Trip Report: Straits of Mackinac and Hammond Bay 2014

I've just returned from a fantastic week of diving in northern Michigan. It was sort of a two part trip. On Saturday and Sunday we dove several of the wrecks in the Straits of Mackinac. Monday through Thursday we expanded our scope and dove some deeper wrecks in Lake Huron's Hammond Bay, about 30 minutes south of Mackinaw City.  We stayed in Mackinaw City the whole week and used it as a base of operations.  We used Greg Such (Shipwreck Adventures) for our charter needs and as usual, Greg did a great job for us.  The weather was near perfect and we got to dive all 6 days.

As noted, the first two days of the trip were dedicated to diving a few of the wrecks in the Straits of Mackinac.  The Straits lie at the northern extremes of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.  The narrow strait connects the two lakes.  The five mile long Mackinac Bridge connects Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas.  The Straits has a reputation for being tricky to navigate and a dangerous area owing to storms and fog.  Over the years many ships have been lost in the treacherous Straits of Mackinac.

The first wreck we dove was the Cedarville.  Built in 1927 as the A.F. Harv, the Cedarville is the third largest freighter lost on the Great Lakes (after the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Carl Bradley). This 588 foot ship sank in a tragic accident on May 7, 1965 in Lake Huron. An ocean-going Norwegian freighter collided midships with the Cedarville in foggy weather. Ten men died when she rolled and sank in 37 degree water. The Cedarville lies on her starboard side broken nearly in two in 105 feet of water. Because she is partly inverted, divers can become disoriented on her. The hull can be reached at about 40 feet. The bow and stern sections are generally both buoyed. Divers can visit the pilothouse and large holds.  The stern features the galley, crew quarters and of course, the engine room.

For our first dive, we moored to the stern buoy.  Dropping down the line, the hull quickly comes into view.  We descend all the way to the bottom so that we can explore the deepest part of the wreck first, and then finish up on the shallower side.  We start by entering the engine room.  There are few things more dangerous than going inside a wreck underwater.  Don't even think about it unless you are properly trained, equipped and experienced.  And then consider it carefully before going in.  Since the ship is tilted about 45 degrees short of upside down, it can be disorienting inside.  Nothing is level or where it should be.  It is also silty inside, so care must taken to preserve visibility.  I swim around the massive engine.  Forward is the electrical panel.  Machinery of every size and shape is everywhere.  After an all too brief visit, it's time to head back up to the boat.

For dive 2, we move to the bow mooring and explore the front part of the wreck.  It's interesting to explore the nearly upside down pilothouse and see the radar mast stuck in the bottom, like a kickstand holding the wreck from rolling over.  We swim around the forward end of the self unloader boom and the first cargo hold or two.  Then back to the bow and up the line.

The next day we motor out of Mackinaw City and head to the west side of the bridge.  First up, the Eber Ward.  The 213 foot long Eber Ward was built in 1888. She was cut by ice and sank on April 9, 1909 in Lake Michigan. She is upright and mostly intact and is an excellent example of a classic wooden bulk freighter. Her deck is at about 110 feet and the bottom at 140 feet. Her port bow has a large and unique "mushroom" anchor. A conventional anchor rests on her starboard bow. Large holes can also be found in the bow where the ice sliced open her hull.  Dropping down the mooring line, we find ourselves at the bow of the wreck.  

Eber Ward bow, notice mushroom anchor at bottom of frame
Photo by Andy Morrison

The first order of business is to drop over the port side and check out the mushroom anchor.  Then up on deck, drop through a hole and swim up to the bow area.  From inside the wreck, the ice damage is apparent as light streams in through the large holes at the water line.  We stayed inside and swam to the stern to see the engine.  After exiting the wreck, we looked around the stern before swimming along the deck back to the mooring line for our ascent.

