Dunderberg Trip

[ppo2_diver]

Last week I had the privilege of diving the Dunderberg last week. A former co-worker invited me to dive off his boat when he was over in Lake Huron. Not turning down a free boat ride, I drove over there for a couple days of diving. The plan was to dive two days then come home. Unfortunately the weather didn't want to cooperate. So we were only able to do one dive on the Dunderberg.

We were not able to find a mooring line, so we had to hook the wreck. Now we are not very capable sailors, so it took about 30 minutes for us to fumble around and set the hook. My first time hooking a wreck. I know, land lubbers. We drop down the link and verified the hook was firm and not someplace where it could damage the wreck. Surface temps were 43F and temp on the bottom read 38F. We did a 40 minute bottom time with about 40 minutes of deco. We used 21/35 in our doubles and bottom stage and 50% Nitrox in our deco tank. Had I known how cold it would have been, I probably would have shortened up the BT and/or brought a little O2 to speed up deco. We swam the circuit of the wreck. The alligator on the bow is the most interesting feature of this wreck. We were able to get a little penetration into the cargo hold. Other cool features of the wreck were the anchor and chain still wrapped around the drum.

Overall I had a blast on this wreck. I wished I could have done a couple more dives on her. It was worth the long drive for only one dive. But I definitely look forward to going back again in the future.

 

[ComputerJoe]

Great wreck, lucky to get out at all. There are some awesome wrecks all along the shore from Sanilac up through Mackinaw, and then accross the U.P. to Whitefish, and new sites are still being found. We drove down to the Thumb hoping to catch a Saturday weather window...well Mother Nature slamed that one closed. :-( I'm afraid I'm done diving till our New Years Day dive at Rock Port unless...naw, I'm done.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Thanks for the report Duane. The water temps surprise me. Not the 38 degree bottom temps but the 43 degree surface temps. I didn't realize that Huron cooled off so fast.

I'm looking forward to diving the Dunderberg within the next 2-3 years.

 

[crpntr133]

WOW! I agree with the surface temp. I would have never thought that. Good to know since this is on my to do list.

 

[ComputerJoe]

Folks, the surface temp on any great lake is not consistant accross its entire surface...or even underneath. I did a Grecian dive a few years back with 68 degrees to the bottom. When back on shore I cajoled a buddy, who was always cold and diving a wet suit, into going out the very next day...which we did. Imagine his surprise to find it was only 48 when we hit the deck at 80'. With the wind out of the south for quite some time all the warmer surface water would be hanging out near Drummond Island or the Straights.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Folks, the surface temp on any great lake is not consistant accross its entire surface...or even underneath. I did a Grecian dive a few years back with 68 degrees to the bottom. When back on shore I cajoled a buddy, who was always cold and diving a wet suit, into going out the very next day...which we did. Imagine his surprise to find it was only 48 when we hit the deck at 80'. With the wind out of the south for quite some time all the warmer surface water would be hanging out near Drummond Island or the Straights.

I guess I realized that, but with only 25 or so GL wreck dives I don't yet have the experience to appreciate just how much weather conditions, esp. wind speed and direction, effect the surface and bottom temps. Thanks for sharing your insight. Very educational.

 

[Dean810]

One thing I noticed about Duane's report, he spends more time talking about his breathing gas, bottom time and deco then he talks about the wreck! There's a tech geek for you! ;-)

Water is cold right now! Got back yesterday from diving the Northerner up by Port Washington. I recorded the water temp as low as 41 degrees. Stayed in the 40's all the way up. Maybe 48 at the surface. Dove the Mahoning on the next dive, and it never got above the mid 40's. HOWEVER, the viz on the Northerner was at least 80 ft., about the best I have seen all year. There was never a time I couldn't see the entire length of the wreck, and it is 78 ft long. The Mahoning was good too, at least 60 ft. It was limited by our snagged mooring line whipping up silt and the clouds of tiny fish fry.

If you don't already know, the Northerner is a great wreck. A little two masted schooner, sank in 1868, that is almost completely intact. It too has a figurehead under the bowsprit. I would compare the condition to be on the level of the Sandusky, and probably the Dunderberg too, although I have never seen the Dunderberg. What is nice about it is that it is still at recreational diving depths (it gets to 130, but you can easily stay at 120) and yet it is short enough that you can get a good view in the short dive time a recreational diver has with a single tank.

 

[ComputerJoe]

We dove the ER Williams ...oh ****! 6 YEARS ago. Seems like yesterday. She was a great dive as well although she reallt did settle into the silt. Wasn't enough room for a fish to get below her decks. To have 80' of viz under the influence of that Green Bay is really something.

A month ago I had one of those diving expirences off of Presque Isle...from the crows nest of the foremast I could see past the mizzen mast and see the ships wheel...I guess it was about 120' of viz. I will never forget it. I went back two days latter with my camera and was a little disappointed with the 60' of viz then.