Fall 2026 News
While we still have a month of Saturday fun dives remaining, the summer dive season is swiftly coming to its conclusion. Fall always brings a few changes to our schedule - some predictable, some not...
Predictable:
-
Brainerd will start closing on Sundays starting Oct 4th. We will still be open normal hours Monday through Saturday for the rest of October.
-
After a very busy summer, November has traditionally been a time for our staff to take some time off and do some hunting, or travel, or just kick back. This November will be no different - at least for Brainerd. We plan on being open on Wednesdays and Saturdays only... we will resume the normal Mon. - Sat. schedule in December.
Unpredictable:
-
As the first step of a 4-5 year plan for retirement, the owner of MSD will be permanently closing the St. Cloud store at the end of October. All operations, services, equipment etc. will be moved north and absorbed into the Brainerd shop. While adding a 60 mile inconvenience, we still hope to service the needs of our many loyal St. Cloud customers through our Brainerd facility. Please call either shop (through October) if you have any questions or concerns.
We at MSD have really enjoyed our St. Cloud experience and would like to sincerely thank everyone who's presence has made the 17 year venture such a rewarding experience!
Brainerd's Winter Shop Hours
Mon. - Fri: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
Sat: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sun: Closed
(November Hours - Wed. 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
Sat. 9:00 am to 5:00 pm)
50 Dive Sites Just Minutes from
MSD Brainerd!
Located just 12 miles from our Brainerd location near the towns of Crosby and Ironton, the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area - home to some of the best diving in the Midwest. This beautiful park with its crystal-clear water filled mines boast submerged mine shafts, building foundations, vehicles, road beds, forests, shear walls and depths of up to 530 feet. The mines have been stocked with trout, bass and northern pike. It's also not uncommon to see loons swimming by. Maybe the main attraction though, might be the visibility - which ranges from 30 to 90 feet.
These are some of our favorites...
WOMBAD
Point
Pit: Mahnomen I
Dive Site Features:
Lots of Underwater Trees
Fish Life
Sheer Walls
Railroad Tracks
Eternal Bliss
Pit: Louise
Dive Site Features:
Bartender
Sparky
Marissa the Mermaid
Jack Sparrow
Jason Voorhees
Fish Life
Stairway to
Hell
Pit: Alstead
Dive Site Features:
Staircase
Car
Fish Life
Sand Chute
Gulch
Pit: Mahnomen II
Dive Site Features:
Coffin with Skeleton
Pumping Pipes
Fish Life
Connecticut
Two-Bit
Pit: Huntington
Dive Site Features:
Great Visibility
Fish Life
Roadway
Walls
Railroad Tracks
Foosball Table
Flamingos
Gettin' The
Shaft
Pit: Huntington
Dive Site Features:
Vertical Mine Shaft
Fish Life
The Minnesota School of Diving has created over 50 unique dive sites in the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area - appropriate to all levels of experience. Our experienced staff of divemasters would love to show you some of their favorites. We sponsor group fun dives to the area up to 3 times a week in the summer. Divemasters can also be hired to lead you on individual dives. If you would rather go it alone, stop in the store for some suggestions.