Hi From Gold Wisconsin!

[MikeSK]

Hi there

Did all my certs from AOW to DM and Master at devils lake state park. Did the last course needed for Masters there. Ice Diver. never do it again, but had to do it just once, especially since it was feb and i need one more course.

Other than one dive in Lake Mendota (or monona, i forget) Devils Lake is the only place i dove up there. Good enough for starting out, but when you start to know each fish personally, its time to move on

 

[gemma]

Hello and welcome from Spain.

Josep & gemma
www.josepclotas.com

:hi: :hi:

 

[exnewwavedivers]

Welcome from Boracay Island, Philippines!

 

[JamesK]

jhberri once bubbled...

We are from Oak Creek, not too far from you.

OAK CREEK!!! Good Lord, that is where I went to High School. How long have you been living there?

 

[jhberri]

JamesK once bubbled...



OAK CREEK!!! Good Lord, that is where I went to High School. How long have you been living there?

We have lived here for about 2 years. We really like it here. It's a nice, quiet town. It's nice to talk to a former Oak Creek resident!

 

[JamesK]

I hated how quiet it was when I was in High School, but now I miss it! LOL. I still have family living there, but hardly go back because I have become a cold weather weenie now!

 

[jhberri]

JamesK once bubbled...
I hated how quiet it was when I was in High School, but now I miss it! LOL. I still have family living there, but hardly go back because I have become a cold weather weenie now!

If I would have gone to high school here, I would have hated it too, much too quiet for a teenager! Now that I have 2 kids to raise, I think the peace and quiet is wonderful. Funny how your perspective changes as you get older and (hopefully) wiser.

I think I am a "cold weather weenie" too. My husband and I were just certified in September and went on our first dive without an instructor this Friday at Pearl Lake, IL. Well, the air was about 55 degrees and the water about 60. We weren't down very long, but I still froze my patootie off!
I don't think I'll be doing any cold (I know 60 isn't that cold, but I'm a wimp!) water diving unless I have a dry suit; my hands and feet were numb. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to our first trip in Feb. or Mar. to Bonaire, and that 82 degree water!

As a side note, a funny thing happened while we were at Pearl Lake. Right as we were about to get into the water, a photographer form the local newspaper showed up. He wanted a picture of some divers out late in the season and since we were the only people in the entire lake that day, we were the lucky ones to get our picture in the local paper. (See photo in profile.) That made our first real dive a little more memorable!

Dive safely,

 

[EBdiver]

Welcome to Scuba Source! I'm fairly new here myself.

 

[JamesK]

jhberri once bubbled...


If I would have gone to high school here, I would have hated it too, much too quiet for a teenager..........................

I imagine it was even quieter 10 years ago when I was in High School than it is now! I went back last year and looked around. Fields that I used to play in when I was younger are now neighborhoods. It has really built up a LOT since I lived there. I lived right next door in Franklin for a while too, and that was even worse than Oak Creek. Nothing around anywhere. We were excited when they built the strip mall on S76th street. I think it is on the corner of Drexel, but it has been a while.

I do so miss going to the end of Puetz Road and climbing down the cliff to the lake front. Nothing like that here in Atlanta.

I need to get back up there and go back to some of the places I used to hang out at and see what it is like now.

BTW, nice picture. I am sure the photographer was actually a little surprised to see anyone there! Is there anything to see in that lake?

 

[jhberri]

JamesK once bubbled...


I am sure the photographer was actually a little surprised to see anyone there! Is there anything to see in that lake?

I'm pretty sure he was surprised we were there! It was chilly!

Pearl Lake is smaller than I thought it would be, but there is quite a bit to see. We weren't down for very long, as we were cold and a little anxious, that being our first dive without an instructor or someone more experienced present. The deepest we went was about 45 feet, but the lake goes down to 85 feet in the "hole". We saw a small submarine and a little fishing boat, and a couple of training platforms (they have quite a few of those there to prevent the silt from getting stirred up.) There weren't a whole lot of fish, though, which disappointed me. I believe there are more fish on the south end of the lake, where it's weedy, but no diving is allowed there, because I believe that area is reserved for fishing only. The whole rest of the lake is for diving only. They also have several other things to look at on the bottom, such as a van, several boats, a school bus, railroad tracks, and an airplane. I wish it would have been warmer, we would have gotten our tanks refilled and stayed longer. I guess I'm not destined to be an ice diver! I had a 7/5 ml wetsuit on and my hands and feet got numb towards the end. (Not fun!)

They do have a full-service dive shop on site, which is very nice.

Did you dive while you lived in this area? If so, where, and what was your LDS?

Dive safely,