L.R. Doty Discovery - Shipwreck Explorers

Transcription

SEPTEMBER 2010
THE Local Diving Specialists
Rick’s
BuckET LIST
of Tropical Destinations
DOTY DISCOVERED
Wisconsin Divers Solve
Century Old Mystery!
LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Dip into History
Volume 6 Issue 9
$1.95 US/$2.25 Canada
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SEPTEMBER 2010
        
Northeast & Midwest
Dive News
            
IN THIS EDITION
Midwest Cover
The complete resource for diving
in the Northeast and Midwest.
www.nedivenews.com
www.mwdivenews.com
Publisher / Editor-in-Chief
Rick Stratton
[email protected]
Art Director
IJ James
Editorial Director/Production Manager
Kathy Reed
Staff Writer
Jamie Farris
Graphic Designer
TJ Pierzchala
Executive Assistant to the Publisher
Selene Peterson
Accounts Manager
Tove Chatham
▲“Creature Feature” is one of the latest creations by artist David Dunleavy, who uses his
background as a scuba diver, fisherman and videographer to create ocean paintings. His art and
murals are meant to help raise awareness of endangered species and our threatened ocean planet.
Dunleavy has so far painted 53 life sized (or larger) animal murals along the East Coast, from
New Jersey to the Florida Keys, stretching to the Bahamas, and even as far away as the Melbourne
Aquarium in Australia. His works of art have been featured on many magazine and DVD covers
and have been featured in educational programs and film. You can find out more about Dunleavy
and his art at www.daviddunleavy.com.
◄ Diver Sherwood
Probeck at the wreck of the
Arundo on Aug. 7, 2010.
Probeck was among a
group of divers who went
to the dive site in honor
of Yasuki Okada, who
died in a diving accident
there the previous week.
This stunning photo was
taken by J. Dan Wright.
Read his account of the
memorial dive to the
Arundo on page 10.
Northeast Cover
Advertising/Sales
Mike Stratton
(360) 240-1874
[email protected]
Circulation/subscriptions
360-240-1874
Dive News Magazine is committed to promoting
the sport of scuba diving in the Northeast and
Midwest. We will present a practical, unbiased
point of view regarding all aspects of the sport
of scuba diving.
The Dive News Magazine believes in honesty
and integrity in business and will support all
efforts related to this. We encourage readers
to participate in determining the content of
this publication by giving us their opinions
on the types of articles they would like to see.
We invite letters to the editor, manuscripts and
photographs related to diving or diving-related
business. Send us your stories and photos!
IMPORTANT NOTICE
The Dive News Magazine reserves the right
to refuse service to anyone it chooses. The
contents of Northeast and Midwest Dive News
are opinions of individual writers and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the publisher,
editor or any of its staff. The publishers and
contributors assume no responsibility for any
mishap claimed to be a result of use of this
material. Diving is an adventure sport and
contains inherent risks. Improper use of diving
equipment or improper diving techniques may
result in serious injury or death. Readers are
advised to use their own best judgment in each
individual situation.
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Northeast & Midwest Dive News SEPTEMBER 2010
Monthly Columns
Publisher’s Note.................................4
Midwest Hot News............................15
Incoming Mail.....................................5
Gear Box..........................................28
Northeast Hot News..........................6
Dive Shop Profile..............................29
Regional News.............................. 8-11
Dive Directory..............................30-31
Northeast US DIVES
13 Lake Champlain - Dip Into History
It doesn’t seem that much different than other lakes in the
Northeast, so what sets Lake Champlain apart from the rest?
How about a history that goes back hundreds of millions of
years? If that doesn’t pique your interest, how about hundreds of
shipwrecks? That alone should draw divers from all over to visit
this gem of a site. By Mike Hughes
MIDWEST DIVES
16 Doty Discovered
The steamship L.R. Doty disappeared on Lake Michigan on a
stormy night in 1898. Now, 112 years later, a group of Wisconsin
marine historians has located the wreck, still upright and intact, in
over 300 feet of water about 20 miles off Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
We’ll tell you about the discovery. By Kathy Reed
TROPICAL DESTINATIONS
22 Rick’s Tropical Bucket List
Ever wanted to escape to the tropics for some warm water diving?
We’ll share the top ten tropical dive destinations and tell you what
it is that makes them so popular. Is it the sea life, the attractions
above water, the food, the culture, the ease of travel? We’ll give
you the scoop! By Rick Stratton
www.mwdivenews.com
3
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Do you have an opinion? [email protected]
It’s all about relationships
Rick Stratton
facebook.com/Rick.Stratton1
twitter.com/nedivenews
twitter.com/mwdivenews
[email protected]
By Rick Stratton
Publisher, Dive News Network
T
alk to me...I’ll listen, I promise, and then I’ll do everything I can
to help you get the most out of your business. Does that sound
like a great idea? It is a great idea because in these tough economic
times our business is changing and we have a choice - we can wave
goodbye to the dive industry businesses that we all love or we can
communicate and get the word out while building relationships and,
in kind, build our industry.
You know me, I am a cheerleading kind of guy, so when I sat
down recently with my good friend Barry Dunford, a Regional
Manager for PADI, I was excited to discover that I am not the only
one who sees great opportunity in the world around us. The battle
cry used to be location, location, location but now it’s all about
communication and relationships.
“The economy has changed, our business has changed and now,
we have to change,” Dunford says. “The essence of what our business
has become now is relationship-based. It’s what is at the core of how
we need to do business today.”
Barry Dunford, Regional Manager for PADI.
4
Dunford is one of our new breed of businessmen and women in
the dive industry. He understands it is about making that personal
connection with our customers.
“More and more people pick and choose how they shop,”
Dunford says. “I think about where I get my groceries, where
I buy my gas - people just don’t go to the big chains anymore
because they want personalized service. The discretionary dollar
for most people is really tight and so people are going where they
get treated well. I know that I want a relationship with whoever
I do business with.”
Barry is right, the bottom line is that, as customers, we do have a
choice and now we are thinking about every nickel before we spend
it. The economic landscape forces people to really think about how
they choose their recreation, how they spend their time. Even time
is a huge value. We have money and we have time but usually not
together. But when they do come together, POW! We are riding the
wave of consumer relativity. Isn’t this where we all want to be? It is
just as important for divers to be good customers. Demand excellence
in service and customer service relationships. We can train each
other. We get better at what we do when we communicate.
On the east coast our dive shops have grown up with the industry
and many understand they have to change with the times. Our
business model has to change. Businesses have to come up with new
ways to communicate. Our customers are already getting bombarded
with everything from where to spend their time to where they should
spend their money so we must, as an industry, get in there for our
piece of the action. Facebook, magazines, Craigslist, MySpace, all of
these social networks are just waiting for us to come in for a landing.
Some dive shops have picked up the flag and charged head first into
the age of technology, however, there are still some who are burying
their heads in the sand and refusing to change.
“Stores who change their methodology, using the internet, face
book and every other opportunity to get the word out and make those
connections are finding success,” Dunford says. “We have used
Craigslist and advertised for classes and gotten a response. Here were
people who always wanted to dive but hadn’t taken that step yet and
we made their acquaintance on Craigslist. How cool is that?”
There are tons of methods that can be used to begin making
that connection and communicating with people we haven’t reached
yet. Using today’s technology in the process is efficiency at its
best. We here at Dive News Network have jumped head first into
the internet, Facebook and e-mail blasts - everything we can do to
communicate with you, the dive industry leaders
and you, the customer. We get it: communicate,
build relationships and the business will follow.
We get it...do you?
www.nedivenews.com
Rick
NORTHEAST DIVE NEWS
Dear Rick,
I would like to compliment you on the most recent edition of
Northeast Dive News. Wow! The glossy cover really makes a
difference. It looks incredible!
But you’ve been busy on the inside, too. The Doria story was
terrific – it was great to get a firsthand account of the dive and the
discovery. Really good stuff. The “Hot News” and regional news are
getting bigger and more specific each month. You are becoming the
news source for Northeast divers.
The overall quality is amazing for a “regional” magazine. You
and your staff must be burning the midnight oil. Go green - but don’t
slow down!
Ron Benson
NEDN Reader
INCOMING MAIL
THIS IS YOUR MAGAZINE!
We are looking for Northeast and Midwest editorial advisors.
Your knowledge can help turn us into THE local diving resource.
If you are interested in contributing local diving info,
contact our editorial staff at [email protected].
You don’t have to be a writer to be a contributor!
Dear Ron,
Thanks for the kudos, and noticing all our hard work. All the
improvements are the result of years of hard work and teamwork
by my staff.
While my staff does an amazing job with Hot News and regional
news stories – we can do even better! But we need your help. We
invite all our readers to submit story ideas, leads and upcoming
events to us. We’ll do the legwork and produce even more relevant
stories and news. With your tips, our expertise and all our combined
efforts, we will become an even better community resource.
As a reminder, we are looking for Northeast
editorial advisors – Northeast divers who want to
share their experience to help the community.
Contact us at [email protected] and
get involved.
Rick
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® PADI 2010
www.mwdivenews.com
5
HOT NEWS
Send us your NEWS to: [email protected]
Slave Ship Guerrero Found?
