Interest in scuba wreck diving around the Stanford game?

[FeralFelidae]

I'm planning on attending the Stanford game, and while I'm in town, I think it would be fun to dive a couple of Chicago Lake Michigan shipwrecks. I'm curious if there are any other board members who might be interested to make chartering a boat worthwhile. A Wildcat dive could be fun.

The charter would be through Windy City Diving. I've been on the wreck of the Wells Burt through Windy City Diving and they do a great job. I believe they can accommodate up to seven divers.

I'm thinking the ideal wrecks would be the Material Service and the Tacoma, since they are close together, both are shallow (allowing for all levels of expertise), but are both considered excellent wrecks. I'm also very interested in diving the St. Mary, but that's a deep wreck (~100 feet) that wouldn't be the best for beginners. But depending on everybody's level of expertise, that's an option with a possible dive on the Wells Burt as a second dive (a great wreck!).

Click here for a list of Chicago-area wrecks.

Nothing's set in stone at this point; I'm just putting out feelers to see who might be interested.

 

[SmellyCat]

I've never scuba-dived, but I thought you should know that Robert Kurson, who wrote Shadow Divers (which I thought was great and any scuba fan would probably enjoy as well), just came out with a new book on a similar subject. Sorry for going off topic...

 

[FeralFelidae]

I don't consider it off-topic.

 

[IGNORE2]

I'm planning on attending the Stanford game, and while I'm in town, I think it would be fun to dive a couple of Chicago Lake Michigan shipwrecks. I'm curious if there are any other board members who might be interested to make chartering a boat worthwhile. A Wildcat dive could be fun.

The charter would be through Windy City Diving. I've been on the wreck of the Wells Burt through Windy City Diving and they do a great job. I believe they can accommodate up to seven divers.

I'm thinking the ideal wrecks would be the Material Service and the Tacoma, since they are close together, both are shallow (allowing for all levels of expertise), but are both considered excellent wrecks. I'm also very interested in diving the St. Mary, but that's a deep wreck (~100 feet) that wouldn't be the best for beginners. But depending on everybody's level of expertise, that's an option with a possible dive on the Wells Burt as a second dive (a great wreck!).

Click here for a list of Chicago-area wrecks.

Nothing's set in stone at this point; I'm just putting out feelers to see who might be interested.

Funny - I actually run one of Chicago's scuba companies. The two main attractions are the Mac and the Buc. Both intentional sinks - the Buc dropped just a few years ago. I can't join you - but would recommend doing one of those tow followed by Wings of the Wind, a old wooden schooner near Diversey harbor.

I have about 50 people on our staff - if you want someone to dive with - I suspect more than a few would be interested to join you. Shoot me an email - xyzbobxyz@hotmail.com

 

[elgatoloco]

I don't consider it off-topic.

His brother, a friend of mine, played bass in a band called Green that had shows on campus quite a bit. So not off-topic at all.

 

[Gladeskat]

Funny - I actually run one of Chicago's scuba companies. The two main attractions are the Mac and the Buc. Both intentional sinks - the Buc dropped just a few years ago. I can't join you - but would recommend doing one of those tow followed by Wings of the Wind, a old wooden schooner near Diversey harbor.

I have about 50 people on our staff - if you want someone to dive with - I suspect more than a few would be interested to join you. Shoot me an email - xyzbobxyz@hotmail.com

It's sad to see all the zebra mussels all over the wrecks. I remember when they invaded Lake Erie in 1989. All of a sudden the bottom was covered with zebra mussels and one had to wear gloves just to poke around looking under rocks for catfish. The previous year when we dove Lake Erie at night, there weren't any zebra mussels.

Are you the "Bob" who forgot his booties and lost a fin, and then didn't tie a secure knot on the mooring line to the Buc?

http://www.windycitydiving.net/another-wednesday-night-on-the-lake

 

[FeralFelidae]

It's sad to see all the zebra mussels all over the wrecks.

On the bright side, zebra mussels are good for visibility!

 

[Gladeskat]

On the bright side, zebra mussels are good for visibility!

That's very true. Aquatic vegetation has returned to Lake Erie because of the increased clarity.

I wouldn't mind going diving but I don't fit into my wetsuit anymore and I'm not going to buy one while I look like WIlliam the Refrigerator Perry. I live right in the middle of cave diving heaven, too, but I'd probably get stuck in a cave now.

 

[stpaulcat]

I'm planning on attending the Stanford game, and while I'm in town, I think it would be fun to dive a couple of Chicago Lake Michigan shipwrecks. I'm curious if there are any other board members who might be interested to make chartering a boat worthwhile. A Wildcat dive could be fun.

The charter would be through Windy City Diving. I've been on the wreck of the Wells Burt through Windy City Diving and they do a great job. I believe they can accommodate up to seven divers.