The Sandusky was next on our agenda. The Sandusky is arguably the most popular wreck in the Straits.  She is a 110 foot brig, built in 1848.  She was lost in a storm in Lake Michigan with all hands on September 20, 1856. She sits upright with a ram's head figurehead still gracing her prow.   The figurehead is a replica however.  The original was removed in 1988 and given to a museum.  She is a very popular with divers since she is one of the few well preserved sailing ships in water shallow enough (about 80') for most any diver to visit.

The following day we began our trips to explore the wrecks of Hammond Bay.  Hammond Bay is about 35 minutes south of Mackinaw City between Cheboygan and Rogers City, MI.  There is a small boat launch there run by the Michigan DNR.  For the next few days, we met 7 am and followed Greg as he trailered the boat down to Hammond Bay.

Henry J. Johnson

Our first dive in that area was the Henry J. Johnson.  The Johnson was built in 1888 and was a 260' wooden steamer.  She collided with the Fred Pabst in July 1902 while navigating through dense fog.  The Pabst struck her just aft of the bow and the Johnson sank quickly.  All hands were able to abandon ship and take to the lifeboats.  The Pabst however, never stopped to rescue the survivors.  They were picked up several hours later by the tug Parker.

The Johnson rests in about 150'.  She is in good condition.  There is some damage to the bow and the stern has collapsed at about the boiler house.  This makes it convenient to examine the engine and propeller.  Near the bow, the forward mast has fallen over and juts out from the port rail.  Wire rigging trails back to the deck.

The next dive in Hammond Bay was the Persian (also called the Persia).  She was a 128' schooner that sank after colliding with the E.B. Allen.  The accident occurred in September 1868 and all 10 men on board the Persian were lost.  Today she sits under about 160' of cold Lake Huron water.  Her masts have toppled over the port side.  It is interesting to swim out to the end of the masts to see the intact cross trees (kind of a crow's nest).  The mizzenmast even has the topmast still attached.  Returning to the deck, we swim aft.  The cabin is missing, but there are artifacts present and the wheel is impressive.  Swimming towards the bow, the collision hole is evident on the starboard side.  Reaching the bow, we find the anchors, one on the bottom, one hanging from the catshead.  

One of the days we were supposed to dive Hammond Bay, Mother Nature threw some wind at us and kicked the lake up a bit.  Luckily, the Straits were out of the wind, so we happily headed out of Mackinaw City for another dive on, or more precisely in, the Cedarville.  Once again my buddy and I planned a penetration dive for the engine room.  Having familiarized ourselves with it on previous dives, we pushed a little farther on this dive and had a nice long dive exploring the interior of the stern of the wreck.

This trip went really well and I had a lot of fun.  Anytime you plan to dive the Great Lakes six days in a row, you have to expect to get weathered out at least one day, perhaps several.  I really expected we would miss a day or two of diving, but the weather was on our side and we had good diving conditions everyday.  We also had plenty of time in the afternoon for sightseeing around Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island.  This is a great destination for both divers and non-diving spouses and families.  Thanks to Greg Such of Shipwreck Adventures for his hard work driving the boat, towing it all over Michigan for us, filling tanks, and finding restaurants.  

If you're interested in joining me on a dive adventure, contact me at rick@GreatLakesTechDiving.com and keep an eye on my website, www.GreatLakesTechDiving.com.  I can also offer classes in conjunction with trips, so you can combine fun dive travel with education.

Shipwreck Stories

Even before I became a certified scuba diver I was interested in Great Lakes maritime history and the stories behind shipwrecks. I remember getting "Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals" by William Rattigan for Christmas when I was around 12 years old. I was fascinated. After that I read all the books about Great Lakes ships and shipwrecks I could find. Even today, I find the stories of the wrecks I dive as compelling, if not more so, than the actual wreck. So I thought from time to time I would share some of the stories I've learned over the years.

The first story I'd like to share with you is the tale of the Daniel J. Morrell. The Morrell is a classic style Great Lakes steel freighter. She was just about 600' long, with the pilothouse forward, engine room and galley aft, and the long spar deck in between. She was built in 1906 in Bay City, Michigan.

