Category Archives: Scuba

Discover Scuba Class

Scuba

Usually during the first months of the new year, Wolfs Marine in Benton Harbor, MI presents a “Discover Scuba” class to provide those with an interest in trying Scuba, a taste to see if diving would meet their expectations.

Wolf also uses this time as an opportunity for those already certified a winter an opportunity to dive in a controlled environment, meaning clean, clear, and relatively warm water.

Members of the local Michigan Underwater Divers Club (or MUD Club), encourage divers to use this opportunity to check out their diving gear and refresh their skills.

Individually most divers will practice their fin kicks, like the Flutter kick and frog kicks which is used to minimize stilling up the bottom, then there is working on their trim and buoyancy as they swim thru hula hoops suspended at different levels.  Many will practice doffing their equipment in the deep end, then surfacing and diving down back down to donning their equipment while sitting on the bottom.  Flooding and clearing their mask and even swimming around with no mask.

Tankful Tuesday – Michigan Underwater Divers Club

Scuba, Water-Related, , , , ,

Tankful Tuesday – Michigan Underwater Divers Club (AKA: MUD Club)

Niles River Dive Grubbing Dive – Pictures say it all!

Today’s River Rats- Big John N, Kurk W & Ted T

Barb ( The Key Master) and Karen – exiting at the kayak launch point

After the dive MB & Jake cruising the boardwalk.

Honeymooner’s Kevin & Amy A (MUD CLUB Vice President) putting away dive gear after laying out their finds.

Karen had the BEST find of the day, if not the month. That is a highly embossed bottle.

Leave it to Mary Beth to bring back a radiator and ankle monitor.

Kevin & Amy’s finds included a newer vape pen.

Nice selection from embossed milks to several medicine corker medicine bottles and another cell phone. The battery was dead but no matter, the coverage underwater here is terrible.

On the road again driving into the sunset! (US-31 thru Berrien Springs, MI)

2020 MUD Club Annual New Year’s Night Dive

Scuba, Water-Related

December 31, 2019 – January 1, 2020:

This New Years Eve midnight dive was performed in the Saint Joseph river, off Riverview Park in Niles Michigan.

We were blessed with snow, a bit of ice, warm temperatures (~28F) and no wind during last night’s celebration dive. The visibility was like diving in pea soup and if you took your high intensity light, right against your pressure gauge, pressing against your mask, could almost read it 😊

The river current was fast, so we secured a line from the walkway, hanging into the water the length of the dive path and stayed parallel to it. A little later, after midnight, a few divers may have strayed out a little bit with their river sticks seeking out what treasures might be hiding on the bottoms surface.

We had great shore support and always appreciate those who turn out to help us do the dives. Having the “Toy” box (covered trailer), propane heaters and lighting also make a big difference in safety and comfort.

Happy New Year 2020 from the Mud Club!

Michigan Underwater Divers Pendent, Diver Down Flag, Alpha Flag on inner tube float and milk carton (for holding your found treasures). with a few Christmas lights to increase night time visibility.

Mary Beth Thar (President – Michigan Underwater Divers Club- MUD Club) with Mack

Sir Larry Steelman (Left) Kevin Ailes, Amy Schuring Ailes, & Mack ;

Sir Larry Steelman  has done 44 & Don McAlhany (Mack) has done 45 in a row

December 19, 2020 – Michigan Shipwrecks Story Map

Scuba, Water-Related, Wreck Research

This was sent out to the Michigan Underwater Preserve Council (MUPC) delegates, but it’s worth sharing more widely. Please check out the Michigan Shipwrecks Story Map and share it with friends.
Thanks,

 

Delegates,
The DNR Marketing people arranged for a shorter URL for access to shipwreck info, including the Story Map.

Use Michigan.gov/ExploreShipwrecks to direct people to
the shipwrecks landing page.

Please share this widely. Send any constructive feedback on the page (data corrections, errors, etc) to me to pass back to our Marketing contacts.

If you notice an included dive-site does not include photos (afloat, sunk) and you happen to have one to share, please pass it along to me. Include the photographer’s name for credit.

We’d like to have photos for every site eventually.
We’d also like to know about any other sites (150-ft depth or shallower) that we could include on this map, especially shallow sites suitable for snorkeling, kayaks, and beginning divers.

