Great Day To Dive A Great Lake!

[moneysavr]

Kathy runs a great boat,the vis in Door county this time of year dose tend to be poor due to algae blooms and warm shallow water,but the frank O is still a fun dive!
I love Door county and the natives as most of the locals in my are or were divers,Too bad you did not jump over to Washington Island a fun day trip,but you had a drive back!
In fall vis comes way back to gin clear quality for some spectacular diving!
Brad

Brad ... I was just up in Door County this weekend! We were diving with Dive Diva out of Gills Rock. We did two dives on the Frank O'Connor on Sat. Viz wasn't very good ... probably 15-20' with temps 50-52 on the wreck and 60s on the surface. Saw lotsa burbot including one very large guy on top of the engine. He was a good 2' long I'd estimate. Also saw a small school of alewife. With two dives we were able to give the wreck a good exploration, including a tour from stern to bow and back on the second dive. We also saw the famous very large wrench that people like to move around on the wreck.

Unfortunately Sunday was a blow-out as the winds picked up earlier than expected. As luck would have it though my wife was with me on this trip, so we just spent the morning and early afternoon eating our way out of Door county as we worked out way S down 42! Awesome food!!

Oh ... and will Chicago EVER finish construction on the Dan Ryan!!! From now on I'm going to completely skirt the entire city and head back into Indiana on 80/94. 90/94 is always, always a nightmare heading S and then E into Indiana. ARGH!!!!

 

[tzeilstra]

I should know this, being a Wisconsinite, but where is Lake Church? That wreck (The Niagara) looks awesome and I'd like to check it out some time!

 

[moneysavr]

I should know this, being a Wisconsinite, but where is Lake Church? That wreck (The Niagara) looks awesome and I'd like to check it out some time!

North of Portwashington 8 miles,Lake Church was once a booming quarry town now it has a bar hotel and church-hence Lake Church, as I say you could Ged Her done in that town!!
Its a great wreck for newer divers as its only 50' some feet deep and vis can range in the 50' ++ range on a fair day,lots to see,,waters cold !
Brad

 

[tzeilstra]

Awesome - That is not too long of a drive at all. I'm assuming you need a boat to reach the wreck (I know of only 1 wreck in Lake Michigan that is within surface swimming distance from s hore)...

 

[moneysavr]

Awesome - That is not too long of a drive at all. I'm assuming you need a boat to reach the wreck (I know of only 1 wreck in Lake Michigan that is within surface swimming distance from shore)...

there are a few,one in Milwaukee heck of a walk with gear,[Washington Island, School hose beach-but a long swim]- 1 near Gills rock Door county one in Little Sturgeon Bay near my summer place off Clarfin Park the point a bit of a swim but a lot of fish,lots more but way north and bet Michigan side has a few,,

Yep you need a boat,but heck I got one-
hit me up some time we dive till the ice flys!!
my pal Jim Lives on the lake real close to the wreck has a boat too I am a few miles inland less $$ I can buy more gear!

Brad

 

[tzeilstra]

Brad - That sounds awesome actually. Are you ok diving with very new divers? My buddy and I just got certified in July (got our AOW a couple weeks ago) and so far have only 1 dive other than with an instructor. I feel we are pretty good for our experience level, but just wanted to let you know that.

 

[moneysavr]

Brad - That sounds awesome actually. Are you ok diving with very new divers? My buddy and I just got certified in July (got our AOW a couple weeks ago) and so far have only 1 dive other than with an instructor. I feel we are pretty good for our experience level, but just wanted to let you know that.

TZ we were all new at one time!hell I am new!!!!some of the testosterone la-din egos I have found in my short years diving would make some folks Leary of diving or maybe they forgot that they once started diving as a nebie too,

I think back on a vacation to the Keys years back sitting pool side at a dive hotel and watching a group a French divers gear up to do the night dive, a English speaking member could see the interest I had being a non diver and asked if I would like to join them on a dive being a non Cert they said the second dive would be a shallow dive on a reef and I could snorkel with them as they did the dive
I of course said yes and this is the beginning of a long story,thru the years of how I have met some of the greatest folks and divers in the world and to this I must repay this debt done for me to others!

I have had many newer divers out and the only way you learn is by diving and diving is how you leaned many divers on my boat Wiscuba and Scuba board and have pals world wide with invites to dive with them on trips and charters.
I don't charter, don't charge a dime just dive, answer questions if I can and have a blast!and rule one be safe!

I am sure the Niagra is way into your level and you will be hooked on this diving thing after you first wreck dive well deeper wreck dive!to see china and learn the history of the sites all go with diving to me as the great lakes are some of the best to dive rich in history,rich in wrecks and visibility some times as much as my tropical dives if not More!
Hey the winds are blowing and I would not take you out on a poor weather day but I will PM you my Cell and call lets get you wet before the pool closes for the year!
Brad

 

[moneysavr]

Wow fun to dive with you Tim and Daemon! too bad it was a bit cool but with over 100'+ vis such a blast!You guys were GREAT DIVERS! And the end with the computer recovery Daemon You got it nailed GOOD JOB!
The Dive on the Niagara was so cool to see the china,engine,and other neat stuff! real we could of just drove the boat over the site and drank beer with the gin clear water,DAM it was clear!fun dive
hope to dive with you guys before the pool closes to all but the hearty!
Brad

 

[Dean810]

Wow fun to dive with you Tim and Damon! too bad it was a bit cool but with over 100'+ vis such a blast!You guys were GREAT DIVERS! And the end with the computer recovery Damon You got it nailed GOOD JOB!
The Dive on the Niagara was so cool to see the china,engine,and other neat stuff! real we could of just drove the boat over the site and drank beer with the gin clear water,DAM it was clear!fun dive
hope to dive with you guys before the pool closes to all but the hearty!
Brad

Good to see you had good viz up there! At the south end of the lake, it was only about 10 to 15 feet at the shallow wreaks we did down here, but we were out all day and did 4 dives! Water in the upper 60's. Doesn't seem to be much of a thermalcline, cause last week it was the same whether we were at 70 feet or 30. Maybe that was why the viz was where it was.

Great day to dive, but it was rocky in the morning and one in our group got too sick to do the first 2 dives, but it smoothed out nice in the afternoon. You never know about the lake!

 

[CheddarChick]

Man I am so jealous.......Moneysavr, sounds like a great time. 100' ft viz in Mich???? Are you in a drysuit??? We went to Wazee last weekend and it was wonderfu, but man I miss the wrecks... When do you pull up and head south?