Diving this weekend? - Page 3

**MgicTwnger** · 06-07-2007, 12:45 AM

Just from the surface: I don't do underwater photography. I'll try to find some of the wreck, though. Getting inside to check out those old cars is a jaw-dropper: the wreck has a lot of debris, steel beams going every which way, etc., but the cars are still recognizeable as cars.

steve634 · 06-07-2007, 10:29 PM

We dove the quarry in Sweetwater Tennessee this weekend had a great time. temperature at 60 ft was 58. A lot warmer at about 30 visibility about 15 ft. Usually a lot better but had a lot of rain the day before. They just put paddle fish in this winter but they were staying pretty deep i didnt want to go down to see them just to cold yea im a wimp ha

**Scuba Mama** · 06-08-2007, 05:57 PM

I am finally feeling better. (Bad Cold) I am diving with some buddies at Haigh Quarry, Kankankee, IL this weekend. I have new stuff for the dry suit and want to try it out before I work with students and look like a goof in my dry suit.

Scuba Mama

**glynneco** · 06-10-2007, 04:26 AM

Busy week. My dive last weekend got called before I left. I did get to pack everything though. I tried again yesterday. Same result no buddy no dive. Tommorrow though....... they say the third times a charm. We'll see. At least I'm already packed!

**MgicTwnger** · 06-10-2007, 08:39 PM

Trip report: on board the Enterprise out of Waukegan, IL 6/9/07.

I put together 5 of my buddies for an all-day four dive trip. The wether was sunny 72 degrees with flat seas and exceptionally good viz. Couldn't have been nicer.
We did the first two on the Wisconsin (see above). Ten minutes into the first dive my buddy got a freeflow on the wreck at about 120'. She is an experienced diver and instructor and could breathe off the malfunctioning reg, no problem. She signaled for me to remain with the other divers while she ascended on the mooring line. No way I was doing that. We did a controlled slow ascent to 20' where her air gave out. I donated my primary and breathed from my octo for the safety stop and ascent to the surface. I was really glad that I had been working on the routing of my primary's 7' hose just last week so I could hand it over withou getting choked or spinning like a top! As I was diving a 121CF low pressure steel tank, we had mucho gas.
Second dive onthe Wisconsin was really nice, I did a short penetration into the hold to check out the 20's era cars.
Third dive was on the St. Mary, 105'. The St. Mary is a 120 ft. wooden schooner. The wreck has collapsed but it is all there. There are two large anchors, the windlass, the ship's wheel, dead eyes, rigging blocks, and much more. Truly a virgin wreck.
The last dive was on part of the Lady Elgin, the "Titanic" of the Great Lakes. On September 8, 1860, the Lady Elgin, a 252 ft wooden, sidewheel passenger steamer, with 393 passengers on board, was rammed by a lumber laden schooner. Only 98 passengers survived this terrifying disaster. The wreck is scattered into three primary areas. We checked out the seldom-visited boilers, a couple of really big suckers.
For an ending to a perfect day, my buddy ripped the neck seal on her drysuit getting ready for the last dive. Valliant efforts by the captain and his trusty role of duct tape were not entirely successful, but it was a shallow dive at about 40' and had temps in the mid 50's, so she pulled through, getting only moderately soaked. The bottom temps on the earlier dives were in the low
40's.

**glynneco** · 06-10-2007, 09:38 PM

Wow sounds like some great dives. My puddle dives in the quarry pale by comparison. But they were exciting for a different reason. First dive to the wrecked cessna at 75 feet 42 degrees was uneventful. While kitting up for the second dive a lot of screaming was heard. Instructors began running to the beach. My brother and I finished gearing up and ran to the water. A student on his third dive was found unresponsive at 30 ft,
his gauge indicated he had been as deep as 50, and brought to the surface. We helped bring him back and pull him up on the beach. In the water on the way back his eyes were open but he was not responding. He was bleeding from the nose, his lips and hands were blue. Once out of the water O2 was administered. He was vomiting blood at times. His color returned and he became agitated and started screaming. EMT's were called and he was helicoptered out.
After sorting out a considerable amount of equipment scattered about we looked for a lost fin from one of the rescuers.

The second dive was uneventful carefully staying above the 50 degree thermocline. Shot bags from 30 feet for practice/fun. Avoided police and instructors so as not to have to fill out paperwork.

I did notice one thing while all this activity was going on. All the instructors were in dry suits while we mere divemasters were wet but alone in being fully kitted.

My last comment is 42 is cold

**MgicTwnger** · 06-11-2007, 01:32 AM

I've seen similar things happen at Mermt Springs. Last time was when a new diver had her reg knocked out at about 25', panicked, and was dragged to the surface by an instructor. A couple of rescue squads were training there that day, in addition to the well-drilled staff. They were all over her in a flash. The diver spent the night at the hospital and was OK.