2010 Class Schedule

I know it's not even Christmas yet, but I'm already plotting out next year. I have some tentative dates for courses set up, but naturally if you want to take a course on a different date, let me know and we'll work something out. I'll get the dates up on my website tomorrow, but those of you who follow the blog get a sneak preview.

• Saturday March 27, Gas Blender (Wauseon, OH)
  
• Sunday April 25, Gas Blender (Wauseon, OH)
  
• May 22-23, Intro to Tech (White Star Quarry, Gibsonburg, OH)
• June 26-27, Advanced Nitrox/Deco Procedures, further dates TBD, (Gilboa Quarry, near Findlay, OH)
• July 2, 3, 4, Trimix Diver, (Gilboa Quarry, near Findlay, OH) completion dives will be July 22-25 in Presque Isle, MI
  
• Aug. 7-8, Intro to Tech (White Star Quarry, Gibsonburg, OH)
• Aug. 10-13 I'll be in the 1000 Islands. All courses are possible including Adv. Nitrox/Deco, Advanced Wreck Diver, Trimix Diver.

E-mail me if you are interested, would like more information about classes or have questions. If you know of anyone else interested, please feel free to forward this info to them.

Risk Assessment, A Call for Action

There seems to have been a handful of diving fatalities lately. I guess accidents are inevitable. There have always been a few diving accidents per year, however it seems in recent years the people involved has changed. It used to be most accidents in the technical diving/cave diving realm involved divers untrained for these "extreme" activities. Lately, it seems that more and more fatalities involve highly trained divers (i.e. divers who should know better) putting themselves at risk by violating basic procedures that have stood the test of time.

At the recent NACD conference, Steve Lewis (TDI/SDI HQ staff, Instructor Trainer, Technical Diving Instructor and all around man about town) presented his thoughts on risk assessment/management, cave training vs. wreck training, and related issues.

Here is a link to the text of his presentation. Please read it and please be careful when diving. Follow your training and don't cut corners. To paraphrase Larry Green, NACD Training Director, "Develop solid safety protoccols and have the discipline to follow them on every dive."

Cave Diving Conference & Trip Report, Nov. 2009

I just returned from five days in north Florida where I attended/presented at the National Association for Cave Diving's (NACD) 41st Conference. After the conference, Marshall Allan and I hung around for a few days of cave diving.

We arrived in High Springs, FL on Friday Nov. 20. After checking into our motel, the very nice Rustic Inn (which actually isn't that rustic), we headed over to Ginnie Springs for the Friday Night Social that the NACD has each year the night before the conference. It was a very nice affair, with free food, free beer and a Chili Cook-Off. We had a good time seeing old friends and meeting some new ones. We called it a night early since I had to do a presentation at the conference the next day and preferred to do it without a hangover.

Saturday morning, we drove to Gainesville for the conference. This was my first time to the NACD conference and I was impressed. There were probably 15 or so exhibitors displaying their wares in addition to the presentations that ran from 9-5. I won't go into detail about all the presentations, but my favorite was Becky Kagan's video of Weeki Wachee Springs. I wouldn't be surprised to see an expanded version of it air on Discovery Channel or some other entity. Other presentations covered training and safety issues in cave diving, updates on various surveys and explorations and some joker from up north talking about cold water wreck diving. Oh wait, that was me. I talked about Great Lakes wreck diving and showed some footage of the North Wind, one of the best wrecks in the Great Lakes (that I've seen anyway). The gist of my talk was about overhead diving in cold water/limited vis. When I was invited to give the speech, I honestly couldn't figure out why a bunch of cave divers wanted to hear about wreck diving. The presentation went pretty well. If they fell asleep, they were at least polite enough not to snore! Much to my surprise (and delight), a couple people actually found me after the show and told me they enjoyed my talk, had no idea Great Lakes wrecks were so well preserved, but we're nuts anyway to dive in that cold water.

That evening, we were invited to Larry and Debra Green's house for drinks and to shoot the breeze. Larry is a true diving pioneer and it was amazing to just sit back and listen to his stories and marvel at the history he lived through. This guy was experimenting with trimix in the Eagles Nest cave system back in 1989! As the evening progressed and the stories flowed, it became obvious Larry has forgotten more about cave diving than I'll ever know.