Industry Loses Wes Skiles
DNW - The dive industry still mourns the death
of well known photographer and explorer Wes Skiles,
52, who died suddenly July 21 during a dive off the
coast of his home state of Florida. Skiles began diving
at age 13, became a certified cave diver at 16 and a
PADI open water instructor in 1978. He was known
as one of the premier cave and technical divers in the world. Photos
from his recent assignments to the Bahamas graced the cover of the
August issue of “National Geographic” magazine. Skiles’ production
company, Karst Productions, Inc., won many awards. He is survived
by his wife, Terri and their two children.
Make Way for A Water Odyssey Scuba
It’s been there for years, but there’s a new name
and new owners to go with it. A Water Odyssey
Scuba, formerly known as Don Cook’s Scuba
Equipment, on Market Street in Williamsport, Pa.,
changed its name earlier this year. Owners Frank and Lynn Morrow
took over the business following Cook’s death last year. Frank was
Cook’s dive master since 1973, and began taking on more and more
responsibility in recent years, so the transition has been a smooth
one. “The best thing is getting people to go diving,” Frank said.
“I really, really enjoy teaching, but I enjoy the exploration, too –
seeing what’s around the next corner. There isn’t a bad day that
diving can’t make better.” The PADI store carries a full line of scuba
gear and offers service and repair, instruction, tank fills and visual
inspections and trips to popular scuba destinations. Call them at
570-326-2091 or email them at [email protected] for info.
Northeast Travel Show Offers Great Escapes
If you like to take your diving on the road, the New
York Metro Travel & Adventure Show, set to take place
at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, N.J.,
Oct. 16-17, should provide plenty of opportunities to pick out your
next great dive getaway. You’ll have a chance to do some comparison
shopping with travel experts and tour operators, attend seminars, get a
taste of different cultures and test some different activities – all under
one roof. Featured presenters include travel expert and author Arthur
Frommer, author Patricia Schultz, filmmaker and environmentalist
Celine Cousteau, television personality Julia Dimon and adventure
journalist Peter Potterfield. Additional information on this event is
available at www.adventureexpo.com.
Volunteer Divers to Help Plant Corals
Marine scientists with Key Largo’s Coral Restoration
Foundation are offering divers a chance to help in reef
conservation during planned dives Oct. 19-21 with
Amoray Dive Resort, Key Largo, Fla. The foundation is hoping to
promote “voluntourism,” or volunteer opportunities for tourists, to
help restore endangered staghorn and elkhorn corals. Participants
receive hands-on experience in coral restoration and propagation,
while learning about human and environmental impacts on Florida’s
reefs and how to help. Amoray is offering combination packages for
the workshop; registration is open until Oct. 5. Visit www.amoray.
com for details. For more about the coral restoration efforts, visit
www.coralrestoration.org.
Divers Complete First Wreck Trek Challenge
Eleven Florida divers are the first to complete nine wreck dives
that are part of the Florida Keys Wreck Trek Passport Program.
The dive challenge was developed by tourism officials and area
dive operators to showcase the area’s string of sunken vessels and
artificial reefs. The first divers to complete the trek hailed from the
Tampa, Clearwater and Pinellas Park areas. For more information,
visit www.fla-keys.com/diving/wrecktrek.
6
Underwater archaeologists believe they have found the remains of
the Spanish piratical slave ship Guerrero buried beneath the staghorn
and elkhorn coral and turtle grass of Carysfort Reef off Key Largo,
Fla. The Guerrero was intercepted by the British Navy schooner
HMS Nimble on Dec. 19, 1827, and sank on the reef, drowning 41
Africans still chained in her hold. A team of divers from the National
Association of Black Scuba Divers, the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage
society, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Upper Keys
volunteers spent a week in July mapping the site, according to a story
in “The Citizen” newspaper in Key West. While the location of the
supposed wreck is being kept quiet out of respect to those who lost
their lives, divers Jose Jones and Jay Haigler, from the NABS, would
like to one day leave a plaque honoring the slaves at the wreck site.
Go to www.nabsdivers.org for more information.
Dancer Fleet Name Change Official
DNW - It’s official – the group of luxury Liveaboard
yachts operated by Peter Hughes Diving, Inc. and known
as the “Dancer Fleet,” has changed its name to “Dancer
Fleet, Inc.” The company made the announcement in
August. CEO Wayne Brown said, “With our name change, we are
rededicating ourselves to the Liveaboard concept.” Brown said
the single brand provides familiarity to existing guests and easy
recognition for new guests. President of the Dancer Fleet, Wayne
Hasson, states, “We want our guests to know that Liveaboard diving
is the only thing we do and our goal is to offer a consistent experience
for our guests in every destination we feature.” Hasson and Brown
are both avid scuba divers and underwater photographers, and travel
on the fleet regularly to ensure the company’s standard of excellence
is met. Find out more at www.dancerfleet.com.
Happy Anniversary to Buddy Dive Resort
DNW -Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire recently
had reason to celebrate – its 30th anniversary. A
celebration party was held at the resort August
19, in honor of its three decades of service to its
dive guests. Buddy Dive is known for its casual
atmosphere, personable staff, comfortable,
spacious accommodations and its comprehensive
dive operation, including its new motor cat boat. In service since last
December, the boat can carry 24 divers on a three-tank dive trip to
Washington Slagbaai National Park. The folks at Buddy Dive would
like to thank everyone for their support over the past 30 years. Here’s
to the next 30! Visit them at www.buddydive.com.
Bonaire Hosts Wounded Warriors
DNW - For the fifth year in a row,
Tourism Corporation Bonaire and the
entire island welcomed the Wounded
Warriors for a week of scuba diving
in August. During the week, severely
wounded troops and their significant others complete the final step
in obtaining their dive certifications. Each year the people of Bonaire
open their arms to welcome this group and show them the island’s
natural beauty and the warmth, friendliness and the genuine hospitality
of its people. The seven Wounded Warriors who attended this year
suffered injuries while stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once they
achieved their PADI and HSA dive certifications, they continued
diving, visiting several famous Bonaire dive sites. “Over the last four
years, an incredible bond has been developed between America’s
Wounded Warriors and the people of Bonaire. We wish to show
these exceptional men and women, who have given so much for their
country, that they may still lead active lives with travel and scuba diving
as an added dimension,” stated Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes, director
of tourism. Visit www.tourismbonaire.com for more information.
www.nedivenews.com
Sept. 14: MetroWest Dive Club meeting,
7:30 p.m., Crowne Plaza Hotel, Framingham,
Ma. www.mwdc.org
Sept. 15: Pioneer Valley Dive Club meeting,
7 p.m., At the Water’s Edge, Westfield, Pa.
lovetodive.com/pioneer_valley_dive_club.html
Sept. 15: New England Aquarium Dive Club
meeting, 6:30 p.m., New England Aquarium,
Boston, Mass. www.aqua.org
Sept. 15: Long Island Divers Association
meeting, 8 p.m., Brookhaven Town Community
Center, Blue Point, N.Y. www.lidaonline.com
Sept. 15: In Too Deep Dive Club meeting, 7
p.m., Don Antonio’s Bar & Restaurant, Union,
N.J. (908) 687-7020
Sept. 15, 22, 29: Underwater Rugby, 7 p.m.,
Randolph High School pool, Randolph, Mass.
www.southshoreneptunes.org
Sept. 16: Finger Lakes Underwater Preserve
Assoc., 7 p.m., Big Flats Community Center,
Big Flats, N.Y. www.FLUPA.org
Sept. 17-19: 1,000 Islands, St. Lawrence River
Trip, Alexandria Bay, N.Y. aquaticexplorers.org
Sept. 17, 20, 24, 27: Underwater Rugby,
6:30 p.m., Murphy Pool, Dorchester, Mass.
southshoreneptunes.org
Sept. 18: Aquatic Voyagers Scuba Club of
N.Y. meeting, 1 p.m., Gym at Guy R. Brewer &
Liberty, Jamaica, N.Y. www.avscdivers.org
Sept.
18:
Project
AWARE
Beach
cleanup, 7:30 a.m., Sandy Hook, N.J
capitalcitydiveclub.org
Sept. 18: Club Dive on Dina Dee II, 7 a.m.
www.sjdiveclub.com
Sept.
18:
Coastsweep
2010,
Thompson
Island,
S.
Boston,
Mass.
www.southshoreneptunes.org
Sept. 19, 26: Sunday Dive Club, 6 a.m.,
Lockness dive boat, Freeport, Long Island, N.Y.
www.sundaydiveclub.com
Sept. 19: Dive the Oregon, Garloo departs
Captree Park, NY at 6 a.m. seagypsies.org
Sept. 21: Elite Diving Club meeting, 7:30 p.m.,
Elite Divers, Rockaway, N.J. elitedivingclub.com
Sept. 21: Monadnock Divers Club meeting,
7:30 p.m., The Pub Restaurant, Keene, N.H.
www.monadnockdivers.org
Sept. 21: Buffalo Aqua Club meeting, 7 p.m.,
Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society, Buffalo,
N.Y. www.buffaloaquaclub.org
Sept. 22: Ocean Wreck Divers meeting, 8
p.m., Ocean Community College, Toms River,
N.J. www.oceanwreckdivers.com
Sept. 25: Freedom Park Clam Bake,
hosted by Aquatic Explorers, Scotia, N.Y.
aquaticexplorers.org
Sept.