By 1966, the Morrell was 60 years old, not exactly a spring chicken. During what was supposed to be her last trip in November, the crew learned that she had to make one more run. Due to mechanical problems with another ship, the Morrell would have to sail from Buffalo, New York at the east end of Lake Erie all the way up to Taconite Harbor, Minnesota on Lake Superior's western shore. She would sail north in ballast (no cargo) to pick up a load of iron ore to bring back south. The trip across Lake Erie and up through Detroit was uneventful. She sailed up the St Clair River and out into Lake Huron.

The weather had been deteriorating steadily. Out on the lake, the Morrell battled winds up to 70 mph and 25 foot waves swept the ship. Around 2 in the morning, the crew heard several loud bangs. The lights in the bow immediately went dark. The general alarm bell sounded and crew gathered on deck. On the bow, survivor Dennis Hale describes coming out on deck and seeing only the top of the smokestack aft. The ship had buckled in the middle and the arching deck obstructed his view of everything but the top of the stack. The ship was breaking in half. The crew on the bow gathered around a life raft that was carried on the spar deck between hatches two and three. The men waited for whatever would happen next. The steel deck plating began tearing amid a shower of sparks and the sound of rending steel. I can't imagine that horrific sound. It boggles my mind to think that this huge, steel ship was being ripped apart by water.

Meanwhile, the stern was still under power and fully lit. The still-moving stern basically pushed the bow out of its way and kept going! The men on the bow were thrown into the water. Some were able to find the raft and climb aboard. Dennis Hale was one. Because cables carrying power to the bow were severed as soon as she started to break up, no distress call was made. The radio had no battery power and there was no radio in the stern, where they did have power. No one knew anything had happened to the Morrell until she failed to show up at Taconite Harbor. The men on the raft drifted for hours. One by one, they passed away. All but Dennis Hale. He survived almost 40 hours adrift on the raft on Lake Huron until Coast Guard helicopters spotted him and picked him up. Dennis has written a book, Shipwrecked: Reflections of the Sole Survivor: an autobiography and is a regular speaker at dive shows all around the Great Lakes. He's an interesting guy with an amazing story to tell. Look him up and spend a few minutes talking with him if you can. It's not often we get to talk to shipwreck survivors.

The wreckage was located and surveyed, the Coast Guard investigated and issued a report and life went on much as before on the Great Lakes. It was well known that steel made before 1948 did not handle low temperatures well. Basically the steel got brittle when cold. The Coast Guard concluded that there were probably some sort of existing cracks in the steel, perhaps small cracks radiating from rivet holes in beams. The cold temperature and unbelievable amount of stress placed on the ship by the storm, combined with existing cracks caused the steel to fail and the ship to break in half.

The wreckage of the Daniel J. Morrell rests on the bottom of Lake Huron off the tip of Michigan's "thumb." She is rarely visited by divers due to her distance from shore. Weather conditions need to be very good to make the long trip out to to the wreck sites. The bow section is roughly five miles from the stern section. The bow is a little shallower than the stern at about 150' to the deck, 180' to the bottom. The stern is about 180' deep to the deck and 220' to the lake bottom. Both sections are sitting upright. The bow section features the forward mast with a large letter "C", the logo of the Cambria Steamship Company. Divers can explore the wheelhouse, see the anchors and look at the forward cabins. Unfortunately, most of the artifacts from the bow have been removed over the years.

The stern section is, in my opinion, far more interesting than the bow. As you descend the mooring line to the wreck, the first thing you see is the smokestack still standing. There's a huge auxiliary helm, a big double wheel, just aft of the smokestack. Dropping over the stern, you can see the propellor and rudder. The unused lifeboats are there on the bottom as well. It was probably impossible to launch the boats, given the ferocity of the storm. You can swim around the aft cabin structure and peek into open doors of the galley and crew quarters. Some penetration is possible if you have the proper training, equipment and experience. Even then, wreck penetration at this depth is dangerous and not recommended.

