Saturday's dive was organized by SouthSideScubaSteve and was in conjunction with a training weekend with Scuba Emporium of Orland Park. The plan was to meet up around 8:00 near the SE tables and get organized as a group while we gear up and hit the water. By the time we got ready to go we picked up a few folks from SB and a few others that just wanted to dive and have fun.
Dive one was a shallow dive on the training side. SSSSteve and I both had half tanks so instead of wasting the air and cutting a dive short we agreed to stay shallow and then pop to the top when we hit 500 psi. Ken was to lead the dive and we were to dive the port-o-potty, rock crusher, and then swim the wall slow and sure back to the road when everyone was ready to go. The dive started out with me, SSSSteve, Jepuskar, BigDorkPeter, Ken and Joe. We descended at one of the training platforms and waited for our group to get organized. Jep was my buddy for the dive. BigDorkPeter was a little light and could not make it to depth so I went up to see what was going on and he called his dive so we could continue on. By the time I got back to the platform Jep and Ken were gone. SSSSteve, Joe and I decided that we would stick to the plan and head to the rock crusher. On our way, we found the port-o-potty and Jep all at the same time. I knew that if Jep was going to be anywhere it would be near the crapper. I opened the door for SSSSteve and Joe but the room was occupied. Oops, did not mean to interrupt. After leaving the dummy in the potty to his privacy, and after Jep gabbed the extra dummy head, we then went to the rock crusher where we swam around a bit. There we saw the Northern Pike hanging out on the top of the structure. It was about 4 feet long and looked hungry so we left it to its peace. Jep lost his head somewhere along the way but I cant remember were he left it. I wonder it he can remember! We continued along the wall until we saw the cement frog. At this point SSSSteve called the dive as he was a bit low so he and I took off toward the platform and the road where we would surface. Jep and Joe continued the dive. When we surfaced, we found Ken. He started out looking for us but since we were at the training side the vis was bad and you could barely see your hands in front of you. Once we got to the wall it was a bit better but not by much. Ken was pretty much looking for a needle in a haystack and that was impossible. Jep and Joe surfaced a bit later when Joe was running low on gas. As we all know, Jep's rebreather keeps him going with an endless supply so it is up to us to call the dive for air supply reasons. I had a dive of a max depth of 27 feet for 24 minutes with a temp of 58 degrees.
While we waited on the surface, we started dishing it out to Ken for leaving the party before it began. It was all in good fun and Ken is a big enough guy to be able to handle it. Since Joe and Jep had a longer dive than the rest we had a longer surface interval for them to gas off a bit. Peter started talking about his gear and mentioned that the first time he used his SMB he had some trouble with it. I walked in to the conversation at
"The first time I inflated my sausage, it came up a little flaccid" I nearly fell over the bench by laughing so hard. It didn't take me long to know that yet again, I was going to be diving with another great group of people.
Dive two was planned for me to lead. Some of the guys had already read my post about the last time I tried to lead so I had also accept the good natured ribbing for my inability to find my way without a GPS. Of course, since that dive, I became AOW so I clearly can navigate with no problems
<sarcasm> So the plan was to drop at the Flamingo, swim along to the LARC and maybe pass the Flamingo Riding Lawn Mower on the way. We were also going to find the Quarry Drain Plug since we know roughly where it is and then head back to the LARC before we need to end the dive when gas is low. So we started the dive by going to the platform closest to the Flamingo. I was waiting for Jep when I saw him just off the road. I flagged him over to the platform and jumped in. We had to wait a few minutes for him to slowly make his way over. The group of us stated out as me, Jep, Joe, Ken, SSSSteve, BigDorkPeter and Mike. We all made the swim to the buoy and started to descend. At depth I noticed that we were a few people short and looked up when I noticed somebody was having a hard descending. Once we figured out what was going on, the dive continued with Jep, Mike, Ken and myself. After a few minutes of playing around with the phone and the credit card machine, I led the way to the LARC. I took my heading of 70 degrees and off we went. I tried to slow my stroll but I was trying to concentrate so I just kind of forgot to take it easy. I would remember and then have to wait for the group to catch up. Then I would take off like a bat out of hell and have to slow down again. After a few minutes on the way to the LARC, we came across the front end/bow. I was amazed that I found it. I felt like Rocky Balboa after he raced up the stairs with his followers right behind him. Of course my followers had to catch up to me but it still felt the same. I gave the double fist pump to the surface and started to explore the LARC. Ken decided that we was going to swim under the LARC but, well, that was a no go there brainiac. It would take one little man to get under that thing and as previously mentioned Ken is not a little man, especially with a big honking tank on his back. After wading through the silt factory that he created and we regroup, I led the way to the Drain Plug. Now I need to say that I was told the plug was about 100 feet south of the LARC. I also swam 100 feet in my AOW dive so I know in my mind that this should take 30-40 seconds to get there. However after 5 minutes of swimming along with no reference points and a desert waste land of quarry bottom and silt, I turned around and raised my hands in question mode