25:
Rockland
Aquanauts
cleanup dive, 10 a.m., Hessian Lake, N.Y.
rocklandaquanauts.org
Sept. 25: Club Dive, Atlantus-AC, 7:30 a.m.
www.wreckraiders.com
Sept. 25: Ocean Commotion Gala,
Mystic
Aquarium,
Mystic,
Conn.
[email protected]
Sept. 27: East Coast Scuba Club meeting,
7 p.m., The Tilton Inn, Northfield, N.J.
(609) 646-5090
Sept. 27: Divers Anonymous Scuba Dive
Club meeting, 7:30 p.m., Mario’s Restaurant,
Clifton, N.J. www.angelfire.com/nj4/divers
Sept. 28: Seconn Skin Divers social
gathering, 7:30 p.m., Prime 82 Restaurant,
Norwichtown, Conn. www.seconndivers.org
Sept. 29: New Jersey Council of Dive Clubs
meeting, 7:30 p.m., St. Luke’s Episcopal
Church, Union, N.J. www.scubanj.org
Find more activities on our facebook page! Midwest Activities
Find more Northeast activities on our facebook page! Northeast Activities
NORTHEAST & MIDWEST ACTIVITIES
NORTHEAST DIVE NEWS
Sept. 15: Great Lakes Aquanauts meeting,
7 p.m., Farmington Community Library,
Farmington, Mich. greatlakesaquanauts.org
Sept. 15, 22, 29: Night Dive, 7:30 p.m., Big
Bay Point, Innisfil, Ontario. coltcreekdiving.com
Sept. 18: Burnham Harbor cleanup dive,
Chicago, Ill. diverightinscuba.com
Sept. 18: Urge to Submerge Dive Club
quarry dive, West Point Dive Park, Lohrville,
Wis. www.urgetosubmerge.com
Sept. 18-19: Saint Clair River Run, Port
Huron, Mich. Contact Buckeye Divers at
buckeyedivers.net
Sept. 19: Michigan Lake Divers Association
meeting, 4 p.m., Vantage Point Maritime Center,
Port Huron, Mich. www.michlakedivers.com
Sept. 20: Chicago Scuba Meetup club meeting,
7:30 p.m., Lalo’s Mexican Restaurant, Chicago, Ill.
meetup.com/chicago-scuba-meetup
Sept. 20: Put-In-Bay Annual Clean Up, South
Bass Island, Ohio. www.seanags.com
Sept. 21: Michigan Underwater Divers club
meeting, 7:30 p.m., Biology Amphitheatre,
Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Mich.
mudclub.scubaobsessed.com
Sept.
21:
Atlantis
Divers
club
meeting, 7 p.m., LaGrange, Ill. RSVP to
[email protected]
Sept. 21: Urge to Submerge Dive Club
meeting, 7:30 p.m., Joker’s Five, West Bend,
Wis. www.urgetosubmerge.com
Sept. 22: Aqua Amigos Dive Club meeting, 8
p.m., YMCA, Euclid, Ohio, aquaamigos.com
Sept. 25: MUD Club Dive, Southwest
Michigan area. mudclub.scubaobsessed.com
Sept. 25: Art in the Garden begins, Hilbert
Conservatory, Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis,
Ind. www.indyzoo.com
Sept. 25-26: Beaver Lake Trash Cleanup,
Beaver Lake, Ark. www.tdscuba.com
Sept. 28: Badger State Dive Club meeting,
7:30 p.m., Edwardo’s Natural Pizza, Milwaukee,
Wis. www.badgerstatediveclub.org
Sept. 28: Fort Wayne Diving Club meeting,
7 p.m., Deep Blue Divers, Fort Wayne, Ind.
www.fortwaynediveclub.org
Sept. 28: Tritons Scuba Club meeting, 7:30
p.m., Guiseppe’s Restaurant, Des Plaines, Ill.
www.thetritons.com
Sept. 29: Underwater Archaeological
Society of Chicago meeting, 7 p.m., Helix Photo
Headquarters, Chicago, Ill. uaschicago.org
Sept. 29: Canadian Sport Divers Scuba
Club meeting, 7:30 p.m., Canadian Sport Subs
Dive Shop, Belleville, Ontario. home.cogeco.
ca/~csdivers/
Oct. 1: Bottom Breathers Dive Club meeting,
6:30 p.m., at Below H2O dive shop, Aurora, Ill.
[email protected]
Oct. 2: Working Your Photos with
Bob Guiliani, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Great Lakes
Shipwreck Museum, Whitefish Point, Mich.
www.shipwreckmuseum.com
Oct. 2: Triton Scuba Club Dive, Lake
Geneva, Wis. www.thetritons.com
Oct. 3: Buccaneer’s Club meeting, 6
p.m., Pirate’s Cove Diving, Milwaukee, Wis.
www.pcdiving.com
Oct. 3: Michigan Lake Divers Association
meeting, 4 p.m., Vantage Point Maritime Center,
Port Huron, Mich. www.michlakedivers.com
Oct. 3: League of Underwater Photographers,
1 p.m., Helix Photo Headquarters, Chicago, Ill.
www.loupchicago.org
Oct. 3: Sea Deucers Club Dive, 10 a.m.,
Haigh Quarry, Kankakee, Ill. seadeucers.net
www.mwdivenews.com
7
REGIONAL NEWS 
SOUTH SHORE NEPTUNES
GO GREEN
By Stephen Marshall
T
he South Shore Neptunes, a dive club headquartered in Quincy,
Massachusetts, has gone green,
and as part of its new focus, will
take part in Coastsweep 2010, to be
held Sept. 18 on Thompson Island in
South Boston.
The Neptunes is one of the
oldest dive clubs in the state, tracing
its history back to 1954 and the
Quincy, Mass., Underwater Search
and Recovery Team. The club wants
to use the skills that made the team
one of the most respected in the state
to transition to an environmental
focus.
The club is coordinating an
underwater clean-up, part of
COASTSWEEP 2010 which is a
statewide beach cleanup sponsored
by the Massachusetts Office of
Coastal Zone Management and
part of the International Coastal
Cleanup, organized by the Ocean
Conservancy in Washington, D.C.
2010 marks the cleanup’s 25th
anniversary. Participants all over the
world collect marine debris and record the types of trash they collect,
providing information to help reduce marine debris.
The Neptunes has 2010 is the year to refocus the club’s mission,
which has been to encourage relationships among divers, promote
NORTHEAST DIVE NEWS
diving activities and encourage safe diving, exploration, research,
and conservation.
“With the passage of time we now look to focus our diving on
underwater exploration, research, and conservation by partnering
with ecological and environmental conservation organizations that
target Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, and Cape Cod Bay and the
varying tributaries,” said club president, Steve Marshall.
Thompson Island, site of the underwater cleanup, is home to
the Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center, which
provides courses in environmental education, peer leadership
and
wilderness
adventure.
www.thompsonisland.org.
Marshall said many of those
participating will be from Dive
Kulture, a Boston organization that
teaches at-risk inner city kids to
scuba dive. “Dive Kulture is the first
program in the nation to offer scuba
certification together with jobs in
the environmental industry,” states
the group’s Web site.
Other participants will be from
the University of Massachusetts,
Boston,
Department
of
Environmental, Earth, and Ocean
Studies (EEOS).
“Bringing
these
two
organizations
together,
Dive
Kulture and UMASS-EEOS, is a
great opportunity to not only have
people who are deeply committed
to improving the environment
participate in the underwater cleanup but equally important, it offers a
unique opportunity for the inner city
kids to see the benefits of continuing
their education by participating with both students and professors
from UMASS EEOS,” said Marshall.
Visit www.southshoreneptunes.org for additional information
about this dive club or to volunteer for the cleanup. ■
Diver’s Cove
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Long ISLAND DIVING With Bill Pfeiffer, president of LONG ISLAND DIVERS ASSOCIATION
E
very year, the first Saturday in August is a special date on the
calendars for the ladies in the Northeast: the annual AquaWoman
Dive. Hosted by the Long Island Divers Association, this incredible
event is in its 29th year and still going strong!
The brainchild of LIDA president Edith Hoffman and first held
in 1980, the AquaWoman Dive was designed
to celebrate the wide variety of ladies
participating in what at the time was what
many considered to be a “man’s sport.” Held
each year since, the dives are held at favorite
local dive sites such as the U.S.S. San Diego and the Stolt Dagali.
This year the women went out on the dive boat Jeannie II,
captained by Bill Reddan and sailing out of Sheepshead Bay in
Brooklyn, and were accompanied by the AquaMen on Captain Bob
Hayes’ Karen II, also out of Brooklyn. Both boats headed out to the
wreck of the Stolt Dagali for a day of fun in the sun. Calm seas and
light breezes set the stage for a wonderful day. Dropping into the
ocean found surface visibility to be around three feet or so, but as we
dropped down the line to 40 feet, the visibility increased to at least
30 feet. There was plenty of available light at the top of the wreck
at 65 feet, but those who dropped to the sand at 130 found that dive
lights were necessary. While the plankton bloom may have limited
the visibility a bit for our divers, there was an unexpected bonus,
the thick soup at the surface made a wonderful snack for the finback
whales that cruised by as we enjoyed our surface interval! Following
the dive the ladies enjoyed entertainment from George and the rest
of the Jeannie II crew, while the AquaMen fired up Captain Hayes’
Grillmaster 5000 for a post dive feast and headed back to Brooklyn to
get everything set up for the return of the ladies. The post dive party
was sight to behold, and never to be spoken of in public!