The Morrell is a deep, potentially risky dive. It is also logistically difficult to pull off. Many is the time that I've been up in that area to dive other wrecks and we hit a rare, perfect weather day. A perfect day to dive the Morrell, but we don't have the right breathing gas or the right team members. Equally frustrating are the days we go up to Harbor Beach, MI with hopes of diving the Morrell, only to find the weather uncooperative.

As interesting as the wreck is though, the story of how she ended up on the bottom of Lake Huron is even more fascinating to me. It's a terribly sad story, yet joyful because Dennis Hale was able to survive. It's a tale of irony because had the other ship not broken down, the Morrell never would have sailed on this trip. When I visit the Morrell, I feel a sense of reverence and sadness. As I ascend and watch the wreck, sitting upright and intact, fade into the haze, I think that's a pretty fitting monument to the 28 men who lost their lives on November 29, 1966.

Great Lakes Shipwrecks: A Non-Renewable Resource

Great Lakes wreck divers are justifiably proud of the wrecks we get to explore. Unlike their saltwater cousins, wrecks in the Great Lakes, wooden wrecks in particular, remain in amazing condition even after 100 years of immersion. For me, the Great Lakes comprise the greatest collection of shipwrecks in the world. We have wooden sailing ships, paddle wheel steamers, freighters, whalebacks, even personal luxury yachts to explore; all in excellent states of preservation. But how long will they last?

I heard Dave Trotter, the famed Great Lakes shipwreck hunter, say that we are living in the "Golden Age" of wreck diving because the wrecks we have are slowly crumbling and "We're not making any new ones." That made me think and re-evaluate my opinion of the wrecks we enjoy diving so much.

For years, veteran wreck divers, myself included, have told fledgling wreck divers that the wrecks have been there 100 years and will probably be there another 100. But that may be an exaggeration. Many seem to believe that the cold, fresh water of the Great Lakes halts the natural deterioration of shipwrecks completely. In fact, it only slows down the process. Eventually time will take it's toll; supporting structures weaken, decks collapse, cabins slide off a tilted deck to rest on the lake bottom.

We also have to consider biological agents in the state of a wreck. While we do not have the wood-eating organisms and encrusting corals that destroy saltwater wrecks, we do have organisms such as zebra and quagga mussels. These invasive species attach to stationary objects like shipwrecks. Over time, they can completely obscure details of the wreck, or even the wreck itself. I started diving the wrecks in the Presque Isle region of Lake Huron before the mussels invaded the Great Lakes. While those wrecks are still amazing, many details, like the name boards and other small artifacts, have been completely encased and obscured by the mussels. Off the tip of Michigan's "thumb" in Lake Huron lies the wreck of the Philadelphia. Part of it's cargo was wood-burning stoves. When she sank, some of these stoves were strewn about the ship and the lake bottom. It used to be a highlight of diving the wreck to see the stoves. Today, the stoves are just big blobs of mussels. If you didn't know what they were, you'd just swim past them unknowing.

And finally, let's consider the history of shipping on the Great Lakes and it's current state. Most of the wrecks occurred about 100 years ago. That's when there were literally thousands of ships plying the water. There were no interstates, no trucks, no planes, and only a few rail lines in the Great Lakes area back then. The best way to transport goods from, say Wisconsin to New York was to ship it over the lakes. Also remember the lack of technology back then. There was no GPS, no radar, no radios, no cell phones, not a single luxury. Mariners had only rudimentary navigation tools like a compass and sextant to navigate by. Such conditions led to many collisions, some resulting in the wrecks we now dive.

Meteorology was in its infancy and there were no organized, reliable weather forecasts. Most captains relied on their own weather experience and the barometer in the wheelhouse to judge the weather. Sometimes their decisions were wise, sometimes not. Once again, due to lack of technology, ships got caught in storms and disappeared.

Today, none of these conditions exist. There are many alternatives to shipping goods via the lakes, hence the number of ships has dwindled. We now have better navigation systems, better charts, better communication and better weather forecasting. In short, technology has also reduced the number of shipwrecks. As Dave Trotter said, "we're not making any new shipwrecks!"

