Most challenging dive?

[NancyLynn]

Just my opinion, if you live in Michigan and you've never experienced a "challenging deep dive", you don't dive a lot at home. 3-4 foot viz is an EXCELLENT day on some of these wrecks.

I guess that begs the question as to whether limited viz necessarily makes a dive challenging (similar to the question as to whether depth necessarily makes a dive challenging).

I've been on one dive with under 3 ft visibility (my first time in kelp, and one of my early (perhaps first) cold water dives) & a few others with ~5' visibility and did not list any of these as my most challenging dives. Frankly, the < 3ft viz dive was one of my more enjoyable dives. Easy out and back (after we got past the surf) along a wall. The lack of visibility wasn't bothering me - I just got up close and personal with all of the interesting critters along the wall. It was thumbed part way through due to limited visibility by the local divemaster I had hired to go along with me when I ended up having a spare day and no one to dive with. I would have been just fine diving for a while longer - but when the buddy says up, up we go.

 

[Skull]

Did a dive off of a 6-pack a few weeks ago. Moderate swells fair vis on the first dive dove a hp120 steel . Second dive I got a little sea sick on the SI so I was eager to get in and dive. While trying to put on my fins on the swim platform the swell picked up and launched me off the boat. Course my mask is in my cargo pockets for safe keeping, reg was flailing about and no gas in my bc ...so first things first I grab my reg...then inflate my bc while 4' under water surface under control and then attempt to put on my fins. While attempting the first fin another swell rolls through and I get stretched out from it and drop my fin ... 90' straight down. Second dive was an AL80 with 32% which required me to stuff 2-2lbers in my cargo pockets. Unzip my pocket to retrieve my mask, deflate and do a nose dive to ensure I bottom near my dropped fin ...ah but forgot to zip my pocket. Out shoots a 2lber and I watch as my mini flashlight heads to the bottom. So I chase the flash light to the bottom when I get to within 20' I'm seeing double. There are two identical flash lights 5 ' apart from one another. Go figure ... I mean what are the chances of that ...

But no fin... so I do a search and retrieval pattern (easy with one fin mind you) no fin to be found. Noticed that I am a little underweighted ...then it dons on me I lost one of my 2-lbers .... so abort the dive and shoot a bag since I am off the wreck site by about 50 yrds give or take and 4-6 minutes into the dive. Bag deploys and I start my ascent ...but at ~ 70' on the ascent I am really to light to control so I spread out and preform a CESA ...not bright but no other choice. Hit the surface and realize I'm actually 100yds from the dive boat and dealing with a deployed sausage ...which is partially filled with H20 .... and the swells are picking up and a south current is building.

Of course the reel for some reason gets tangled around my fin-less foot and I gotta deal with that for oh ...3 minutes ..till I finally say screw the bag we'll get it later. Drop the real and shake my foot free and head to the dive boat. Surface swims against the current with a 3-4 swell in hitting you broadside is a real task to overcome. 20 minutes later I finish the 100yrd swim and get back on board. But hey I lost a 2lb weight and fin but gained a another flashlight ...

All in all it was the most challenging dive I ever did ..yet I have to say it was a very enjoyable dive in that I hit every freaking skill set required and actually never felt out of control or even the remote bit of panic. Even the surface swim was enjoyable since I dive this spot regularly and didn't even give it a second thought.

 

[Rhone Man]

Just my opinion, if you live in Michigan and you've never experienced a "challenging deep dive", you don't dive a lot at home. 3-4 foot viz is an EXCELLENT day on some of these wrecks.

I will never understand the attraction of low-viz diving for some. I do it when I have to do it, but going down on a wreck in that sort of viz seems to me that there is going to be a severe limit on the interesting things that you will be able to see.

Not knocking it. Just don't feel the same way myself.

 

[DOkie]

Rhone Man - It's all we have... Not to say that traveling four hours either way would have diving in clear, beautiful (yet still cold) water, but you can't do that everyday (especially with gas prices now!!). If I had my choice, I would love to actually see the entire structure that I'm diving.... But the Bay is only 15 minutes away and it's always dark (sunlight rarely penetrates below 30 feet), always cold, and all of the wrecks are deep. All I'm saying is that it can be challenging when you're down there and viz gets down to 6" (without kicking up silt). We dove a wreck the other day that I've been diving for years and viz was actually 25' or so... It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!!!!

 

[seaducer]

Every dive is challenging. To feel otherwise is to invite complacency to bite you in the @ss.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Last weekend, another diver told me "I don't consider a dive a real dive, unless we are at least 70 ft deep.

The other diver watches too much TV.

Divers (usually only 1 or 2) on some of the boats that I have been on usually make stupid comments like this before they show there stupidity in actions.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Last weekend, another diver told me "I don't consider a dive a real dive, unless we are at least 70 ft deep.

LOL - I'd like to introduce that fellow to Titlow. He'll never get below 35 or 40 feet ... but if he hits it on a flood ... even a little one ... he'll likely be hitch hiking back to the dive site from wherever the current decides to put him ashore.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)