Next year will be the 30th annual AquaWoman Dive, and you can
be sure that dive coordinator Linda Gotti will have plenty of tricks
up her sleeve. It has even been rumored that the ladies will be joined
by the original AquaWoman, Edith Hoffman herself. Sailing out of
Freeport on the Lockness and the Sea Hawk, this is sure to be an
incredible event. Sign-up begins at Beneath the Sea in March 2011
- see you there! ■
Long Island Divers Association
Serving the Long Island and Greater New York Diving Community for More Than 25 Years!
Lockness Dive Boat
Freeport, NY
516-298-2633
www.locknessdiveboat.com
Captain Mike’s Diving
City Island, NY
718-885-1588
www.captainmikesdiving.com
RV Garloo
914-589-1368
www.garlooent.com
Long Island Scuba
Lindenhurst, NY
631-225-8450
www.longislandscuba.com
Hampton Dive Center
Riverhead, NY
631-727-7578
www.hamptondive.com
QC Scuba
Wantagh, NY
516-826-7222
www.qcscuba.com
Kings County Divers
Brooklyn, NY
718-648-4232
www.kcdivers.com
Swim and Scuba
Rockville Centre, NY
516-872-4571
www.swimandscuba.com
O N D I VE C E N
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RH
RK
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HA
Captree Boat Basin, Long Island
O
EAD, NEW Y
LIDA is a not-for-profit
regional organization
dedicated to the promotion
of local diving and is staffed
completely by volunteers.
www.lidaonline.com
www.mwdivenews.com
9
IN MEMORIAM 
NORTHEAST DIVE NEWS
Memorial Dive
to the Arundo
Editor’s note: The dive community lost one of its own July 31,
when 28-year-old Yasuki Okada died during a dive of the freighter
Arundo, which lies off the coast of New Jersey. Okada was diving
solo to hunt for scallops. She was reported as missing when she was
35 minutes overdue. Her body was found in 122-feet of water. Okada
was an experienced diver. What follows is an account of how the
local dive community pulled together to not only honor Okada, but to
support its local dive operators.
By J. Dan Wright
I
learn of the death of a fellow rebreather diver Sunday, Aug. 1,
while loading gear on the dive vessel Ol Salty II in Belmar, N.J.
Shock waves course through the New Jersey wreck diving
community as the news spreads. I call the captain and owner of the
dive boat Gypsy Blood, Jim Wilson, whom I have known since 2004,
to offer condolences and show support. He informs me a local dive
shop who had his boat booked the following weekend backed out of
the trip he had scheduled, so more than likely they were not going. I
ask to go wherever they plan to dive that Saturday, and he mentions
that if weather permits, he wants to return to the site of the accident
and recover some lost gear. I sign on immediately, as does my dive
buddy Sherwood Probeck, as a gesture of financial and emotional
support. We are set to cast off at 7 a.m. on Aug. 7.
As I arrive at the gravel parking lot at the Brielle marina, I can’t
help but recall this is the same dock where the famous Seeker pushed
off so many times in her heyday and the place where I mated on the
dive boat Poseidon in 2005.
On this day there is a strong presence of rebreathers – seven rigs
in all out of about a dozen divers, including the crew. In our midst
is Carl Bayer, who had just shot to fame for recovering the bow bell
of the Andrea Doria earlier this summer. Even on this somber day
there is still a wry sense of humor among us, as Captain Jim asks
Carl “Would you ever consider going back to the Doria? After all,
how could you top the prized trophy of the Mount Everest of wreck
diving?”
As we arrive over the Arundo, the captain calls us together,
asking us to be conservative in our run times, stick to them rigidly
and stay paired up at all times – especially on this day, on this wreck.
Rebreather divers usually like one long dive, but today we cut back
the run times and opt for two shorter dives, like the open circuit
divers.
The anchor line is dropped in very close to the same spot as the
10
previous week. Directions are given on where to look. Buddy teams
will search for Yasuki’s missing stage bottle, game bags and wreck
reel. Flat, calm seas, low visibility at the surface could make the
bottom nearly a night dive, but at depth the vis is fairly good, about
20-feet. I don’t note the bottom temperature, but according to Rob
Infante, it is 46 degrees, with little current. The stage is set.
Sherwood and I splash as soon as the pool is open. I drag the
housed Nikon D300 and dual strobes. My buddy has to run the wreck
reel. He runs out nearly the entire 400-foot spool before we turn
back. We don’t find the gear, but another team comes across Yasuki’s
wreck reel. Rob Infante retrieves it on his second dive and marks the
location for a brass plaque to be placed next year.
At the end of our second dive, just as we doff our kits on the
benches along the gunwales, a voice cries out “Lift bag on the
surface!,” sending our hearts racing. A hundred yards to the portside,
a 100-pound orange lift bag bobs away. No one on the boat can tell
whose it is, if it’s tied to the bottom or if it’s free floating. Sherwood
and I immediately splash again on snorkel only to investigate.
(Against a current and swimming with fins in a drysuit is not what
you want to do just as you surface from your second decompression
dive of the day – if we were on the cusp of a deco hit, this act could
plunge us into DCS.)
As we pull close, we can see “Bayer” and a crude drawing of
an aspirin scrawled on the lift bag. I yell back to the anxious crew
of the Gypsy Blood that the bag is indeed tied to the wreck and the
diver’s name. Burps of bubbles ascend from the pea soup surface
water, illustrating a rebreather diver ascending and venting gas. The
diver is okay, and Sherwood, a rescue diver, waits for Carl to surface
and swims back to the vessel with him. A collective sigh of relief
is exhaled when it’s apparent there will be no repeat of last week’s
tragedy. I joke with Carl that if another ship’s bell was on that lift
bag, I would have sent it to the bottom. We’re all smiles and good
cheer.
At the conclusion of the day’s diving, Rob Infante and Sunny
Longordo produce two bouquets from the funeral at the open transom
of the Gypsy Blood, and Infante tries to conjure some words, but
nothing can be said that’s any stronger than the emotions already
present. Photographs are taken as each person is handed flowers to
disperse into the Atlantic. After five minutes, the flowers resemble a
string of pearls trailing behind the Gypsy Blood, in memory of a lost
companion loved by all who knew her. ■
www.nedivenews.com
NORTHEAST DIVE NEWS
By Jeffrey Gallant, Director,
Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch Education
and Research Group (GEERG)
R
ecent headlines from New England
resonated back to the summer of 2001,
the so-called Summer of the Shark:
A spate of incidents on
East Coast beaches had
induced a shark psychosis
in the mainstream media
even though 2001 was by no
means a banner year for what reporters
too eagerly label shark attacks. The
unwarranted fear which ultimately led to
a shark feeding ban in Florida was soon
eclipsed by the events of 9/11.
Sharks are now back in the news.
However, the last decade has seen public
perception go through a major change.
Sharks have gone from maligned killers
that should be wiped out to key players in
the ocean in need of our help. For some,
sharks have gained, or even surpassed,
levels of appreciation normally reserved
for more endearing and less-threatening
sea creatures such as dolphins and
whales. For this reason, many people are
more attentive to the whereabouts and
well-being of sharks. Most used to gawk
and even revel at the sight of a bloody shark
carcass hanging by its tail on a dock: A
good shark was a dead shark. Some of these
same people and their children now frown
at the same sight today. Shark killings are
being reported. Some people even protest at
long-established shark derbies. Tour
operators and divers keenly report shark
sightings out of fascination instead of fear.
Much science has also been accomplished
in recent years on both sides of the border.
More has been learned about the Greenland
shark in the Gulf of St. Lawrence than was
learned in the last century. Scientists are
also making giant strides in the study of
the white shark off the East coast of the
United States. And yet, U.S. and Canadian
researchers all agree there are less and less
sharks in our waters.
Despite the dramatically decreased
numbers, sharks may be moving back into
areas that have seen a reduction in pollution
and the reappearance of prey species. At the
center of the recent commotion, the white
shark has been observed in New England
and the Canadian Maritimes for several
decades. Nonetheless, its impressive size
and bad reputation ensure that every sighting
generates drama, beach closures, and wild
ideas as to why the shark is there.
The return of seal rookeries near
populated areas may be playing a part in
the reappearance of white sharks in New
England. The fact that more white sharks as
well as other species are being reported may
also be the result of more people looking
for them. Many more potential sightings
REGIONAL NEWS
Shark sightings off the East Coast
cause concerN ... environmental concern
may simply have
gone
unnoticed
in previous years.
Also,
many
a
porbeagle
shark
(Lamna nasus) has been erroneously
identified as a white shark (Carcharodon
carcharias) and the media are only too pleased
to announce that Jaws is swimming off your
favorite beach. This has happened only
recently in my native Quebec. Eyewitnesses
that had no real experience with sharks made
wild claims on national television. When it
comes to sharks, the media is often ripe with
disinformation and this is detrimental to their
survival. In fact, shark incidents are down
and some shark diving hotspots on both
sides of the continent are actually reporting
fewer, and in some cases, no sightings.