Sunday morning was rainy and chilly. About noon, the weather started to clear, so Marshall and I headed up to Peacock Springs for a couple dives. We did two, one hour dives there. It was a good way to reacquaint ourselves with cave diving since we hadn't been in a cave in about a year. We headed back towards High Springs, stopping by Amigo's to fill our tanks on the way.

Monday we got an earlier start. We stopped by Alice's Parkside Restaurant for breakfast, and then headed to Madison Blue, a cave system we had not dived before. Other than the park ranger and a couple of her friends, we were the only ones there. The spring is probably about 60 feet in diameter and very clear. We could easily see the cave entrance at the bottom of the pool. We geared up and jumped in. After our S-drill, into the cave we went. The flow wasn't as bad as we expected, so entering was easy. The cavern area is fairly large and interesting to dive in it's own right. To enter the actual cave passage, we dropped down a crack into a relatively low passage. The low part only last the first few hundred feet and then it opens up a bit. It's quite a nice dive and even though the flow isn't all that bad, it only took us 15 minutes to exit the cave, after spending 35 minutes swimming in. On our second dive, we went in about 500 feet and then jumped off to a side tunnel. We think it might have been the tunnel to the Banana Room. After our dives, it was back to Amigo's for gas fills. Then dinner at the Fleetwood Diner where I had the meatloaf platter. I'm a pretty good eater, but even I couldn't finish the two huge slabs of meatloaf and pile of mashed potatoes.

Tuesday was departure day. We cleared out of the Rustic Inn, packed the car, and headed back to Madison for one last dive. After all, it was right on our way home. We did one dive, an hour long, and just stayed on the main line. It was loads of fun. There's a lot to be said for diving in warm, clear water with no waves. If only Florida and Ohio were a few hours closer. Anyhow, we packed the car and started the trek home. We made good time (except around Atlanta of course). We felt pretty good and not a bit tired, so drove on and on. By the time we started to think about calling it a night, we were crossing in to Kentucky, so we said what the hell, let's keep going. So while one of us slept, the other was awake. We just had to make sure the awake guy was driving and the sleeping guy was in the passenger seat. We pulled into my driveway at 5 am Wednesday morning.

It was a great trip and I loved seeing some old friends and doing some cave dives again. I need to get down there on a more regular basis and not wait another year and a half like I did last time.

2010 Dive Trips

Fall is in the air and the 2009 dive season is about over. That means it's time to plan for next year! I currently have two Great Lakes wreck diving trips planned for next year (more to follow).

On July 10-11, 2010, I'm going up to Harbor Beach, MI for a very special trip. I have booked the morning charter both days with Rec and Tec Dive Charters and my good friend Capt. Gary Venet. We're going to try to get to the seldom-dived stern section of the Daniel J. Morrell. The Morrell was a 586 ft. steamer. In November 1966, the Morrell was upbound on Lake Huron in a horrible storm. Near the tip of Michigan's thumb, she broke in half. The bow section sank as the stern, still under power, steamed another 5 miles until it sank. Due to it's distance from shore and the uncertainty of the weather, neither of the sections of the Morrell are visited a lot, and when people do get out, they usually do the bow section. Our other objective for the weekend is the newly-discovered Charles A. King. Gary tells me the King is an upright, intact schooner. He and his colleagues discovered her several years ago and have been diving her to identify and document her. 2010 will be the first year Gary will be running charters to her. Be among the first of the diving public to see her.

On July 22-25, 2010, I'll be diving Lake Huron near Presque Isle, MI. I used to dive that area 2 or 3 times per summer until about 2005. Last I led a trip there and fell in love with the area all over again. To read the trip report, which includes descriptions of the wrecks, look here.

Trimix certification is required for both trips, as depths of the wrecks range from 165'-200'. Obviously the target wrecks may change due to weather. Contact me at rick@GreatLakesTechDiving.com for more info and keep an eye on my website, www.GreatLakesTechDiving.com for more trips.

Online SCUBA Training?

