US divers - maybe more local diving due to the CV?

[outofofficebrb]

Just checked the local boat's schedule. Now the first scheduled charters aren't until May 14. I've got a PM charter that day with my local dive club (Chicago Scuba Meetup). Usually the boats would go out beginning second half of April or so, depending on weather and if there were enough people to run the boat (4 min).

My guess is after a long quarantine, everyone will be antsy to get out and dive so I imagine there shouldn’t be too much trouble to get 4 divers together for that. Maybe you can check out a local FB group or try to recruit folks here to see if there are interested parties. Are the boats OK rescheduling bookings and pushing back charters if you put down a deposit/pay in advance? (They don’t just cancel and say tough luck, I hope!)

 

[Marie13]

My guess is after a long quarantine, everyone will be antsy to get out and dive so I imagine there shouldn’t be too much trouble to get 4 divers together for that. Maybe you can check out a local FB group or try to recruit folks here to see if there are interested parties. Are the boats OK rescheduling bookings and pushing back charters if you put down a deposit/pay in advance? (They don’t just cancel and say tough luck, I hope!)

Double Action is VERY good about giving refunds if they cancel (weather, for example). There are several places on FB for me to round up people for a charter if necessary. The dive club charter already has enough people. They rarely have issues getting enough people for a club-sponsored charter. They often end up with a waiting list.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Double Action is VERY good about giving refunds if they cancel (weather, for example). There are several places on FB for me to round up people for a charter if necessary. The dive club charter already has enough people. They rarely have issues getting enough people for a club-sponsored charter. They often end up with a waiting list.

I am paying attention to all the dive businesses (especially charters, resorts, and liveaboards) and their cancel/reschedule policies. It has been very telling about a business based not just on their policies of such, but how they handle and communicate their policies. (Not in the industry, but Hobby Lobby turned theirs into a public relations nightmare last week!)

This charter sounds like a very reasonable and popular op. I really hope they endure this hardship and come out OK or it sounds like it would be a great loss to the local dive community there.

 

[Marie13]

I am paying attention to all the dive businesses (especially charters, resorts, and liveaboards) and their cancel/reschedule policies. It has been very telling about a business based not just on their policies of such, but how they handle and communicate their policies. (Not in the industry, but Hobby Lobby turned theirs into a public relations nightmare last week!)

This charter sounds like a very reasonable and popular op. I really hope they endure this hardship and come out OK or it sounds like it would be a great loss to the local dive community there.

This charter op is owned by the same family that owns DRIS. 'Nuff said. It would be a HUGE loss to the local diving community. They run a boat out of Hammond, IN (next to Chicago) on Lake Michigan, another on Lake Huron (eastern MIchigan), and another out of Milwaukee. The Hammond and Huron boats are 16 divers. The Milwaukee boat is a 6 pack.

There is one guy operating a 6 pack who runs out of the northern Chicago burbs to the wrecks on the IL/WI border. There are other boats out of Milwaukee and a bit further north. We have no other boats out of Chicago since a long term boat (6 pack) operated retired at the end of the 2018 season. There are only a few small 6 packs who run out of eastern Michigan in various places on Huron, in addition to the folks who trailer their boats into Alpena (Thunder Bay) and the Straits of Mackinac during the season. 1-2 small operators on Superior. For Erie, you have to go all the way to New York State for Osprey charters (bit bigger boat than DA's 16 diver boats). I think there is one charter op out of western Michigan, but that's it for that side of the Lake.

I would have to go up to Milwaukee to dive if something happened to Double Action. There is no other boat going to the shallow wrecks on the southern end of the Lake. The Milwaukee wrecks are mostly deeper and for more advanced divers.

The Chicago Scuba Meetup began last season to do a few "intro to Lake Michigan" charters for newbies/less experienced cold water divers, which was badly needed. I suggested it since all the charters seemed to be deeper (80ft and deeper) wrecks. We've got stuff as shallow as 30-40ft, which are perfect for the newbies. As long as they've been on the deep side of the local quarry at least once, they're good for the lake.

