Great Lakes Tech Diving

Presque Isle Trip Report 2011

2011-07-27T15:00:00.004-04:00

Wow, what a busy summer this has been so far. I can't believe I haven't posted anything here in almost two months. I've done lots of dives around the Great Lakes and haven't had time to do proper reports about them. Most recently, I led a group to Presque Isle, MI to dive the wrecks in that particular area of Lake Huron.

Lake Huron near Rogers City south to Presque Isle and Alpena, MI boasts some of the best shipwrecks in all the Great Lakes. This was the third year in a row I've run trips up to that area and every year we have an awesome time. The area is known for wrecks like the Cornelia B. Windiate and the Florida . This year, we wanted to get on some of the wrecks we had not visited in prior trips.

Perhaps my favorite wreck this trip was the Norman. Presque Isle is known for its sunken fleet of intact wooden schooners, so diving a nearly 300' steel steamer was kind of a nice change. We did two dives on the Norman since she is so big, and there's still plenty I'd like to go back and explore. The Norman was a victim of a collision which nearly cut her in half. She lies upright on the bottom with a list to port. The remains of the pilot house lie on the bottom next to her. You can easily see the large double wheel in the debris. The bow area offers opportunities for penetration. Since she was running empty at the time of her loss, it's easy to swim through her double-decker cargo holds. The boiler room and engine room can both be penetrated, but the engine has some tight spots, so this an area only for those properly trained, equipped and experienced. The debris field next to the wreck is interesting to swim through. The ship's yawl boat sits on the bottom next to the wreck. You can see various items ranging from the ship's smokestack to ventilators (dorades) to plates.

The other two wrecks we dove were wooden schooners: the Defiance and the Kyle Spangler. I've written about the Spangler in previous trip reports, so I'll tell you a bit about the Defiance. The Defiance was yet another victim of collision. Most of the wrecks in this area sunk due to collision. In the 19th century, shipping lanes on the Great Lakes were ill-defined and the lanes for upbound and downbound traffic converged near Thunder Bay. Combine the close proximity of northbound and southbound traffic with poor visibility like fog or the dark of night, and it's easy to see why so many ships ran into each other in this particular stretch of the lake.

So in October 1854, the Defiance and John J. Audubon found themselves in exactly this situation. The Defiance was southbound while the Audubon was northbound. Around 1 a.m., the two ships collided in fog and darkness. Both ships sank, however both crews were able to escape in lifeboats. The wrecks now sit a few miles apart on the bottom of Lake Huron.

The Defiance sits upright on the bottom with both of her masts still standing. The cross trees (Great Lakes equivalent of a crow's nest) stand at about 110' of depth, while the main deck is at about 180'. It was quite a breathtaking sight on our descent to reach the top of the mast and see the entire ship below us. It made me think about those sailors that stood aloft in the course of their duties. I can't imagine standing 70' above the deck, swaying back and forth like a pendulum. The wreck is small, as most Great Lakes schooners are, only about 110' long. There is very little damage to the bow area and the rest of the ship is intact. Swimming along the deck you'll see the capstan, the centerboard winch, various booms and rigging. One of the most interesting features in my opinion is the absence of a wheel. Some schooners were not steered by wheels, but by tillers. And so, at the stern of the Defiance, one finds a very large tiller.

We didn't dive the Audubon on this trip, but I have in the past and will again in the future. There are a few interesting trivia notes about the Audubon. First, it was one of the few brigs to sail the Great Lakes. Most vessels on the Great Lakes were rigged fore and aft, meaning that the sails ran down the centerline of the ship like a modern day sailboat. The Audubon however, was square-rigged, with the sails perpendicular to the ship's centerline (think 18th century pirate ship). Also, the Audubon was in her first year of service at the time of her loss.

Presque Isle 2011 couldn't have gone better. We executed four dives, saw some new wrecks, enjoyed calm seas and found the best ribs in northern Michigan! Thanks to Greg Such (www.shipwreckadventures.com) for providing top notch charter service once again this year. For more information about these and other wrecks in the area, including 3D animations of each wreck site, go to this website.

Cross One Off the Bucket List

2011-06-06T13:11:00.004-04:00

The story of the Daniel J. Morrell has intrigued me since I first read about it as a young teenager. She was a classic Great Lakes freighter just shy of 600 feet in length. By November of 1966, she was 60 years old. She was upbound on Lake Huron fighting the kind of November storm that the Great Lakes are known for. Just off the "thumb" of Michigan, she broke in half. The stern section, still under power, pushed the severed bow section aside and steamed another 5 miles before finally sinking. Of the 29 crewmen, only one survived.

Neither section of the Morrell wreckage is easy to get to. Both sections lie rather far from shore so near perfect weather is required to make the journey. Aside from weather, finding a charter boat is no easy task either. There aren't many charter boats in the area, so to coordinate boat availability with the weather and personal schedules makes it difficult to dive the Morrell. I have however made it out to the bow section several times. I've always wanted to dive the stern section, but was never able to pull it off. That is, until Friday.

Early last week I saw a Facebook post by charter captain Greg Such that he and his passengers had just finished a great dive on the stern of the Morrell. I posted something to the effect that I've wanted to dive the stern for years and I wished that I had known he was going to be in the neighborhood. I asked him to let me know the next time he was running charters around the Morrell and maybe I could join him. He replied, "How about Friday?" That was all the motivation I needed. I began the process of readjusting work and personal schedules to free up my Friday. I called my buddy, Marshall Allan, and he started rearranging his schedule.

Friday morning we met Greg, Tyler and Mike in Port Austin, MI. There was not a hint of breeze and the lake was flat. We loaded up and headed out. The weather was perfect, with sunny blue skies and flat water. By 8:30 am Marshall and I were on our way down the mooring line.

We arrived on the stern at about 175'. The image of the stern coming into view is indescribable. The wreck is quite intact; even the funnel is still standing. We dropped into the engine room through the skylight. Everything is there, still in place just as she went down. Everywhere I turn is a different, yet remarkable reminder of the ship and her fate. Machinery, tools, even the light bulbs are still intact in their fixtures.

Back outside, we swim past the auxiliary helm and drop down to deck level. We swim around the aft deck house and peek into open doors. We can see into the galley. We see a sink and toilet in what was obviously crew accommodations.

The open doors invite us in for further exploration, but our time is gone. Time to begin the long ascent. The 37 degree (F) water hadn't bothered me during the dive. But as we stopped at 100' for our first decompression stop a little chill ran through me. "Damn," I thought to myself, "Another 50 minutes of deco and it's not going to get any warmer." Actually I was wrong. By the time we got to the surface, the temperature had risen to 38 degrees!

Back on the boat, we lounged in the sunshine and warmed up. What a great day. Great weather, great company and a great (and safe) dive. As I suspected, this first dive of the stern of the Morrell only whets my appetite for more. On the drive back home, Marshall and I started figuring out how we can get back out for more dives.

After I got home, I checked "The Great Lakes Diving Guide" by Cris Kohl to see if he mentions any interesting historical nuggets I may have missed. He only devotes two sentences to the Morrell stern, one of which reads: "It (the stern) lies slightly deeper than the bow, but not quite as interesting." Cris, you're a great guy and a fountain of Great Lakes lore, but I couldn't disagree with you more on this point!

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

2011-01-22T13:13:00.002-05:00

I recently read a post on The Deco Stop from someone looking for a technical diving instructor. One of the answers struck me as particularly astute. In part, it said:

"Who do you intend to dive with?

Find a community of divers. Some should be ahead of you. Find out who they recommend. Then work into that community.

It worries me when people just decide to become a tech diver on their own. Who will they dive with? Who will they work with to develop skills before moving onto the next class? or do they just intend to move from class to class until, 12-20 dives later, they're "full trimix" certified and about to do their first dive with a non-instructor to depth?" (Andrew Ainslie). The full thread can be viewed here.

I think Andrew makes a good point. A sense of community and mentorship has traditionally been an important part of diving. Thinking back over my own diving career, I realize just how important being part of an active dive community is. When I was coming up through the ranks, so to speak, I was very fortunate to be in a group of divers that, even though they were far more experienced than me, were willing to dive with me and share their wisdom. Through the years, the more experienced guys in the group dropped out of diving and as my competency grew, I moved up the chain until I was one of the more experienced in the group.

While there are certainly still many groups of divers who enjoy diving together and learning from each other, there are a large number of divers who do not belong to a dive community. To these folks, I'd say don't rush through classes one after the other. Take a course, gain experience at that level, and then move on. Find a group of like-minded divers and get out there and dive.

One of my goals as a dive instructor is to grow the technical diving community. In addition to teaching courses, I try to offer diving opportunities that people can participate in without signing up for a course. I try to publicize my dives, whether they be at a local quarry or out on a charter boat, to try to encourage people to keep diving.

