Haigh Quarry

[Sideband]

It is a very good quarry for Diving up here. Tina had this quarry as a place to dump log stumps, I believe, and then a man named Doug-from my dive shop-suggested that she make it a diving quarry. Just watch out, If you're not wearing a hood, a bunch of bluegills bite your ears, looking for food.

That's because some idiots insist on feeding them. There was a group of them today on one of the platforms with a can of that Easy Cheese stuff. When we tried to bring a class down after they left the platform the fish were so thick I had to ask a guy 3 times for his pressure because I couldn't see his reply. They were biting anything that fit in their mouth and we had several bloody ears. Lovely intro to the sport eh? The people that are doing the feeding are basically training the fish to swarm divers.

Sorry about the little hijack. The incident just kinda tweaked my jeeber if ya know what I mean.

Joe

 

[diverbob]

is there anything to see in the 75 foot hole, or just to say you went that deep?

 

[bradb21]

is there anything to see in the 75 foot hole, or just to say you went that deep?

Maybe I'm spoiled because I dive in Lake Michigan every weekend off Chicago or Milwaukee, but I don't see the attraction to Haigh Quarry??? It's small, crowded as all hell, filled with newbies making visability bad. I've unfortunately been there 4 or 5 times this year, and I'd be at the surface and newbies would surface right underneath me knocking me in the private parts and I had a newbie kick me in the ribs after almost surfacing underneath me again. I don't know, but I don't see the attraction the the SS Flamingo and I'd rather take the Prince William off Milwaukee any day.

You got this great lake (Lake Michigan) right in your back door with great wreck diving and you'd rather explore the deep nothing hole at Haigh???

Maybe somebody could tell me what I'm missing there?

 

[scubabamatxn]

Yes, Tina is great. Entering September, diving in the'hole' is fine w/o a hood-- you don't have much to see there for very long anyway. It is pitch black-- just as reported. Also, even though they are elusive, they do have Paddlefish in the quarry. The S.S. Flamingo is a cabin cruiser sunk for simple penetration.

 

[diverbob]

Maybe I'm spoiled because I dive in Lake Michigan every weekend off Chicago or Milwaukee, but I don't see the attraction to Haigh Quarry??? It's small, crowded as all hell, filled with newbies making visability bad. I've unfortunately been there 4 or 5 times this year, and I'd be at the surface and newbies would surface right underneath me knocking me in the private parts and I had a newbie kick me in the ribs after almost surfacing underneath me again. I don't know, but I don't see the attraction the the SS Flamingo and I'd rather take the Prince William off Milwaukee any day.

You got this great lake (Lake Michigan) right in your back door with great wreck diving and you'd rather explore the deep nothing hole at Haigh???

Maybe somebody could tell me what I'm missing there?

I dont have one of the great lakes in my back yard, and 4 hours is about the furthest I am willing to drive to do any diving. Quarry diving doesnt bother me at all. I also like diving with the newbies. I love it when in between dives, I get to talk with them, maybe even help them out a little bit if they are just getting started. I know when I first started, I appreciated everyones input.

 

[CNTdiver]

I dont have one of the great lakes in my back yard, and 4 hours is about the furthest I am willing to drive to do any diving. Quarry diving doesnt bother me at all. I also like diving with the newbies. I love it when in between dives, I get to talk with them, maybe even help them out a little bit if they are just getting started. I know when I first started, I appreciated everyones input.

I do have that great lake to the east of me, but something still lures me to the quarry. Don't get me wrong.....I have been in the lake many times and loved every dive. Diverbob, I agree with your policy about newbies. We were all newbies at one time and we ALL appreaciated the help of veteran divers whether we say we do or not. On the contrary, I do not like being kicked by newbies either!!!!!

 

[bradb21]

That's cool guys! Everyone has their own reasons. Getting kicked in the nuts and in the ribs twice in one day is enough for me.

I was just curious more than anything. People talk about the quarry like it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

To me it's expensive ($20), and it seems like the money would be better spent towards a charter out to Lake Michigan.

Just my $0.02

 

[MikeFerrara]

Maybe I'm spoiled because I dive in Lake Michigan every weekend off Chicago or Milwaukee, but I don't see the attraction to Haigh Quarry??? It's small, crowded as all hell, filled with newbies making visability bad. I've unfortunately been there 4 or 5 times this year, and I'd be at the surface and newbies would surface right underneath me knocking me in the private parts and I had a newbie kick me in the ribs after almost surfacing underneath me again. I don't know, but I don't see the attraction the the SS Flamingo and I'd rather take the Prince William off Milwaukee any day.

You got this great lake (Lake Michigan) right in your back door with great wreck diving and you'd rather explore the deep nothing hole at Haigh???

Maybe somebody could tell me what I'm missing there?

The wreck diving in Lake Michigan is fantastic but it's also $100 +/- a pop depending on the wreck. Sometimes you drive all the way there after getting up at 3am only to find out you've been blown out.

We usually go a little further north and travel about 6 hours so we usually ltravel the day before. After spending all week mixing gas, 6 hours driving and the expense of a hotel room we might get blown out.

The wrecks around Chicago are worth seeing once but they aren't much. The wrecks are mostly broken up and not much to look at. Since they're shallow They're dived a lot and I've been on them when there were a bunch of rec divers silting things out totally.

Some great diving but a lot of work and expense for just a little bit of bottom time.

And...you're on some one elses schedule.

If ou like watching fish there isn't much going on either.

The quarries have a few attractive qualities. They are comparatively inexpensive. Weather is not a factor, if you drive you dive. There lots of cool fish. Haigh really has some cool fish.

All you have to do to avoid the OW class crowds is plan on starting your diving about noon. The shops that bring the most students and make the biggest and badest messes do like 10 minute dives (if you can call them dives) and they're gone before I even get started. By mid afternoon we pretty much have the place to ourselves.

 

[Juls64]

The wreck diving in Lake Michigan is fantastic but it's also $100 +/- a pop depending on the wreck.

Thats the great thing about diving with our dive club, its $60 a pop with the 1/2 boat discount! There are plenty of charters for about $75 for 2 dives as well. Mike might be talking about deeper tech dives though.

 

[netmage]

So speaking of Haigh? Is anyone going tomorrow....? I need to get some technical skill practice in.... Valve drills, s-drills, sim. deco, etc....