Been busy diving

[BoltSnap]

jewfish are sometimes a PIA when I am trying to spearfish, getting to see a docile, 350 lb grouper face to face IS a pretty cool experience. And seeing one (or more) is about 100% certain if you hit some local wrecks (at any time of the year).

They don't appear to be pretty to me, so they are OK to dive with.

 

[Johnoly]

This is the Sandusky

I agree. You just don't see things like perfect bow carvings in our salt water wrecks. I've drysuited dove the Sandusky a couple of times and she's a beaut !! Here's my pict of her bow.

 

[johndiver999]

I noticed that in the video, very cool. Has someone muscled all the zebra mussels off it?

 

[Tracy]

I noticed that in the video, very cool. Has someone muscled all the zebra mussels off it?

It is a reproduction figure head. Divers stole the original one many years ago. A new one was made and fitted back on the ship.

There are enough divers touching it all that the mussels stay off it.

 

[Joneill]

It is a reproduction figure head. Divers stole the original one many years ago. A new one was made and fitted back on the ship.

There are enough divers touching it all that the mussels stay off it.

So much for the “intact” fresh water wrecks…

 

[rx7diver]

So much for the “intact” fresh water wrecks…

Michigan has established a network of Underwater Preserves to help protect its U/W wrecks. And the wrecks off Isle Royale National Park (in Michigan waters in Lake Superior) are protected, too. The "best" wrecks are very deep (so, not impacted by ice, not dynamited as a shipping hazzard, and not easily reached by artifact seekers) and/or very hard to get to, otherwise.

I consider myself very fortunate to have been introduced to Great Lakes deep shipwreck diving in the mid-1990's (before the zebra mussel invasion). The zebra mussels (filter feeders) clean up the visibility, but at the expense of completely covering everything, obscuring the exquisite detail of some of these wrecks.

Cold, dark, anaerobic fresh water is an excellent preservative.

rx7diver

 

[Eric802]

I really blew it when I was 30 years younger, certified, and living in Northern Illinois. Never once got out and dove in Lake Michigan. Would love to be able to hit some of those wrecks now.

 

[Marie13]

Wisconsin does more and gets a lot of wrecks added to the National Register of Historic Places for additional protection.

 

[Jeff_O]

I agree. You just don't see things like perfect bow carvings in our salt water wrecks. I've drysuited dove the Sandusky a couple of times and she's a beaut !! Here's my pict of her bow.

View attachment 756606

Are we sure the figure head is not Crampus for the current season festivities? The gargoyles on buildings I always knew about, but there has been a lot of news about this Crampus. Hard to get auto spell correct with that name, but got it right, you might have seen it in the news lately.

Crampus will know or be told about those who steal, so be forewarned.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

Arabia? She’s awesome. This is the Sandusky in the Straits of Mackinac. She sank in 1856. Oldest known wreck in the Straits. She’s actually a barque, not a schooner (difference in rigging). 166 years old.

It's definitely on my bucket list.