So take time to enjoy the present. If you've just taken Adv. Nitrox/Deco Procedures, don't rush right into Trimix Diver so you can "get to 200'." Enjoy the wrecks around 150'. Get used to decompression diving. Build your skills. Have fun. When you're ready, move on. In the long run, you'll have more fun and be a more competent diver.

2011 Course Schedule

2011-01-10T14:49:00.002-05:00

Christmas is over. 2010 has come and gone and 2011 is under way. For me, winter means time to relax from the previous hectic summer and start planning the next busy dive season. My course schedule (as it stands so far), is posted on my website.

Please bear in mind that schedules are always a work in progress. So, if you're interested in a course but can't make the dates I have on the calendar, drop me a note and we'll work out a schedule to fit your needs. Likewise, if you don't see a course listed that you're interested in, let me know. I don't have dates set for every class I teach, so feel free to contact me regarding other classes.

Stay warm and enjoy the winter, only 69 days until spring!

New E-mail Service

2010-12-10T18:47:00.002-05:00

My e-mail address book has gotten out of control. There are so many people in it and every time I want to send an e-mail about a particular course or trip I'm offering, I agonize over whom I should send it to and who I should leave out. I don't like sending messages to everyone in the book every time, because that's just plain annoying.

So if you'd like to receive occasional e-mails from me about courses or trips, please take a few seconds to fill out and submit the form below.

Thanks for your continued support,

Rick Kruzel

10 Dive-Related Things to do Over Winter

2010-11-19T13:44:00.003-05:00

Go Diving! A dive vacation to an exotic destination is always nice, but if that's not in the cards, you can dive many inland lakes and quarries almost year round. Many dive stores also offer the opportunity to pool dive over the winter to help keep your skills sharp.
Take a Course There are many dive-related classes you can take over winter that don't require open water dives. Nitrox Diver, Gas Blender, CPR, First Aid, and Oxygen Provider are just a few.
Service Your Dive Gear Many divers pack their equipment off to a corner at the end of the season. When spring comes, they join the rush to get their regulators and other equipment serviced. Avoid the crowd and take those tanks and regulators in now. You'll avoid the spring rush, potential first-of-the-year price increases and you'll be ready to hit the water next spring.
Start Planning for Next Season If there's a class or trip you want to participate in next year, sign up now. Popular charter boats and instructors book up quickly, so don't wait until next summer to start planning.
Turn a Friend On On to diving that is. If you have a friend who has expressed interest in diving, take the time to accompany them to your LDS, introduce them to the staff and help them enroll in a "try scuba experience."
Go to a Dive Show The next best thing to diving is hanging around with other divers and talking about diving. There are dive shows all over the world. You can go to the big ones like Beneath the Sea, Our World Underwater or Scuba Show, but there are tons of regional dive shows closer to home too.
Get Fit Physical fitness not only benefits you as a diver, but also in general, as a human being. Make it a goal to start next dive season in better physical condition than last year.
Edit Video/Sort Photos If you shoot video or stills, you probably have a ton of unedited work laying around from the dive season. Now's the time to edit that video or put those photos together into slide shows. Otherwise, all that work will end up in a box in the closet when the season begins in spring.
Read Books/Watch Videos Pick up some books or videos about diving, your favorite dive destination, your favorite shipwreck, or whatever.
And finally number 10 Check in on your favorite blog and diving websites (www.GreatLakesTechDiving.com) from time to time. I'll be adding trips and classes over the winter. Contact me if there's anything specific you'd like me to offer in 2011.

The Importance of Choosing an Instructor

2010-09-21T14:16:00.000-04:00

This may seem an odd post, coming at the end of the season when most people are hanging up their fins for the winter rather than signing up for a scuba course, but some recent conversations have brought this topic back to mind so I thought I'd share some thoughts. While framed in the context of technical diver training, these notions, I think, apply equally to recreational training.
This piece is based on advice passed on through the technical diving community for decades.

The first thing you need to do is to figure out what you want to get out of your course; no matter what level of training you desire. Different instructors have different philosophies and may teach the same course in completely different manners. All courses are not equal (even if both instructors teach through the same agency). It's critical for you to choose an instructor who is offering the course that meshes with your wants/needs.

But how do you find the "right" instructor? You have to be an active, rather than passive consumer. You have to do your homework and actively search out training options. Talk to several instructors about the course you're interested in taking and treat these conversations as job interviews. You are interviewing this instructor to see if you want to hire him/her to train you.

Ask your prospective instructor about his/her experience in the particular area that the course covers. If you're interested in a wreck diving in the Great Lakes, ask the instructor about his/her experience in Great Lakes wreck diving. If he/she isn't actively engaged in the type of diving you want to do, keep looking.
Ask about the balance between teaching and personal diving. If the instructor's dive log is crammed with 20' training dives in the local quarry, but lacking in quality, challenging and fulfilling personal dives, again, keep looking (unless you want to learn how to do 20' dives in a quarry).
Ask about details of the course. What topics are covered, how many dives are conducted, where are the dives conducted, etc. Again, not all courses are equal. One instructor may offer a course that covers the basics, while another may go into greater detail. One may conduct dives only at the quarry, while another may add open ocean of Great Lakes dives.
See if there's a rapport between you and the instructor. It's no surprise that not everyone gets along. There may be lots of competent instructors, but that won't give you much solace if you take a class from a competent instructor that you really, really don't get along with. You don't have to be BFF's, but you need some sort of amicable relationship, especially at the more complex levels of diver training.

That gives you an idea of what I'm talking about. I'm sure you can think of additional questions. The bottom line here is to be proactive. By investing some time and doing research, you will hopefully avoid a disappointing course experience and have the diving experience of your life.

New Helitrox Course!

2010-08-11T14:57:00.003-04:00

I'm happy to announce an exciting new course option: Helitrox. Helitrox is a breathing gas with up to 20% helium. Since helium is virtually non-narcotic under pressure, adding it to our gas allows us to manage or nitrogen narcosis exposure.

I'm offering Helitrox certification as part of the Adv. Nitrox/Decompression Procedures program. I think Helitrox adds a vital, missing piece of the Adv. Nitrox/Deco Procedures course when taught in the Great Lakes. Adv. Nitrox/Deco Procedures trains you to conduct dives requiring staged decompression to a maximum depth of 150' and use oxygen-rich mixtures as decompression gasses. But we were limited to using air or nitrox as bottom gas. However, using air in the Great Lakes at 150' is not always a good choice. The cold water and limited visibility can exacerbate nitrogen narcosis even as "shallow" as 150'. With the addition of the Helitrox certification, we can add up to 20% helium to our bottom gas which gives us the equivalent narcotic dose as breathing air at 100'.

I am forming an Adv. Nitrox/Deco Procedures/Helitrox course for September. Contact me (rick@greatlakestechdiving.com) quickly if you're interested or have questions.

Bartender, Another Martini!

2010-08-03T14:59:00.002-04:00

Remember when Nitrogen Narcosis was called Martini's Law? The theory goes that the narcotic effect of nitrogen is similar to consuming one martini for every 33 ft of depth. So if you dive to 33 ft., you feel as if you'd had one martini, 66 ft would be equivalent to two martinis, 99 ft, three martinis and so on. It sounds silly now, but it sounded reasonable when Lloyd Bridges said it on the television show Seahunt.

Our knowledge of Nitrogen Narcosis and its effect has grown a little since "Martini's Law," and one of the most profound advances was the realization that if we added helium to our breathing mix, we could limit the amount of nitrogen and hence manage our narcosis level. Mixed gas diving has been around for a long time in commercial applications, but it's only gotten popular in recreational/technical diving in the last 10 years or so. There are myriad diving courses teaching the use of helium mixes in various forms (trimix, triox, heliox, heliair, helitrox, ad nauseum) for use at various depths.

I would like to pose a question: at what depth here in the Great Lakes do you need to start adding helium to the mix? Traditionally, the entry level technical diving courses have taught the use of air or nitrox to a depth of about 150'. Students not comfortable diving air to that depth either have to limit their depth, or take a more advanced course like Trimix Diver to be able to utilize helium-based mixes. Do you think there is value in adding a module to the entry level courses, like Adv. Nitrox/Deco, that would cover using limited helium-based mixes. Many organizations offer such courses, I'm just wondering how many people see the value in making "trimix lite" available at the Adv. Nitrox/Deco level, or do you feel breathing air to 150' is fine and we should leave the helium alone until divers take the full Trimix Diver course?

Presque Isle 2010

2010-07-26T10:32:00.002-04:00

Wow. I just got back from 4 days of diving at Presque Isle, MI and it seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye. The 2010 dive season continues to be one of the best in recent memory. We've had excellent weather all summer with no dives canceled due to bad weather.

