Brit's invade Wisconsin

[Jon]

Thanks once again to the DB forum more freedivers where able to meet up to do some diving.

I got an email from Lisa, and her friend Rich, saying that they were coming to Wisconsin, Madison even, to do a little work on their PHD's and wanted to do a little freediving while they were here.

Yesterday, Ted and I took them up to Lake Wazze to play around- Fred, I emailed you to join us but got no reply.

I would say that Lisa had a pretty good time since she added 5 meters onto her PB while she was here. Lake Wazze is the clearest, and deepest, lkae in Wisconsin, besides the Great Lakes of course. I have done many a trimix dive in there and there are some really nice lines set up for the bubble blowers, which we took over for a while.

We also played around quite a bit in the shallows, 73 degree water!, and checked for things to spear in the cribs, nothing of any size. We did see many bass and walleye, which are not legal to spear around here, and one friendly turtle.

It was a great day overall.

 

[Jon]

Here's a shot of RIch and the friendly turtle that decided to join us. Not quite the size of the ones in the ocean, but this is Wisconsin and we just have to use our imaginations a bit.

 

[Jon]

Here's a shot of Lisa coming up form her PB of 32 meters.

Great Job!

 

[Jon]

Here's a shot just for Sven.

Ted and found the only sewer pipe in the place just for him.

 

[Jon]

In our attempt to introduce them to all things tacky in this great state we decided to get some photos with the ever elusive "cheese store animals".

 

[Jon]

Here's another shot of Lisa checking out one of the many fish cribs in the lake.

 

[Jon]

Ted making his way through the underwater forrest.

 

[Jon]

Here's a shot of Rich hunting turtles with his camera.

 

[Jon]

One last shot with some of the best northwoods tackiness that Wisconsin has to offer.

 

[JMD]

Damn and I thought the moose up here were big!

Nice shots, I especially like the underwater forest. We've got one of those up here too, supposed to go check it out next week.

 

[Jon]

Devil's Lake

We got out again this weekend and we had another diver, Helen, join us. This time I took them to Devil's Lake. Most of the diving was done above 30' and the water was a balmy 75 degrees. Vis was down a little bit since the last time that Ted and I went there, around 15'.

We all had a pretty good time and Lisa is now addicted to monofining. I also brought out my scooter, wich blows away any monofin around. It was quite fun flying past the bubble blowers doing there openwater checkouts- scooters go really fast when you don't have a tank on your back slowing you down.

The state has recently changed the rules not allowing us to spearfish in there anymore, which is why I saw some of the biggest panfish that I have ever seen in that lake while we were diving.

 

[Jon]

I think that Rich enjoyed the scooter the most out of any of us. It allowed him to become much more relaxed in the water and he seemed to enjoy himself quite a bit. For someone who only learned how to swim 5 years ago I think he did a great job.

 

[Jon]

Everyone seemed to have a good time in the green water.

 

[Jon]

The monofin was the biggest hit of the day. Everyone caught on pretty fast, and Lisa got so much speed going on her first try that she ran her hands down into the mud on the bottom of the lake before she could stop.

I think that Sam, and the deepest bear, will have a new monofin buddy when she gets back.

 

[Adrian]

Really nice shots Jon, did them with your Oly 5050Z? And what sort of mask was Lisa using?

Adrian

 

[Jon]

Adrian,

I did shoot the photos with my Olympus 5050.

Lisa had on a Cressi-sub Minima. She really seems to like hers. Ted and I both have them too, but don't really use ours that much. Ted finds it too narrow a field of view and prefers his Cressi-sub Super-Occhio. I have a round, melon-shaped, head and find that it doesn't seal on my face as well as other masks that I own. I use my Aqualung Falco for almost all of my diving, though I do have a Sphera that I use from time to time.

Now, I just need to find a time when I can take them out on the wrecks in Lake Michigan- the best diving around these parts.

 

[mia]

Yes very nice shots. It looks like a Cressi Minima, a french girl once borrowed me one that looked like that, great mask. Maby they are big in France.

Mia

 

[Erik]

Great shots Jon!
The Minima is big in Canada too...I have 2, and a few other people up here like them too. Last year they were 17$ US at scubastore, now they're up to 26$ or so, and well worth the money.
Cheers,
Erik Y.

 

[Jon]

I just noticed that I have one on in my avatar photo.:duh

Here's what it looks like blown-up a bit. This picture was taken in Lake Wazze last year. I am still trying to get Fred to meet us there some time.

 

[Amphibious]

More converts to the Cold Water Clan! Underwater forest looks pretty sweet. great story and photos,

Willer