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Hello from the Great Lakes region

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Gaa, you guys, this makes me want to make a trip up there to see the wrecks. It must be quite an experience to dive in a large body of water that isn't the ocean. I remember some of the Great Lakes wreck dive pics that have been posted on DB over the years. Beautiful.
 
It's well worth the trip. The last time I was on the Three Brothers, the ship looked like it had sunk just 10 years ago. It's sitting upright on it's keel and the decking was all intact. The deck was level as the ship's stern was in deeper water and it also listed to one side, but you could dive down and stand on the deck almost as though it were ready to set sail again. Not too shabby for a ship that sank in 1911. Well, it didn't really sink. . it was run aground, but either way, that's pretty fine shape. If I can convince a few people, I may try to head out there this summer with my dive camera. If it pans out, I'll post some pics here, but I'm not holding my breath. ;)
 
These are just some random shots from Tobermorey. It was a great place to go mid-August. I remember the thermocline was at 60' and there really wasn't much need of a wetsuit above it. We dove wrecks that ranged from 5' to 150' in depth. There were some swim through tunnels that popped you up into a cave near one of the parks and shipwrecks that were completely intact in shallow water. I don't remember seeing any fish, but the wrecks were fun and the town was pretty. We ended up taking the car ferry down from the north shore of Huron and then drove back around through Detroit. It was part of a circle tour that took us through Munising and Whitefish point.

Jon
 

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These are just some random shots from Tobermorey. It was a great place to go mid-August. I remember the thermocline was at 60' and there really wasn't much need of a wetsuit above it. We dove wrecks that ranged from 5' to 150' in depth. There were some swim through tunnels that popped you up into a cave near one of the parks and shipwrecks that were completely intact in shallow water. I don't remember seeing any fish, but the wrecks were fun and the town was pretty. We ended up taking the car ferry down from the north shore of Huron and then drove back around through Detroit. It was part of a circle tour that took us through Munising and Whitefish point.

Jon
These are absolutely awesome Jon we will definitely be going there.The problem with the great lakes region No-Dive Depression during the winter hahahah. Sure we have the pool but it just cant replace the real thing.
 
It's well worth the trip. The last time I was on the Three Brothers, the ship looked like it had sunk just 10 years ago. It's sitting upright on it's keel and the decking was all intact. The deck was level as the ship's stern was in deeper water and it also listed to one side, but you could dive down and stand on the deck almost as though it were ready to set sail again. Not too shabby for a ship that sank in 1911. Well, it didn't really sink. . it was run aground, but either way, that's pretty fine shape. If I can convince a few people, I may try to head out there this summer with my dive camera. If it pans out, I'll post some pics here, but I'm not holding my breath. ;)
Hahahah no pun intended I assume. This sounds quite a bit like the Bermuda in Munising. where you could stand on the deck at the rail and watch the other divers swim past, quite amazing. Unfortunately, I bought my camera at the end of the season last year and the day I got in to one of the inland quarry lakes it was 45 degrees water temp so needless to say I was in and out no exploring around at all. So I'm pretty excited about getting some good pictures problem being until i get the housing, it is only waterproof to 50'
 
Gaa, you guys, this makes me want to make a trip up there to see the wrecks. It must be quite an experience to dive in a large body of water that isn't the ocean. I remember some of the Great Lakes wreck dive pics that have been posted on DB over the years. Beautiful.
They really are quite beautiful and then not to mention the fish there's nothing more exciting(for me) then free falling through a big ol' school of pan fish.
 
Let me know if you head up to Tobermory. I go there at least a handful of times a year or more and it is a wonderful spot.

It helps to have a guide. A Freediver friend owns a bunch of cabins up there "Little Cove Adventures" and is ideal for freedivers looking for a place to stay, have a campfire, etc.... But gives you a comfortable bed and running water for your neti pot! :D

The underwater rock formations are truly impressive. There's one spot I love where you swim down 20m and you're at the bottom, looking up at a huge 50-60' cube of rock that's bigger than a house and you feel so insignificant and tiny, yet it's so quiet and peaceful.

There aren't a ton of fish, although we've seen the odd large Pike, a few larger whitefish, schools of small trout and if you know where to look... You can find bass holing up in the rocks.

In Sept supposedly, you can swim in the local harbour 15m deep max in swarms of large salmon that are migrating to spawn.

The 2 species you see the most are both invasive: Zebra mussels and the round goby. The gobys have to number in the billions. 2-4" little bottom-hopping fish.

There is some good shore diving around rock formations and a few shore-accessible wrecks. There are a few good shore-accessible spots for line-diving as well.

A boat will get you to some of the better / deeper / more intact wrecks.

The caves / swim-throughs in Cyprus lake park (A.K.A. The Grotto) are impressive, yet very attainable and quite safe.

YouTube has some videos of Freedive Toronto in Tobermory. It'll give you some idea.

May water temp is between 2* and 7*!
It gets warm (on the surface) in Aug and is good in Sept as well.

I dive it May to Nov though. :D

It's some of the best freshwater diving anywhere.
 
They really are quite beautiful and then not to mention the fish there's nothing more exciting(for me) then free falling through a big ol' school of pan fish.

Where do you find pan fish in such schools and a enough depth to fall through them? I've only ever found them in shallow water (10-20ft.) and they are almost always just a foot or two off the bottom in the weeds. I'd love to find a school of them in mid-water!
 
Nice pictures Jon. Thanks for sharing them! I will have to admit. . .it's definitely warming me up to the thought of getting in the Lakes again!
 