Presque Isle is a small community situated between Alpena and Rogers City, MI, on the shores of Lake Huron. Our group consisted of five divers (Mike, Marshall, Renee, Eric and yours truly), my wife and daughter. Once again this year we chartered with Greg Such (www.shipwreckadventures.com). Greg's an easygoing guy who works hard to make sure you get quality dives every day. The weather and sea conditions were pretty consistent all 4 days: partly cloudy, mid to upper 70's (F) with no wind. Waves were 2 feet or less with most of the days in the "or less" category. Water temperature was the usual 40-ish degrees on the bottom and 65 degrees at the surface.

Our first dive was on the S.S. Florida. She's a big wooden steamer, nearly intact. The surface water was crystal clear, but as we descended, the water got cloudier and greener. Just as I was resigning myself to a dive in mediocre visibility, the water magically cleared and the entire wreck came into view some 70' below me. We found the same visibility pattern on the rest of the wrecks as well; clear at the surface, clear at the bottom, and a cloudy layer from about 50' to 130'. The visibility at the wreck was outstanding. If I put a number to it, you probably wouldn't believe me, but it was greater than 50'. The Florida is a lot of fun to dive and so big you can barely cover her in one dive. We saw the forward capstan cover on which you can still read the engraved name even though time is finally catching up and has deteriorated this great artifact. You can also dip down into the holds and view a time capsule of bygone days: barrels of flour and other bulk goods, rusted together cans of something, stacks of pots, pans, coffee pots and all manner of other goods. The rear of the wreck is broken, allowing easy access to the engine, where you can still see the gauge panel. Overall, it was an amazing first dive.

The second day we dove the Cornelia B. Windiate, a beautifully intact schooner sitting upright on the bottom in about 175'. The Windiate is not your run of the mill schooner; she seems to have been built with the graceful lines of a pleasure yacht than a working cargo ship. Outstanding features of this wreck are the forward mast (still standing), the wheel and the yawl boat. Another unique feature of the wreck is its overall condition. She seems to have been placed on the lake bottom. There is no obvious damage to her. The aft cabin and cargo hatches are still in place. These are usually the first things to get blown off by escaping air as the ship sinks. These clues tell us that she sank very slowly.

Our next dive was on the Typo, a new wreck for us. The Typo is, can anyone guess? ...... anyone?.....anyone?......Bueller?...... a wooden schooner. Do you see a pattern developing? Many of the wrecks around Presque Isle date back to the golden age of Great Lakes shipping, when thousands of vessels plied the waters of the lakes. I think the most impressive part of the Typo has to be her bow, which is perfectly intact and undamaged from sinking. To swim beyond the tip of her bowspirit and look back at the ship is awe-inspiring. Looking down the bowspirit, you see chains hanging, the anchors perched on the bow, the graceful curve of the hull. I'm not sure why we never made a point of getting to the Typo before, but we will certainly dive her again when we return.

The weather deity granted us almost flat calm seas the first three days of our trip. When we arrived at the marina on our fourth and final day, the flag was flopping around in a light breeze. Certainly not bad enough to cancel the dive, but we had gotten spoiled the first few days. The lake was giving us two foot swells to deal with, not bad, but enough to be annoying. We had saved the Kyle Spangler for our last dive. The Spangler is the closest wreck to shore, so it's a quick trip out and back allowing us to get on the road home by lunch time. Because she's a little closer to shore, she's also less affected by wind than sites further out. I'm doing the Spangler a disservice by painting her as the "consolation prize," a wreck you dive when nothing else is possible. She may well be the best wreck we dove. You may be expecting me to say that she's a nearly intact, wooden schooner. But no, something new and different here! She's a wooden brig! Most sailing ships on the Great Lakes were in fact three masted schooners. Less common were two masted brigs. Presque Isle actually has wrecks of two brigs: the Spangler and the Audubon. The Spangler sits with a slight starboard list on the bottom of Lake Huron in about 170' of water. Both masts are still standing, the wheel stands ready for the next helmsman to take over. The name board is still legible on her port side, kept clear of zebra mussels by visiting divers. The Spangler was an excellent last dive of the trip and I remember ascending the mooring line looking down at her, watching her fade into the haze as I ascended.

And so, another successful trip goes into the logbook. Four days, four dives. You can't hope for more than that.

Lake Huron Trip Report

2010-07-12T10:45:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note to update everyone. This past weekend (July 10-11, 2010), we once again dove the Charles A. King in Lake Huron. Marshall Allan, Renee Allan, Mike Cameron and I drove up to Harbor Beach, MI Friday morning hoping to get in an afternoon dive on the King to shoot video and stills. Unfortunately, that was not to be. Capt. Gary Venet (www.rectecdivecharters.com) was bringing his boat up from Port Sanilac and estimated he'd be in Harbor Beach between 1 pm and 2 pm. The lake wasn't behaving though and kicked up some pretty good waves, delaying his arrival in Harbor Beach until a little after 3. No one was too interested in heading out given the lake conditions, so we prepped gear and loaded it onto to the boat for Saturday morning.

Luckily the wind died Friday night and the lake laid down quite nicely. Both Saturday and Sunday were quite calm, with sunny, blue skies overhead. Joining us on Saturday were James Mosely and Trimix Diver candidate Eric Field. On Sunday, divers Jack Papes and Ken Farnsworth joined our group.

We were treated to two nice dives on the King. Gary always does a great job and Tom and Charlie are always willing to lend a hand. The King is an amazing dive. She was recently discovered and has been visited by many divers yet. See my previous post for more details about the wreck itself.

First Dive on the King

2010-06-21T09:54:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was my first dive on the Charles A. King
, a two masted schooner, 140' x 30' sitting upright in 215 feet of water. The wreck lies on the bottom of Lake Huron off the town of Harbor Beach, MI.

The story of the King's recent discovery starts about 3 years ago. I was diving from the Sylvia Anne, an awesome charter boat operated by Capt. Gary Venet (www.rectecdivecharters.com). He spotted a large, odd-looking ship in the distance. As it turned out, it was the Lake Guardian,an EPA research vessel heading down to Lake Erie to take water samples for a water quality survey. As they headed south on Lake Huron, they were testing their side scan sonar. Gary got into a conversation with them on the radio and when they found out he operated a wreck diving charter, they told him they had some hits on the side scan and wondered if he wanted the coordinates.

In the intervening years, I often asked Gary what he did with those numbers. He always politely answered, "Oh, we haven't had a chance to get out there yet." In reality though, he had investigated and one of the hits turned out to be a nearly intact schooner, upright on the bottom in just over 200' of water. He and his partners fully investigated the wreck and eventually identified her as the Charles A. King, named for a prominent businessman and former mayor of Toledo, OH.

2010 is the first year that Gary is offering public charters to the King. I jumped at the chance to dive a recently discovered wreck for the first time. I headed up to Harbor Beach Saturday evening with Marshall Allan. Another of our dive buddies, Dale Musser, had already checked in to the motel, as had a trimix student of mine, Andy Morrison (the world-renowned photographer).

Sunday morning dawned clear and bright with not a hint of breeze. At the marina, the flags hung limp on the flag pole. We wasted no time loading the boat and getting out to the wreck. Andy I were in no particular hurry, so we let everyone else get in the water and we went in last.

Dropping down the mooring line, we encountered the top of the foremast at about 130'. From there it was another 70' down to the deck, which is at about 195'. The forward part of the wreck is the most intact. The anchors are still on the bow, as is the windlass. The King was a canal schooner, so her bowspirit was made to fold back on her deck to fit through the locks. As she sits today, the bowspirit is indeed folded back. Gary and his buddy Tom Mehringer theorize that it folded back when she hit the bottom of Lake Huron stern first.

Moving towards the stern, we find deadeyes, lots of steel wire rigging, the capstan and other artifacts. I agree with Tom and Gary; it does appear she hit the lake bottom stern first. There is moderate damage at the stern with the cabin gone and the transom spring. The ship's wheel is still there and easily recognizable despite it's coating of zebra mussels. The ship's stove is on the bottom next to ship. Be sure to have a close look at the drawing above by Robert McGreevy (www.mcgreevy.com).

Andy and I work our way back to the bow and the ascent line. After almost an hour of ascent time we board the boat. The wind was still calm and we had a nice boat ride back to the harbor.

I'm really excited to have a "new" wreck to dive and we couldn't have had a better first dive on her than the one we had yesterday.

Calendar Shuffle

2010-06-16T15:56:00.002-04:00

Due to high demand for courses on certain weekends and no demand for other weekends, I've shifted the dates of two activities.

First, the Advanced Nitrox/Deco Procedures course scheduled for July 17-18 at Gilboa quarry has been moved to July 31 and Aug. 1. I discovered Gilboa is running this year's Guinness Worlds Record Attempt July 17-18 so I thought we'd better move the course date.