Finning in the U.S. and Canada may be
illegal, but the threat to many shark species
is ever-present. Several ‘local’ species
migrate far beyond our national boundaries
into areas where there are no conservation
rules. By-catch and targeted fisheries are also
taking an unsustainable toll right here off
our own shores. Hopefully, tagging studies
www.mwdivenews.com
will shed light on their migratory patterns
and some of the environmental factors that
influence the movements of coastal sharks.
In turn, this will allow scientists to further
understand and describe shark behavior as
well as propose sustainable actions that will
reduce the risk for both humans and sharks.
Good press or bad, as divers, we should
take advantage of all the attention being
directed towards sharks right now. This is
a great opportunity to inform people on the
plight of sharks worldwide and on the need
to better understand and protect them rather
than perpetuate their negative and undeserved
stereotype. Otherwise, the singular form of
the Summer of the Shark may soon relate to
the sighting of a lone shark somewhere off
the coast; a once-frightening ghost from the
not-so-distant past. ■
About the author: Jeffrey Gallant is
the Atlantic Region Director of GEERG,
the Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch
Education and Research Group. He is also
Managing Director of the Shark Research
Institute (SRI Canada) and Executive-atLarge of the Canadian Association for
Underwater Science (CAUS).
11
NEW YORK/VERMONT
LAKE CHAMPLAIN
NORTHEAST DIVE REPORT
A Historical Treasure Trove
The view of Lake Champlain from above can’t be beat, but the
view below is what attracts divers. Courtesy photo.
An aerial shot of Fort Ti. Photo by Carl Heilman.
By Mike Hughes
S
o what’s so fantastic about a narrow, 112-mile-long lake on the
border between Vermont and New York?
After all, Lake Champlain is only 95-feet above sea level and
405-feet deep. The visibility can go up to 40-feet, but more often than
not is 10 to 15-feet, and you will see landlocked salmon, northern
pike, sturgeon, and walleye, but none of these items seem unusual
for any other eastern lake.
What does set this lake apart from the rest, and I mean by hundreds
of millions of years, is the sheer history of an ancient sea that turned
to freshwater, then became home to some 300 shipwrecks - from dull
boats carrying stones and coal, to Benedict Arnold’s fleet that sank,
but delayed the British long enough for the Americans to regroup and
win the war in 1776. (Benedict was actually a great patriot until the
Continental Congress decided not to pay him for services rendered.
As history shows, getting even didn’t work too well for him either.)
Back to ancient history, up at Isla la Motte, one of the 70 islands
on Lake Champlain, we have the fossilized remains of the Paleozoic
Chazy reef. At 480 million years old, this is one of the oldest coral
reefs known on the planet. It is part of the Iapetus Ocean that once
flourished with squid-like creatures housed in shells - as if you took
a nautilus shell and rolled it out to a pointed cone. Now the Goodsell
Fossil Preserve is flourishing with these specimens to view first
hand.
About 20,000 years ago, the salt seas vanished and freshwater
filled the basin between the newly raised Appalachian mountain
range. Local farmers still find bones of beluga whales and seals in
their pastures.
To see the current fresh water life of Lake Champlain I recommend
a visit to ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington,
Vt., right next to the water’s edge. I’ve been there a couple of times
and It’s a great place to see the elusive five- to six-foot-long adult
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NORTHEAST DIVE SITE PROFILE
LAKE CHAMPLAIN
ny to be
one of ma photo.
,
k
c
re
w
a
. Courtesy
ebris from
xamines d in Lake Champlain
A diver e
d
n
fou
Sunset at the Echo Lake Aquarium and Science
Center, Burlington, Vt. Photo by Nick LeVecchia.
L
NA
E
P
O
sturgeon, muskellunge, channel catfish, and many local species of
amphibians and reptiles. They also have a good display of what the
invasive species of zebra mussels has done in a devastatingly short
period of time.
One last spot to visit before you actually dive the lake is the Lake
Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes, Vt. Here you can see
artifacts from Benedict Arnold’s exploits plus relics of some of the
300 other known wrecks in the lake. You can even see a replica of the
schooner Louis McClure, complete with main sail, fore sail, and jib.
Once you’ve been here you will have a keen eye for wreck debris,
know the history behind the seafaring tragedies, and have a better
understanding of where you are while diving on some of the more
popular wrecks.
One particularly interesting wreck, according to Stephanie
Farrell of Waterfront Diving Center in Burlington, is the schooner
O.J. Walker, built in 1862 in Burlington and sunk in 1895. The Walker
is 86-feet long and 14-feet wide and at a depth of 65-feet. There is
still a mast on her, a wheelbarrow, a stool, and the load of bricks the
doomed schooner was carrying when she went down. Her even less
fortunate cousin, the 88-foot long, 14-foot wide schooner General
Butler, built in 1862 in Essex, N.Y., rests near the southern end of
Burlington breakwaters. She went down in a storm Dec. 9, 1876.
Since she doesn’t even lay two thermoclines beneath the surface
- at 40-feet, she is in a warm water zone and covered with zebra
mussels.
According to one diver from Victory Sports Dive Shop, Colchester,
Vt., the schooner Water Witch is the most intact wooden ship in the
lake. It was 83-feet long, 18-feet wide, and was a steamboat converted
to sail. It was built in 1832 and sank in 1866 with a load of iron ore.
It’s still intact, possibly because of its depth of 90-feet, currents, and
because removal of artifacts here is illegal.
The diver I spoke with also recommends the Burlington Horse
Ferry, because there is not another one like it in the world. Horses
!
AR
E
Y
L
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13
NEW YORK/VERMONT
NORTHEAST DIVE REPORT
walked around a large turntable to power two paddle wheels whose make on Lake Champlain. Right off of Thompson’s Point, on the
remnants are still there. The ferry was 63-feet long, 23-feet wide, and southeast side of the lake, the water descends to one of the deepest
in 50-feet of depth. This type of ferry peaked around the 1840’s on parts of the lake, which coincidentally makes this site the deepest
wall dive in the lake. The problem with some of the shore dive sites
short routes across the lake.
Speaking of steamboats, the charred remains of the Phoenix rest is getting past the zebra mussel beds. You have to wear gloves to
at 60-feet on the bow and 110-feet on the stern. She was 146-feet long, prevent cuts, as these mussels are sharp. It’s also a good idea to carry
27-feet wide, and burned from a suspicious fire supposedly starting a knife and scissors to cut lines. A dive permit may be in order to dive
in the galley. No one has ever proven whether she succumbed to the certain wrecks and no penetration of historical wrecks is allowed,
indirect flames of careless candles or to the direct flames of careful as they are more fragile than my hairline. A yellow buoy typically
marks the location of an underwater preserve. Going out with a
competitors.
If you are into barges then you might consider diving the Diamond charter operation or booking through a local dive shop is a good way
Island Stone Barge. She was 93-feet long, 14-feet wide, up to 25-feet to dive the lake sites and make sure you are complying with all the
local rules, and not accidentally setting an
deep, and possibly carried too many stones
ordinary anchor on a one-of-a-kind national
for said nautical conditions. The A.R.Noyes
treasure.
coal barge is 90-feet long, 14-feet wide and
As you can see, Lake Champlain is not
descending from 60- to 80-feet of depth. I
just your typical northern lake. It is almost
think you’ve already figured out her contents
packed with more history than water.
when she went down.
Ancient saltwater seas have left divers
Pat Jones, from Jones’ Aqua Sports in
something quite unique to explore. British
Willsboro, N.Y., on the other side of the
battles of the past and its position next to
shoreline, thinks the Pinnacle at Ferris
Canada make the lake a national security hot
Rock at Schuyler Island is an interesting
spot. Its weather, wind, and waves have left
dive because it descends from 30-feet
to 150-feet and contains fish, fossils,
One of many islands on Lake Champlain. hundreds of wrecks at various depths, some
Courtesy photo. still relatively intact. What more could any
and shipwreck fragments. She also likes
diver ask for? Great dives. ■
the swim thru at Garden Island Shoal
Lake Champlain travel information:
because here, from shallow to deep,
www.waterfrontdiving.com
are the rock remains of saltwater seas.
www.victorysports.net
How many divers do you know who
www.divechamplain.com
can say with pride they have dove on a
www.echovermont.org
480- million-year-old Ordovician reef?
A reenactment of the battle of Plattsburgh. Courtesy photo.
www.lcmm.org
There are also some shore dives you can
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MW ‘HOT’ NEWS
MIDWEST DIVE NEWS
Adaptive Diver Benefit at Portage Quarry
There will be an adaptive diver benefit Sept.
4 at Portage Quarry, Bowling Green, Ohio.
Enjoy all you can eat for $10 from the Winking Lizard, and a portion
of all dive proceeds from the day will benefit the Handicapped Scuba
Association. Founded in 1981, HSA has dedicated itself to improving
the physical and social well being of people with disabilities through
the sport of scuba diving. For more information on this benefit, visit
www.portagequarry.com.