Hahahah no pun intended I assume. This sounds quite a bit like the Bermuda in Munising. where you could stand on the deck at the rail and watch the other divers swim past, quite amazing. Unfortunately, I bought my camera at the end of the season last year and the day I got in to one of the inland quarry lakes it was 45 degrees water temp so needless to say I was in and out no exploring around at all. So I'm pretty excited about getting some good pictures problem being until i get the housing, it is only waterproof to 50'

One other quick question, what kind of camera are you using that is waterproof to 50' on it's own, but also has a housing option? Things seem o be changing very fast in the U/W photography world and it's hard to keep up with all the options out there.
 
Where do you find pan fish in such schools and a enough depth to fall through them? I've only ever found them in shallow water (10-20ft.) and they are almost always just a foot or two off the bottom in the weeds. I'd love to find a school of them in mid-water!
In Manistee an old sand quarry called Man made lake but I weight myself fairly heavy so im neutrally boyant around 20 ft so i guess its not so much gliding down as slowly finning my way there
 
One other quick question, what kind of camera are you using that is waterproof to 50' on it's own, but also has a housing option? Things seem o be changing very fast in the U/W photography world and it's hard to keep up with all the options out there.
Its called an Olympus TG-2 its more of a point and click camera but you can also buy a fisheye lense and a telephoto lense. the Video is great on it I have a pool session video on here that was shot with it in underwater mode
 
Let me know if you head up to Tobermory. I go there at least a handful of times a year or more and it is a wonderful spot.

It helps to have a guide. A Freediver friend owns a bunch of cabins up there "Little Cove Adventures" and is ideal for freedivers looking for a place to stay, have a campfire, etc.... But gives you a comfortable bed and running water for your neti pot! :D

The underwater rock formations are truly impressive. There's one spot I love where you swim down 20m and you're at the bottom, looking up at a huge 50-60' cube of rock that's bigger than a house and you feel so insignificant and tiny, yet it's so quiet and peaceful.

There aren't a ton of fish, although we've seen the odd large Pike, a few larger whitefish, schools of small trout and if you know where to look... You can find bass holing up in the rocks.

In Sept supposedly, you can swim in the local harbour 15m deep max in swarms of large salmon that are migrating to spawn.

The 2 species you see the most are both invasive: Zebra mussels and the round goby. The gobys have to number in the billions. 2-4" little bottom-hopping fish.

There is some good shore diving around rock formations and a few shore-accessible wrecks. There are a few good shore-accessible spots for line-diving as well.

A boat will get you to some of the better / deeper / more intact wrecks.


The caves / swim-throughs in Cyprus lake park (A.K.A. The Grotto) are impressive, yet very attainable and quite safe.

YouTube has some videos of Freedive Toronto in Tobermory. It'll give you some idea.

May water temp is between 2* and 7*!
It gets warm (on the surface) in Aug and is good in Sept as well.

I dive it May to Nov though. :D

It's some of the best freshwater diving anywhere.
I will definitely let you know when we go. It would be nice to have someone out there that already knows the "hot spots"
 
Its called an Olympus TG-2 its more of a point and click camera but you can also buy a fisheye lense and a telephoto lense. the Video is great on it I have a pool session video on here that was shot with it in underwater mode

Fascinating! I'm amazed at how many underwater camera options there are nowadays and how many of them offer such remarkable depth ratings without the use of a housing. Olympus makes some really good cameras and they really seem to have dedicated themselves quite a bit towards the U/W photographer. I've been using their PEN system for the past 5 years or so and absolutely love it. It's amazing the quality you can get with the mirrorless systems, the flexibility, and at such amazingly affordable prices. . . at least when you compare it to what the options we're a mere 10 years ago. Good luck with the camera! I'd love to see some pics once you've had a chance to play more with it!
 
Fascinating! I'm amazed at how many underwater camera options there are nowadays and how many of them offer such remarkable depth ratings without the use of a housing. Olympus makes some really good cameras and they really seem to have dedicated themselves quite a bit towards the U/W photographer. I've been using their PEN system for the past 5 years or so and absolutely love it. It's amazing the quality you can get with the mirrorless systems, the flexibility, and at such amazingly affordable prices. . . at least when you compare it to what the options we're a mere 10 years ago. Good luck with the camera! I'd love to see some pics once you've had a chance to play more with it!
Ithink for the kit it only cost around 250 and the u/w housing is about the same price bringing the depth down around 140' just waiting on this ice and snow to remove it from itself from my darn lakes hahah then its photography galore
 
I also took this shot on one of the shallow wrecks. The water was so warm in August that no wetsuits were needed.
http://forums.deeperblue.com/gallery/photos/6137/
Of course we used drysuits, and some light trimix, for some of the deeper wrecks that started in 30' of water and ended up below 150'. Here's me at deco after one of those dives- sorry, but I forgot the name of the wreck.
http://forums.deeperblue.com/gallery/photos/6136/

Jon
these are some nice photos Jon I am getting all amped up to go and still have about a month and a half before I can
 
I also took this shot on one of the shallow wrecks. The water was so warm in August that no wetsuits were needed.
http://forums.deeperblue.com/gallery/photos/6137/
Of course we used drysuits, and some light trimix, for some of the deeper wrecks that started in 30' of water and ended up below 150'. Here's me at deco after one of those dives- sorry, but I forgot the name of the wreck.
http://forums.deeperblue.com/gallery/photos/6136/

Jon
I'm honestly thinking that even if I do not have my wetsuit from Elios made by next month I'm going to throw on my better half's wetsuit and jump on in
 
Here's a video of an 1885 wrecked schooner in Tobermory.

There are other open-water Tobermory videos uploaded there as well.


this looks eerily similar to the Bermuda in Munising depth wise and length except the Bermuda was missing half of the deck from when they cleaned out all of the coal
 
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