The August 1000 Islands trip has been shifted one week to August 17 through the 20th.

Summer is going fast (I can't believe it's the middle of June already), so if you want to expand your diving this year, call or email me quickly before all the dates are filled.

What a Weekend!

2010-05-24T10:09:00.002-04:00

Whew! What a weekend. I taught an Intro to Tech course this weekend and I think it may have been the best group I've had to date.

All three students are experienced recreational divers but not really experienced Great Lakes divers. Two of the guys are relatively new to drysuits and none have ever dove in doubles. We started out Friday evening at Marshall and Renee Allan's house, home of Bad Frog Divers, and where most of my equipment resides when I'm not actually underwater. Two of the guys wanted to try doubles, so we spent Friday night on equipment rigging. Marshall graciously offered to load all the equipment into his nice enclosed trailer and pull it out to the quarry Saturday so we could use it as our base of operations.

Saturday morning found us at White Star quarry in Gibsonburg, OH. We started with some "classroom" work followed by our first dive. Having two thirds of my class in doubles for the first time could have been quite a challenge. I figured they'd descend and impale themselves into the bottom like a lawn dart. Much to my delight, they both descended in a very controlled fashion and adapted to well to the new equipment config. On dive one we mainly focused on buoyancy, trim and propulsion.

After a break for lunch and a dive briefing, it was back in the water for another dive. This time we tried manifold drills for those in doubles, did a timed swim to calculate consumption rates and deployed lift bags. The liftbag drill was definitely a learning experience. We did accomplish the task, but suffice it to say it wasn't pretty!

Sunday was a beautiful day; sunny and mid 80's. We again started with some classroom briefing and swapped out some gear so everybody had an opportunity to try different equipment set ups. We got into the water and and again checked buoyancy and trim by swimming through the PVC diamond obstacle course. I also threw some OOA scenarios at them when they least expected it. I think the students learned the value of a 7' hose during that set of exercises. We also did some mask clearing and other basic skills. We also did liftbag deployment again. This time it went much more smoothly. Students deployed bags and we reeled up to 15' where we hovered for our safety stop.

After our exit, we debriefed he dive and were ready to head for home. I really enjoy introducing people to some of the principles and techniques of technical diving. I think it's a valuablr experience for these students to get a taste of tech diving before committing to an Adv. Nitrox/Deco course and they really enjoy and appreciate the chance to try different equipment styles and configurations. I really enjoyed diving with these guys and hope they continue to get more involved in Great Lakes diving.

Dive Season is Here, Go Diving!

2010-05-03T12:05:00.002-04:00

May is finally here. It's sunny and 70 degrees outside. I'd rather be out diving today instead of working in my office in the basement of a 3 story building, but that's the way it goes.

Last season was a rough one, what with the economy being in the toilet and all. Based on my own experience and conversations with other instructors, dives stores and charter captains in this part of the Great Lakes, this year is off to a sluggish start. My guess is that even though the economy may be beginning to show signs of life, people are being cautious and not committing to dive trips or classes too far in advance.

So here's hoping this season is better than last. The weather is getting nice, charter boats are back in the water, local dive stores are starting up local dives, so dust off your dive gear and go diving. Take a course, go out on a charter boat, go to the local quarry, it doesn't matter what kind of diving you do, but let's get this season going.

July Advanced Nitrox/Deco Course Added

2010-03-23T11:29:00.002-04:00

I've added another Advanced Nitrox/Decompression Procedures course for the summer. The course will begin July 17-18 at Gilboa Quarry near Findlay, OH. Course completion dives will take place Aug. 10-13 in the 1000 Islands (Rockport, ON).

This is the first technical diving course in the TDI course structure. In a nutshell, Advanced Nitrox covers the proper utilization of all nitrox mixtures up to and including 100% oxygen. The Decompression Procedures course covers procedures, techniques, planning and execution of dives requiring staged decompression to a maximum depth of 150 fsw. Equipment configuration is also covered, including the use of one decompression cylinder.

Contact me at 419-290-0014 or email rick@GreatLakesTechDiving.com for information. Also feel free to visit my website for more course descriptions, www.GreatLakesTechDiving.com.

Trimix Diver Course/Presque Isle Charter Package

2010-03-13T20:03:00.003-05:00

This year, I'm offering an incredible package deal on the TDI Trimix Diver course with a 4 day wreck diving charter included. The normal cost of the TDI Trimix Diver course is $900. The cost of the Lake Huron wreck diving charter is $600, for a total of $1500. I have two spaces available on this charter and will offer the course AND charter for $1000, saving you $500!

The charter is in Lake Huron near Presque Isle, MI July 22-25, 2010. This area features some of the best wrecks in Lake Huron; ships like the Windiate, Kyle Spangler and S.S. Florida. Go back a few entries in this blog and read the trip report from 2009. We're going back this July to explore these fantastic wrecks some more.

The TDI Trimix Diver course introduces you to helium-based breathing mixtures. We all know that nitrogen is the "bad guy," causing narcosis at depth and messing with our heads. By using replacing nitrogen with non-narcotic helium, we greatly reduce the effects of narcosis. The course will use breathing gasses with a minimum of 18% oxygen to a maximum depth of 200 fsw. The course consists of classroom training, quarry dives, and finally course completion dives in the Great Lakes.

Potential students must meet course prerequisites and be able to complete the classroom and quarry dives prior to the July 22-25 charter. There are only two spots available at this price. $350 deposit required with another $300 due by May 15. Balance is due at the first class meeting. Other rules/limits apply. Contact me for full details. Rick@GreatLakesTechDiving.com

Dive Computers: Useful Tool or Overpriced Toy?

2010-02-12T15:00:00.001-05:00

Almost every recreational diver is familiar with dive computers. Diver-carried computers have become a way of life. The question is: do dive computers have a role in technical diving?

First of all, let me define the scope of this discussion so we’re all on the same page. Let’s limit our discussion to diver-carried computers designed for technical diving. These computers are capable of tracking multiple gasses and computing a decompression schedule. Within this group of dive computers, we can further divide them into computers that are capable of calculating deco schedules for helium-based mixes (“trimix” computers) and those that only deal with mixes containing oxygen and nitrogen (“nitrox” computers). The Liquivision X1, Dive Rite Nitek X and Delta P’s VR3 are examples of so-called “trimix computers” while Dive Rite’s Nitek Duo and Trio are examples of multigas “nitrox” computers.

Next, let me dismiss the idea of using recreational dive computers (i.e. single gas, no decompression) in a technical diving setting (i.e. multiple gasses including trimix and staged decompression). Trying to do this is like using a hammer to drive in a screw: it’s simply the wrong tool for the job.

I am also not going to discuss specific brands and models, nor am I going to attempt to provide some sort of “Buyer’s Guide.” I’m going to discuss the general debate centering on technical dive computers vs. tables and bottom timers.

Historical Perspective

Technical dives are complex and require lots of planning. You have to choose your bottom gas, deco gas(ses), calculate a decompression schedule, calculate the volume of each gas required and factor in contingency plans. Historically, divers have used computer programs on a desktop computer to run various scenarios and come up with the most viable plan for a given set of dive parameters. The software generates a deco schedule which is transferred to a slate or waterproof notebook. During the dive, the diver uses a simple timer and depth gauge to follow the plan.

Since the advent of dive computers specifically designed for technical diving, the debate has raged between the “computer” crowd and the “bottom timer and tables” camp. The computer devotees cite the main advantages of wearing a computer as flexibility (i.e. endless contingency plans on my wrist), accuracy (the computer is calculating deco based on actual depth/time rather than pre-cut tables of what I think depth/time will be) and elimination of human error. The bottom timer advocates cite economy (“I can buy a lot of bottom timers for the cost of one computer”), lack of necessity (tables work fine, why change?) and the notion that a dive computer will become a crutch for divers. Both sides make valid points. Let’s look at a few of these points.

Flexibility Computers do offer great flexibility. If your depth or bottom time should deviate from the planned time or depth, the computer will modify the deco schedule to reflect such variances. If a planned deco gas is not available for some reason, the computer will again modify the deco schedule to account for the loss of this gas. BUT, argue the computer opponents, if you really understand deco theory, you should be able to calculate those kinds of table “tweaks” yourself underwater using only the dive computer between you ears. This leads into the next argument against using computers.

Computers are nothing more than crutches for inept divers. Some argue that if you understand decompression theory and how to apply it, you can generate a reasonable deco schedule off the top of your head, or, as in the example above, modify an existing schedule to account for changes in the dive plan. I think this premise takes a sound concept and takes it to absurd proportions. I do agree that all technical divers should thoroughly understand decompression theory and its application. I believe it is imperative to have a solid foundation in deco theory before one can intelligently use a dive computer. I can’t imagine any instructor advocating that students buy computers in order to avoid learning decompression theory. Remember, a dive computer is a tool. Tools are stupid; they rely on the craftsman to have the skill to use them properly.

