Need advice on Local Dive...

[Scuba.Pro]

A little history first...

I grew up on this lake in the South Burbs of Chicago (Lansing, IL). Back in the early 1900's the "lake" was a clay quarry. The clay was used to make bricks to help rebuild Chicago after the great fire. The red dot is about where the crane is. The average depth in the deep parts of the lake is about 45 ft.

It's interesting that until I first saw these google images I never realized what we called the "sand bars" (lightish thick lines on the right side and bottom right of the lake) are actually the earth ramps they used to get in and out of the quarry.

Link to the map: lansing, il - Google Maps

I've dove my lake many, many times and found old milk bottles, railroad cars and other things. The biggest thing hiding in the lake though is this turn of the century Steam Shovel. It looks a lot like the one in this image. The large wheel about halfway down the boom is a very identifying mark that I have personally seen.

Here is the problem, the top of the boom of the beast is only about 15 ft under water. From there things get very sketchy. The thermocline is maybe 8-10ft even in mid summer and it gets Very cold. To add to this since it was a clay quarry the water is exceptionally silty. Once you start moving down the boom the visibility gets to about 0. I've tried using a light, but that just illuminates the silt.

I once got as far as the smokestack and followed it down and ended up with a piece of wood, presumable from the roof of the shack. It's a bit dangerous since you can't see much and there are wires and cables still all around it.

My Mission
My whole life I've wanted to actually get in this thing and see if there is anything inside. Presumable the lake filled fast once they hit the spring as they couldn't get the steamshovel out. I've always wondered if there was anything in there. I first started diving it at 15 (32 now) and have tried numerous dives with various success depending on visibility (seemingly after it rains it's much worse).

Any ideas what I could do about the visibility? Would brighter lights help? Maybe try to dive during a drought? Should I give it up?

This Steamshovel is an icon to our towns history and how it was founded. I'd love to be able to survey it and give any data over to the local historical society.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Dive when it is cold. Really cold. Like as soon as the ice melts. Quarrys like Haigh are the clearest then. That is the only recomendation that I would have.

P.S. If you need someone to Dive it with you PM me. Always up for an adventure.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

First of all make sure your not touching anything on the way down. Use lights with narrow intense beams. If you have a cannister light that focuses tighten it up as much as possible. This next may sound stange but sometimes in situations where there is too much silt or algae a dimmer light works better. Light driving in a fog. Turn your high beams on and everything reflects back at you. Use the low beams and it's not as bad. It might be worth a night dive or two as well to reduce reflected light from the surface.
Again touching any part of the crane will screw the vis. If your buoyancy control is good there should be no reason to touch anything as long as you can illuminate it. As for getting inside the thing my advice under those conditions is don't. It only takes one of those wires or cables to snag you or your gear and then there's more than a crane down there. This is especially true if you can't see anything. Your intentions are admirable. I'd love to join you in this. Sounds like alot of fun. I don't know if you've ever been inside one of these. There is not alot of room. My dad is on the board of a steam, gas, and horse association. They specialize in restoring these types of equipment. At their grounds they have 6 or 7steam shovels in various states of repair from one on trucks to two that are fully operational and used regularly for demonstrations. There are numerous levers and switches, valves, cables, and places to stuff things like tools and such. There may also be a coal pile. Going inside one on a sunny day that is like new is very tight. I'd be hesitant to dive one that has been down so long. They also were made usually of iron alot. The structure may not be very stable as well. Try to do an outside survey of you must but please don't go inside. Yeah you may find some neat stuff like old tools and the like but you may also get killed. If you'd like more info on the shovel itself and what may be found go to National Pike, Steam, Gas and Horse Association and contact one of the people listed. They can put you in touch with someone who'll likely give you more info than you want. They love to talk old machines.

 

[Scuba.Pro]

Thanks for the advice. Seems like my best shot would be early early spring with a powerful narrow beam light. I've never dove with a dry suit and in those conditions I'm sure I'd need Ice diving training, if anything on how to deal with the cold.