Minnesota Beach Sweep
The entire state of Minnesota will participate
in the International Coastal Cleanup, scheduled
to take place Sept. 25. Since the cleanup began
in 1986, over five million volunteers from 123 countries have taken
action to clean shores around the world while collecting valuable
data on marine debris. Anyone interested in participating can call
(952) 853-0612 or visit www.underwaterworld.com.
White Star Quarry Photo Contest Results
White Star Quarry, Gibsonburg, Ohio, has released
the results from its first underwater photo contest, held at
the quarry over the July 4 weekend. Best of Show honors
went to photographer Twink Miller, who also placed first in the diver
poses, underwater life, non-diver surface “lifestyle” and wide angle
categories. Casey Kimball took first place in the snorkeling category
and Don Hauenstein won the closeup/macro category. To see the
winning entries & a list of sponsors, go to whitestarquarry.com.
Gales of November
Gales of November, the annual maritime
conference and fundraiser to be held by the
Lake Superior Marine Museum Association
on November 12-13, will feature Mike Link and Kate Crowley as the
keynote speakers Nov. 13. Link and Crowley are currently walking
the Full Circle Tour, which is a five month, 1,600-mile journey
around Lake Superior. The two are collecting data about the ecology
of the lake’s shoreline, which they will share at Gales. The LSMMA
is a non-profit group established in 1973. Gales of November
will be held at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. Visit
www.lsmma.com for information.
Nominations Open for Divers with Disabilities Hall of Fame
Diveheart is seeking nominations for inductees into
the Hall of Fame for Divers with Disabilities. The mission
of the Hall of Fame is to recognize and salute individuals,
both disabled and able-bodied, who have displayed an exceptional
commitment to the support, promotion and furtherance of scuba
diving for children, adults and veterans with disabilities. “We are
hoping that people will take a moment to nominate the individuals
they know, who are deserving of this honor,” said Jim Elliott, president
and founder of Diveheart. Nomination and membership enrollment
forms and information are available at www.diveheart.com.
Ohio Dive Clubs Host Fundraiser
The Columbus Sea Nags and the
Circleville Land Sharks dive clubs
joined forces Aug. 14 at Twin Quarries,
Circleville, Ohio, to hold a swap meet and corn roast
to benefit the Pickaway County Dive Rescue Squad.
According to organizers, the event was well attended,
with buyers and sellers coming from as far Kentucky.
Following the festivities, those interested took part in a refreshing
dive in the North Quarry. Circleville Twin Quarries features two 10acre quarries located just north of Circleville and 30 miles south of
Columbus. For information, go to www.divecircleville.com.
Dress Up and Carve Some Pumpkins
You can’t start dressing for Halloween too early,
and Anchor Bay Scuba in Fairhaven, Mich., is holding
an underwater pumpkin carving contest Sept. 26 to
get divers ready. Participants must wear a costume to
compete, and organizers encourage everyone to be
prepared and make sure their costumes fit over their wetsuits. Visit
www.anchorbayscuba.com for details.
New Apparel Company Targets Midwest Divers
Cal Kothrade, a professional artist and
freelance photographer (above and below
the water), and his wife started Milwaukee
Dive Apparel because they felt there weren’t
any cool shirts for Midwest divers to wear.
“I decided to start making shirts that I
would want to wear when traveling to other dive destinations that tell
people how I dive back home,” said Kothrade. “As an artist, it was
a natural progression to combine two things I love and help promote
local diving and our underwater heritage at the same time.” Kothrade
said they run the business from their home in New Berlin, Wis., when
he and his wife aren’t at their day jobs. Their latest designs can be
seen at www.milwaukeediveapparel.com.
Beach Cleanup at Redgranite
Diver’s Realm in Appleton, Wis. will sponsor the
2010 Beach Cleanup at Redgranite Quarry Sept. 18. In
past years more than 30 divers and their families and
friends have joined them to clean out the quarry. Cleanup is from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m., with divers picking trash out of the water and nondivers collecting trash around the quarry. Drinks, food and restroom
facilities are usually provided. Frequently divers bring bars and other
snacks to share. For more information, visit www.diversrealm.com.
Edwards Joins LiquidAssets.tv Team
LiquidAssets.tv, producers of the new dive
travel television show “Into the Drink,” is pleased to
announce industry veteran Debbie Edwards has joined
its team. Edwards was the publisher of “Scuba Diving” magazine
before starting her own marketing firm, Edwards Media Solutions,
of which she is the president. She will handle all advertising and
sponsorships for LiquidAssets.tv and “Into the Drink.” The program
is on cable and satellite from coast to coast in the United States and
Canada on HDNet, Resort & Residence TV (DirecTV channel 354),
Tuff TV and AMGTV. For more information on the show, visit
www.liquidassets.tv. - DNW
Quarry Founder Receives DAN President’s Award
Jeff Rice, who founded
Portage Quarry Recreation Club
in Bowling Green, Ohio in 1978,
was awarded the Diver’s Alert
Network’s first ever President’s
Award at the T.A. Dive Club’s
annual barbecue for DAN on
July 18. Rice received the award
from DAN president Dan Orr
because of his support of the
organization when it first began. Rice printed mailers and magazines,
campaigned to get members and donated time money and supplies
to assist the group. Orr also gave a second President’s Award to Jeff
Broadrick, president of the T.A. Dive Club, in honor of the group’s
longtime support of DAN. The club’s annual barbecue for Diver’s
Alert Network has raised more than $35,000 over the years, making
it a Platinum Dive Club Donor. For more information, visit www.
portagequarry.com.
www.mwdivenews.com
15
MIDWEST DIVE SITE PROFILE
LAKE MICHIGAN
Century-old Mystery Solved
Wreck of the L.R. Doty
Discovered in Lake Michigan
Note: Our thanks to
Brendon Baillod, president of
the Wisconsin Underwater
Archeology Association, for his
contribution to this story.
Looking down the companion way of the L.R. Doty. Photo by John Scoles.
By Kathy Reed, Senior Editor
A
utumn in the Great Lakes region - the leaves turn brilliant, then
drift to the ground, creating a blanket of color soon replaced
with a carpet of snow.
It’s an unpredictable time to travel over land, much less over
water. Storms on the lakes wreaked havoc in the early days of
commerce, when ships were one of the most economical means of
transporting goods.
“People don’t realize that once upon a time there were hundreds of
huge wooden ships here. Whole communities were tied to the Lakes,
the ships or the docks – people followed the movement of these ships
the way we follow sports teams,” Brendon Baillod, marine historian
and president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association,
said in an interview with Dive News.
Autumn was also a lucrative time of year in the shipping business,
as vessels could transport coal for the cold months ahead and grain
from the recent harvests. And so it was not unusual that the steamship
L.R. Doty sailed from Chicago on October 24, 1898 bearing 107,000
bushels of corn and towing the schooner barge Olive Jeanette. The
ships were bound for Midland, Ontario where they would unload
their cargo, then head to Lake Superior to pick up a load of iron ore
to bring to Cleveland, Ohio.
“That was when there was the highest premium on cargos, but
that was also the time when everyone knew their chances of getting
killed were higher,” Baillod said. “When the L.R. Doty sank that year,
she was one of several.”
Built in 1893 for the Cuyahoga Transit Company, Cleveland,
Ohio, the Doty was considered a relatively new and sturdy ship. She
was one of the last giant wooden lake steamers built and one of six
“sister” ships, which included the steamers William F. Sauber, C.F.
Bielman, Tampa, Iosco and the Uganda.
“They were known as the “unlucky sisters,” said Baillod,
“because only one of them ended its career naturally.”
16
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MIDWEST DIVE NEWS
L.R. Doty
Fashioned of white oak, the Doty’s hull was 291-feet long with
a capacity of more than 2,056 gross tons. According to Baillod, the
Doty had nine deck hatches and a tall fore-mast for setting canvas, if
needed. Steel arches were imbedded in the sides of her wooden hull
to provide additional stability.
The Wreck
When the Doty and Olive Jeanette left Chicago, the weather
was fair. Their planned course would take them up Lake Michigan
to the Straits of Mackinac, into Lake Huron and then to Midland.
As they headed toward Milwaukee, the wind began to pick up. By
late afternoon, snow and sleet obscured visibility and the waves were
at more than 20 feet. North of Milwaukee, the towline between the
Doty and the Olive Jeanette broke. The Doty continued to steam to
the north, while the crew of the Olive Jeanette (which survived – that
time, at least) worked to set canvas. The Doty was never seen again.
All 17 crewmembers and the ship’s two cats perished.
It’s believed the Doty turned to retrieve the Olive Jeanette,
breaking her rudder chains, which put her broadside to the waves,
allowing the water to tear off her deck houses and breach her hatch
covers. Other vessels in the area during the storm saw the Olive
Jeanette but not the Doty, which means she probably foundered a
few hours after their separation. Two days later a debris field believed
to belong to the Doty was spotted about 25 miles off Kenosha, Wis.
Because of that, it was believed for years the Doty lay
offshore from Kenosha. But in his book “Fathoms Deep But
Not Forgotten: Wisconsin’s Lost Ships,” Baillod said a detailed
analysis of the Doty’s course, the duration and direction of the
storm, the debris field and the timeline suggested she actually
foundered somewhere off Milwaukee.
