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A Special Note
This months featured article is about Great Lakes diving. But
before I get to that I feel the need to recognize my very dear friends
David and Carol Lehrman. David and Carol are two of the kindest
warmest souls I know. They recently spent their hard earned vacation
time visiting New Orleans and working with Habitat For Humanity to
help make a difference for the large number of displaced residents of
that hurricane ravaged city. Please read David's journal (with
pictures) of their experience. It's very interesting and will touch
your heart. Thanks David for reminding us of our fellow citizens in
need.
Please read
Our Magnificent Journey - Chapter 7 - New Orleans
http://www.davidandcarol.com/NOLA2006_day01.htm
Have you ever thought about Great Lakes diving?
As an example, diving in the Great Lakes offers opportunities to
diving:
- In fresh water,
- In really cold, fresh water,
- And there are many, very well preserved shipwrecks, as a result
of those other two factors.
Under cold, freshwater conditions, the rusting and marine life
eventually claiming shipwrecks aren't present to the same extent. The
amount of underwater life in Ontario's lakes and rivers is minimal
compared to any halfway-respectable tropical reef. Also, the salt that
speeds corrosion isn't here.
In the ocean, wrecks from as recently as World War II experience
significant deterioration, while wooden ships wrecked in the Great
Lakes in the 1800's are in better shape.
Now let’s talk about the fresh water part of Great Lake diving.
Saltwater divers have to rinse off their gear after a dive, but
climb out of Lake Huron, though, and you’ve already rinsed off with
clean, fresh water. You can even sneak a drink of the stuff if you get
thirsty during your dive.
Now let’s discuss the temperature. It’s been said that there are
only two water temperatures in Lake Ontario: hard, and soft. For a few
months each year you can walk on parts of the lakes. Generally you
will find a temperature of 39 degrees Fahrenheit below 50 feet in the
Great Lakes during the entire year. Of course, in the summer the
surface temperature rises to about 70 degrees. This means a whole new
scuba diving outfit — no "shorty" suits or thin suits! Dry suits are
very popular for year-round diving. A quarter inch wetsuit with hood,
gloves, and boots is the most basic attire.
The optional anti-freeze kits available for most regulators are also
highly recommended. These provide a layer of non-freezable oil around
the regulator's working parts (the piston or diaphragm) and prevent
ice from forming and blocking the works. The usual consequence of that
happening would be a free-flow, in which all your air comes out at you
over the course of a few short minutes. This tends to end dives fairly
quickly.
Now to the wrecks and the real reason for diving. The Great Lakes
were, and still are, the major transportation route into a significant
part of North America. The Lakes have a reputation for violent storms,
and with their smaller size can whip up into a fury much more quickly
than the oceans. Because of the restrictions on the sizes of vessels
that could negotiate some of the rivers, waterways, and locks,
especially earlier this century, many of the vessels were smaller than
seagoing vessels. As a result of all this, the Lakes are littered with
shipwrecks.
Many wooden vessels from a century ago are still in reasonable shape.
Much depends on the depth of the wreck; shallower ones have been
battered by storms and torn by winter ice. Some newer steel vessels
have also come to grief, so there's a fair bit of variety. Almost
every wreck has something that makes it unique. No two wrecks are
quite the same.
As an example of the wonders to be seen in the Great Lakes, I am going
to mention the wrecks in just one location — Kingston in Ontario.
Kingston is a major Great Lakes port. Quite a number of older vessels
were deliberately sunk some years ago in an area south of Collins Bay
just to get rid of them, and of course yesterday's trash is today's
treasure.
Munson
An old dredging vessel, this sank unexpectedly in 120' of water off
Collins Bay. Lots and lots of machinery and stuff, including the
digging arm with an old-fashioned clamshell bucket hanging open in the
darkness. This was the seagoing version of the classic steam shovel.
When I first dove this wreck, it could be a night dive at 10 in the
morning, but the zebra mussels have done wonders for water clarity,
and much more sunlight now penetrates to depth. During the summer of
1996, it became possible to see the whole wreck from a single vantage
point. This is one of my favorite wrecks.
Cornwall
One of the newly discovered wrecks in the Kingston area is sitting in
75' of water.
Frontenac
Another recently discovered wreck; it was featured in a presentation
at Shipwrecks '96.
Wolfe Islander
This was the original car ferry that ran between Kingston and Wolfe
Island. After it was retired, it was deliberately sunk as a dive spot.
It sits upright in 80' of water, and can be penetrated by the
experienced diver. An old motorcycle is on display on the ferry deck.
Aloha
A vessel that seems to have burned before sinking; nowadays it's about
70% encrusted with zebra mussels. It's sitting in only a bit more than
50' of water.
Effie Mae
An old Kingston-area dive boat that got too old to keep taking divers
out to the wrecks, so now she waits for divers to come to her. Sitting
upright just off the stern of the Aloha, so both can be visited on the
same dive.
City of Sheboygan
A bit further out to the west of Kingston, this wreck sits in 100' of
water. It is in excellent condition, and part of the mizzenmast is
still standing.
Comet
A side-paddle steamer, this one has huge A-frames, boilers, and
pistons. If you spend too long looking at these, though, you won't
have enough time to swim the length of the vessel; it's a long one.
Marsh
A middling deep wreck, sits at 85', with the steering wheel still
visible. Two divers died on different occasions back in the summer of
1992 while diving the “Marsh”, but there's nothing dangerous about
this wreck.
"The Graveyard"
There's an area south of Collins Bay called the "graveyard", where old
tired ships were sunk many years ago after being towed out of Kingston
harbor. There's a lot to see, with a dozen or more wrecks in close
proximity. Not all of the wrecks have been discovered yet, and the
proper names of the discovered ones are not all known, so some have
been dubbed with names like the "Titanic" and the "Queen Mary", while
the "Harold John" is named after its discoverers, at least when its
discoverers are the ones driving the dive boat.
If there is something mentioned above that has peaked you interest,
here are some resources:
Vendors, Dive Shops & Tour Operators
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