Lake Michigan - looks so easy

[Eric Sedletzky]

People are wusses and don’t like cold.

Tell me about it!

 

[Jared0425]

This year has been the worst weather we have had in my 24 years of diving on Lake Huron. We have gotten out 4 times since July and only been out surveying twice with no overnighters. Only 2 weeks ago on Monday did we have a glass-like day all year.

I went back downstate to work this week and do non upper peninsula things.

But I’m going back up 9th-18th to dive Marquette and Keweenaw. This is all I do for time off and I’ve learned to do it all in chunks of time up there because you don’t know what you’re going to get. Gotta give it time and go with the flow.

I get what you mean, it was crystal clear, 85 degrees one day in CH - and the next day it was 67 degrees, and a scene out of a movie where they close all their little extra protecty windows from the storm.

The Great Lakes feel how they want to feel, and they can do that, they’re allowed.

Lake Superior has big feelings sometimes and she’ll tell you how it is. That’s why they call her Superior.

She’s like, you think I forgot about those mine run offs that are poisoning my whitefish? No no, today I remembered all about it, and I feel some type of way, and imma bite you if you try to swim in me.

I mean, valid, definitely valid, .

I’m going to pray about it

Keep Whitefish Bay as an option for poor weather. This has been a bad year for Lake Superior as visibility has been horrible due to all the rain. Lake Huron last weekend visibility was less than 15ft on the surface, but once you got below 100, it got very good with 75+ feet. At 200 I could see the entirety of a 175ft wreck in either direction.

 

[8mb]

This year has been the worst weather we have had in my 24 years of diving on Lake Huron. We have gotten out 4 times since July and only been out surveying twice with no overnighters. Only 2 weeks ago on Monday did we have a glass-like day all year.


Keep Whitefish Bay as an option for poor weather. This has been a bad year for Lake Superior as visibility has been horrible due to all the rain. Lake Huron last weekend visibility was less than 15ft on the surface, but once you got below 100, it got very good with 75+ feet. At 200 I could see the entirety of a 175ft wreck in either direction.

Thank you for the feedback! I definitely want to dive Huron next year and get to some deeper dives after I’ve had more training.

I’m just a baby diver, I’ve only done a few dives so far - mostly shore, some night shore dives (I did find a yooperlite!) - but I’m not allowed to go past 60 ft right now

Visibility was really good in Cooper Harbor when I was there, I could see for mileees and miiiiles Just the algae blooms are alien-esque, they tend to roll in the second part of the day.

I’m not trying to do anything too scary right now, just putzing around well above my allotted cruising altitude to rock hunt and look at cool geological underwater formations and enjoy the silence.

But I am trying to get into an advanced class this Fall, and from there keep building my skills.

Slow and steady wins the race, that’s the right hand path

I checked weather and CH is getting a nice stretch of rainless sunshine days starting tomorrow, for about a week it looks like, in the 70s. I’m pretty pumped to camp and read and nerd out on rocks before the cold weather arrives. The biggest struggle is 7 tanks, dive gear, and camping supplies and dog in my Jeep for a 10+ day trip but I managed it once, I can do it again!

You are the fourth diver to tell me about Whitefish point - that bay formation makes sense for being calmer. Thank you for the reminder, I do think I’m meant to check it out

I got into diving because it’s a nice addition to nature exploration I’ve done since childhood - I don’t mountain bike but I’ve been going to CH for years to berry pick and just because I love it - so I’m getting all the time up there that I can, it’s my favorite place in Michigan so far, lots of good memories and amazing people.

I think as I get better at diving and just practice more I’ll start to pick places based on specific dives I want to do, but I’m realistic about my experience and skills and I’ll build on them with time - I’ve had less than ten dives. I just went straight for Superior because I love her.

Right now I’m just making better friends with her, listening to her, she is beautiful but she scares me a little, in a healthy way

So to get to know her more: I putz around and see what she looks like to observe from different locations, I go see what she looks like from above and watch the sunset. On rainy days I brush up on foraging skills and hike to exercise, gotta stay strong to carry tanks and gear for a quarter mile+, I tend to gravitate to more remote spots with no people (more rocks!) …I’m taking my sweet time observing and learning the environment because I love it, but it also makes me more comfortable in the water, so win win

I realized just how appealing my post might sound to murderers, but if anyone reading this has those plans and is that desperately looking for the escape button from this planet - then I guess come try me, and I will give you the relief you’re looking for, I am a compassionate woman

 

[Cert1967]

Lake Michigan Today - Water Temps

**********************************
423
SXUS83 KLOT 141403
OMRLOT
ILZ104-151515-

SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN WATER TEMPERATURES
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
903 AM CDT Sat Sep 14 2024

LAKE MICHIGAN WATER TEMPERATURES...

CHICAGO SHORE...........71.

CHICAGO CRIB............71.

CHICAGO BUOY............71.

WILMETTE BUOY...........71.

WAUKEGAN BUOY...........72.

WINTHROP HARBOR BUOY....71.

MICHIGAN CITY...........70.

MICHIGAN CITY BUOY......71.

SOUTH MID LAKE BUOY.....71.

CENTRAL MID LAKE BUOY...67.

NORTH MID LAKE BUOY.....67.

&&

M IS FOR MISSING DATA THAT IS NORMALLY AVAILABLE.

THE MICHIGAN CITY WATER TEMPERATURE SENSOR IS LOCATED AT
A WATER INTAKE ONE MILE OFFSHORE AND 60 FEET BELOW THE
WATER SURFACE. IT IS READ EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR.

FOR LAKE MICHIGAN WATER LEVELS, PLEASE SEE:
WWW.LRD.USACE.ARMY.MIL/WATER-INFORMATION/WATER-MANAGEMENT
/GREAT-LAKES-AND-HARBORS/WATER-LEVEL-FORECASTS

$$
**********************************

Upcoming is the annual fall 'turnover' of Lake Michigan

Vertical Water Temperature in Southern Lake Michigan: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory - Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Information from NOAA-GLERL

www.glerl.noaa.gov

 

[kwal9]

I was lucky to dive in Superior in Munising over labor day weekend. One beautiful smooth day. The next day no boats went out at all from the harbor. My local met with the captain early to see if we had a chance to go out that second day. It was crazy how we could watch the lines of the waves move towards shore. Had to cancel.
I'm hooked though.
Now I just want to explore Lake Michigan, even if it is visiting towns and cities that are easy trips for my family between Chicago and Milwaukee.
It's a blessing just to be close enough to enjoy.

 

[billgraham]

Isn’t it always the same temp at that point? Right above freezing?

I only made one trip there so I don't know. It was a lot colder than anywhere else I'd ever been.