“I found a really riveting first person account of that day from
the (female) cook on the Olive Jeanette,” recounted Baillod. “It
was a really harrowing account, which said the two ships became
separated north of Milwaukee. It became clear to me the wreck of the
Doty should have been off Milwaukee. (Read the cook’s account at
tinyurl.com/24b5x88)
“The other thing that interested me in the Doty was that I was
involved many years ago in the discovery of the Olive Jeanette,”
continued Baillod. “During my research, I came across an incident in
1951 when a fishing vessel brought up a human skull in its net. The
captain brought it to the sheriff, who brought it to the state health lab
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in Lansing, Mich., where it was determined to be a woman’s skull.
We later went out to the area where the woman’s skull was found,
and eventually located the wreck of the Olive Jeanette. Here’s what’s
creepy – the skull belonged to the cook who gave the account of
the storm that sank the Doty. She inadvertently played a role in the
discovery of both ships!”
The Telltale Snag
In 1991, the commercial fishing tug Butchie B snagged its nets
on an obstruction more than 20 miles from shore and in 300 feet of
water. Its captain told Milwaukee charter captain Jerry Guyer about
it. Guyer, owner of Pirates Cove Dive Shop and the dive charter
boat LenDer, was curious, and imaged the site with a fish finder. His
search revealed a large object on the bottom, but because of its depth,
distance and lack of safe, “everyday” technology for deep dives, his
find wasn’t a high priority. Baillod was intrigued.
“It piqued my interest because I collect accounts of fishermen’s
snags. Jerry had imaged that area and he’s the one who said there’s a
huge wreck out there,” Baillod said. “It occurred to me that the wreck
was in the exact right spot to be the Doty.”
By 2009, the technology had improved so much technical divers
were able to routinely dive beyond the 400-foot mark, and the interest
in finding deep wrecks grew.
Baillod shared the story of the Butchie B’s deep snag and Guyer’s
subsequent images with technical diver and Milwaukee charter
captain Jitka Hanakova, who operates the dive boat Mollie V through
her company, Shipwreck Explorers.
“Brendon knew about the ship for maybe 10 years, but the
technology wasn’t available for us to dive it as easily as today,”
Hanakova told Dive News. “It may as well have been on the moon
back then.”
The Discovery
Hanakova relocated the site in May, recording accurate GPS
coordinates about 24 miles southeast of Milwaukee, off the coast of
Oak Creek, Wis.
“I did a search pattern and found it a few hours later,” she said.
“I knew it was big. I was guessing it was at least 200 feet. So at that
point we knew we had a target, but in May the water is still too cold.
I didn’t want to wait, but I know better enough than to put divers into
that situation.”
A month later the weather and water temperatures had improved
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LAKE MICHIGAN
MIDWEST DIVE SITE PROFILE
Today the Doty sits upright and intact, the remains of her corn
enough to schedule a dive. Hanakova carried a team of seven
technical divers back to explore the depths of Lake Michigan on June cargo still in her hold. The cold, fresh water and its extreme depth
16. Baillod and Pete Scotland provided surface support and historical have left her in an amazing state of preservation. A video of the
wreck, taken by Janzen, is available at tinyurl.com/2eoahup.
information about the find.
The Doty is protected by Wisconsin law as a publicly owned
Divers John Janzen, John Scoles and Tracy Xelowski were the
historic wreck. Salvage is not allowed without a permit from the
first in the water.
“We didn’t plan on communicating with the team when they went state. Her discovery has been reported to the state historical society’s
down,” shared Baillod. “It was a deep dive, a treacherous dive. After Maritime Archeology program and the site may also be nominated to
the National Register of Historic Places.
about 40 to 50 minutes, we started to
“It’s definitely good to have
get concerned. When we saw a lift bag
something more local in Milwaukee
surface, we really thought it was going to
to dive,” said Hanakova. But she also
say ‘Call the Coast Guard,’ but instead,
stresses this is not a dive for beginners.
the note said ‘All divers safe – up in
“This is a very technical dive, only for
80 minutes – giant wooden freighter.’
the most experienced divers. There
My main feeling was I was glad all the
is a limited number of divers that are
divers were safe. My next thought was
qualified to dive it, and definitely only
that we had found the Doty.”
divers experienced with cold water
The second group of divers included
diving should try it.”
Hanakova, Lubo Valuch and Ron
Hanakova said divers used open
Benson, who were able to do a complete
circuit as well as rebreathers on the dive.
navigation of the wreck and assess its
dive had about 20 to 25minutes
condition.
Filming the starboard side of the L.R. Doty. Each
of bottom time during the two to three
“We already knew what to expect
Photo by John Scoles. hour dive total. She anticipated slightly
(from the first group of divers), so we
longer bottom times in August, and was
went on more of an exploratory dive,”
Hanakova said. “The visibility was pretty good – about 30 to 40 feet. planning additional visits to the wreck in August and September.
“The major thing is we solved another historical shipwreck
We don’t get as much light in Lake Michigan that deep, but we could
see pretty well. When I first saw it, my first thought was ‘It looks just mystery. Surviving relatives of the crew now have an answer,”
Hanakova said.
like the Uganda.’
“You’d think after 112 years everyone would have forgotten, but
“The ship is very intact, she didn’t break,” continued Hanakova.
“The whole structure is intact. The pilot house is probably somewhere within a week of our discovery I heard from five families of crew
members, including the captain’s,” agreed Baillod.
next to it in the mud, but it’s quite a unique piece of history.”
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MIDWEST DIVE NEWS
Baillod said National Geographic has
begun production on a documentary about
the Doty, which will air in March, 2011, and
will premier at the Ghost Ships Festival in
Milwaukee March 25-26.
“But I think for us the main reason we
like to find these wrecks and tell their story
is that it allows us a teaching moment for
the public,” continued Baillod. “It helps
reclaim part of our identity and makes us
better stewards of these resources. They’re
nautical time capsules from 150 to 200 years
ago, but zebra mussels are destroying them.
It’s crucial we find these sites and document
them now, when we have time.” ■
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TROPICAL TOP 10
TROPICAL DESTINATION
by Rick Stratton
H
Rick’s Bucket List 2010
ow many times in your life
have you said, “I want to dive
– (insert destination here) - but I
just don’t have time.” We all do it,
which is why we all need to develop a “Dive
Bucket List.” A Bucket List is made up of
those things you want to have accomplished
before you are too old to do it. When I set out
to define exactly what would be on my own
personal dive destination bucket list I was
shocked; my bucket definitely run-eth over.
There are so many places to explore it was
tough to narrow it down, but with some help
Rick Stratton interviews Cheryl Patterson
from my friend and dive travel industry leader of Deep Blue Dive Adventures at BTS 2010.
Cheryl Patterson of Deep Blue Adventures
Check out the YouTube link at:
in Toledo, Ohio as well as some of the dive www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ6UYEO-yEY
shop owners who sponsor trips all over the
world, narrow it down I did and what I came
up with was my top tropical destinations
for 2010. So sit back, grab a cold drink
and let me take you on a trip through
“I repeatedly choose Bonaire as
Rick’s Bucket List 2010.
one of my preferred destinations
Bonaire
because it is great for all skill levels,
has great diving, is easy, fun and
has great weather – I love it!”
--Craig Oshnock
Oshnock owns Sea the World in Farmington Hills,
MI. He has been in business for over 30 years
and diving for 31 years.
In Bonaire they say “Bon Bini” in
Papiamentu which means “Welcome
to Bonaire”. Located 75 miles (120
KM) off the coast of Venezuela in
the Caribbean Sea, pristine reefs
and diverse marine life are the mainstay
of the Caribbean and are in large supply in
Bonaire. The waters around Bonaire are an
official marine park and the diving often
offers a chance at exploration into areas
that have been untouched and/or unspoiled.
There is more than enough room to dive with
approximately 2700 hectares that extend all
the way around Bonaire. “Everyone has to
have Bonaire on their bucket list,” Patterson
offers. “It’s easy 24 -7 diving. You can drive
the shore, pick a spot and dive right in.
Everyone should go at least once.”
Descending to the Hilma Hooker.
Photo by Rich Hopkins.
N FR
IT E
RO E
X
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Bonaire
Roaton/Honduras
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Roaton/Honduras, located just over
30 miles from the northern coast of the
Honduran mainland, is an obvious choice
for this year’s bucket list. This coral reef
Mecca is considered to be the second largest
coral reef in the world. Roatan Island is
33 miles long and 4 miles wide with an
impressive array of sea life colonizing the
local waters. Whether your brand of fun is a
scuba diving vacation, wreck diving, scuba
lessons or certification, this is the place to
get your tanks wet. Roatan has plenty of
diving resorts offering fun dives, day or
night. “This is a destination that is not far
from home and offers some of the best
diving,” Patterson says. “You can shore dive,
dive with the dolphins, watch the migration
of whale sharks, there just is an amazing
amount to do here. And if you are interested
in visiting topside as well, it is a completely
different experience than Mexico.”