We’re trying to entice new people into diving, a step at a time if necessary.

Thanks, Dan Friedhoff
(Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve & Michigan U/W Preserve Council)

News Years Midnight Scuba Dive

Scuba

Just a heads up: For any qualified diver interested in scuba diving at midnight on New Year’s Eve, several of us will be doing the “MUD Club Annual News Years Midnight Dive” in the Saint Joseph River, in Niles, at Riverview Park behind the Wonderland Theater.

For anyone not interested in diving but want to participate in an unusual activity in the middle of the night, most likely in a cold, possibly wet or snow environment, come on down. We ALWAYS appreciate any shore & surface surface support. We will gather no later than 11:00 PM in the Riverview Park Parking lot for staging activities.

Wolfs Open House & Marine Flea Market (AM)

Scuba, Walkabout,

Today was the Wolf’s Marine Open House and Annual Marine Flea Market which I always like to go to. But with that said, I am cautioned to seldom carry more than $20 cash with me because the desire to buy “stuff” at the Flea Market is over whelming. It seems like there is always something there you really need. And yes, I was weak!

I saw a reported functional Hummingbird 1159 without cables or transducer and a hummingbird coupling devise for just the exact amount in my pocket and I bought them.

Now several months ago I had given away my older but functional Humminbird 997 with transducer and tow fish away. It was set up to be portable and could be setup easily and used on anyone’s boat when going out to search for wrecks.

It had been a couple of years since it was getting any serious use as I was not actively using it and have never even owned a boat. But there is a dive buddy, Big John, who is years my junior, dives a lot, has several boats, and uses them. Bottom line is Big John will use the darn thing to search for wrecks.

Sorry, I digress! Back to my story.

The Humminbird was such a sweet deal I had to have it. Not even after I had it hidden in my car trunk, I mean put it away in a safe place for transport, I did not have buyers remorse! Honest!

Now having said all of that, I knew I was not really going to use it or even play around with it but I did knew someone who would want it, would use it or would experiment with it at least.

So I went over to his place of business and mentioned what I had seen for sale at the Flea Market and its remarkable low price. He said he had seen it already and was going over later to make an offer on it. I casually mentioned that I watched it being sold a little while before. He was more than a bit bummed out when I told him what the guy bought it for.

He was beside himself for losing the opportunity to have bought it himself. I let him rant for a few minutes and then casually mentioned that it was me that bought it and would he like to see the booty.

Bottom line is I sold it to him for what it cost me. I knew he would have bought it earlier had he even suspected anyone else would have picked it up. He will work with it and make it work and even if it is not like new, the parts and pieces are worth the $20 anyhow. It’s a win- win for everyone😊

 

Wolf’s Marine Dive Shop – Entry

Looking from the front door into Wolf’s Dive Shop

 

Long rows of tables and a little bit of everything marine related.

Just a sample of all the neat stuff for sale

 

 

 

Diver Etiquette on a boat dive

Miscellaneous Ramblings, Scuba,

Though it is getting toward the end of boat diving here in Michigan the topic of what divers should be doing when invited to go on a buddy’s boat for a dive. It appeared that many divers did not know or practice the finer points of Diver Etiquette. So I did a bit of searching  and Q&A  on a few of my buddy boat owners and came up with this. It was also posted in the MUD club newsletter.

Diver Etiquette:  How Not to Be “That Guy” On a dive boat

Hey! You’ve been invited to go on a boat dive with your friends! But there are a few rules you need to follow in order to get invited back. Keep in mind, boats aren’t cheap to buy, maintain, or haul around to different lakes and ports. Your host is spending his or her time and money to take you out, so don’t act like some buffoon at a frat party.

Here are a couple of rules to ensure you’ll receive future invites.

1) *Don’t be a NO_SHOW & * Don’t be late – Last minute cancellations suck because someone else could have gone! Also, nothing is more tiresome than sitting waiting on that one person who didn’t plan ahead. Have some respect for your friends and get there earlier rather than just in time. It’s not fashionable to be tardy!

