Legalities of diving public waters.

[Octopusprime]

I was going through a fishing navigation maps and found an inland lake that had a note that there is scuba diving. http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/parks/r3/kickapoo.htm#Scuba it was an inland lake managed by the IL DNR. So I started checking out the. DNR site looking for others.

The DNR site mentioned it was this site was one of the few that allowed diving. my thoughts were if there were public waters especially if you can put a boat on it you could dive it.

I'm sure that the rules widely vary based on location and I found a post in the archives on similar topic. I can see on a lake on private property but in IL and WI the home owner does not own the shore so if you had beach access rights or had permission of a home owner with water access I do not get why I could not dive just about any lake?

 

[CamG]

Im not acquainted with ILL. regulations but in IN. we can dive public lakes as long as a Dive Flag is towed or on the boat.
It is imperative that if you put the flag on the boat you stay with in the 300' feet zone that the boaters are to stay out of.
My experience is simply that boats do not follow the regs and stay outside the 300' zone.
Thus we have adapted dive practices to not surface only come up the anchor line.

We run a reel off the anchor line to keep continuous contact with our boat.
We also have a non-diver on the boat to help keep watch and keep boaters away.
Just recently the DNR has become interested in writing tickets for violations so I would be up to date on regulations both diving and boating in your state.



CamG

 

[al248005]

In Ohio we can't dive in public lakes. Theres a few that are allowed but I think there's only like 4 or 5. Now heres the kicker that is absolutely crazy. The DNR and Division of Wildlife are the ones who control them here. They have a law saying you CANNOT recreational dive in them but if you are spearfishing you can. I would not have thought the Division of Wildlife would support spearing.

 

[Belzelbub]

In Ohio we can't dive in public lakes. Theres a few that are allowed but I think there's only like 4 or 5. Now heres the kicker that is absolutely crazy. The DNR and Division of Wildlife are the ones who control them here. They have a law saying you CANNOT recreational dive in them but if you are spearfishing you can. I would not have thought the Division of Wildlife would support spearing.

Why not? I don't get the no rec diving, unless spearing part, but spearfishing is the most selective form of fish harvesting. IMO, if they allow recreational harvest at all, spearfishing should be allowed.

 

[Octopusprime]

Unfortunately the DNR has become more about generating revenue than making sure water is safe and maintaining wild life.

There are some really busy boat lakes here and the DNR loves to do random safety inspections looking for things they can fine you for. Oh and do not get caught fishing with out a lic they will impound your boat.

PADI stands for put another dollar in I would be fine with taking a diving safety course if they would include diving in the boating safety course, to get a lic to dive il DNR lakes.

Obvously you you will need to make sure your not anchored in high traffic area and use some common since. There is no way you would be able to get back in my boat in gear but part of me wants to try it on a low traffic lake and check them out. Many of the lakes here are mud bottoms but there is plenty of cool stuff to see plenty of snowmobiles on the bottom of lakes and rivers.

---------- Post added March 28th, 2015 at 11:21 AM ----------

I did find in IL DNR code that states you are not allowed to "bodily enter the water" in areas except 1 designated swimming areas. 2. If DNR lifeguard is on duty. 3. Areas posted for water skiing or tubing 4. Areas authorized for scuba diving you must present C-card and get a permit from superintendent.

Says it it is to limit user conflicts at sites. However I can only find one DNR lake that has authorized for scuba ?

 

[CamG]

Chris you might think Im totally nuts but some of the best diving lakes in IN are the busy ones!
One such dive site on a really busy lake is relatively close to the public access where the lake narrows a bit.
We never obstruct the travel way but rarely do boats ever maintain the 300' from our flag distance.
It is common to have them buzz straight overhead.

In one case we were towing our flag per the regulations and a boat motored over and grabbed our flag pulling us up with it!
I wish I was kidding but it really happened.
A teachable moment when the boater realized he had just broken a serious law and endangered two lives.
Ive been on a private lake "shallow one at that" working on a search and recovery job while two jet ski's kept criss-crossing in my bubbles.
When my look out finally got their attention and explained what was going on they retreated to the dock.
If you are diving around watercraft you have to be proactive they will kill you!
We have a strict routine that we follow while diving these public waters!

We have had some awesome dives and recoveries of ATV's, boats, motors, etc.
We were diving a old hidden quarry one time and found several foreign cars from the UK.
We both just looked at each other, popped the trunk searched for a body or valuables.
Oddly enough we were so far out in the sticks it still strikes me as very odd as to why or how they got there.
You never know what you will find in natural lakes.

CamG

 

[Octopusprime]

CamG such a cool story... As a boater/fisherman I totally know how little the recreational boaters follow the rules both because they do not know or do not care. I would be VERY cautious when surfacing only following the boat anchor line. I figure early mornings would be best before the boating/drinking crowd gets really going.

There is a Lake on the "Chain O Lakes" that is 100 ft deep. I have seen hits on my sonar that have to be sunken boats etc. It would be really cool to check them out. I do not think that it is a good idea to dive in a 20ft deep lake with boats on it. Not enough separation for me.

---------- Post added March 28th, 2015 at 12:22 PM ----------

By cool story I meant the cars one not the boater that pulled you flag...

search and recovery interests me a lot. Being in the Midwest I do not often get to see cool fish/coral but search and recovery is like a treasure hunt. Not to be taken lightly but gives you some task loading while practicing your skills and any day underwater is better than a day at the office.

 

[CamG]

What lakes would you like to dive?
Possibly if not super far we could meet and do some lake dives.
Not sure how far you would travel but I have access to several nice lakes / boats.
My advise about finding things on the bottom know your states laws on recovery of lost items.
We have found some very cool things, looked for some very expensive things rings etc.

Never overlook a strange object no mater how many zebra mussels are on it!
We were on a dive in the location I earlier spoke of and I almost reached out and grabbed this strange appearing item from the bottom.
Instead my buddy did!
It was a body hook that the DNR and locals used to drag the lake for drowning victims.
An odd trophy to find but he also found a 100+ year old beer bottle dating pre-prohibition.
You truly never know what is out there.

One lake we found two mounds of old glass milk bottles buried in 7-8' of black silt on the bottom.
A very old wooden canoe, 5 or 6 boats of varying ages; wood, steel, AL materials.
Recovered one of which we sold for scrap, AL was very high at the time.

Do you get over to Gilboa to dive?
Love to meet you some time.

CamG

 

[Octopusprime]

Never been to galboa but would like to. About 5.5 hr from here. Most of our training dives we do at haigh quarry. Been to mermet once in S IL.

planning to do a couple charters out of hamond marina this summer to dive LM. I have not been yet but can not wait.

Im up for meeting up in the middle and open to suggestions.

---------- Post added March 28th, 2015 at 08:59 PM ----------

Looks like we are both 3.5 hr from haigh quarry. Have you ever been there?

---------- Post added March 28th, 2015 at 09:02 PM ----------

This is the one IL lake that allows diving

Dropped Pinnear Kickapoo State Recreation Area, 10906 Kickapoo Park Rd, Oakwood, IL 61858
40.154840,-87.746093 - Google Maps