I'm a regular (as in pretty much every weekend, at least once) on the Hammond boat. I've got reservations for the Huron boat for Memorial Day weekend. As long as the boat is running, I'm out there. We need a few more people, but I'm sure once we get closer, we won't have any issues.

 

[islanddream]

We were scheduled to dive in San Salvador in the Bahamas in June but cancelled. We are still planning on Coz in October but will watch what transpires this summer before making a final decision. So, since we live in SE FL, we'll definitely dive locally once the dive shops open back up. We are blessed to live in a place where the diving is wonderful. Since our state is basically in lock down, the only boats able to go out are commercial fishing vessels. Going to the beach is off limits. We are to only go out for essential activities....grocery store, pharmacy, doctor, etc. I feel really bad for dive shops in SE FL. We had high winds and high seas after Hurricane Dorian so there were very few dive charters going out all Fall. The winter was equally bad with crazy high seas and wind. And now the virus.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

@Eric Sedletzky

The wrecks out here are fabulous, and since you're used to diving CA, the lack of tropical visibility wouldn't bother you.

I only need enough vis so when the GW cruises overhead I have enough time to see it and get my ass down low and out of the way in the rocks, lol! Just kidding..
Of course in the Great Lakes this is a non issue. I’ll bring my Nikonos filled with BW film and get dramatic and eerie shots of those beautiful wrecks you speak of. They must be well preserved and magnificent! Lot’s of material for narrative paintings in the spirit of some of the great marine artists.
I may as well get another drysuit because I’d imagine the diving to be fairly deep (and cold) and a steady depth, instead of shallow to deep snd back shallow (and cold) like we do here on our out and back shore dives.

 

[Marie13]

I only need enough vis so when the GW cruises overhead I have enough time to see it and get my ass down low and out of the way in the rocks, lol! Just kidding..
Of course in the Great Lakes this is a non issue. I’ll bring my Nikonos filled with BW film and get dramatic and eerie shots of those beautiful wrecks you speak of. They must be well preserved and magnificent! Lot’s of material for narrative paintings in the spirit of some of the great marine artists.
I may as well get another drysuit because I’d imagine the diving to be fairly deep (and cold) and a steady depth, instead of shallow to deep snd back shallow (and cold) like we do here on our out and back shore dives.

We've got awesome wrecks that are 60ft or shallower, although depending on where you go, they are deeper. Plenty to see under 100ft or so. But yes, cold. When I was in Tobermory last July, most dives were at 41F. Unless you're dropping down to the sand (depending on wreck) to see a prop or such, you're usually at a pretty steady depth. Many of the popular wrecks have some sort of mooring so anchors don't damage the wrecks, especially the wooden ones.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

We've got awesome wrecks that are 60ft or shallower, although depending on where you go, they are deeper. Plenty to see under 100ft or so. But yes, cold. When I was in Tobermory last July, most dives were at 41F. Unless you're dropping down to the sand (depending on wreck) to see a prop or such, you're usually at a pretty steady depth. Many of the popular wrecks have some sort of mooring so anchors don't damage the wrecks, especially the wooden ones.

Yeah that’s definitely drysuit territory.

 

[Marie13]

Towards the end of the season (late Aug into Sept), we can have temps close to 60 for the shallow Chicago wrecks, or maybe even a bit warmer. But 45-55F seems to be the most common temp range on the wrecks I dive regularly (recreational depths).

 

[Southside]

Towards the end of the season (late Aug into Sept), we can have temps close to 60 for the shallow Chicago wrecks, or maybe even a bit warmer. But 45-55F seems to be the most common temp range on the wrecks I dive regularly (recreational depths).

What time of year would you recommend the shallower wrecks for someone with an 8/7mm semidry?

I've spent some time in the hole at Haigh when that was around 45F but after about 5 minutes that gets a bit cold.
I'm pretty comfortable in the mid to low 50's for a 45 to 50 minute dive.

I haven't been out on lake Michigan yet and this season that is going to change.