2) Food: Don’t be the guy that brings one bag of pretzel rods for a full day of boating. Consider bringing sandwiches, chopped fruit, peanuts, chips, or whatever. Be gracious when someone does offer you their food, and don’t take it for granted.

3) Drinks – Always bring twice what you can drink and don’t assume there will be room in someone else’s cooler. Boating is a communal affair and you may have to share some of your rosé with others, because there will inevitably be one person who comes empty-handed.

4) Guests – Inviting tag-alongs without notice is a big no-no. Always check with your host/hostess before dragging along a sidekick.

5) Littering – Orange rinds, peanut shells, and such are no big deal but be mindful of your trash. Litter can be destructive and disgusting on the boat or in the water. Drop nothing overboard.

6) Smoking – Don’t

7) Be Prepared – This includes sunscreen, sunglasses, chap stick, towel, hat and jacket. It can get cold when under way and when the sun goes down.

8) The Captain – OK here’s the deal: The captain oversees the boat. If he/she says it’s time to go, it’s time to go. If they ask you to move, sit down, or shut up, do it. As fun and relaxing as boating is, it is the captain’s job to ensure the safety of all the people on their boat and they are liable for you. Also, the captain chooses the music—end of discussion.

9) Safety – If you feel a “Hold my beer and watch this” moment coming up, just Don’t!. In other words, don’t be dumb.

10) Passenger Etiquette – Respect the boat! Don’t step on seats—only hard surfaces if possible. Wear soft soled slip resistance footwear for wet, slippery decks and minimize any scuffing or marking the boat. Don’t try to “help” unless the captain asks you to. Spray sunscreen before getting on the boat.

11) Organize your gear – Dive boats range in different sizes and the layout will be different for each. One common trait is that space is always limited. Bring any gear you have in a soft bag that can fold up and ONLY what is required for the specific planned dive.

12) Equipment stations – Especially If you are diving from a rigid-inflatable boat (RIB) or a rigid-hulled inflatable boat, (RHIB), you will likely set up your gear before boarding. Ask the Capt. how he/she want’s your gear stored. Keep all your gear within the limits of your space and out of the way. Note that sharp pointy things on inflatable boats are hazardous.

13) Briefings / Dive Plan: Make sure that YOU know the location of safety gear on board including life jackets. Ask how you need to enter and exit the water. Some boats might have you pass up all your gear or have equipment line with hooks off the boat sides.

14) After the dive – Secure your gear as soon as you can and try to stay out of the way of everyone.

15) Disembarking – Make sure you grab everything you brought with you. Ask the Captain if they need help securing the boat and unloading. Many hands make lighter work for all.

16) DON’T FORGET TO CHIP IN FOR GAS – Sometimes not necessary BUT ALWAYS appreciated!

 

Saint Joseph River- Niles Drift Dive

Scuba, Water-Related, , , ,

Aug 30: Diving the Saint Joseph River – Niles, MI

The specific reason for today’s dive in the St. Joseph river was to determine if there were enough items/ trash to support the need for a 2019 Ecology Dive.

We explored the right side for the river as it flows downstream from the upper Bond street park and boat launch down to and under the Grant and West Main street bridges all the way down to the kayak launch behind the Wonderland theater.

Today the visibility averaged 3 feet in most areas of the river. There were a number of fallen trees and debris in many places near shore and out to deeper water that were definite snag, impalement, and entanglement hazards.

The current in many areas was manageable, especially if using a river stick, BUT in several areas approaching the bridges and bends in the river the current was very fast, and you had little control of your movement or path.

We have determined that the river conditions are hazardous for the inexperienced river diver and there is no way we can mitigate these risks and feel comfortable with inviting divers to dive this section of river at this time.

Based on these safety issues the Michigan U/W Divers club is NOT going to have the planned September 2019 Ecology Dive in Niles this year.

With that said, If you need a cell phone just dive the St. Joseph River in Niles. Recovered 4 in today’s drift dive. Almost 5 except the fisherman on the docks went in the water to get his after he dropped it.

 

Upper Bond street park and boat launch

Kayak Launch Point & Walk way behind the Wonderland Theater – Riverview Park, Niles, MI

A few of the small finds during the drift dive includes 4 cell phones.

Todays Divers – fast water experienced!