rmrobbins
Registered
Led a group of four other divers on three dives up in Moosehead Lake on July 25, 2015. We did three dives described below from pontoon boat. We met around 8AM in Sandy Bay and left dock just after 9AM.
Dive 1:
"PPP" (Poverty Point Pinnacle) - This area is marked by a hazard buoy near southern tip of Moose Island. I dove this the very first time with my buddy on July 4, 2015. Buoy sits on top of flat pinnacle. About 16' of water this time of year. (There's a dead buoy floating upright underwater identical to the one up top.) We reached depth of 70' and swam south counterclockwise around the pinnacle. South side has giant ledge steps 10' down and 10+ feet across. Once at depth we swam around near base of nearly vertical glacial bedrock wall. Rock very smooth and flat minus cracks and gouges from glacier carving against it. Some very funky rock formations "Dead Eye Rock" and "Alien Head Rock" can be found down there. Water temps at surface were mid 60s and at depth around 58. Great visibility 30' plus. Gets near dark at 40' down. Everyone loved it!
I want to take others up there diving to these spots and for more discovery dives. I started page on Facebook. Request to join if interested in future trips:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mooseheadlakedivers/
PPP Video from 7/4/15 here:
[video=youtube;UmZKNRx84Tc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmZKNRx84Tc[/video]
Dive 2:
"Black Ledge" - This area is off the northern tip of Moose Island. Nearest Black Sand Island. We set anchor near hazard buoy in about 8' of water and swam towards mainland south. Slowly dropped down to about 30' where we hit the edge of what seemed like a bottomless vertical wall of ledge. My sonar charts indicate it goes down to about 120'. We swam E/SE down wall to about 90'. Was pitch black 'night dive' after about 50'...despite clear bright early afternoon sun at surface. Wall was really impressive with some areas having undercuts and overhangs. Rock was solid in places and not so solid in other places. Make sure you don't have dive buddies above or below if near wall. Some of it looked unstable...underwater landslide possible. I consider this an advanced dive due to wall, no bottom, and darkness. Group was revved and elated to say the least when we got back on boat. Water very clear (low particulate) but very dark. Low temp was 54.
Video of Black Ledge Dive:
[video=youtube;-EMNv_2MUxI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EMNv_2MUxI[/video]
Dive 3:
SS Twilight Wreck - We navigated down Moose/Squaw Bay to West Cove where we anchored off south side of Steamship Point. Bow of Twilight is visible from surface near shore. She rests with stern into lake. Bow sits just below the surface. Stern sits in about 35-40' of water. She lies on her starboard side. Superstructure (2nd deck and wheelhouse) gone. First deck on stern port side is remarkably good condition. Low vis and very very muddy if you dust it up. You can look through debris up top directly down into the engine room where you can see tops of steam cylinders. We all liked the dive, but it was far less exciting than first two dives for out group.
BIG THANKS TO DIVERS:
Garrett Kane
Jonathan Slack
Patrick Laase
Matthew MacDonald
Dive 1:
"PPP" (Poverty Point Pinnacle) - This area is marked by a hazard buoy near southern tip of Moose Island. I dove this the very first time with my buddy on July 4, 2015. Buoy sits on top of flat pinnacle. About 16' of water this time of year. (There's a dead buoy floating upright underwater identical to the one up top.) We reached depth of 70' and swam south counterclockwise around the pinnacle. South side has giant ledge steps 10' down and 10+ feet across. Once at depth we swam around near base of nearly vertical glacial bedrock wall. Rock very smooth and flat minus cracks and gouges from glacier carving against it. Some very funky rock formations "Dead Eye Rock" and "Alien Head Rock" can be found down there. Water temps at surface were mid 60s and at depth around 58. Great visibility 30' plus. Gets near dark at 40' down. Everyone loved it!
I want to take others up there diving to these spots and for more discovery dives. I started page on Facebook. Request to join if interested in future trips:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mooseheadlakedivers/
PPP Video from 7/4/15 here:
[video=youtube;UmZKNRx84Tc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmZKNRx84Tc[/video]
Dive 2:
"Black Ledge" - This area is off the northern tip of Moose Island. Nearest Black Sand Island. We set anchor near hazard buoy in about 8' of water and swam towards mainland south. Slowly dropped down to about 30' where we hit the edge of what seemed like a bottomless vertical wall of ledge. My sonar charts indicate it goes down to about 120'. We swam E/SE down wall to about 90'. Was pitch black 'night dive' after about 50'...despite clear bright early afternoon sun at surface. Wall was really impressive with some areas having undercuts and overhangs. Rock was solid in places and not so solid in other places. Make sure you don't have dive buddies above or below if near wall. Some of it looked unstable...underwater landslide possible. I consider this an advanced dive due to wall, no bottom, and darkness. Group was revved and elated to say the least when we got back on boat. Water very clear (low particulate) but very dark. Low temp was 54.
Video of Black Ledge Dive:
[video=youtube;-EMNv_2MUxI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EMNv_2MUxI[/video]
Dive 3:
SS Twilight Wreck - We navigated down Moose/Squaw Bay to West Cove where we anchored off south side of Steamship Point. Bow of Twilight is visible from surface near shore. She rests with stern into lake. Bow sits just below the surface. Stern sits in about 35-40' of water. She lies on her starboard side. Superstructure (2nd deck and wheelhouse) gone. First deck on stern port side is remarkably good condition. Low vis and very very muddy if you dust it up. You can look through debris up top directly down into the engine room where you can see tops of steam cylinders. We all liked the dive, but it was far less exciting than first two dives for out group.
BIG THANKS TO DIVERS:
Garrett Kane
Jonathan Slack
Patrick Laase
Matthew MacDonald
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