Northwoods Experience: MN School of Diving Takes Residents Beneath Area Lakes

Scuba diving may seem like an activity that’s reserved for those in a tropical climate. But the Minnesota School of Diving, located in Brainerd and St. Cloud, says there are great places to dive right here in our backyard.

“We fortunately have a fantastic natural environment here just east of town, the Crosby mine pits, the Cuyuna [recreation] area,” said Todd Matthies, Minnesota School of Diving owner. “It’s a series of old, abandoned iron ore mines that are now filled with water. There’s a lot of fish in there, there’s entire forests of trees you can swim through. There are mine shafts. So there’s a lot of things for the divers to see.”

The school has been in operation for over 60 years and brings divers of all skill levels to their local underwater oasis.

“Our business involves training divers,” explained Matthies. “We sell them equipment, and we also give them a lot of different experiences where they can use their diving to enjoy themselves.”

The Minnesota School of Diving runs its local season from May to October, but when they’re not diving in the lakes locally, they’re taking trips to the beautiful blue waters of the Caribbean.

“We hit different destinations every year, whether it’s Little Cayman, Bonaire, we do Belize,” said Matthies. “Every few years, we’ll run a more expensive, longer trip out to the West Pacific … like Micronesia, and then also Palau. We’re usually there for two-and-a-half weeks just because you fly that far, it’s nice to spend some time [there].”

For Matthies, exploring the underwater world helps provide an escape from the world that’s above the surface.

“I think the nice thing for a lot of people is it’s kind of an escape for them,” he added. “It’s a nice little—10 minutes away, a nice little escape. Have an hour just blowing bubbles, seeing nature, just enjoying yourself. Diving itself, it’s just, it’s sort of a release for a lot of people. It’s just a great way to relax, kind of commune with nature and get to know some of the divers and enjoy that aspect of it.”