Considering all of the above, we might conclude that we are indeed in the "Golden Age" of Great Lakes wreck diving. We still have the wrecks, we have the technology to dive to the depths required, so all we need to do is get out and dive. The wrecks are slowly deteriorating and there are no new wrecks being added (thank goodness). Now is the time to get out and enjoy the history of Great Lakes and explore these unique time capsules that we call "wrecks."

Two's Company, But is Three Really a Crowd?

From the first days of our Open Water Diver course, we are told to always dive with a buddy. Sound advice. Furthermore, we are told that a buddy team should consist of two divers. We are specifically cautioned against diving in a three person buddy team. It's simply too difficult to keep track of two other people while underwater. Invariably, the third person will be ignored and either get lost or be left to their own devices should he/she have a problem. But how true is this theory? Is it possible a three person team is just as safe as a two person team? Perhaps a three person team is even preferable to a traditional two person team.

Undertaking the task of breathing underwater is no small thing. For the past 30 years or so, SCUBA has been marketed as an activity everyone can enjoy. It's easy and fun. The risks associated with diving have been, in large part, downplayed. While much of the marketing hype is true, it is also an oversimplification. In order to keep the Open Water Diver course manageable, we tend to oversimplify lots of concepts. For instance, we tell students not to exceed no-stop times because decompression diving is dangerous, complicated and is only for commercial divers. What we should be telling them is that they should stick to no-stop dives unless they decide to further their training and learn how to extend their dives times safely. I believe the buddy team concept is also oversimplified during initial training. Students are told that while it's easy enough to coordinate the dive with one other person, it's beyond their capability to keep track of two other individuals. Certainly beginning divers can feel task loaded and somewhat overwhelmed during their first open water dives and perhaps a third person may be more a liability than an asset. But with practice, and as the diver gains comfort and ease in the water, a third person may be beneficial.

So why bother with a third person? Some forms of diving, technical diving and cave diving most notable, prefer a three person team. During pre-dive planning, the third person offers another point of view. He/she may make suggestions or come up with ideas the others don't think of. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. The third team member may bring strengths to the team the other two don't possess. In the water, the third team member may provide many benefits. First, the duties of the team can be spread over three people rather than just two. When assigning tasks such as dive leader, reel person, deco leader, SMB deployment, etc., three people may be better able to handle the jobs. In case of some emergency, we have two rescuers instead of just one. This means we have more contingency gas on hand, in the case of an out of air emergency. In the case of a diver becoming incapacitated due to oxygen toxicity, heart attack, etc., two people can physically move the victim more efficiently than one. On a night dive or in an overhead environment, an extra person means more back up lighting in case of a failure. In general, it seems preferable to have an extra set of eyes, ears and hands along on a dive. Most importantly, it helps to have an extra brain!

If you're one of those who had the idea that the only "safe" buddy team was a two person team drummed into them during class, I hope I've disabused you of that gross oversimplification. A well structured three person team can be as effective as, and even preferable to a two person buddy team.

Never Give Safety a Day Off

If you walk through almost any manufacturing facility, you'll see safety signs plastered everywhere. "Be Alert - Don't Get Hurt," "Safety is No Accident," and "Know Safety, No Accident" are just a few phrases you might see. One slogan seems particularly applicable to diving: "Complacency Kills."

As divers, safety procedures are ingrained in us at every level of training. Pre-dive safety checks, air sharing, valve shutdown drills and emergency ascents are just a few of the safety techniques we learn. Unfortunately, over time we tend to take these procedures for granted and we get sloppy. Pre-dive buddy checks become shorter and more superficial, or worse, we skip them completely. Our pre-dive planning probably suffers as well. We don't bother calculating the amount of gas needed. It's quicker and easier to assume that we have enough gas. We get complacent about our dive gear. We don't pay that much attention to it as we suit up for the dive. A minor gear mistake, like forgetting to connect the inflator hose to your BC, is only a minor inconvenience if caught at the surface. But if your buddy doesn't catch the problem because you're just going through the motions of a pre-dive check, it could be a real problem at depth. I'll never forget a student showing me his computer at the end of a dive. He asked me why the computer was flashing and beeping and generally making a fuss. As it turns out, he had the gas mix set for 100% oxygen for the whole dive! Our dive was to 120' for 30 minutes. No wonder his computer wasn't happy. We learned several lessons on that dive: confirm computer settings at the start of the dive, know what your computer warnings look like and what they mean and if somethings seems wrong, abort the dive (don't wait until after the dive to figure out why your computer was warning you).