Accuracy Proponents of dive computers point out that computers provide a more accurate depiction of the actual dive. Most technical divers using desktop software plan a dive as a square profile, that is, the diver descends to maximum depth, remains there for the entire bottom time, and then begins a direct ascent to the surface. In reality, the depths of the dive may vary during the dive and the square profile may generate an unnecessarily long deco schedule. The computer, however, is constantly calculating and re-calculating the deco schedule based on current dive parameters.

No discussion of dive computers would be complete without mentioning cost. There’s no denying the fact that computers for technical diving are expensive. While a multi-gas nitrox computer may only cost several hundred dollars, a sophisticated multi-gas trimix computer will set you back over one thousand dollars, with some close to two thousand. Are dive computers worth the expense? That’s a personal decision each diver must make for him/herself.

Conclusion

Whichever tool you decide to use to manage decompression planning, it must be a team decision. Team members must communicate and agree on procedures for the dive. All members of the dive team must use the same gasses, follow the same profile and use the same decompression planning tools.

No matter what dive computer or desktop software package you use, you should:

• Understand decompression theory and its application
• Know how the software you are using functions and use it only within its stated parameters
• Consult with dive team members when planning dives so you are all on the same page
• Use decompression planning tools conservatively
• Dive within the capabilities, limitations and certification levels of the least experienced team member

In technical diving, there should be no egos within the team. You should be absolutely comfortable talking with and asking questions of your teammates. After all, you are placing your life in their hands and they are doing likewise.

Choosing a Technical Diving Instructor

2010-02-05T11:22:00.004-05:00

Technical diving is a risky venture. Let’s have no illusions about it, scuba diving, especially technical diving, can kill you. So choosing the person who is going to train you in this risky endeavor should not be taken lightly. When I began the process of becoming a technical diving, I was lucky enough to get some very good advice from others who had gone down this road before me. I’d like to share that advice and also describe my own philosophy towards technical diver training.

Choose an instructor who is doing the kinds of dives you would like to do. If you want to do deep trimix dives on wrecks like the Gunilda, then choose an instructor who is doing dives like that. If your aspiration is to dive deep wrecks in the Great Lakes, then choosing an instructor who primarily dives only in the Caribbean, or on training dives with students in a quarry, probably isn’t going to give you the best results.

Avoid instructors who only dive when teaching. Instructors are divers too. We need time to do our own “fun” dives in order to grow personally and professionally. Instructors who only dive with students on training dives are not challenging themselves, which leads to stagnation.

Train in the environment in which you want to dive. Don’t do your coursework diving in warm, clear tropic waters if your goal is to dive wrecks in the Great Lakes. If you’re going to dive wrecks in the Great Lakes, train in the Great Lakes. If your goal is to only dive wrecks in tropic conditions, then train in tropic conditions.

Don’t confuse price with value. The first question you ask an instructor should not be “How much does it cost?” Get to know the instructor a little bit before getting to price. Find out the instructor’s views about training and diving in general. Find out details about the course like what topics are covered, how many dives are conducted, are the dives conducted only in quarries or are there charter dives too, and how many students will be in the class. When you do get around to price, you’ll have a better idea of whether you’re getting a good deal or not. Sometimes a more expensive course is a better value because it includes things that cheaper courses do not.

Ask lots of questions. Basically this a job interview for the instructor. Ask the instructor about his/her personal diving. What type of diving does he/she like to do when not teaching? What are the equipment requirements? Tell him/her about your diving experience and what you hope to learn in the course. Explain your diving goals. Look for a personal connection. Do you like this instructor? Do you trust him/her? At this level of training, a good rapport is essential. You may find a perfectly competent instructor, but you may decide not to take the course with him/her if you detect a personality mismatch.

I try to incorporate the above points into my own teaching ethic.

I actually train only a handful of divers each year. This allows me about half of the dive season for my own personal diving. I’m learning new things about diving all the time. Having an instructor card doesn’t mean I know everything there is to know.
I offer courses exclusively in the Great Lakes area. I cater to Great Lakes divers who want to extend their diving capabilities in order to visit deeper, more pristine wrecks.
I strive to price my courses fairly and to make them valuable by adding things other instructors may not. My students begin course dives in the quarry and then progress to actual Great Lakes dives. I don’t award a technical diving certification based solely on quarry dives. Class size is kept small and scheduling is flexible. Students know the total cost of the course before we begin. I make clear up front what the course fee covers and what it does not cover. There are no hidden fees.

Technical diving is not for everyone. It is risky and potentially fatal. If you decide to take the technical diving path, choose your instructor carefully. This choice will affect the rest of your technical diving career.

What do you want to do this summer?

2010-01-28T19:16:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted anything here for quite some time, mainly because it's winter and the water around here is solid, hence no diving for me, so no posts. As we enter the coldest, bleakest month of the winter season, my thoughts are split between remembering the past dive season and planning for the upcoming season.

Last year was a pretty dismal season for the dive industry I think. The economy was bad and that hurt, especially around here, the heart of the American auto industry. Course enrollments were down, charter trips weren't running full and overall interest in technical diving was virtually non-existent.

So I'm curious, what do you folks envision yourselves doing, diving-wise, in the summer of 2010? I ask for two reasons: idle curiosity and business planning. I'm just plain curious what people want to do. Are you interested in diving any particular wrecks? Do you plan to further your dive education? I'm also interested in feedback so I can integrate it into my upcoming course and trip offerings.

So please, feel free to post what kind of diving activities you're thinking of for this season, or post if you're not going to dive at all. Thanks.

2010 Class Schedule

2009-12-03T18:41:00.003-05:00

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

2009-11-30T11:43:00.006-05:00

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

2009-11-26T21:32:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-30T14:13:00.002-04:00

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?

2009-10-29T13:40:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-30T17:25:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-17T10:52:00.004-04:00

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)

2009-07-26T13:49:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-20T14:08:00.003-04:00

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)

2009-07-15T20:41:00.005-04:00

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

2009-06-10T15:35:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-08T12:28:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-02T09:30:00.005-04:00

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

2009-05-21T10:09:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-25T15:37:00.002-04:00

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

2009-02-12T10:27:00.002-05:00

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.

Shipwrecks and Scuba Show Saturday

2008-11-18T14:40:00.002-05:00

Just a reminder that I'll be presenting at Shipwrecks and Scuba this Saturday in Huron, OH. I'll be showing the video Gunilda: Superior's Golden Wreck. I'll also have a table in the exhibit area. Go to Bay Area Divers website for information and tickets. Please stop by and say hi.

Is It Fall Already?

2008-09-29T14:08:00.002-04:00

Hard to believe fall is here and the dive season is winding down. I've been busy trying to get a few last charters in before the season ends.

Marshall Allan, Paul Wegert and I were able to get out on the Sylvia Anne with Capt. Gary Venet on Saturday (9/20/08). We departed Harbor Beach, MI for a dive on the Minnedosa, the largest sailing vessel built on the Candian side of the lakes. See my post from July 31 for more info on the "Minne." The trip was originally scheduled for Sunday, but Gary called me on Thursday and said 5-6 foot waves were forecast for Sunday. He asked if we could dive Saturday instead, as the weather was supposed to be much better. So, we headed up on Saturday and enjoyed calm, sunny conditions.

I spent the previous weekend in Barcelona, NY diving Lake Erie with Osprey Charters. On Friday evening, we did a night dive on the John J Boland, a 250' steel freighter laying on her side in 130' of water. She's a nice dive, but unfortunately the lake was in a bad mood that night. We were able to dive, but the waves were pretty annoying. On Saturday, we did two dives: the Dean Richmond and the Indiana. The lake conditions were much better than on Friday night. I enjoyed the dives and the cameraderie of fellow divers. Sunday morning the wind was up again and the dive was the Boland. Since I had done the Boland Friday night, I opted for a nice big breakfast and an early trip home.

I'm sorry to say that I think the charter season is about over. It'll be quarry diving until next spring I think. But just because the weather is turning doesn't mean you should forget about diving. If you're interested in doing a course next year, let me know. We can start the book work and perhaps get a quarry dive or two in yet this year. Maybe most importantly, the earlier you sign up for class, the more dates you'll have to choose from.

Thousand Islands, August 2008

2008-08-10T18:42:00.005-04:00

The biggest dive trip of my summer is now behind me. On Monday, August 4, Marshall and Renee Allan picked me up at 7 a.m. to begin our trek to the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River. The Thousand Islands is a beautiful area, both above and below the water. It's at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, where the lake feeds the St. Lawrence River. From a diving perspective, it's one of the most unique areas of the Great Lakes. It offers warm water (72 degrees F this week) with no thermocline! Being a river (albeit a large one), it is fairly immune from wind and rough water, so you never miss a day of diving. Not only do you not get "blown out," but the rides to and from the wrecks are short and calm.

