training ground with depths down to 280’. One of the great things about taking the course at the Lake is that we almost never have to worry about weather. Diving can either be from shore or boat based on the needs or requirements of the students. The not-so-good is that visibility can be variable from pea soup with 0-3’ at the worst and 20-30’ at its best.
Getting There:
Lake Pleasant is located in Peoria, Arizona which is North of the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. From the airport to the lake is about a 1-hour drive. The lake can also be accessed by a 2.5-hour drive from Tucson, a 4-hour drive from Las Vegas, or a 6-hour drive from Los Angeles and Southern California. This makes it a great central training area for most of the West Coast and the most common site for advanced and technical diving for divers that are based in Arizona that are unable to head south into Mexico.
Getting Around:
All the diving will be out of the Pleasant Harbor Marina for both shore dives and boat dives. There is no lodging at the lake besides a campground, if you can secure a spot. This means that having a vehicle is a necessity, so if you are flying in make sure to rent something at the airport before starting your journey. A short 20 minute drive from the lake gives you multiple options for lodging and dining.
Dive Logistics:
We are in the desert! Technical diving does not really exist except at a very small level which means if you are booking a course at the lake we need to be prepared. There is one shop in the entire Phoenix Valley area that can fill O2 and Helium so we almost always bring everything up from Tucson to support our CCR courses. We do have some emergency options we can use if necessary as there is a small but growing group of Choptima divers in the desert. Paragon Dive Group in Tucson is your source for everything CM related. They are an authorized Dive Rite O2ptima CM Service center and have rental cylinders and tanks that most CM divers prefer.
Paragon Dive Group
Monday-Friday 11AM – 7PM
Saturday-Sunday 10AM – 3PM
Sea 2 Sea Scuba
3217 E. Shea Blvd., Unit 5
Phoenix, AZ 85028
Monday-Friday 11AM – 7PM
Saturday 9AM – 6PM
Sunday 12PM – 5PM
Diving:
A lake in the desert, what could be better? Water temperatures are extremely variable throughout the year so make sure to reach out to your instructor for current conditions. In the winter months it can be cold outside and the water will be around 54F top to bottom with no noticeable thermoclines. In the summer months under the hot sun it is not uncommon to have 3-4 different thermoclines in the lake, with the shallow water being near 85-90F and the coldest water temperature back down to 54F once you get deep. This makes thermal protection difficult, so again, consult with your instructor on how this is best managed for your comfort and safety. As mentioned above, visibility is also extremely variable during the year due to a multitude of factors: rain, wind, algal blooms, and lake filling/lowering.
Where To Stay:
Anywhere in North Phoenix will work, however, for most folks the most convenient location is the Happy Valley Road exit off of I-17. This exit and the Pinnacle Peak Road exit nearby host pretty much every hotel chain you can imagine with a ton of different dining options along with stores and shopping. This makes it a no brainer in our opinion to stay up in this area. This will give you a drive of 15-25 minutes to the lake for training dives and about another 20 minute drive to Sea 2 Sea Scuba, our recommended shop in the Phoenix area.
Other Things To Know:
The Pleasant Harbor Marina charges a $9.00 per vehicle per day entry fee that needs to be paid in cash. Sometimes they have change and sometimes they do not. Additionally, as the closest spare CCR parts are several hours away in Tucson, it is important to plan ahead if you are scheduling your course at our desert oasis.
