Water's fine for Midwest scuba diving
It may not be the tropical destination you had in mind, but there are places to scuba dive in the Midwest -- many within two hours of Elgin.
Just ask the folks at Sea Lions Dive Center, 1158 E. Lake St. in Hanover Park.
(Submitted/Sea Lions Dive Center)
(Submitted/Sea Lions Dive Center)
"When someone mentions diving, most people think of warm water and colorful fish and not the fine diving we have here in the Midwest," said Tom Robinson, business manager for Sea Lions. "They are surprised to learn of the history that lies beneath the surface of Lake Michigan in the form of shipwrecks.
"They are also surprised to learn the colorful fish of the Midwest ... to be found at Haigh Quarry match the numbers of fish on any reef in the Caribbean. They do not believe you can swim with large and small mouth bass, blue gills, perch, northern pike, crappie, carp and even the occasional turtle."
Sea Lions will give an introduction to scuba diving lesson on Monday at the Greater Elgin Area YMCA, 50 N. McLean Blvd. Participants are asked to arrive by 8:30 p.m. to be in the pool by 9 p.m. Other introduction to scuba diving sessions will take place Mondays, July 21, Aug. 18 and Sept. 22, at the Elgin YMCA. The fee is $10, which is refundable if you sign up for a class.
Also, Sea Lions has scheduled trips to two area shipwreck sites: the Straits of Mackinac in Chicago on Sunday, Aug. 17, and the Prince Wilhelm off the coast of Milwaukee on Sunday, Sept. 14. For more information, call (630) 289-1680 or e-mail info@sealions.org.
Here's a list of local places to scuba dive:
The Caissons
This is the informal name given to the area just off the entrance to the Chicago River. After the Great Chicago Fire, barges were loaded with debris that was dumped into the lake. There still are a lot of bricks from the fire, and occasionally after a storm when the water is stirred up, bottles and other items can be found.
Car Ferry Milwaukee
This serious dive sits in 130 feet of water and is beginning to collapse. The wreck was featured on The History Channel's Deep Sea Detectives. The ferry holds railroad cars full of cargo, including an antique truck, bath tubs and a toilet. The pilot house blew off when the ship sank and sits about 100 feet away. It can be accessed by a guideline installed by previous divers.
Haigh Quarry
This former limestone quarry near Kankakee has been transformed into the area's premier scuba diving training site. Called the Caribbean of the Midwest, there is a shallow area (20 feet) for new divers and a deep area (50 feet) for more experienced divers. The quarry holds local fish, including bass, crappie, blue gill, carp, pike, perch and the elusive paddle fish. There also is old quarry equipment, a truck, land craft and a house boat. Visit www.haighquarry.com.
Material Service Barge
Off the Illinois-Indiana border, this is another good wreck for the beginning diver, it is a shallow dive, less than 35 feet to the deck. It was a ship, not a barge, but was built low so it could pass below the bridges on the river.
The Number 9 Dredge
Also in Milwaukee, this dredge sunk upside down and sits on its crane in relatively shallow water. It is about 40 feet to the deck. The bottom of the lake is scattered with tools and debris.
Prince Wilhelm
This fully intact ship is off the coast of Milwaukee and is one of the premier wreck dives in the world. It sits on its side in about 85 feet of water. It is sunken into the lake bed so it could not be salvaged. The pilot house and cargo bays are accessible without penetration dives.
Straits of Mackinac
In Lake Michigan about seven miles northeast of Chicago's Navy Pier, this former car ferry was scuttled as a dive site and sits in about 80 feet of water. This artificial reef was cleaned up prior to sinking, and the most common diving hazards (cables and loose pipes) were removed, making it a great wreck dive for beginners.
The Wells Burt
This is a relatively shallow dive about three miles from Evanston and is the broken up wreck of an old schooner. It is historically significant for the artifacts that have been discovered and preserved.
The Wisconsin
Another serious dive, the Wisconsin sits in 130 feet of water off Winthrop Harbor (in Illinois) with the deck at about 100 feet. This cargo ship is largely intact.
On the Net
• Sea Lions Dive Center: www.sealions.org
No comments:
Post a Comment