Great Dives in the Great North

[Fondueset]

A few really nice dives this past weekend. One on a dark foggy day - surface vis was only 300 feet. A tall ship resident to these environs was on the bay - slowly swallowed by the fog. I could hear it's foghorn and the slow churn of it's prop down below. The thermalcline was dramatic - a layer of fog hovering from the surface down to 12-20 feet. Below that fantastic visibility and a deep azure blue color. I was testing out my new camera in low light and took a couple of cool movies.

http://photos.imageevent.com/blueroom/lakemichiganfreediving/MVI_0828.wmv

http://photos.imageevent.com/blueroom/lakemichiganfreediving/MVI_0841-0003.wmv



I love those dark days when the bottom is crystal clear - the colors are unlike any other time.

The next day was completely different - very hot - very high humidity. My camera was fogged up for an hour. For some reason my breathholds were great though. I was lounging on my back watching my daughter swim 25 feet above me. My daughter actually jumped in without her wetsuit - allways makes me cringe to hear her swear like that - even though she is 18.
Camera finally defogged and I got a few nice shots.

 

[khel]

Looks great

What camera are you using now btw?

 

[Fondueset]

Canon S80 - taking some getting used to - but it's a big improvement

 

[khel]

Well, I'm using s50 and really like it The only drawback with canon s* cameras - you cannot use AA size batteries :/

Hmm.. I wonder if my housing will work with s80...

I'm just amazed at amount of life in Lake Michigan! Do you always see that much fish?

p.s. Now, if I only could find a good shore access to Lake Michigan not too far from my area

 

[Fondueset]

mid-november though March is a little slow. The breakwall I've been documenting is actually in Grand Traverse Bay and it's pretty much teaming with life from now through september - soon there will be huge schools of suckers and rock-bass in the mix. Walleye come in and lurk among the suckers. Out in Lake Michigan - just in open water with no special features other than rocks and stuff - I mostly see Freshwater drum - and zillions of Gobies of course.

 

[Jon]

Nick,

There are spots just off of Milwaukee that you can jump in and dive. If you swim out to the breakwall off of Bayview you can hit 15'-20' and you'll swim over a couple of wrecks. there are even carp to shoot if you want. I have seen northern, walleye, and rock bass inside the wall and the salmon come in to spawn on the outside.

Just to the north of the city is Atwater beach. there are 2 shipwrecks right off of there- the biggest one is over 300' long and 60' wide. depths range in the 18'-25' zone and big salmon will sometimes swim in to meet you. There's a steep set of stairs to get down to the beach but it it's not as big a deal when your freediving it as compared to draggin tanks up and down.

Maybe we should plan a trip to hit some clear water- the lakes by me are greening up fast and everyone keeps bailing on me for dive buddies.

Here's some shots of the wreck of the Volunteer sunk off of Bayview beach. She's a little more than half way out to the breakwall and there's lots to see on either side of the wall. It's an easy swim or an eiaser paddle wth a dive kayak. If you have a kayak there is also a nice rock reef that you can paddl out to a little ways away- goes from 12'-45' and is full of anchors anf fishing gear.

Jon

 

[Fondueset]

Awesome! I gotta get over there sometime.

cm

 

[khel]

Sounds great Jon, we sure need to get out there

This monday I was trying to find a good shore access on Lake Michigan, checked everything from Illinois state line, up to Kenosha and found only one somewhat good spot.

 

[khel]

p.s. a couple of pictures that I've made with canon s50 last week (though not quite in Lake Michigan :t )

 

[Fondueset]

Nice - spring has definitely sprung here!

http://photos.imageevent.com/blueroom/lakemichiganfreediving/MVI_1069.wmv

I nearly went insane trying to get pictures of these little troutlets - they are in constant high-speed motion - continuously reversing direction. The s80's shutter speed is just fine - it focuses slower than the little casios though - these kinds of shots would be work with either. I got so engrossed that I nearly breached when two huge carp blew by really close to my right elbow. They are in their 'interrogative' mode - curious in a sort of uptight aggressive way - kinda like big swimming fists.

As you can see - the water near the surface was pretty cloudy - that's yellow pollen on the surface - and the haze sort of boils out through the rocks from the harbor. During the day the thermalcline moved out - it remained fairly clear near the bottom - but not as good as early am.

 

[Fondueset]

Heres another one - The camera caught the blur of another goby dashing for the cave this one was lurking in. This little buggers normally just vanish in a puff - I didn't even see the one in motion until I looked at the picture.

 

[Jon]

Nick,

I am not sure how your ears are doing, but I am heading to Milwaukee to dive this Wednesday. We're diving on a new wreck my father-in-law found this past winter in aobut 70' of water. The lake has been flat calm and vis is running in the 40'-50' range.

Offers good to any other freediver in the area as well.


Jon

 

[khel]

Thanks Jon,

What time are you planning to go?
As for the ears, on my last day in florida (last week) I've been spearing at 60-65 ft so, hopefully I'll be OK <knocks on wood>

p.s. Great pictures and videos Fondueset! Keep them coming

 

[Jon]

The boat leaves at 5:30, but I'll try and be there at least 30 minutes early. 318 South water street- same place as before.
I've got this new monofin I want to play with.

Jon

 

[icarus pacific]

My daughter actually jumped in without her wetsuit - allways makes me cringe to hear her swear like that - even though she is 18.

Send her over and I'll take care of her vocabulary...:mute
Those are some damn pretty shots, guys!! I'm always surprised that the fresh water holds the viz and the marine life like it does. Now that Summer is nigh, the water here goes from green to olive drab with the reduced flow and even if I did luck out onto a carp, it'd be the safest thing around.

Doing jumps onto that wreck sounds like a hoot, Jon.

 

[Fondueset]

Check out the look on this one. Makes ya glad they don't get a whole lot bigger.
And another artsy shot of a Goby.

 

[Ricochet]

Wow... the amount of fish in your last video is insane
Your pics are great, too! As usual.

 

[Fondueset]

Shot some more yesterday. My dive times seem to be improving - shortest video is 1:07 I'll get some more up on my site as soon as I get them reduced. It's crazy-abundant right now. Suckers, Rock bass, smallmouth and perch in big schools - then lots of rainbow and brown trout in the 3-8inch range darting all around. Big carp cruising through now and again and the occassional big steelhead or salmon - usually moving fast near the surface.

 

[fleedermouse]

Are you using an external strobe in any of these shots? Great photos and video as usual. Keep 'em coming.

 

[Fondueset]

Thanks.

I don't use the flash at all. It is on my list of stuff to get however. Right now
it's really interesting under there visually. Thermalclines are variable and with sometimes dramatic changes in lighting and visibility. The surface has been covered with alot of Pollen because it has been quite dry here until recently. In the videos you can see the cloudy effect along the breakwall. Visibility is poorish by normal standards for this area - hazy in places, and with alot of suspended particles - but there are usually interesting layers where it will suddenly double or triple.

The water temp went up nearly 20F overnight a few days ago. One day my hands were getting cold in my 6.5mil gloves - the next my daughter was in without gloves or hood.

I've been working more at mid-depth along the breakwall - just taking half a lungfull of air to adjust buouancy. I've discovered if you really want to alienate the locals - blow bubbles! I put two more movies up last night - I have a third of my daughter emerging from the haze in the distance that I'll convert and upload this evening.