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Lake Coeur d’ Alene Sanders
Beach 11th St.
Head past the CDA resort and
continue east to 11th St., make a right (south) and 11th Street dead
ends right at Sanders Beach. There is a nice sand beach for kids and non-divers to soak up
the sun (weather permitting).
Once in the water, there are
two ways to go. You can head straight out to the drop-off (which slopes down from 20’
to 55’), find the depth you like and then head east. There’s not much here, some
logs and an old rowboat, but it’s a nice easy dive. When you’ve had enough, head
back up-slope and head back shallow for a good safe profile, and to see different stuff on
the way back.
 
The other way to dive here is
to head west south/west toward the marina and the back side of Tubs Hill. There’s
lots more junk to see, pilings, logs, cables, pipes, etc. There are more fish this
direction as well. And then there are two
good destinations to head for. The first is a sunken barge that rests at about 28’. It’s not really for sale; I put the sign I
found nearby there one day. Also, on a recent Tuesday dive, Bob decorated the barge with a
giant metal topical fish. Thanks Bob! . If you’re diving a narrow profile, and
you’re brave, you can do an interior swim-through. But the only way out is the way
you came in, which can be interesting with all the silt you might kick up in the narrow
passage. Have your buddy follow your escaping bubbles above if you swim inside.
After the barge, head south
along the wall and you come to a tugboat wreck in about 45’ of water. All that remains is the hull, but it’s fun to
swim into and look at the engine parts, or maybe sit on the bench seat.
When finished with the tug,
head back the way you came and once you pass under the last dock, head up to 15 feet and
slowly work your way back to the beach.
There are lots of swimmers
and beachers here in the summer, so be ready to answer the kid’s questions, like,
“What do you see down there?” And please be extra polite to the residents who
are trying to have this beach closed down to the public. This is a great place for divers
on any level.
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