I would like your opinion of SCUBA training. As some of you know, teaching diving is my avocation. My "real" job is in the education field, specifically distance/online education. So when I recently had the chance to review some online SCUBA materials, I jumped at the chance.

Now, using the internet to deliver SCUBA training is not a new concept. Recreational SCUBA agencies have been using it for years. The course materials I reviewed were for TECHNICAL diving classes. The modules are designed to present the academic portion of a given course as well as present demos (via video clips) of some of the in-water skills. Obviously you cannot deliver an entire technical diving course over the internet, but it may be helpful for students to go through the academic portion prior to the in-person sessions. The academic modules I saw were PowerPoint-style slides with narration and the occasional video clip. Just to be clear, students are still required to read the student manual, so if you prefer to see things in print, or are a computer-phobe, fear not.

So what do you think? If you're already a tech diver, think back to your last tech course, would you have benefited from reviewing the entire "classroom" session before meeting with the instructor? Would you have liked to have seen videos of the in-water skills? If you're not a tech diver (yet), would the online experience I've described sway you one way or the other? If you think an online component would be valuable, what dollar amount would you put on it? Would you pay $50 to access these materials? $75? $100?

Feel free to respond. I'm curious what people think.

2010 Course Schedule

I'm beginning to sort out my 2010 course offerings. If there's a course you're interested in taking next year, let me know. This early in the process, I can almost guarantee you'll get your choice of dates (almost).

1000 Islands Trip Report, Aug. 11-14, 2009

When I tell people at work I'll be gone diving for a few days in warm, clear water, they ask where I'm going. Florida? The Bahamas? No, I'm not leaving the Great Lakes. "Oh, so it'll be cold," they say. Nope, 73 degrees. "But that's on the surface probably." Wrong again, it's 73 degrees top to bottom, no thermocline I tell them. "Ooooo-Kayyyy" they say, now convinced that perhaps I do need a few days off.

The 1000 Islands region of the St. Lawrence River is one of my favorite places to dive. The St. Lawrence connects Lake Ontario on the west to the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The 1000 Islands region is the section of river nearest to Lake Ontario. The St. Lawrence has long been a major transportation route, even before the man-made "Seaway" existed. Hence, there are all sorts of shipwrecks to dive. And due to the constant mixing of the water by the current, there's no thermocline and the water warms up quite nicely in the summer.

This year, I seem to have picked the worst possible week to go to the islands. Everybody I asked was already busy or couldn't get vacation time, so it turned out my "group" trip consisted of Marshall and Renee Allan and me. Renee was completing her Adv. Wreck course, so wreck penetration was the objective.

Our first dive day we dove the Ash Island Barge and the Kingshorn. While "Ash Island Barge" isn't a very glamorous name, it's actually quite a nice little dive in about 100'. The Kingshorn is always a favorite of mine. She's a wooden schooner in about 85' in decent condition and only about 5 minutes from the resort dock. We jumped in on the Kingshorn and it was time for Renee to do some coursework. She ran a guideline inside the wreck, we followed the line out blind, went back in, did lost line drills and just as she thought it was over Marshall threw in an out of air for good measure. After returning from diving, we headed to Brockville for dinner at the Keystorm Pub, in honor of our dives the next day.

Day 2 found us doing two dives on the Keystorm. The Keystorm was a 250' steel steamer built in England in 1910. She was only two years old when she ran aground in dense fog October 26, 1912. Her crew escaped and she lay stranded on the shoal for five hours at which time she slid off the shoal into deeper water. Today, the Keystorm is one of the most popular dives in the area. Still lying on the shoal that sank her, the Keystorm offers a variety of dive profiles. Her bow lies in only 25' of water, with the deepest part of her stern in 115'. We moored amidships. On our first dive, we swam to the deeper part of the wreck and went into the engine room. On our second dive, we headed to the bow (shallow) and visited the captain's bathtub as well as the wheelhouse and forward superstructure.

After returning to Caigers and cleaning up, we headed over to Dive Tech for air fills and to see owner Dan Humble. Dan has a knack for finding new gizmos you just can't live without. In all my travels around the Great Lakes, I have to say that Dive Tech has the most extensive retail offerings, largest gas blending operation, best service and all around most pleasant atmosphere I've seen. Our tanks filled, we headed back to Brockville for dinner at Bud's on the Bay for dinner on the outdoor patio. It was a beautiful evening to sit outside and have a piece of chocolate chip pie for dessert!

