Anybody diving for Megs this winter??

[Lee Taylor]

WE JSUT NEED TO STOP ON A SPOT IN THE RIVER!!!!.

Here is a link to some Cooper River sites I have dove. Will be happy to go with you or help in any way.

Mike another good spot is the one on the Wando river fossil site map you sent me. I dove it last season and the bottom looked GREAT from a potential shark tooth perspective. It was a very heavy laden gravel bottom. LOTS of gravel. Large marble size and everywhere. Flat, smooth, friendly bottom. Not very deep. Mild current.

Here are two Edisto river sites I like the looks of. They are between Hwy 17 and the Ocean. We need a boat for these.

This looks like fossil city to me. Just playing my hunches

 

[byronbbb]

Hi Mike, Lee,

Thanks so much for the info! We're planning on Memorial Day weekend. Didn't realize it was Mem Day until after we'd settled on a date. Planning to be in Chas. for 3-4 days and hope to get in one day of diving. We might have to move our date around depending on the DO's availability, I suspect. So, thanks a lot for the recommendations.

As for the other couple of days, we were thinking about doing some snorkeling or wading. Mike mentioned a spot on the Edisto. Would that be accessible via boat or canoe for a snorkeler/wader? If you had some coordinates for a place or two you think might have something laying around on the bottom that we could poke around without tanks, that would be much appreciated.

I spent a summer working at a Summer Camp at Bonnie Doone Plantation in Walterboro. It's on the Ashepoo. A friend and I canoed around in back in there a good bit, we'd go back in the high tide marshes and would ride the tide out on our bellies. It was crazy how fast the water would squirt out through those narrow channels. I recount this because we'd see alligators around some. Anything to worry about there?

Thanks again for the info!
Cheers,
Byron

 

[Lee Taylor]

Hello Byron...

Here is an area south of Charleston that looks inviting to me for Kayaking.

Combahee River SC

Click on a pink dot.

Then click on the photo that comes up.

As a diver, I know to stay off of the surface as much as possible. Things in the water look to the surface for sick and dying animals. I would only snorkel rather clear water or water known to be recreation friendly. That is my opinion. You can do whatever you choose.

Wading just anywhere presents a problem. That problem would be alligators. We have LOTS. Alligators are ambush predators. They favor the edge of the rivers. River divers know to stay in the middle of the river and stay away from the edges. Especially the grassy edges.

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The part of the Edisto River above Givens State Park is a very friendly and very popular area for kayaking and swimming and snorkeling. I have stood in the middle of the river in this area and it is about chest deep with a warm sandy bottom.

 

[byronbbb]

@Lee,

Ah, yeah. Clearly, really good to know.

Thanks,
BB

 

[AeroMike]

Lee is right. I have had one run in with an alligator in the Edisto river. I can type some what good so I have all my fingers, lol

Black river diving, or snorkeling for that matter can be very nerve racking. I was in a spot that was only 6'-8' deep and I could not see my feet and something hit (bumped) my foot hard, I could not tell what it was and about a minute later it did it again. Since this was in the general area where I already had one run in, I figured I had another gator bumping me. I kicked down really hard hoping to catch whatever it was in the face but I kicked absolutely nothing. I have to mention that I was only wearing dive boots and no fins at the time since I was in shallow water and honestly one of my straps broke too, lol
Anyhow, I never did find out what it was but you can see how that can shake most people.

I can give you the spot though, it is a spot with a boat ramp and people swim there, the only problem is a lot of broken glass on the bottom. I hate that and I usually bring up the bigger pieces.


Two things a diver must do if he/she is in the deeper rivers here, when you come up to surface, you need to watch out for boats (safety sausage) and alligators. Not all boaters know, care to know, or just plain to not pay attention to dive flags and alligators, well, they see bubbles on the surface and come to investigate. You do not want to surface with a gator right on top of you.

 

[Lee Taylor]

Mike... you lucked out. Sounds like a very good lesson learned.