I'm thinking the ideal wrecks would be the Material Service and the Tacoma, since they are close together, both are shallow (allowing for all levels of expertise), but are both considered excellent wrecks. I'm also very interested in diving the St. Mary, but that's a deep wreck (~100 feet) that wouldn't be the best for beginners. But depending on everybody's level of expertise, that's an option with a possible dive on the Wells Burt as a second dive (a great wreck!).

Click here for a list of Chicago-area wrecks.

Nothing's set in stone at this point; I'm just putting out feelers to see who might be interested.

I wish you had posted this sooner. I've got all my reservations locked in, and no spare time except for the game. Have not dived for 45 years and would definitely want to do a refresher before taking on something like this--as I learned old school, safety first. There's too much that can go wrong even in not so deep water. I'd dive without air in a heart beat, however. Definitely wouldn't do 100 without a significant refresher. I assume a dive company would supply all gear including wet suit. I've never made a dive in fresh water--I suspect the buoyancy is quite a bit different than in salt water and you need less weight? Let us know if you might do this next year, so as to prepare.

 

[Gladeskat]

You may need to get certified and show your certification card for basic diving to go diving. I don't know if they will let anyone dive without certification. I couldn't get tanks filled without a dive card 20 years ago. You may also have to provide your own wetsuit.

 

[Trigatos]

Aren't these dry suit dives? I thought Michigan got too cold for just a wetsuit.

Let me know if you look at putting something together. jason(dot)b(dot)gross(AT)gmail

 

[stpaulcat]

Aren't these dry suit dives? I thought Michigan got too cold for just a wetsuit.

Let me know if you look at putting something together. jason(dot)b(dot)gross(AT)gmail

I was wondering that myself--I've snorkeled in lake Superior (which is colder than Michigan) in a wet suit and 10-15 minutes is about all I can do even with a hood, gloves and booties, and even then your head feels like it might explode when you are done. I know when I was a teenager, dry suit diving was what people did in Lake Michigan.

Fifteen minutes in a wet suit in Lake Superior makes you feel like you've just read a Turk Post.

 

[Gladeskat]

I was wondering that myself--I've snorkeled in lake Superior (which is colder than Michigan) in a wet suit and 10-15 minutes is about all I can do even with a hood, gloves and booties, and even then your head feels like it might explode when you are done. I know when I was a teenager, dry suit diving was what people did in Lake Michigan.

You should try bringing a large thermos of hot water to pour into your suit before you go diving. A friend and I used to do this before diving in 33 degree F water (consulting work) and it works very well. You fill up the wetsuit with hot water and the cold water doesn't come seeping in.

 

[FeralFelidae]

Aren't these dry suit dives? I thought Michigan got too cold for just a wetsuit.

By no means. I've always used a wetsuit in Lake Michigan. (I've always used a wetsuit, in fact.) I would expect the water temp at that time of year to be in the 50s (looking in my logbook), and I've found a 7 mm wetsuit to be perfect.

I have been on wrecks in Lake Superior with the temp as low as 41 degrees F, but I was wearing a Farmer John to provide 13 mm at the core. If I were to do those dives on a regular basis, I would invest in a dry suit, but even for cold dives a wetsuit can be used. With a wetsuit, the initial rush of water can be a bit chilly, but then a layer of water is then trapped underneath the suit and is heated by your body.

 

[FeralFelidae]

I've never made a dive in fresh water--I suspect the buoyancy is quite a bit different than in salt water and you need less weight?

Yes, less weight is needed in fresh water. Also, some regulators are tailored for cold water diving (see the snowflake:

)

But I wouldn't consider these shallow dives to be cold enough to worry about that.

 

[Eurocat]

Do any of the dives take you past the wreck that happened off Northwestern?

http://wesclark.com/burbank/did_i_do_my_best.html

Around 2 A.M. on September 8, 1860, the steamship Lady Elgin collided with the schooner Augusta in the waters of Lake Michigan near Waukegan, Illinois. The Lady Elgin was carrying more than 300 passengers and crew on a round-trip sightseeing tour from Milwaukee to Chicago. Its return trip was never completed. The captain, not realizing how badly the ship was damaged, continued toward Milwaukee in the dark. About a half-hour later, the heavy boilers and steam engine broke through the weakened hull and the ship quickly tore apart. Most of the passengers and crew died. Only a handful reached the lifeboats. "Just when the Elgin took her final plunge," the captain recalled, "a heavy sea took off the upper works, the cabin floated, and several hundred people got onto this."