As the dive season nears, I challenge all of us to reexamine our safety protocols and to rededicate ourselves to dive safety. As Larry Green, National Association for Cave Diving (NACD) Training Director told us in our cave diving class, "You need to establish sound safety protocols and then have the discipline to follow them on every single dive." The first part is easy, but we have to work hard to have the self-discipline to follow through. We all know what to do, we just need to do it.

SCUBA Season Never Ends

Before you remind me that it's February, it's cold up north, and the local lakes and quarries are near-freezing, relax and re-read the title. I didn't say "Dive Season Never Ends," I said "SCUBA Season Never Ends." Many divers in colder regions take the winter off from diving, but you can (and should) still stay active in the sport. Here are a few ideas.

Most people think of getting their scuba equipment serviced during the winter months. Then they promptly forget about it until the first warm days of spring and take their equipment in to the dive center for a spring tune up. Of course every other diver in a 50 mile radius is thinking the same thing. Avoid the rush and get those tanks and regulators in for service now. This is especially true if you're a technical diver and have multiple tanks and regulators.

Besides the obvious equipment service like getting your regulator rebuilt and tanks inspected and/or a hydrostatic retest, there are other elements to equipment service. There are lots of minor adjustments that I think about during the course of the dive season, but never get around to doing. Changing the hose retainers on my deco bottles because the rubber is cracking, scrubbing my slate, re-spooling reels so the line is evenly packed, re-threading back plates that have worn webbing are all things I may do during the winter. Look over every piece of your equipment and see if any parts are in need of replacement or modification.

I also like to do research. During the summer, I rarely have time to do in-depth (no pun intended) research. Now that I have time, I read books about wrecks (especially those I'd like to dive), decompression theory, history, whatever strikes my fancy. I surf the net learning about new equipment, watching videos and learning whatever I can about diving. You have to be careful on the internet of course, because it's difficult to assess the accuracy of what people put out there, but it still can be a valuable resource if used carefully.

Another good way to keep active in diving during the winter months is to go to dive shows. Here in the Great Lakes region, we have several coming up: Great Lakes Shipwreck Festival in Ann Arbor, MI, Our World Underwater in Chicago, Scubafest in Columbus, OH, and Ghost Ships Festival in Milwaukee are a few that come to mind. Shows are a great place to meet local vendors like dive shops and charter boat captains. You can also see presentations about topics ranging from how to plan a wreck dive to video of the latest wreck discovery in your area. Of course you have the added benefit of hanging around other divers and talking about diving.

Last, but certainly not least, you can use the winter months to plan your diving activities for summer 2012. (Shameless plug alert!)I would hope that your plans for this summer might include continuing your diver education. If you're interested in furthering your scuba development by taking a specialty course, or are ready to transition into technical diving, I would appreciate the opportunity to talk to you about the courses I offer. I offer many recreational specialty diver courses like Wreck Diver, Deep Diver, Night/Limited Visibility and many more. I specialize in technical diver training including Intro to Tech, Advanced Nitrox/Deco Procedures, Helitrox Diver, Trimix Diver, Advanced Wreck Diver, Advanced Trimix Diver, and more. Visit my website and training calendar for more information. You can contact me at rick@GreatLakesTechDiving.com (End of shameless plug).


We could come up with lots more ways to feed your scuba habit over the winter months, but the point is, it doesn't matter what you do, do something! There's no reason to forget about scuba diving just because the calendar says it's winter outside.

Presque Isle Trip Report 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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10 Dive-Related Things to do Over Winter

• 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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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!

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.