Cooper River Report

[samsliquidblue]

This last trip to the Cooper River in Charleston, SC was great. The river has had time to turn over this winter and the finds are coming out of there now. A prize 28" long piece of ivory tusk was recovered by a lucky diver from Atlanta. Several South Carolina Dipensery Bottles have surfaced too. The teeth are coming out of the river in the 4-6 inch range in very nice quality along with some large bones and wonderful Indian points. Clay crocks and a large 1700 gallon size wine vessel surfaced. Now is the time to plan the trips to the river early to gather those unique artifacts that have been emerging since the winter. The water is in the 70's range and it is time to get out of the dry suits and into the wet suit to dive this black water river. It is not a braille dive in any stretch of the imagination. Once on the bottom you can usually see 5 feet around you, average depth is 35 feet. The current is strong enough to blow the sand out of your way if you like to dig or fan. Remember that the light you carry is directly proportional to the ablity of finding things down there. So guys, BIGGER is better but then again cost is a reality too. Also a good study of the newly released second edition of "Vertebrate Fossils: A Neophyte's Guide" by Frank A. Kocsis Jr. is the way you get those River Eyes on before you dive. By studying this manual you will learn the shapes of the treasures you want to try and identify while you are in this underwater world which is like no other. The rule of the river is, "bring it up and let's see what you have; it can be tossed back at anytime." I hate to hear a diver say, "I saw one of those down there but I left it." NO bring it up here first! Oh yes, the little issue about the Natives or Locals as they are so affectionately called, well they have just finished up the 2002 breeding season so spoting 30 in one day is now down to 3-4 if you are lucky. You might actually see more of our Proud Eagles on the river than the Locals. They are settling into the rice paddies to stay clear of neoprene and bubbles and especially boaters. Try coming in the duck season and you won't see one, they hate ducks because the ducks attrack all those camo-men and more boats! Plus you get a free idea of the Civil War Battles that were fought on the river. Ducks and feathers flying all around. The ducks are really smarter than the camo-men, they sit in the water because you can't shoot a sitting duck and the Locals are hiding out. Come and float on the river like Huck Finn and dive the bottom like an explorer ever searching. You can do it, I did; I even wear PINK and BLACK! It is the most interesting diving that I have done. Lots of those Hoboken, Jersey Wreck Divers survived the river to tell about it and have taken some of the finest treasures home with them. www.offthewalldiving.com is setting up some fabulous trips on the best tides of the season so check out the site and see if it will fit your dive plans now.

 

[SDAnderson]

Nice report - it would have been a long time before it occured to me that spring would be the best time of year for the Cooper River junk hunt. Us northern types tend to think of rivers as being kind of rough things this time of year due to meltwater runoff....

• Can you give us any more information about the book you recommended? A quick search on amazon didn't turn anything up about the book or the author.
• I realise that this is a question that probably shouldn't be answered for a number of reasons, but I'm gonna ask it anyway: Any suggestions about areas on/in the river that might be preferable?
• Locals = gators?
• Proud eagles = eagles?

Steven

 

[JamesK]

I would LOVE to dive Copper River. However, I am probably going to ave to wait until late fall or next spring. :upset:

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Its on my list of things to do.

I would love to get some nice teeth and anything else I could find, but you can bet I'll be diving dry.

Tom

 

[samsliquidblue]

Hi Reefraff,
I wrote to the author about the book through his e-mail which is:
Fkocsis1@tampabay.rr.com
His book "Vertebrate Fossil: A Neophyte's Guide" by Frank A. Kocsis Jr. is a wonderful way to study the artifacts that one is likely to see in the Cooper River. This is the second edition and with the new blue cover and a few additions it is great to have this back in print.

Your question about the places on the river can only be determined by the landing you enter the river. There are several, Strawberry, Cypress, Bushy Park and one or two others. The river is a tidal situation each day and with that, one sees the bottom change with each tide. When the power plant begins to generate for the air conditioners it will change the river again. The best way to find good dive sites is to do bounce dives and see what is there. If you have never been on the river it is a good thing to take one of the many boat captains that charter on the river and learn from them the first time. Then when you go back, you will know how to begin looking on the river for other sites based on experience. My experience is that the whole river is a great place to look at different times according to the tide charts.

The Locals and Natives= the gators Bring a camera to catch them on the banks of the river if you are lucky.

The Proud Eagles= American Bald Eagles They are a sight to behold on the river when they grace you with fighter jet catch from the river and then power up to the top of a tree to feast. It will make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. Bring binoculars to see the close ups.