Dixie Diver Visting Grand Rapids Area

[octotat]

I will be visiting the Grand Rapids area for business July 14th and 15th and would love to hook up with someone from the area to do a dive. And yes, some of us southern divers have dry suits This will help my long term goal of getting a dive in every state (I have about 40 to go ). I would also like to eventually dive with every regional group on Scubaboard. (So far I've got Dixie Divers, Rocky Mountain Oysters, Florida Conch Divers, and the Wreck Valley gang.) I'll have a rental car and can drive a few hours in any direction, so I'm not limited to the immediate GR area.

Thanks,

Octo

 

[gtxl1200]

I will be out of town that week.... I think your best bet if you want to do some wreck diving is to head around the curve and head up to the chicago or millwalkee area. roumer has it there isnt much to dive around the GR area.

 

[jtivat]

There is one wreck off Grand Haven only about 45min from GR but it is hard to find a charter to go to it. There are a few in deep water in the South Haven area but again the same problem no charters.

 

[Oldpirate]

The problem isn't the lack of wrecks any more, it's the lack of charters.

Go to Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates and click on "discovery"to check out a lot of newly discovered wrecks up and down the Michigan Lakeshore between Grand Haven and South Haven. Many of them are deep, tech dives. What's your maximum depth? Are you diving mixed gas or air?

The wreck spoken of earlier is the "Ironsides" which is mostly collapsed these days. 10 years ago it was intact and upright. It's still a nice dive though. The depth is 120'.

Out of Saugatuck we have:

The North Shore Tug in 150'.


The Fireboat in 75'.

The H. C. Akeley at 275'.

There also is a schooner at that depth.

South Haven has:

The Ann Arbor no. 5 at 160'.

The Rockaway at 70'.

I hear Ocean Sands Scuba in Holland (30 minutes from GR) has just started offering charters out of Saugatuck.

If you're just looking to hook up with a group of local divers, most of the regulars are diving very deep and are a fairly close knit group. Hopefully someone with their own boat will respond!

 

[kelle1ds]

Seaquatics in Midland is hosting a charter out of Alpena on July 16-17 (Lake Huron). Four tanks total. All dives will be on wrecks.

 

[octotat]

The problem isn't the lack of wrecks any more, it's the lack of charters.

Go to Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates and click on "discovery"to check out a lot of newly discovered wrecks up and down the Michigan Lakeshore between Grand Haven and South Haven. Many of them are deep, tech dives. What's your maximum depth? Are you diving mixed gas or air?

The wreck spoken of earlier is the "Ironsides" which is mostly collapsed these days. 10 years ago it was intact and upright. It's still a nice dive though. The depth is 120'.

Out of Saugatuck we have:

The North Shore Tug in 150'.


The Fireboat in 75'.

The H. C. Akeley at 275'.

There also is a schooner at that depth.

South Haven has:

The Ann Arbor no. 5 at 160'.

The Rockaway at 70'.

I hear Ocean Sands Scuba in Holland (30 minutes from GR) has just started offering charters out of Saugatuck.

If you're just looking to hook up with a group of local divers, most of the regulars are diving very deep and are a fairly close knit group. Hopefully someone with their own boat will respond!

I did chat with Chuck from Ocean Sands, but they won't be running a charter that weekend. Really hoping to finds some local SB'er to either shore or boat dive with.

 

[jtivat]

I might be at Lake 16 on the 15th not sure yet but you would be welcome to join. It is cold (40F) dark and about 80' deep, there are many small boats and a blazer but that’s about it. I like to practice valve drills and clipping and unclipping stuff there with my hands numb.

 

[octotat]

Thanks for the offer, but I'm forced to dive too many small lakes now, I'm really hoping for a Great Lake shipwreck dive to make hauling all that gear worth it (plus, I have to pay for a couple extra night hotel and rental car). Have a good dive, I'll have to get a TN river dive in that weekend instead.

 

[scubaaaronh]

I'm not going to ba able to dive that weekend, but you can call www.americandivezone.com and see what they have going.

 

[octotat]

I'm not going to ba able to dive that weekend, but you can call www.americandivezone.com and see what they have going.

It looks like they have a pretty interesting trip to Ontario. A little too far afield for me. I'll have to dive on another trip I guess. Don't feel too bad for me, I leave for Bonaire tonight!