On day 3, our dive objective was the Daryaw. The Daryaw, originally named the Marinier, was built in France in 1919 and came to the Great Lakes in 1922. She was 216' in length and sports the unique feature of having twin screws (two propellers). Her name was changed in 1935. She ran aground in a dense fog on November 21, 1941 and sank near Brockville, ON. The Daryaw lies in about 90' of water, upside down. Her upside down orientation on the bottom makes it easy for divers to view both of her propellers. Once again, we did two dives on her. On the first dive, we ducked under her upside-down hull and visited the bow briefly before heading to the stern. We penetrated the aft cabin area and conducted more drills for class. On our second dive, we explored the stern further and, at the end of the dive, we drifted off the wreck and did our deco drifting along with the current, rather than fighting it on the mooring line.

On our last dive day, we headed to the Roy A. Jodrey. The Jodrey may well be the signature dive of the 1000 Islands. A modern day, steel freighter, she was built in 1965 for the lucrative ore-carrying trade. She's a huge shipwreck at just over 600' in length.

In November 1974, she was carrying 20,000 tons or iron ore pellets on their way to Detroit, MI when she struck Pullman Shoal. Taking on water, she tried to beach in shallow water near the US Coast Guard Station on Wellesley Island. Unfortunately, there was no shallow water to be found and she eventually filled with water and sank in a little over 200' of water. The Jodrey lies against the wall of the channel just beneath the US Coast Guard station.

As the Jodrey is in the channel, there is no mooring attached to her. Divers enter the water upstream of the wreck and navigate down the wall to her. Our captain suggested we try a new route to the wreck, one not familiar to me. We decided to give it a try. Dropping down the wall where we were directed, we didn't find the wreck. I couldn't believe it. How could we have missed a 600' ship? I figured the current must have carreid us a bit too far downstream, so we started working our way upstream. After about 8 minutes, I decided I made the wrong choice so we turned around and drifted with the current and sure enough, before long I could make out a large shadow looming in our path. The shadow soon materialized into the bow of a huge ship. Drifting in the current plays funny tricks on one's mind. As you drift towards the wreck, it's easy to believe that you are stationary and the ship is actually coming at you!

We were able to enjoy our dive on the Jodrey and explored the forward area pretty extensively despite losing precious minutes finding the wreck. Our ascent was much less dramatic than our descent. As our captain predicted, following the wall up brought us up just upstream of the boat. In fact, we spotted the anchor line when we arrived at our 15' deco stop.

Sadly, that was our last dive and it was time to leave. By the time we got back to the hotel, packed up and got on the road, it was nearly 3 pm. Now, all we have to do is drive 9 hours and we'll be home free. We ended up arriving at my house about 12:30 a.m., so with brief goodbyes, Marshall and Renee continued on home and I went to bed.

As always, our trip to the 1000 Islands was great. Thanks to Caigers Resort, Thousand Island Pleasure Diving and Dive Tech. I'll be returning to the 1000 Islands in 2010 to teach a full range of technical diving courses. If you're interested in doing a course, or just joining in our group to go diving, drop me an e-mail.

Harbor Beach Trip Report (7/24-25/2009)

This past Friday and Saturday I once again had the pleasure of diving Lake Huron near Harbor Beach, MI. The object of the trip was to complete the dives necessary for Brian, Glenn and Jeff to achieve certification as TDI Advanced Nitrox/Deco Procedures Divers. The plan was to dive the Dunderburg Friday afternoon and the bow section of the Morrell Saturday morning.

As planned, we met Gary Venet at the marina about 2:30 for a 3pm departure. The Sylvia Anne is without doubt one of the most comfortable dive boats I've ever been on and Gary runs a ship-shape operation. When I reserved our spots on the boat a couple months ago, the guy at the dive shop said we got the last 4 spaces and the trip was full. When we arrived Friday however, we were pleasantly surprised to find out we were the only 4 on the boat! A beautiful Friday afternoon, calm seas, and only 4 divers on the boat. Now that's living!