I looked around some more but well, I just gave up. After a bit, I circled up and said lets head back to the LARC. So I change my compass to North and started heading back. After a few minutes of staring at my compass, I hear this load sound instead of the complete silence in my head that I usually hear while diving. I think for a second and hear it again. I turn around and see my buddy Jep pointing at the drain plug not 10 feet to my left. Talk about being shocked. I can't take credit for finding the plug, but I can say that I drove us to it. After a few attempts to remove it, even though the plug clearly says to leave it alone, we headed back to the LARC which was only 30 seconds off of the plug, exactly where I thought it was. So I found the LARC again. Yippee for me, I know my compass works now. Hurray!! At this point Ken and Mike let Jep and I know that they are going up since they are a little low on gas. Jep and I continue on for a little bit, we had no plan other than to eventually surface when I needed to so we started along the wall and eventually came upon the small statue of the naked man (well he is not naked anymore since someone was nice enough to offer the boy a loin cloth). We continued on to until it was getting time to do a safety stop. Jep and I headed toward the road until we reached 20 feet for the start of the safety. After the slow safety swim between 15 and 20 feet, it took another few minutes to reach 7 feet when we bobbed to the top. I had the dive in at a max depth of 54 feet for 43 minutes in 47 degree water.
Once Jep and I got out of the water, we found Ken, SSSSteve, Joe and BigDorkPeter. Mike was missing though. After I got out of my gear I noticed that he was at the platform. Ken and I walked over and helped him get him and his gear out of the water. Once we all got back to the table, Peter told us that he got cold at the beginning of the dive, Joe had a squeeze that he could not shake, and Steve had trouble equalizing then popped an ear with a little blood. Oooh, that sounds bad and I hope he is ok or gets a doctor to tell him that he will be ok soon.
Please let us know how you are doing? Ken and Mike got s eparated before they surfaced. At the surface Ken was laughing so hard by my reaction to Jep screaming at me to see the drain plug. None of us could believe how loudly he screamed at my while using his rebreather. I was amazed that we found it but even more surprised that I was able to hear him screaming at me. But then again, he needs to get used to screaming at people who wont listen to him. Then again, he might already be used to it anyway.
While we gassed off from our dive, Joe and Peter went for a shallow dive since at this point they both got wet but did not dive. I am not sure how the dive went but I am sure they had a good time. They both came back together and in one piece so I am assuming that it was a great dive. While on the SI, Jep's girlfriend noticed that there were other rebreather divers in the quarry. We all laughed at them, Jep included, for diving the quarry in a rebreather. I mean it is only a quarry, how long can you stay down there looking at students and other lost souls. Right Jep how long can it be? I wonder if it is worth it? When you figure it out, I hope you let the rest of us know.
Dive three for me was to be led by Jep with me, Peter and Mike following. He did not have a compass but we were going to take a nice slow stroll along the south wall until it was time to turn around and head back. Jep is good at taking his time while diving so this was going to be nice for us. No race course to hell on this dive for sure. We dropped into the water at the platform and descended along the wall. Some parts of the quarry wall is layers of rock in small slabs that are just piled up. It is really neat to look at while swimming along. There are zebra mussels all over the place and as we were swimming I notices some sort of bug like thing crawling on some of the rocks. The things looked were white, had a centipede like body, but only a half inch long or so and had a head that appeared to have antenna's. I cant show a picture since I am soooo not ready for a camera yet, but maybe next time I will get someone to take a picture. Anyway, we swam along and looked up at the rocks where the green algae was growing. At least I think it is algae. On one part it looked like witches hair hanging down either side of a rock for 30 feet. We kept swimming along the wall until Jason called the turn around point. It might have been at 30 minutes or so. Peter and Mike surfaced when they hit their quittin' time. Jep and I continued along until we got to where we started and since I still had some air, we continued along the wall until the road. We dove over the archaeological dig site and looked around a bit before it was time to ascend a bit for the safety stop. We got to the road after the safety stop and then swam along for a few minutes until I got to 6 feet and surfaced. It was a great dive that I registered a max depth of 52 feet for 58 minutes in 48 degree water.
Yet again, it was another great day diving at Haigh Quarry. While it may only be Haigh to some people, to us, it was a great day to meet new people and get wet. Lake Michigan might be better to some, and I know I will have a great time diving in the big lake as well, but for my $20, Haigh is a great place to spend my day. Many thanks again SSSSteve for posting the dive and for everyone who came out. You guys are great buddies and fun people to gas off with. I am glad to have met the people that I did not know, catch up on with those that I met before and look forward to the next dive when I can meet more people for new buddies.