But the cabin, too, soon broke up, drowning many passengers and leaving others clutching small pieces of wreckage. Many victims held onto floating debris for long hours in the cold water. Some ultimately reached shore only to be pulled back into the breakers by a fierce undertow. Seventeen people were saved that night by a Northwestern University student named Edward W. Spencer, who battled the breakers for six hours. An experienced swimmer, he had a rope tied to his body, and time after time swam through the waves to grab exhausted passengers. His associates on the other end of the rope then pulled him and the victim to shore. Finally, having reached the limits of his strength, his body covered with scrapes and bruises, Spencer passed out. He woke up in his room in Evanston where his brother, William, waited on his recovery. Edward's first words were, "Will, did I do my full duty -- did I do my best?"

Although he tried to resume his studies, the physical and emotional toll on Spencer had been severe. Newspapers around the nation praised his deeds but he was never completely comfortable with the attention. The faces and cries of the victims he had not been able to save forever haunted him. Spencer never completed his education, and it was almost fifty years before he returned to Evanston to talk about the wreck of the Lady Elgin. After his death, his brother described Edward's private torment: "His face would turn ashen pale, and he would fasten his great hungry eyes on me and say, 'Tell me the truth. Did I fail to do my best?'"

 

[FeralFelidae]

Do any of the dives take you past the wreck that happened off Northwestern?

http://wesclark.com/burbank/did_i_do_my_best.html

The Lady Elgin is quite the story with the heroic efforts of Edward Spencer. Alas, I don't believe much of the wreck has survived in any form that would be worthwhile to dive.

The Wells Burt is off the coast from Evanston, people died on it, and it was only rediscovered in the late '80s and remains relatively intact. There are deadeyes still secured to the vessel for divers to see. It's also a shallow wreck, great for beginners. The downside is that if the weather's bad or windy, the water at that wreck can get murky, so dive it when you can!

 

[FeralFelidae]

I wouldn't mind going diving but I don't fit into my wetsuit anymore and I'm not going to buy one while I look like WIlliam the Refrigerator Perry.

You know you want to. All the cool kids are doing it.

(You can surely rent a suit.)

 

[IGNORE2]

You should try bringing a large thermos of hot water to pour into your suit before you go diving. A friend and I used to do this before diving in 33 degree F water (consulting work) and it works very well. You fill up the wetsuit with hot water and the cold water doesn't come seeping in.

There is another way to introduce hot liquid into your wetsuit. I've done the Mac in 7mm. Some people go dry and some wet. By this time of year, the temps are starting to rise.

Not that Bob - I have my own boat to dive off and pretty good knowledge of the spots. My knots never were very good though...

 

[IGNORE2]

Yes, less weight is needed in fresh water. Also, some regulators are tailored for cold water diving (see the snowflake:

)

But I wouldn't consider these shallow dives to be cold enough to worry about that.

Scubapro, and it's subsidiary Subgear, make the best regs. But definitely dive a diaphragm version in a cold water environment.

 

[stpaulcat]

By no means. I've always used a wetsuit in Lake Michigan. (I've always used a wetsuit, in fact.) I would expect the water temp at that time of year to be in the 50s (looking in my logbook), and I've found a 7 mm wetsuit to be perfect.

I have been on wrecks in Lake Superior with the temp as low as 41 degrees F, but I was wearing a Farmer John to provide 13 mm at the core. If I were to do those dives on a regular basis, I would invest in a dry suit, but even for cold dives a wetsuit can be used. With a wetsuit, the initial rush of water can be a bit chilly, but then a layer of water is then trapped underneath the suit and is heated by your body.

I'd like to believe you about Lake Superior--you're head didn't feel like it was going to explode from where your face was directly in contact with the water. 41 degrees is almost freezing.

 

[FloridAlum]

Feral , perhaps you and a Glades Might consider dumpster diving instead. Neither of you will need a wet suit.

 

[phatcat]

well since someone (Florida Alum) FINALLY posted a smart a$$ comment, I will do likewise.

I don't like the idea of talking about shipwrecks and taking a dive in conjunction with a Cats game. Too close to reality. Like the time got an NU doormat as a gift. ...so that all of the opposing team fans could walk all over us?

 

[stpaulcat]

well since someone (Florida Alum) FINALLY posted a smart a$$ comment, I will do likewise.

I don't like the idea of talking about shipwrecks and taking a dive in conjunction with a Cats game. Too close to reality. Like the time got an NU doormat as a gift. ...so that all of the opposing team fans could walk all over us?

How about diving on the wreck of the USS Stanford?

 

[FeralFelidae]

I'd like to believe you about Lake Superior--you're head didn't feel like it was going to explode from where your face was directly in contact with the water. 41 degrees is almost freezing.

I didn't say that didn't happen. The hood and mask cover much of the face, but it's still cold, and at the end of the dives I did have that head explode feeling. But I guess I was able to ignore it while observing the wrecks.