We arrived at the Dunderberg, reviewed the dive plan and hit the water. I have to say that I've done this dive more times than I can count. But instead of becoming repetitive and boring, the Dunderburg is like an old friend: you may only get together once in awhile, but when you do, it's like you never were apart. It's especially fun to take divers on it for the first time. The Dunderburg is one of the prettiest, most intact, and accessible wooden schooners in all the Great Lakes. Visit this link to see some of Andy Morrison's excellent photos of this beautiful wreck.

After returning to port, we had dinner, debriefed the dive, returned to the motel and rigged equipment for the following day. The "dive in the afternoon one day and early morning the next" schedule doesn't leave much time in between dives. We finished rigged equipment as the sun set and just before the rain moved in.

Saturday morning it was cloudy and windy. I went to the boat at 7 a.m. and Gary had the weather satellite image on his laptop. There were lots of thunderstorms in the area, one right over the site of the Morrell. Not good. Even worse, there were more lines of storms lining up further west, heading our way. But, if the storms missed us, we might, just maybe, be able to get to the Dunderburg again. We waited. The storms kept marching towards us. At 9 a.m., Gary canceled the morning dive. Our friends from Divers Inc in Ann Arbor, MI were disappointed. My friend Rich Synowiec, owner of DI, had the morning charter booked, so we had booked our spaces through Rich. Long drive for no dive. My team was especially bummed since the cancellation meant we couldn't finish our coursework. Gary called Dale Musser from Sea Level Scuba, who had the afternoon charter booked and asked if there was room for my students and me so we could finish our course dives. Luckily, there was space. Now if the weather would just cooperate.

Brian, Jeff, Glenn and I went into town for breakfast at Al's Restaurant. Breakfast at Al's almost makes it seem OK that the dive was canceled. Homemade food at reasonable prices and outstanding coffee. We headed back to the boat about 11, where we stood under an awning in a downpour, but the wind had dropped to nothing. Storms still on the radar, we still wait. Finally about 1:30 Gary said, "OK, load up. We'll give it a shot." It may be cloudy and drizzly, but it should be calm. We headed out to the Dunderburg. There was no disappointment on our part doing the "D" two days in a row. During our debriefing the previous evening, much of what I heard was "And the next time, I want to check out the holds," and "If we get to dive it again, I have to go out to the crow's nest." The conditions were surprisingly good after a stormy morning. Not much wave action, no rain, and even a few peeks of sun.

My team was the second team in the water. They executed the dive nicely and stayed within all the parameters we had discussed on the surface. And they managed to enjoy themselves at the same time. The water seemed warmer than usual; 43 degrees (F) on the bottom, 67 at the surface with the thermocline lurking around 70 feet. We had an excellent dive and there were smiles all around on the boat ride back in.

After unloading the boat and debriefing the dive, we split up to head our separate routes back home. Thanks to Gary and his loyal minions Charlie, Skippy and Tom. Thanks Dale for letting us "stowaway" on your afternoon charter. And most of all, congratulations Brian, Glenn and Jeff!

1000 Islands August Trip, Still Room

There are still a couple spots open on my August trip to the 1000 Islands. If you're not familiar with this region of the Great Lakes, you do not know what you're missing. The 1000 Islands are in the St. Lawrence River near Lake Ontario. Since it's a river, there are no waves to speak of, hence no seasickness, no dives canceled to to rough seas, and the best part, warm water. In August the river should be in the mid-70's with no thermocline. There are lots of cool wrecks to dive in all depth ranges as well as drift dives. Check out my website for more info on this area.

Dive dates are Aug. 11-14. We'll be driving up on Aug. 10, diving the 11th through the 14th and driving back later on the 14th. Contact me if you're interested.

Presque Isle Trip 2009 (Lake Huron)

I just got back this evening from 3 days diving Lake Huron near Presque Isle, MI. Presque Isle is about 30 miles north of Alpena, MI (15 miles south of Rogers City). Some more information is on my website here. The photo at left is a model of the Cornelia B. Windiate on display at the NOAA Thunder Bay Marine Museum in Alpena, MI.