REMEMBER: THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING GUARDING THE TREASURE

For the new river diver or the divers starting out, I will list my perspectives of river diving cautions in order of level of danger:

1. Ascending and being hit by a sailboat (they make no noise)

2. Surfacing behind, or drifting passed, an empty dive boat. There should always be at least one person aboard but things do not always work out that way.

3. Backing unaware into an unstable mud cavern. This is really creepy.

4. Being hit by a extremely fast boat. Or a boat with a very intoxicated, uncaring, driver. This has happened in the Cooper River. The diver was killed.

5. Finding yourself "in" or drifting uncontrollably into a known alligators territorial area.

6. Extremely fast current.

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Recommendations for river diving:

1. Don't get in the water if it is TOO fast or in a known alligator's territory

2. Fly a DIVE FLAG and keep someone on the boat at all times.

3. Always work towards to bottom/center of the river.

4. Listen for boat motors before ascending.

5. Stay away from unstable undercuts and caverns.

6. When preparing to ascend, send a tethered safety sausage to the surface above you.

7. Overweight yourself, take back up lights, take trauma shears, line cutter, and serrated edge knife

8. Be prepared to reverse your ascent given an indicator of trouble.

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Here is a gift for the shark tooth hunters reading this thread.

Megalodon Tooth

Where it was found

The site

 

[AeroMike]

Hey Lee, are you familiar with a small island near Limehouse landing called shark tooth island.

 

[Lee Taylor]

No I am not "familiar" with it. I saw the "shark tooth island" video online. I then put my jetski in the water under the Limehouse bridge. Rode to what "I thought" was shark tooth island. (What the hell made me think I knew where it was I dont know) I rode around the island. Or should say almost around the island. I suddenly bottomed out and the dash filled with red lights and overheating buzzers. I instinctively switched off the ski, (I know the drill) and put on my scuba boots. Got off the ski in 8" of water and 5" of pluff mud. Tied a rope around my waist. Tied the other end of the rope to the rear of the ski. My daughter and I then got behind the ski and I pulled our asses off until my 850 lb ski ever so slowly moved to free itself from its mud jam. I then walked it back around the island, through the dark shallow water until I got enough water under the hull to function. When I finally got clear of that mess and felt some relief, I had no inclination to go looking for dumb old sharks teeth any more that day.

I have since swapped a few emails with the guy and again think I know where it is. I will post a map.

I am guessing again. But I think this is it.

Shark Tooth Island

There is a place on the south end of Folly that has a gray clay/limestone type material that has fossils in it. It may be worth digging in. Some of it is in the edge of the water. The part in the water has sharp oysters that keeps people out. I am gonna try my waders. Here is a map.

Folly Beach Fossilized material

 

[AeroMike]

well, I thought it was the island just to the left of that,lol

I have hip waders and chest waders, I can join ya. I think i sent you a spot on the Wando were there is a bunch of fossilized sand dollars and big ones. Too bad they are very brittle, I had one that was probably 10" across and moving, I broke it so I need to get back out there and replace it.

 

[Lee Taylor]

I am divorced so I can be ready to go fairly quickly. If its a land hunt, I can be ready in one hour. If its an underwater hunt I need two hours other than tanks. I sold my tanks so arranging rentals are the thing that takes time.

The ski takes a bit more time. It is moth-balled at the moment. The battery is on trickle charge. What would be nice would be to have an inflatable (with paddles) or jon-boat to pull gear and yourself or others to a site. From the Google map, Shark tooth island looks like an easy place to get stuck. The easiest shorelines to approach have quick drop-offs. The long shallow muddy shelf is more difficult. I am thinking waders and/or scuba boots will be perfect. I will either anchor in 2+ feet of water or switch it off, get off, and push it to the edge of the island (and anchor there).

Eventually I will trade the ski for a boat. The up side of the ski is it gets ready fast and cleans up fast.

I found this viewing glass for looking past the water surface. I like the form, size, handles, thickness, and depth. (if you don't find anything you can drink the wine!)

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I drove over to the Wando spot a few weeks ago. I did not see an easy access from land. Sounds like you have found one. My thought process was I will come back in a boat. I think I told you. I dove that spot last season. Its an excellent fossil dive location.
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