St Clair River Diving

[tiggrr]

Riverdiver- Sincerley, I think its fantastic you have experience in the St Clair River. But, there
are much better ways to promote safe diving in the St Clair River than what you posted above.


Maybe you would want to check out Rich's profile before making snap judgments on his teaching abilities and experience. Or send your message in a PM and use the board for information on where would be a good start for "newbees" and all of the other where, why's, and how's.

Happy Diving

 

[gNats]

How can you do a class on diving the river in a classroom? where are you comming from ? Are you going to send students up here to dive this river by themselfs ?
I put in 200-300 dives a year in the St.Clair River we do not need any newbees up here. I do not know who you are ! So you are not a hardcore river diver, their for you have no right in teaching a class. Please keep your students South of St. Clair.
For those interseted we have 1000' ships with 35' of draft in some waters 38' deep 250' off shore, with bow thrusters that suck and blow water in, and water currents over 8 mph and up to 12 mph with a strong North wind.

Geez, thanks for the warm welcome to Michigan river diving. As a new diver to begin with, and a Michigan resident, I do one day hope to achieve the skills necessary to comfortably dive in our rivers and visit the wrecks.

Sorry, but I didn't realize you owned the River in Marysville. Nor do I believe you were born with 200-300 river dives experience. You too must have at one day been a Newbie. Your experience came from somewhere. Or are you just that gifted?

Tact goes a long way on these boards.

 

[CMAN]

I do one day hope to achieve the skills necesarry to comfortably dive in our rivers

A good place to start is off the boardwalk in the city of St. Clair, the current isn't too bad there (2-3 mph) and if you stay in 30 ft or less depth the freighters aren't a problem. One of the drawbacks is you have to climb the ladder attached to the seawall to exit. If you don't want to deal with the seawall you could dive from the beach down river in Marine City. The current is a little stronger there but you can find a lot more interesting stuff.

 

[Mr B]

Can I please refer EVERYONE back to my original post and get the thread back on track (including Rich, who pretty much hijacked it for some blatant self promotion :mooner..

To this end [leading a few divers on the Tremble] I was thinking about building up a short list of [St Clair River] dives that might be considered as training [..], preferably wrecks and preferably building up in the skill required to dive them.

In thinking about this it crossed my mind that I could probably develop (with a little help) a NAUI distinct specialty for this.

This whole thing only occurred to me yesterday so my thoughts are only in their initial stages but I thought I would get others' opinions even at this stage because I'm certain that you guys (divers, dm's and instructors alike) probably all have valuable experience and opinions to offer (not least given that I am not 'a local'!).

RiverDiver - with 200-300 river dives, where would you suggest starting and what would you consider a list of good dive sites/locations/entry points to build people up gradually (and why)?

Cheers


Rick (on Bruno's account!!)

 

[CDNScubaMoose]

I do quite a few dives on the Canadian side of the St. Clair throughout the year and will regularily dive with newer divers or people with not much experience in river diving. Most of them want to dive the barge/monarch just south of the Blue Water bridge but before I'll take someone new there I have a few learning dives with them first. We usually do 2-3 dives (at a minimum) around the town of Port Lambton - which is south of Marine City on the Canadian side. Easy entrance and easy exit, depths of the dives can range from the low 20's to mid 50's. There are lots of stuff to see and pickup including old bottles and some bits of china.

After 2-3 dives and I am comfortable that the person can equalize with little to no difficulties, they understand that East is Canada & West is USA, they are comfortable in the current, and finally they understand that the river has to be treated as an overhead environment (ideally at least one of the dives will have a large freighter pass nearby so they can get comfortable with that sensation) I will then dive with them on the Barge/Monarch. I try to choose a day when the vis is good and make sure to do it when there is lots of light (i.e. not a night dive).

After 2-3 dives on the barge/monarch I will offer to dive the barge/monarch at night with them.

So that is the progression that I take with newer divers in the river and if someone were to make up a course outline I would also suggest talking (and ideally illustrating) turbidity readings and where to get them and perhaps the use of buddy lines (we use them around Port Lambton since the vis tends to be less).

 

[gNats]

Thanks for outlining your dive plan with noobs in the river. I like your progressive approach. I'll have to look you up next yr when I am ready to hit the water!

So that is the progression that I take with newer divers in the river and if someone were to make up a course outline I would also suggest talking (and ideally illustrating) turbidity readings and where to get them and perhaps the use of buddy lines (we use them around Port Lambton since the vis tends to be less).

 

[Busdiver]

Two things that riverdiver and the canadian have are experience on the river. If you do not dive it on a regular basis it will kick you in the butt. My section of the river is around Marine City. Very mellow, good current, but fun. Safe from freighter traffic if you stay in the 20 to 30 foot range. I do not dive where riverdiver dives without experienced buddies and an indepth plan. The river is like an overhead dive (as the canadian stated) and needs to be taught in that manner. If you dive during the summer and think you are just going to surface than you will be injured.

Now for folks who actually want to dive the river contact shops that do it on a weekly basis. The canadian will show you around, Sea Side dive shop in St. Clair Shores dives Marine City every Sunday at 10 am.

Also, keep in mind river diving is almost solo diving. Getting seperated happens all the time. That needs to be part of any course.

Finally learn about turbidity, wind direction, etc.

I am glad Rich is teaching a river diving class. I hope his students do not feel they can just go flop into the St. Clair or Detroit rivers without diving with folks who have the experience. It takes a lot of practice to getting used to all the distractions going on (including having freighters go by, they are loud and it is freaky at first).

That said I will not be in the river for 11 days until my inner ear issue resolves itself (with proper medical supervision).

 

[riverdiver]

I do not want to sound to strong against it, but a classroom on river diving is like someone taking a deco class one weekend and diving the Andrea Doria the next. you need to start at the South end and work your way North, or have someone that dive it often take you on on a drift dive. Their are parts of the river that push you in the center and you have no control.I have and still do get my ass kicked by the current. It is no place to panic and shoot to the surface.
Marine City has some good diving down town in the North parking lot, you can find alot of old bottles and sometimes a clay pipe.
St.Clair off the board walk is slow moving current and their is alot of bottle to be found you need to dig a hole and keep digging. St.Clair's town was on the rivers edge and burnt down and they pushed it in the water, and built new across the road.
Marysville out in front of the filtration plant is pretty good, in front of the Junction Buoy restaurant is a old wood steamer, and is a nice dive.
Port Huron at the bean dock their are 3 easy wrecks all side by side the Pabst, the Beard and the Lansing.
I dive the hole river from Lake Huron to Lake St Clair, most of my finds are from Marysville and North to the bridge. Vis gets worst the farther South you go.
Picture is part of a friends pipe collectin.

 

[rickydazla]

Look at the size of those pipes! What in the blazes were they smoking in those babies?!

Marysville out in front of the filtration plant is pretty good, in front of the Junction Buoy restaurant is a old wood steamer, and is a nice dive.
Port Huron at the bean dock their are 3 easy wrecks all side by side the Pabst, the Beard and the Lansing.

That's good stuff, thanks. I'm more interested in wrecks than 'treasure', unless we're talking about some unopened, vintage whiskey!

 

[CDNScubaMoose]

Picture is part of a friends pipe collectin

Good lord - now I know why I haven't found any pipes yet, somebody already has them all!! Thanks for sharing.