Lake Erie Technical Wreck Diving Guide

Erik Petkovic's Lake Erie Technical Wreck Diving Guide is packed with tales of sailing ships and steamers that foundered, succumbed to storms, collided and were engulfed in flames. Ships that sunk more than once, or were involved in wars, slave escapes and catastrophic collisions on the shallowest of the Great Lakes. There are some whose full story is still a mystery waiting to be discovered. The author's original research reveals daring tales of deep salvage, valuable cargo, submarines, experimental engineering, unknown wrecks, and missing, yet-to-be-discovered vessels. This new guide brings to life the lost history of the ships, passengers and crew. Then there are the dives themselves. Some of the wrecks are remarkably intact for their age. Features which can be seen include complete wooden ship's wheels, standing masts, rudders, propellers, portholes, boilers, and steamship hogging arches. As well as a description, each wreck's current condition, location, dimensions, hazards and highlights are given. Photos and archive materials also help bring these rarely dived wrecks to life.

'A necessary tool for any deep water diver preparing to explore these Great Lakes shipwrecks, and it is a brilliant edition to any serious marine historian’s collection.'-- Gene Peterson, gue.com; 'The stories in this book paint a fascinating picture of two centuries in the life of the North American continent. They're also a page-turning collection of adventures from a part of the world little-known to UK divers. Even if you have no intention of visiting them, it's well worth diving into Erik Petkovic's tales of the shipwrecks of Lake Erie.'-- BritishDiver.co.uk; 'As captivating as it is comprehensive. Equal parts historic compendium and dive guide, the book weaves these subjects together to form an all-encompassing narrative, which draws the reader in and provides the right degree of details and facts without dragging out its pace. This is a must for wreck divers, maritime history enthusiasts, and anyone interested in delving into an era gone but not forgotten' -- John Tapley, SCUBA and H2O Adventure magazine; `Any technical diver considering diving on any of these wrecks should first read this one-of-a-kind book'-- Joe Porter, Wreck Diving Magazine; `Meticulously researched, nicely composed, beautifully illustrated. I wish I had written this book'-- Gary Gentile; `The writing is clear and descriptive, factfiles and safety tips are helpful and there are quite a few greenish underwater photos and illustrations. Nice cover too. Up for something new?' - Diver magazine; `Even if you don't dive, the book is an exciting read with Erik's in depth and meticulous research taking the reader through the fascinating history of each wreck and the crew.... I am not a technical diver but, even so, read the book with intense interest from cover to cover. This book is far greater than a list of technical information on how to dive these particular wrecks. It is a template for all wreck diving, technical or not. If you want more from your wreck diving than just bringing up old bits of brass or rusting iron then this book is an absolute must.'- Scubaverse

Erik A Petkovic is a technical wreck diver and maritime historian specializing in shipwreck research. He has been published in multiple international dive magazines and is the author of Shipwrecks of Lake Erie: Volume One (2018). A highly sought after speaker, Erik is available for presentations and seminars. He currently works in Washington DC and resides in Southern Maryland with his wife and two sons.