We chartered with Greg Such (www.shipwreckadventures.com) to take us out to such famed and beautiful wrecks as the SS Florida, Cornelia B. Windiate and the Kyle Spangler. This area is known for fickle weather patterns and Greg did a great job of watching the forecasts and picking good weather windows. We didn't miss a single day of diving. He runs a nice boat and was great helping us gear up and get in the water (although he'll back off and leave you alone if you prefer).

Anyhow, I was a day late joining the group. On day one, they dove the Windiate. More about that later. On day two (my first day), we met at the boat launch a 7 am to get out before the wind came up. We dove the Kyle Spangler. The Spangler is a beautiful wooden schooner upright and intact on the bottom in about 165'. Both masts are standing, complete with crosstrees (kind of a crow's nest). Look here for more info on the Spangler. Be sure to click on the link at the bottom of that page to see some awesome photos of the Spangler.

The next day found us once again at the boat launch at 7 am. The weather was sunny, blue skies and no wind. We made the early trip out to the SS Florida and were rewarded with just about flat seas. I've been on the Florida a number of times, but it was my buddy Steve's first time. We dropped the 175' to her deck and I gave him the whirl-wind tour. We dropped into the hold amidships and swam forward past barrels of flour, some floating up against the overhead. We saw blue enamel pots and pans, hand carts and cans and cans of something. Popping out of the hold near the bow, we eyed the forward capstan cover with the engraving still quite legible. Check out the anchors and time to start working our way to the stern. Down the deck past fallen masts. Huge collision holed on the starboard side. Look inside the aft cabin that looks like a storage area or workshop. Keg of nails on the deck. Brass lantern laying on the deck. Time is fleeting. We drop to the bottom at 195' to see a bell. Over to the exposed engine to check out the gauge panel and it's time to get to the upline and ascend. Man, what a dive. We need about 3 more dives to go back and investigate the Florida in more detail.

Today, our last day. Our hope was to return to the Florida. However, the wind was picking up, so we did the Windiate instead. Not a bad consolation prize. The viz was a little disappointing on the way down. But when Steve and I hit the top of the forward mast at 90', we could clearly see the entire wreck below us. We could see the other buddy team, Marshall and Renee, swimming around the wheel at the stern. We dropped to the deck some 70 feet below the top of the mast. We swim around the bow, with anchors still there. Heading to the stern, we check out the sail hoops and booms still attached to the masts. There are even some small brass grommets (from the sails?) lying at the base of one of the masts. We swim around the wheel at the stern and drop to the bottom (about 180'). The yawl boat is on the bottom on the starboard side. Time to head forward to the line. We swim forward and I marvel at the hatch covers still in place. She surely must have settled slowly to have remained this intact. Before we know it, it's time to head up.

The lake was still behaving herself and the ride back in was pleasant. One on shore however, the wind came up and within 30 minutes, it blowing hard.

The trip, of course, was too short. We had a great time, great dives, and great friendship. The best epitaph for a trip like this is "Just wait until next year!!!"

New Trips, New Course Dates

It's been a busy few days. After a slow start to the season, people are starting to come out of the woodwork to inquire about classes. Here's a quick rundown of what's happening. Go to my website for more details. New course dates are on the "Calendar" page. Trip info is on the "Trips" page (oddly enough).

July 12-15 I'm diving Lake Huron in the Presque Isle Michigan area. Wrecks around there include the Cornelia B. Windiate, the SS Florida, and the Kyle Spangler. I have one spot available. You must be a certified Trimix Diver with significant Great Lakes diving experience.

August 11-14 I'm heading up to the 1000 Islands region of the St. Lawrence River (near Brockville, ON). I'll be working with Advanced Wreck Diver candidates but have room on the boat for a few divers who would like to go along. As my students and I will be doing wreck penetration, depths will be within recreational guidelines (130' or less). The only possible exception may be Friday 8/14 when we may do a deeper technical dive.

August 22-23 I will be beginning a TDI Advanced Nitrox/Deco Procedures course at Gilboa Quary (near Findlay, OH). This initial weekend will consist of academic training as well as several dives Saturday and Sunday. The course completion dives will be conducted in September either on a Great Lakes charter or back at Gilboa.

