Damon Bates
Preserved history in the deep cold

Cold Water

New England, Great Lakes

This is Lake Huron, where the water temperature at depth hovers in the high 30s°F. These are special dives that require special gear — regulators that won't freeze, redundant systems that won't fail in a cold and extreme environment. The payoff is worth every bit of it. Cold fresh water dramatically preserves wooden shipwrecks, some over 150 years old, in near-original condition. Diving here is like stepping into a time machine to the 19th century.