Hello!

[MKingslayer]

Hello,
I’ve been diving since 2011 first as a commercial diver/underwater welder and now as a recreational diver/assistant instructor. I have over 200 dives and a few stories about how I wrestled a giant Carp in a Nuke plant water intake. I reside in Washington state and am looking for recreational dive buddies to explore the Puget Sound with. I attend an EMT course Monday through Friday 0800-1300hrs and am free after that. I’m also always down to do some working dives (that being my profession). I’m down for anywhere except off the Tacoma waterfront. Thank you!

Very Respectfully,
Michael (Mikie)

 

[Marie13]

Welcome! You’re a tease - we need the giant carp story!

 

[MKingslayer]

I was cleaning the forbay for a fresh water intake. The fresh water intake is for one of the many nuke plants on Lake Michigan. We use a high pressure water gun and it’s fun to just blast the barnacles (invasive) off the walls cause you can really see your work. The barnacles need to be removed to allow for full potential of the inwater pumps.
Because of the barnacles, the carp (also invasive) swim in as little fish. The food is so abundant the carp can grow as big as a man’s leg! Once the barnacles are removed from the walls we use a 4in dredge to vacuum the created sediment into giant dumpsters. This is because you can’t take water out of Lake Michigan and just put it back in. Otherwise there could be biological complications. It’s a weird requirement haha but a part of the process.
So I was cleaning the walls and stumble upon this huge fish just chilling out on a section I needed to clean. I tried to push him away but he didn’t budge. It’s crazy to feel a fish underwater because you just feel firm muscle and coiled power. Remember, this particular carp was as large as a man’s leg. I was a little nervous because I’m in its element haha but I was determined to clean. Well I pushed it again and finally after multiple attempts I blew some water in its direction. It got scared and swam off so I could finish my last section.
The whole time I have an underwater camera on my hat so topside can see what I see. We also have comms so I can talk to topside if I get bored. The conversations are typically pretty deep like, “Did you see the Red Wings game?” “You’re currently being recorded so please only talk when necessary.” Really thought provoking after four hours of silence.
Well I finish my section and BOOM! Something hit my chest. Maybe it was my umbilical or maybe the hose for the water gun. I looked down after taking a gulp of air and see this tentacle coming out of my chest!! How did John Carpenter’s the Thing come down here!? I couldn’t help but to yelp and start punching/trying to spray this sudden alien appendage I grew. It stopped pushing and I finally saw it’s face. It of course was the carp trying to get me back for removing it from its hunting place. It attacked again!! Then my comms opens up to laughter from topside. No words just laughter.
I learned someone accidentally hit the push to talk as the crew ran over to watch my epic battle for humanity. I blasted the carp with my water gun and finally secured my success. I wasn’t done in the forbay but the battle for dominance was over. As I suctioned the sediment up, the fish maintained its position in a corner ever watching me for a moment of attack. I finished up and came up topside exhausted. Happy to not have to enter that monsters den for another two years.

 

[Marie13]

OMG. By barnacles, you must mean the zebra/quagga mussels.

 

[MKingslayer]

Yes. They are the WORST! I have to apologize, I’m not a biology study, not from the MidWest area (from the PNW), and my marine identification is bad. Which is another huge reason I’m here: to learn . The transition from a working diver to recreational diver is crazy! Before it was all “no inconsistency in structure” or “make it hot” or “I’m facing the South wall of structure B heading East” without any real opportunity to observe the environment. Now it’s all “what’s that? Hey… is that gonna eat me?” And “this underwater dog isn’t gonna bite me, right?” it’s crazy fun!

 

[Marie13]

Yes. They are the WORST! I have to apologize, I’m not a biology study, not from the MidWest area (from the PNW), and my marine identification is bad. Which is another huge reason I’m here: to learn . The transition from a working diver to recreational diver is crazy! Before it was all “no inconsistency in structure” or “make it hot” or “I’m facing the South wall of structure B heading East” without any real opportunity to observe the environment. Now it’s all “what’s that? Hey… is that gonna eat me?” And “this underwater dog isn’t gonna bite me, right?” it’s crazy fun!

I’ve done a good bit of Great Lakes wreck diving. The wrecks are sadly covered with the mussels. They were introduced from the ballast water of a “saltie” (ocean going ship) in the 1980s. The upside is the viz is much improved.

 

[MKingslayer]

I’ve done a good bit of Great Lakes wreck diving. The wrecks are sadly covered with the mussels. They were introduced from the ballast water of a “saltie” (ocean going ship) in the 1980s. The upside is the viz is much improved.

Viz is amazing in Lake Michigan. It kinda ruined me for when I came to the Puget Sound and can’t see five feet in front me haha if we had Lake Michigans viz, I’m sure diving here would increase