Anyway, after picking up Paul in Plymouth, MI, we crossed the border into Canada and drove east for many miles. The only down side to the 1000 Islands is its distance from my house. Let's fast forward to about 5 pm when we arrived at the motel in Mallorytown Landing, ON. We checked in, unloaded and headed out for dinner at Caiger's Resort, which also happens to be the place where we caught the boat each morning.

Our group consisted of 11 divers including me. I had several certified divers along who just wanted to dive, plus a fair amount of students. Due to the number of students, I had to break them into 2 smaller groups. I dove with one group in the morning and the other group in the afternoon. I worked with Wayne Green of Thousand Island Pleasure Divers who was most cooperative in arranging two trips a day for me to the same dive site.

On Tuesday August 5, we started our trip by diving the Kingshorn, a really nice wreck about 5 minutes from the dock. In fact, you can almost see the mooring buoy on the wreck from the dock! It's a surprisingly nice wreck only about 100 yards off shore in 75'-90' with very little curent and makes a great first dive for those who have never dove the St. Lawrence before. I took the opportunity to present students with some impromptu situations, like out of air drills.

I was finished with both dives by about 3 o'clock, so we headed over to DiveTech for air fills and to browse the amazing inventory of dive toys owner Dan Humble has assembled in his store. For those that have never had the pleasure of visiting Dan's store, remember the scene in Willy Wonka where Gene Wilder (Willy) first opens the door to the chocolate factory and everyone is awestruck by the wondrous sites? Well, DiveTech is like that, only for divers. And Dan doesn't have a chocolate waterfall (yet). After hanging about at DiveTech, it was time to head into Brockville for dinner at Bud's on the Bay. We enjoyed a nice dinner on the patio overlooking the St. Lawrence.

On Wednesday (Aug. 6), we had quite an outing. The plan was to dive the Keystorm, one of the best wrecks in the river. As it's on the American side, and we were departing from Canada, we had to clear US Customs on Heart Island. Rather than go through Customs twice, we put everyone on the boat in the morning and stayed on the wreck for two dives. Our group was also joined by my longtime friend Steve Lewis and his group of divers. Steve is an SDI/TDI instructor trainer and is also International Training's Marketing Director. The Keystorm is one of my favortite wrecks in the area. It's large enough that there's plenty to see and it lies on a shoal, affording you the opportunity to pick your depth. The bow of the ship is in about 30', while the stern is at about 115'. Again, I presented students with the opportunity to practice some skills like manifold drills, lost buddy procedures and lost/malfunctioning deco gas. That last one wasn't a problem I manufactured. The pressure gauge on Penny's deco bottle choose this dive to malfunction. So she and her buddy Bob had a little extra problem to sort out (which they did). In honor of our dives that day, we choose to eat dinner at the Keystorm Pub in Brockville. It's a great place to relax, eat and share a beer or two.

On Thursday, we took a break from wreck diving to do a couple drift dives in the river. Wayne dropped us near shore where we could stand on the bottom to get ourselves sorted out, and then we dropped down and drifted with the current. The two sites we dove weren't as pictureesque as others I've dove in the river, but the dives afforded us the opportunity to get some depth and a little more deco time. At the end of the dive, students deployed lift bags and did deco drifting under the bags. Upon surfacing, Wayne was waiting to pick us up in the boat.

My Advanced Nitrox/Decompression Procedures students were finished on Thursday, but I had 2 Trimix Diver candidates diving Friday. For their dive, we chose the Roy A. Jodrey. The Jodrey is a 640 ft. lake freighter built in 1965. In Nov. 1974, she hit a shoal in the river and sank near the US Coast Guard station on Wellesley Island. She is a unique dive. As she sits in the channel, there is no mooring line to her. Dive boats tuck up near shore and you enter the water in a small cove. Then you drop underwater, swim out to the wall, drop over the edge and descend. If you've done it right, you land on the Jodrey's wheelhouse at about 140', since the wreck lies right up against the wall. There are many levels to dive on the Jodrey. The wheelhouse is shallowest at about 140'. The next deck level is at about 160', the next around 170' and the spar deck is at about 180. The ship also has a pronounced list to starboard, so the port rail is much shallower than the the port side.

The current was minimal when we dove it which was nice for the students' sake, but unfortunately visibility was only fair. Our 20 minute bottom time flew by and then it was time to make our ascent. Since there is no mooring line on the wreck, one ascends up the face of the rock wall. As you ascend, you work your way upstream (into the current) so that you end up back in the cove where the dive boat is waiting.

We had some issues on our dive which I won't go into here. I'll just say "elegant" and "graceful" are not words that would describe our dive that day! But, everyone that got into the water, got out of the water safely, and that's what counts.

That was our last dive of the trip, so it was back to DiveTech to say goodbye and hit the road. It was a long drive and the border crossing could have gone quicker, but I finally fell into my own bed about 1:30 am.

It was a great trip and I'm looking forward to doing it again next year. Thanks to all the trip participants for their cooperation, patience and good humor. Also thanks to Wayne at Thousand Island Pleasure Divers and Dan at DiveTech for their help.

Diving the Minnedosa July 24-25, 2008

2008-07-31T17:21:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy summer and I haven't had time to post anything recently. On July 24th, a group of us headed back up to Harbor Beach, MI (seems like my second home) to dive once again with Gary Venet on His awesome boat, the Sylvia Anne (http://www.rectecdivecharters.com/).

Our target wreck was the Minnedosa, the largest sailing ship built on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. She was about 250' long with four masts. She never really sailed much, being so big that she required a large crew and lots of wind. Plus, lacking maneuverability in port, she had to travel with her own tug. So, it was usually easier (and quicker) just to tow her. In October 1905, she and another barge were in tow of the steamer Westmount. No one knows for sure what happened, but it is surmised that the Minnedosa began to founder and that her captain ordered the towline cut in order to save the other vessels. Today she lies in about 210' of water in Lake Huron, east of Harbor Beach.

Our charter was to leave at 3 pm, but upon arrival, Gary informed us that we would have to cancel. Looking up at the flag standing straight out from the pole convinced us of the merit in that idea. Gary's divemaster, Tom, asked if we would like to visit the Harbor Beach lighthouse, under renovation to turn it into a museum (although it is also still an active light station). We hopped onto his boat and he ran us out to the end of the breakwall for an up close and personal look at the light house. I can't wait to see the interior after the renovation is complete.

By the time we got back from the lighthouse, the wind had died and we decided to give the Minnedosa a try. With little wind, the waves dropped pretty quickly and we were only mildly annoyed with the 2 foot rollers left on the lake. When we arrived at the site, we were treated to the site of an empty lake. No buoy. No mooring line. It seemed we weren't meant to dive that day. But Gary and Tom rigged a new mooring line and dropped it on the wreck. Since everyone else was diving with cameras, my buddy and I volunteered to tie the new mooring in. We dropped in, followed the line to the bottom (just 10 feet off the starboard side of the wreck!) and secured the mooring to the ship. We spent the remainder of our bottom time exploring the stern section of the wreck. The wheel is still there, and quite impressive. There are a number of artifacts on the stern cabin roof for divers to enjoy (and leave in place). We dropped over the stern to check out the massive rudder and elegant curves of the transom and then it was time to head up.

Due to our late start and spending time rigging the new mooring, we didn't get back to the dock until 8 pm. We quickly drove over to the motel to check in and then headed over to Hunter's Bar for dinner (one of only 2 establishments open at that hour in a small town).

Friday morning, July 25 brought beautiful weather. Once again, just some small waves on the lake. We motored out to the wreck and lo and behold, the mooring was still there. This time Steve and I got to spend our entire 25 min. bottom time exploring the wreck. We started by checking out the yawl boat on the lake bottom near the stern of the Minne And worked our way all the way to the bow, where we saw the windlass, both anchors, a boiler for a donkey engine to run the windlass and various other smaller artifacts. We swam 250' back to the stern and the ascent line, enjoying the sights as we went along.

The ride back to the dock was quick, at least it seemed that way to me. That may be because I had a wonderful nap the whole way back in!

It was another great couple days diving Lake Huron and we enjoyed every minute of it. Next week I'll be in The 1000 Islands region diving the St. Lawrence River. I'll try to post throughout the week, depending on how internet connections are up there.

Last Adv. Nitrox/Deco Course of the Summer!

2008-07-15T10:36:00.002-04:00

The last Advanced Nitrox/Decompression Procedures course of the summer will begin August 23-24, 2008.

This initial weekend should cover the bulk of the academic study and several dives. Remaining meetings will be scheduled after completion of the weekend's activities.