If you're interested in any of these trips or classes, drop me a note and I'll be happy to discuss details.

June Intro to Tech Course

I'm teaching a TDI Intro to Tech course June 20-21 at Gilboa Quarry near Findlay, OH. I have room for 2 more students. More information about the course can be found here on my website.

If you're interested, e-mail me for details.

NACD Conference Presentation

I've just agreed to be a presenter at the 41st Annual Seminar of the National Association for Cave Diving (click on the image at left for more info about the seminar).

You're probably wondering what in the world a Great Lakes wreck diver is doing speaking at a cave diving conference in Florida. Not a bad question. The seminar is not strictly about cave diving, despite the fact that it's sponsored by NACD. It's more about diving in overhead environments than strictly cave diving.

Marshall Allan and I will be presenting our video of the wreck of the North Wind, which features a lot of wreck penetration. Also featured in this year's seminar will be Steve Lewis, wreck diving luminary and tech diving guru talking about the application of cave techniques to wreck diving.

I'm looking forward to heading south in November and attending the seminar, seeing old friends, making new ones and getting in a bit of diving after the show.

Spring has Sprung

It seems that warm weather has finally arrived in Northwest Ohio. I can tell because I have to spend way too much time on yard work now. I've managed to squeeze in a few dives though, and it feels good to get back into the water.

I have an Adv. Nitrox/Deco Procedures course coming up June 6-7 which is fully enrolled. I'm going to add another Adv. Nitrox/Deco course towards the end of the month, perhaps June 19-20. If you, or anyone you know, is interested, contact me for more info.

I also have several people interested in Advanced Wreck this year. Dates aren't set yet, so if you're interested in participating, let me know so you can have a say in the schedule. It looks as if we'll be do the course in the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River. After last year's successful trip, I'm getting tons of requests to run more courses over there.

Lastly, I'm taking a few days off in July to dive the fabulous wrecks in the Presque Isle area of Lake Huron. A few friends and I are going up to dive wrecks like the and the Cornelia B. Windiate and the SS Florida.

That's it for now. Safe diving to all.

Course Dates Added

I've added two course dates to my 2009 schedule.

I'll be conducting a TDI Intro to Tech course at White Star Quarry (Gibsonburg, OH) on April 18-19. The objective of this course is to familiarize students with technical gear configurations, to enhance open water diving skills (such as buoyancy, trim, and situational awareness), and to introduce students to advanced gas planning techniques within a no-decompression context. This course is strictly a no-decompression course; students are permitted to use Enriched Air Nitrox mixes, provided the gas mix is within their current level of certification. This a very exciting, new course. It can be conducted in as little as one weekend. You may participate in the course using your own standard open water dive equipment.

On June 6 and 7, I'll conduct the academics and quarry dives for TDI Advanced Nitrox/Deco Procedures. This is the entry level technical diving course. Advanced Nitrox examines the use of EAN 21 through 100% (oxygen) for optimal mixes to a depth of 150fsw/45msw. The object of this course is to train divers in the benefits, hazards and proper procedures for utilizing EAN 21 through 100% (oxygen). Decompression Procedures examines the theory, methods and procedures of planned stage decompression diving. The objective of this course is to train divers how to plan and conduct a standard staged decompression dive not exceeding a maximum depth of 150fsw. The most common equipment requirements, gear set-ups, decompression techniques and decompression mixtures (including oxygen and nitrox) are presented, with an emphasis on streamlined configuration, thorough planning and a team approach.

By combining these courses, students are able to safely plan and conduct decompression dives (Deco Procedures course) and enjoy the benefits of using oxygen-rich gasses to aid decompression (Advanced Nitrox course).

If you (or someone you know) may be interested in either of these courses, please contact me.

2009 is Here

The new year is here, and actually not all that new anymore. If you're like me, the few warm days we had this week turned your thoughts to diving. If you're considering advanced dive training this summer, now is the time to contact me to arrange a program.

I offer an extensive range of courses from SDI/TDI, including Nitrox Diver, Wreck Diver, Advanced Wreck Diver, Adv. Nitrox/Deco Procedures, Trimix Diver and others. See my website for more detailed course descriptions. Or e-mail me with specific questions.