I'll check that out soon. Got to get some sleep now. I'll have to get up that way sometime soon. I'm only about 2 hrs from the area and I've always wanted to see Sleeping Bear.
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Great Dives in the Great North
- Thread starterFondueset
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Be sure and let me know! The drums seem to show up in August ( I call them 'the drums of august') but the breakwall is most spectacular in june and early july. September is interesting too because of the salmon and lake trout. - also visibility starts to improve. Lake mich is hit or miss. I basically just hit the beach and swim out.
I was seeing Lake Trout into November last year - I took December off - thinking it was too cold - and started up again on january first. Visibility is amazing in the winter.
I was seeing Lake Trout into November last year - I took December off - thinking it was too cold - and started up again on january first. Visibility is amazing in the winter.
Great dive today. Got going about 9am, as soon as the sun came out, but sunlight was about 60/40 the whole time. Really strong North wind and some formidable chop left over from what must've been a pretty rough night judging by the condition of a cabin cruiser I saw being towed while the owner bailed frantically.
I debated diving since the waves were breaking as far as I could see. Frequently this kind of weather seems to really stir up the marine life so I decided to chance it.
Viz was down in the <30 foot range. The waves were seriously yanking my float and frequently broke over my head. Anything other than my Impulse 2 snork would've been pretty miserable but I never once choked on a breathup. (haven't worked out how to fix the LOUSY clip on the impulse 3 yet)
The first thing I saw was a salmon in the 1 meter range and in only about 15 feet of water; first one of the year! About 200 yards out along the pipeline the huge bass that claims that area showed up along with three carp (including one monster in the 40lb range) and four freshwater drum. They came in toward the end of my endurance and I had to surface. No problem as the whole lot milled around under me while I breathed up. I did quite a few dives and slowly worked my way out along the pipes. As the water grew deeper and cloudier on the bottom I started to lose sight of the pipeline. That and the fact that my flag was vanishing between waves convinced me to head back but, as I turned and began to swim in, what should I see but another diver's flag mounted high on a bright yellow inner tube. Scubies and a navigational aid! Made a few dives waiting for them then did a good breatheup and met them at about 30 feet as they came out - waving and smiling as they swam by. Sure are loud! The fish seemed to sort of flee before them - then circle back around but keep their distance.
We all made our way out to the big cribs at the end of the pipes - no problem navigating or getting run over now with all those bright fins, tanks and float.
On the way back I parked along the eastern most pipeline to watch them swim by again and was surprised by a huge school of gizzard shad; apparently in full spook. There were probably 200 of these flat, silvery, fish all in the 12 inch range and spread across about 20 feet vertically. Even in poor visibility it was an awesome sight. They went by too fast for a picture but came past again a few minutes later and a bit slower. I managed one quick shot just before they vanished.
The swim in was wave-propelled and pretty easy.
I debated diving since the waves were breaking as far as I could see. Frequently this kind of weather seems to really stir up the marine life so I decided to chance it.
Viz was down in the <30 foot range. The waves were seriously yanking my float and frequently broke over my head. Anything other than my Impulse 2 snork would've been pretty miserable but I never once choked on a breathup. (haven't worked out how to fix the LOUSY clip on the impulse 3 yet)
The first thing I saw was a salmon in the 1 meter range and in only about 15 feet of water; first one of the year! About 200 yards out along the pipeline the huge bass that claims that area showed up along with three carp (including one monster in the 40lb range) and four freshwater drum. They came in toward the end of my endurance and I had to surface. No problem as the whole lot milled around under me while I breathed up. I did quite a few dives and slowly worked my way out along the pipes. As the water grew deeper and cloudier on the bottom I started to lose sight of the pipeline. That and the fact that my flag was vanishing between waves convinced me to head back but, as I turned and began to swim in, what should I see but another diver's flag mounted high on a bright yellow inner tube. Scubies and a navigational aid! Made a few dives waiting for them then did a good breatheup and met them at about 30 feet as they came out - waving and smiling as they swam by. Sure are loud! The fish seemed to sort of flee before them - then circle back around but keep their distance.
We all made our way out to the big cribs at the end of the pipes - no problem navigating or getting run over now with all those bright fins, tanks and float.
On the way back I parked along the eastern most pipeline to watch them swim by again and was surprised by a huge school of gizzard shad; apparently in full spook. There were probably 200 of these flat, silvery, fish all in the 12 inch range and spread across about 20 feet vertically. Even in poor visibility it was an awesome sight. They went by too fast for a picture but came past again a few minutes later and a bit slower. I managed one quick shot just before they vanished.
The swim in was wave-propelled and pretty easy.
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