This course is the entry level technical course in the line-up of TDI courses. Graduates will be proficient divers capable of planning and executing simple staged decompression dives using nitrox and oxygen to optimize decompression obligation. This combination course consists of approximately 8 hours of classroom work, at least three skills dives and at least 3 "working" dives.

Prerequisites: Candidates for this course should have experience diving in the conditions in which the course is to be conducted (e.g. Great Lakes). They should have a fundamental grasp of buoyancy and trim, and be familiar with the gear they will be wearing for the course. An advanced certification from SDI or another recognized agency and basic nitrox certification is required. The majority of candidates for this class wear a backplate, wing and double cylinders, but a single large-volume tank fitted with two first stages is acceptable. For a full equipment list, please ask.

Course fee is $850 per person and includes all textbooks, handouts, cards (upon successful completion of course objectives), and the instructor's time and expenses.

Please e-mail questions to rick@greatlakestechdiving.com.

Adv. Nitrox/Deco Course July 12-13, 2008

2008-07-15T10:19:00.002-04:00

It was back to Gilboa Quarry this past weekend for the initial weekend of an Advanced Nitrox/Decompression Procedures course. I met up with Brian, Ryan and Wally Saturday morning at the quarry. The plan was to do a few hours of academic material followed by our first training dive. We got off to a slow start due to an unexpected downpour just as we were getting ready to begin. We began an informal classroom session in the office until the rain let up. Marshall Allan brought down his nice new 8' X 10' enclosed trailer for us to use as a "portable classroom." We set up chairs and a whiteboard inside and got down to business.

Around noon we took a break for lunch and then reconvened to get ready for our dive. We looked over each other's equipment and configurations and planned our dive. We entered on the deep side of the quarry, swam over to a shallow shelf at about 30' to do some manifold drills and gas sharing. Then we dropped down to the 70' platform to work on deco cylinder handling, gas switches and SMB deployment.

Sunday morning we again met at 9 to do 2 more dives and just a little more classroom work. The first dive was another skill dive with "simulated" deco stops during the ascent. Our last dive of the day was a deep dive, incurring a small deco obligation, with the emphasis on proper execution of the dive rather than more skill repetition.

Other than some rain Saturday morning, the weather was sunny and hot, making for a beautiful weekend. Brian, Ryan and Wally all did well, although everyone knows what to put extra work on. Marshall was kind enough (or cruel enough) to video tape several of the class dives and give the guys DVD's to take home so they can critique themselves. Video is a very valuable teaching tool and I appreciate Marshall bringing his camera and even his DVD duplicator out to the quarry for us.

This course will finish up with dives in the 1000 Islands in a few weeks. The St. Lawrence is one of my favorite dive sites, so look for a report around mid-August.

Another Great Weekend on Lake Huron

2008-06-23T10:22:00.002-04:00

This weekend we were diving Lake Huron once again. I have to admit, diving the wrecks near Harbor Beach, MI from the Sylvia Anne is one of my favorite dive trips. Capt. Gary Venet is top notch (not to mention a helluva nice guy) and his boat is about the best I've ever dove from.

Marshall and Renee Allan, Eric Ward and I arrived Friday afternoon for a trip out to the Glenorchy, a 350' steel freighter that sank due to collision. She's upside down at a depth of 120'. The engine room can be penetrated by those properly trained and equipped, and is really the main reason to dive this wreck. Without penetration, all there is to see is a very large, steel hull.

Saturday and Sunday we dove the Dunderburg, one of the best wooden schooners in the Great Lakes. For the whole story and some outstanding pictures, check out Andy Morrison's website here.

We had excellent weather and visibility all weekend. It was mostly sunny, with nice blue skies and temperatures in the 70's. On the lake, the wind was light and favorable. I don't think we ever had much more than a 1' swell. Visibility averaged 50' or more.

This trip also marked the maiden voyage of Marshall's new dive trailer. He just bought a nice, new 8 x 10 enclosed trailer, allowing us to put four divers in his SUV and all the gear in the trailer. It worked out very well. We had plenty of room to haul everything we needed, plus it gave us a "base" to work out of at the marina to change out tanks etc. Thanks Marshall and Renee.

It was a very enjoyable weekend and everyone had good dives and came home safely.

Lake Huron Trip Report

2008-06-09T12:14:00.002-04:00

This weekend (June 7-8, 2008), I had the pleasure of diving with Capt. Gary Venet aboard the Sylvia Anne. I was working with a couple of Trimix Diver students. The target wrecks for the weekend were the Daniel J. Morrell (bow) and the Governor Smith. We were diving Lake Huron, off the tip of Michigan's "thumb." Our departure port was Harbor Beach, MI.

It was a wild weekend weather-wise and I didn't really think we'd get to dive much. We arrived Friday evening. Just after dinner, strong storms rolled through and I wasn't sure things would calm down by Saturday morning, especially since the Morrell is 26 miles from Harbor Beach. However, Saturday morning brought nice weather and gentle winds. We made it all the way to the wreck site and enjoyed waves of 2 feet or less. The Morrell is a classic Great Lakes steel freighter, about 600 ft. long. In November 1966, she broke in half and sank. The stern half of the vessel, still under power, continued steaming on until it sank some 5 miles from the bow section. The bow section is upright and intact (except for being only half a ship) in about 200'. The main deck is in about 160'. Visibility was good and we enjoyed exploring the shipwreck and visiting the wheelhouse and forward cabin areas.

Saturday night brought more storms. Sunday morning was pretty breezy and I turned my cell phone on early anticipating a call from Gary cancelling the dive. But once again, the weather gods smiled on us and about 8 am, the wind dropped. We headed out to dive the Governor Smith, a 240 foot-long wooden steamer that sank due to a collision with the Uranus in 1906. She lies at a depth of about 180'. Again, we were treated to waves of about 2 feet, which subsided throughout the morning to calm conditions. The wreck is nearly intact with many artifacts strewn about the deck and out into a large debris field around the wreck. The bow is impressive with anchors still in place. At the point of impact, you can see one of Uranus' anchors which broke loose and was left inside the Smith. We all enjoyed the dive and the nice ride back to the harbor.

While we were diving, a thick fog had developed. The trip back was like riding through a bag of cotton. When Gary slowed the boat to a crawl, we wondered what was up. Then, we began to make out rocks dead ahead. We were about 50 feet from the breakwall of Harbor Beach Marina! Gary expertly guided us into the entrance to the marina and back to the dock.

It was a wonderful weekend and we got very lucky. Not only did we get to dive both days, but we got to the wrecks we had targeted. I'm looking forward to returning in 2 weeks to do more diving from Harbor Beach.

Charter Space Available!

2008-06-05T13:45:00.002-04:00

I have two spaces open for the weekend of June 21-22, 2008. We're departing Harbor Beach, MI on the Sylvia Anne, operated by Rec and Tec Dive Charters. Saturday's departure time is 1 p.m. and Sunday's departure time is 8 a.m.

Charter fee is $110 per day and our target wreck is the Dunderburg, one of the most beautiful wooden shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. Depth on the wreck is about 150'. Advanced Nitrox/Decompression Procedures certification required, as well as Great Lakes diving experience.

E-mail me if you're interested.

Intro to Tech Course, May 31-June 1, 2008

2008-06-02T11:44:00.002-04:00

After a weekend off from diving, it was back to the water. This weekend I met Jim and Wally at White Star Quarry near Gibsonburg, OH for Intro to Tech. It was a great weekend and we got lucky with weather. Forecasts earlier in the week called for rain, but it ended up being sunny and warm both days (although we had 20-30 mph winds Saturday).

Both Jim and Wally had some experience diving in drysuits and double tanks prior to class. This isn't a prerequisite for the course in any way. Actually many people who take Intro to Tech are advanced recreational divers who wear single tanks and wetsuits whose goal is to see what technical diving is all about and if it's a path they want to follow. Jim and Wally have already decided to pursue technical diving and took Intro to Tech to help prepare them for the Advanced Nitrox/Decompression Procedures course.

Their prior experience with doubles and drysuits allowed us to spend a minimum of time talking about some of those topics freeing up time for other things. We did our classroom and two dives Saturday and one dive Sunday. We were able to wrap up just after lunch Sunday so they could start their long drive back to Indiana. The dives went well and since this was their first trip to White Star, I got to introduce them to the quarry. On Sunday's dive, we went through the tunnel.

We spent a fair bit of time talking about dive planning, an often overlooked process in recreational diving (in my opinion). After tracking gas consumption over the first two dives, I asked them to predict what their pressure guages would read at the end of Sunday's dive. Before the dive, they each told me what they thought they'd end up with. At the end of the dive, we checked and each was within 100 psi of his prediction.

In the water we worked on buoyancy and trim, manifold shutdown drills, air sharing with a 7' hose, SMB deployment, and a few other manuevers.

