Chicago Dive Party - trip report

[SDAnderson]

Sorry to chime in so late, but it's been a hectic couple of days since the dives...

First, it was great to have the chance to meet everyone - what a group. Smart + entertaining + good divers all = a wonderful weekend. Having the chance to spend some one-on-one time with Walter was a special treat. Despite the charters working overtime to be weird, the dives were good and the company was terrific. Not a cyber-diver in the bunch.

I am sorry about the charter switch that landed us on the Great Lakes Explorer and that kept us from diving the St. Mary - anyone who liked the Wells Burt would swoon over that wreck. Nonetheless, we got to see some of the most popular local sites over the weekend and the weather held nicely. The Willie is a fun dive no matter how many times I've been there and the SoM is still new enough that I'm pretty easy to convince to visit it. Vis on the Dredge wasn't very good but that lent to the eerie feeling of that monster laying upside down suspended above the bottom. The Wells Burt is living history and always a good dive and is delightfully intact for a wooden ship that's been laying on the bottom in 45 feet of water since 1883.

Actually, diving from the Great Lakes Explorer may have been a good thing. Focusing on the perambulations of the SS Minnow as we wandered aimlessly about the Southern Basin of Lake Michigan gave us something to talk about other than some of our fellow board members that weren't able to join us. If you're from Chicagoland and you weren't on the boat, my advice would be plenty of cooling compresses for those ears.

Poor Walter - the guy borrows a dry suit from a friend for his first exposure to cold water diving and we send him home looking like he was held hostage by a band of maniacal gaffers. Front, back, arm, he was a walking advertisement for the multiple uses of duct tape.

I'm glad to see that everyone made it home safe and sound, even if the travel was a little grueling. You're all welcome to come back to Chicago for another dive or ten any time.

Steven

 

[Walter]

L to R Steve (not on Scubaboard), Ken (MgicTwnger), Walter, Kurt (Mr. nitroxbabe), Carla (nitroxbabe) and Steven (reffraff - trip organizer). The propeller is from the Prinz Willem V and sits beside the dock in Milwaukee. Efforts are under way to return it to the Willie.

 

[nitroxbabe]

reefraff once bubbled...
I am sorry about the charter switch that landed us on the Great Lakes Explorer and that kept us from diving the St. Mary - anyone who liked the Wells Burt would swoon over that wreck. Nonetheless, we got to see some of the most popular local sites over the weekend and the weather held nicely. The Willie is a fun dive no matter how many times I've been there and the SoM is still new enough that I'm pretty easy to convince to visit it. Vis on the Dredge wasn't very good but that lent to the eerie feeling of that monster laying upside down suspended above the bottom. The Wells Burt is living history and always a good dive and is delightfully intact for a wooden ship that's been laying on the bottom in 45 feet of water since 1883.

Actually, diving from the Great Lakes Explorer may have been a good thing. Focusing on the perambulations of the SS Minnow as we wandered aimlessly about the Southern Basin of Lake Michigan gave us something to talk about other than some of our fellow board members that weren't able to join us. If you're from Chicagoland and you weren't on the boat, my advice would be plenty of cooling compresses for those ears.

Poor Walter - the guy borrows a dry suit from a friend for his first exposure to cold water diving and we send him home looking like he was held hostage by a band of maniacal gaffers. Front, back, arm, he was a walking advertisement for the multiple uses of duct tape.

Howdy Steve -
Your sense of humor definately comes across in your writing. Nice job.

Cyberdivers, beware.

I agree with you about the Dredge - good vis would have detracted from it, definetely.

BTW please let us know if ya'll are doing to do the St Mary. Captain Dale is a bit far off (and slower boat, as you well know) to take us there. We'd love to join you.

Next time, Walter, I'm sure we'd all be happy to scare up a "dry" rather than a "wet" drysuit for you locally.

 

[Walter]

Guys, I had a blast! I'd prefer not to get water in the suit, but even so I'm not complaining. I'd do it again in a heart beat.

 

[SDAnderson]

nitroxbabe once bubbled...
BTW please let us know if ya'll are doing to do the St Mary. Captain Dale is a bit far off (and slower boat, as you well know) to take us there. We'd love to join you.

I'm headed out to the St. Mary on the Starship in September, unfortunately there is a pretty big waiting list for seats. Here's a link to a dive calendar that might be of interest to the two of you - many of the dives have at least a seat or two open on them. I dive with these folks pretty regularly and you'd be a welcome addition.

Steven

 

[nitroxbabe]

Glad you were OK with the watery drysuit, Walter! Yes, we'd love to do it again too! Perhaps we can get some of those cyberdivers to join us... :wacko:

We're looking at our August calendar for a Florida visit....

Steve, just checked out your link. Thanks for the tip! Don't know if any of those trips would work for us, but I'm curious - what's a Triton Category 1, 2, or 3? Didn't see a definition on the site...

?

BTW in case ya'll are interested - that Isle Royale thing may not be on. Can't get the captain to return our calls - we've been calling for 5-6 days with no response - we're getting a bit concerned, especially since he's already got $1350 of our money.... hopefully I'll be able to post a retraction of this and actually go diving.... <gulp>

 

[SDAnderson]

nitroxbabe once bubbled...
what's a Triton Category 1, 2, or 3? Didn't see a definition on the site...

In shorthand:
1 = Nearly technical dive, usually to 100+ foot depths or very cold.
2 = AOW or better, usually to 60+ foot depths.
3 = Suitable for newly minted OW divers.

Except for ice dives associated with classes, technical dives have been run "off the books" and haven't been put on the calendar.

Steven

 

[nitroxbabe]

nitroxbabe once bubbled...
BTW in case ya'll are interested - that Isle Royale thing may not be on. Can't get the captain to return our calls - we've been calling for 5-6 days with no response - we're getting a bit concerned, especially since he's already got $1350 of our money.... hopefully I'll be able to post a retraction of this and actually go diving.... <gulp>

He called today - hereby retracted. We're still not actually getting to GO on the trip unless we can scare up 2 more divers.... but...

Anybody wanna do Isle Royale liveaboard August 16-19????

Please?????

;-(

 

[Juls64]

according to their site I'm not qualified yet with only 25 dives. I really appreciated the link you posted because that looks like an awesome trip. I plan to look into in the future after I get a few more Lake Michigan dives and get a little more wreck training.

Hope you can find some more people.