On Sunday, I saw Leslie, Randy and others doing some training dives with Scott and Linda from MAST. For more information about the good work MAST is doing to research and document Ohio's underwater historical resources, check out the MAST website.

May 17-18 Trimix Class Report

2008-05-19T09:13:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I had the pleasure of conducting the initial phases of the TDI Trimix Diver course with two students; Steve and Eric. Our base of operations was Gilboa Quarry near Findlay, OH. We rented the cottage for the weekend which functioned as our classroom and lodging for the night. Plus, we were just steps from the water, allowing us tremendous scheduling flexibility. We began Saturday morning by checking in, settling in to the cottage and spending a couple hours on academic material. After 2 hours of clasroom, it was time to get in the water. Our first dive was a "shake down" dive of sorts; lots of review of skills like manifold drills, out of gas scenarios, buoyancy control, SMB deployment. After the dive, we took a lunch break, informally discussed some more academic topics and got ready for dive two.

Dive two focused on more team-building, situational awareness, handling two deco bottles, SMB deployment and drift deco. Following the dive, we relaxed a bit, spent some time talking about dive planning, contingency planning and a few other topics of interest. We were invited to join Mike and Jodi, the quarry owners for dinner, and enjoyed a great meal of lasagna, salad, rolls and pecan pie and brownies for dessert.

After such a wonderful meal, we all felt like a nap, but pushed on, talking about deco theory and how to construct a decompression schedule. By late evening, we were finished and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the quarry. This was the first time any of us had stayed overnight at the quarry and we were all amazed at the difference. During the day, the quarry is crowded with divers and can be, well, a zoo. At night, it's quite peaceful and relaxing.

We got an early start Sunday morning. We prepared for a morning dive and splashed at 8:30 am. This was planned to be a nice long, deep dive. We spent about 30 minutes at 120'. Steve and Eric did a great job, even when I presented unexpected scenarios to them. By the time we completed our deco and surfaced, the dock was crowded with divers just beginning their day. Luckily, we had planned only one dive for Sunday, so we were able to escape the fray.

We concluded the day with a discussion of the dive, some general discussion of the entire weekend, and some planning for our future meetings.

Thanks to Steve and Eric for an enjoyable weekend and to Mike, Jodi, Whitney and the rest of the Gilboa staff for their hospitality.

June Advanced Nitrox/Deco Course Enrolling Now

2008-04-30T14:59:00.002-04:00

I'll be starting a TDI Advanced Nitrox, Decompression Procedures course at Gilboa Quarry in northwest Ohio on the weekend of June 28 and 29, 2008. This initial weekend at Gilboa should cover the bulk of the academic study and at least two skills dives. Remaining meetings will be scheduled after completion of the weekend's activities.

This course is the entry level technical course in the line-up of TDI courses. Graduates will be proficient divers capable of planning and executing simple staged decompression dives using nitrox and oxygen to optimize decompression obligation.

The course consists of: classroom sessions, skill dives conducted in the quarry, and "graduation" dives conducted in the Great Lakes. This combination course consists of approximately 8-10 hours of classroom work, at least three skills dives and at least 3 "working" dives.

Prerequisites
Candidates for this course should have experience diving in the conditions in which the course is to be conducted (e.g. Great Lakes). They should have a fundamental grasp of buoyancy and trim, and be familiar with the gear they will be wearing for the course. An advanced certification from SDI or another recognized agency and basic nitrox certification is required. The majority of candidates for this class wear a backplate, wing and double cylinders, but a single large-volume tank fitted with two first stages is acceptable. For a full equipment list, please ask.

Course fee is $850 per person and includes all textbooks, handouts, cards (upon successful completion of course objectives), and the instructor's time and expenses.

Please e-mail questions to rick@greatlakestechdiving.com.

Intro to Tech Course, Gilboa Quarry, 4/19-20/2008

2008-04-20T18:58:00.003-04:00

I taught a TDI Intro to Tech course yesterday and today at Gilboa Quarry near Findlay, OH. Two students were eager enough to sign up for a course this early in the season and it provided a great opportunity for them (and me) to get back in the water and practice up on some skills.

Intro to Tech is a weekend-long course designed to introduce the curious diver to the more advanced world of technical diving. Technical diving is loosely defined as scuba diving that takes place beyond the scope of "normal" sport scuba diving. Dives requiring staged decompression stops, mixed gas diving, diving in an overhead environment or dives deeper than 130' are all technical dives. Dives of this nature require very specialized equipment, techniques, procedures and planning. In the Intro to Tech course, I explain why tech diving is different than "recreational" diving and we explore some different types of equipment and learn about dive planning.

I met up with Randy and Bob Saturday morning at the quarry and we retired to "the apartment" to do our classroom work. The apartment is one of the lodging facilities available for rent at the quarry. We settled down around the kitchen table and spent the next several hours talking about diving in general and technical diving in particular. After our classroom work, we relaxed on the front deck and enjoyed our lunch in the sunshine. After lunch, we headed to the water for a shake down dive to get used to each other as a dive team and put into practice some of the pre-dive planning and dive protoccols we had talked about. The dive went well despite a chilly water temp of 42 degrees. We exited the water, had a dive debriefing and called it a day about 5.

Randy, Bob and I met this morning at the quarry for 2 more dives. Their team communication and buoyancy skills were better than on Saturday's dive. We did some other skills, like dealing with an out of air situation and deploying a surface marker buoy (SMB) before taking a break to get out and warm up. We spent much of our last dive just swimming and working on buoyancy and maintaining horizontal trim in the water. At the end of the dive, Randy deployed his SMB and we did an ascent using his line.

It was a great weekend and I had fun diving with Randy and Bob. Hopefully they had a good time and learned a thing or two along the way.

White Star Quarry 4/13/08

2008-04-14T10:47:00.002-04:00

It seemed like a good idea at the time. I've been anxious to get back into the water and get this dive season going. I did a brief dive at White Star Quarry 3/31 and decided to go back Sunday April 13. I was going to dive with my friends and frequent dive partners Marshall and Renee Allan. Besides just shaking the dust off out dive gear, Renee was trying out some new dive gear (new doubles, backplate and wings). I was field testing a Pinnacle Evolution drysuit. Despite the fact that it's the middle of April, Sunday morning brought us a rain/snow mix with a temp of 35 degrees F. There were a handful of divers at the quarry and quite a few fishermen. Visibility was only marginal; about 20 feet. Water temp was 42 degrees F. We had a nice 45 minute dive. Everything went well, but I could sure tell that I haven't been diving a lot lately and need a few more practice dives to get back in the groove. I was nice and toasty until we got out and I changed back into street clothes after the dive. I'm looking forward to more diving, and hopefully warmer weather. Here's more info about White Star Quarry in case you're not familiar with it.

Winter Summary

2008-04-14T10:08:00.004-04:00

Not surprisingly, I don't do much diving or teaching over the winter. These non-diving months are spent presenting at shows, planning trips and courses for the upcoming dive season and doing equipment maintenance.

This winter, I attended and had a booth at Shipwrecks and Scuba in Sandusky, OH back in November. I also presented at Our World Underwater in Chicago in February. My dive buddy Marshall Allan presented our video of the Gunilda while I presented a program about Great Lakes wreck diving called, "Great Lakes Wreck Diving: What's Your Next Step." The Gunilda video is a documentary Marshall I produced to tell the story of the sinking of the luxury yacht Gunilda which sank in Lake Superior in 1911. The yacht was owned by William Harkness, a millionaire whose family made their fortune investing in Standard Oil. As you can see from the picture above, she is a beautiful ship. She lies upright and very intact in 260'. My presentation about Great Lakes wreck diving discussed the various options available for those who dive (or want to dive) wrecks in the Great Lakes. We discussed types of wrecks in the lakes, deep diving, penetration diving, and mixed gas diving.

The rest of the late winter/early spring was spent organizing courses and trips. Quite a lot of time and effort goes into planning these little excursions. So far this season, I'm planning two weekend trips to Harbor Beach, MI in Michigan's "thumb", a 5 day trip to Presque Isle, MI (between Alpena and Rogers City), and a 4 day trip to the 1000 Island region of the St. Lawrence River. And those are only the "major" trips. I'll add many weekends at local quarries and several more Great Lakes weekends before all is said and done. So I've spent many hours coordinating divers' schedules with charter boat captains', making motel reservations, arranging for tank fills and dealing with a whole host of other details that go into planning dive trips.

So after a long winter, I'm ready to do some diving. Now if we can only get winter to end and spring to begin!

Welcome!

2008-04-14T10:00:00.002-04:00

Welcome to my blog! I'm going to give this a try this dive season and see how it works. People are always asking me where I'm diving, how the trip went, what's up with courses and all sorts of other things. I'll attempt to post information about those topics, plus anything else I think may be of interest to divers, particularily Great Lakes wreck divers.

Thanks!