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Philippines
“I selected the Philippines
based on a fam trip
It is the convergence of the nutrient rich
experience. I feel that
waters of the Pacific Ocean, South China the ROP offers a unique
Sea and Celebes Sea that cook up this stew experience with warm
of spectator aquatic life. The Philippines, water, warm people and
special one-of-a-kind
located in the western Pacific Ocean in
diving.”
Southeast Asia, offer divers a simmering
-- Sharon Hall
dish of over 2,000 species of marine fish Hall owns Sentry Pool
that swim throughout a landscape of over and Scuba in Moline, IL
800 known coral species. There are more and has been in business
since 1981. She has
than 7,000 tropical islands dressed in been diving since 1982.
unspoiled beaches scattered throughout these
deep-blue waters. The Philippines has one of the most productive
marine ecosystems on the planet. “There are so many islands and
each one has its own personality and offers something completely
different,” Patterson explains. “The people are beautiful, very
friendly and warm and whether you are looking for tiny little critters
or whale sharks you will find it there. We suggest that you take a
couple of weeks and island hop so you can taste a variety of flavors in
the Philippines and it is one of the more affordable long trips.”
Fiji
Fiji is known as the soft coral capital of the world.
The soft corals bed the sea floor with vibrant colors.
“I chose Fiji after
Fiji also offers a diversity of fish and invertebrates
visiting DEMA and
among the coral branches that are rivaled by no
talking with Beqa
Lagoon’s marketing other place in the world. The deep water rich with
people. They had
life and hiding places for the mysterious and rare are
a great DVD and it
well worth the trip to this tropical paradise. Made
looked really nice. I am
looking forward to the up of an incredible 333 islands that are surrounded
by underwater terrain the likes of which you’ve
trip.” --Don Wrona
Wrona owns Anchor never seen before, Fiji is home to sharks, rays
Bay Scuba in
and 1,000 of different species of fish. “This is an
Fairhaven, MI and has
been in business for 3 absolutely fantastic long haul trip,” says Patterson,
½ years. He has been “but also one of closest for US divers. If you ever
teaching since 1981. wanted to do an exotic destination without having
to be on a long plane ride, Fiji is it.” According “Koro Sun
Resort
to Jack Young, owner and founder of the Koro
Sun Resort, Taveuni, Somosomo Strait and the was the
most
Namena Marine Reserve are the most popular
beautiful
dive areas. The reserve and the near-shore and
most romantic
Locally Managed Marine Areas are managed
place I’ve ever
by 10 village chiefs, making up the District of been. It was simply
incredible.”
Kubulau. These unspoiled crystal-clear waters,
schools of barracuda, trevalis and sharks and -Mike Stratton, Sales
1,000-foot vertical drop-offs are a diver’s Manager, Dive News
Network.
dream.
TROPICAL TOP 10
Palau
Palau is the playground of divers. Palau is an island nation in the
Pacific Ocean, some 500 miles (800 km) east of the Philippines. This
island offers the whole spectrum of diving. Whether you are a beginner
diver or an advanced diver blue holes, monstrous caverns, incredible
walls and an amazing variety of rare marine species are yours for
the seeing. Visibility exceeds 200 feet, allowing for maximum
enjoyment of the diving experience. If you are a wreck diver, Palau
has that too with a collection of World War II wrecks. Sharks, turtles,
dolphins, rare jelly fish swim among the bones of the past. Palau
is considered world class diving with multi-colored soft corals and
sponges along the drop-offs where the current is running strong and
feeding the rich abundant sea life. Drift dives, a wreck dive, or a
cave dive - Palau has it all.
“I chose Truk
Truk
Lagoon from a fam
trip. They have the
best wreck diving
that I’ve ever done – bar none
and it is located in protected
lagoon with perfect weather
conditions.” -- Red Godin
Godin owns the Giant Stride
Dive Shop in Warwick, RI and
has been in business for 6
years. He has been diving for
10 years.
Truk, also known as Chuuk, is a
small island in the Pacific Micronesia
chain in the south western part of the
Pacific Ocean surrounded by a body of
water approximately fifty miles long and
thirty miles wide known as Truk Lagoon.
It comprises one of the four states of the
Federated States of Micronesia (FSM),
along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap.
Truk is home to protective reef which makes it a scuba diving
paradise and Truk Lagoon has drawn wreck diving enthusiasts from
around the world because it sports numerous, and mostly intact,
sunken ships. Most of the wrecks are easily accessible, with many
lying less than fifteen meters below the surface. Divers can easily
swim across decks that are still in possession of gas masks and depth
charges. Truk Lagoon is for the adventurous diver who wants a bit
of history with his/her sea life. “This is a wreck diver’s delight,”
Cozumel, Mexico
Cozumel
Cozumel is Mexico’s answer for
the adventure diver. It rests 12 miles
off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Cozumel is renowned the world over for
its dazzling white sandy beaches and the
waters surrounding this peaceful island
have remarkable clarity with an array of
blues and greens that are indicative of
the Caribbean ocean. Jacques Cousteau
declared Cozumel one of the most
beautiful scuba diving areas of the world.
“The diving in Cozumel is very much
world class,” Patterson offers. “It’s easy
to get to and inexpensive; the biggest
bang for your buck. They have it all and it
is right on your door step. It doesn’t get any easier or more affordable
than Cozumel.”
“I chose
Cozumel
for our July
2010 trip
because of
its price, value and the
terrific people. It was an
overall terrific value. I
feel that the overall dive
experience is wonderful.”
--Mike Pedersen
Pedersen owns Dive
Right in Scuba in
Plainfield, IL and has
been in business
for 4 years.
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21
TROPICAL TOP 10
Patterson says. “Divers who love historical wreck diving should put
Truk on their list.
rivers and caves with clear water sporting unlimited visibility. Rich
coral and incredible numbers of fish populate the surrounding reefs.
“I choose the
The Cortez Sea guarantees adventure and the chance to see huge
Galapagos as one
of my frequent group fish. Sharks and manatees hang out on the Socorro islands and the
Ortuga reef on the Riviera coast is where the sea turtles go to relax.
trips because my
divers requested it.
The Cedam Caves sport a great many varied sea caves and is home to
It has amazing fish life
the reef little fish like Blue Tang, French Angelfish, Grunt and Queen
as well as an amazing
Triggerfish. And don’t forget Cenote Dos Ojos, a hidden jungle cave
surface life.” -- Jeff Davis
made up of long tunnels, full of stalagmite and stalactite.
Davis owns Aqua Hut in
Galapagos
Where else in the world can you find
reef fish, sea lions, sting rays, golden rays,
eagle rays, invertebrates, morays, garden
eels, turtles, marine iguanas, white tip
reef sharks, hammerheads, whale sharks,
whales, and pelagic fish all together in Toledo, OH and has been
in business for
one place? The Galapagos, a group of
islands situated in the Pacific Ocean to 30 years. He has been a
diver for 33 years.
the west of South America, have been
drawing divers to the sea life filled waters ever since the first ship
spotted the tiny islands. “Let’s face it,” says Patterson, Galapagos
is on every divers bucket list; it has to be. It is an adrenaline rush
because of the type of diving it offers. We suggest that only advance
divers take on this dive but once you are there you just hook in and
enjoy the sites as they pass by. It’s a marine protected area and if you
want the big boys, this is the place to go. This is for the adrenaline
junkie divers.”
“I picked Baja,
Mexico because it is
an “easy sell.” They
offer a relatively safe,
easy experience with
phenomenal fish life,
whale sharks and a brand new
Aggressor Fleet boat.”
-- Ed Rosacker
Rosacker owns the Diver’s Cove
LLC in Essex, CT. He has been
in business since 1981.
Mexico
Mexico is where you will find some
of the best cave diving in the world.
Bordered on the north by the United
States; on the south and west by the Pacific
Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala,
Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on
the east by the Gulf of Mexico, this is a
country of many underwater landscapes.
In Juktan there is a series of underground
Travel above & below
Service above & beyond
Bahamas
The Bahamas, located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and
Hispaniola, northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast
of the US, are every diver’s best “un-kept” secret. Its ocean hues
swim through a color spectrum of blues to greens and back to
blues again while the combination of clear waters with a vis that
appears to go on forever, and reef life that creates a metropolis of
sea creatures, offers the diver an experience that is literally otherworldly. The diversity offered in these life-filled waters rival
anywhere else in the world with 700 islands, 2,500 cays, and
approximately 100,000 square miles of ocean to explore. This is the
place where you can experience a one on one adrenaline rush with
some of the oceans scariest predators and then have an almost Zen
like swim with dolphins.
“I chose Australia for our
May 2010 twenty-five person
trip because it is a worldclass dive destination. It has
the second largest barrier
reef in the world and is at
the top of nearly every diver’s bucket
list.” --Lindsey Hillier-Hotchkiss
Hiller-Hotchkiss owns Lynnhaven
Dive Center located in Virginia Beach,
Virginia. They have been in business for
32 years and
she has diving for 19 years.
Australia
Australia, surrounded by
the Indian and Pacific oceans,
separated from Asia by the
Arafura and Timor seas, is
incredibly unique with thousands
of miles of magnificent coastline
and wonderful diving. The call of
the world renowned Great Barrier
Reef and northern Western
Australia is one every diver
should answer. The Great Barrier Reef spans over 2000 kilometers
and consists of approximately 900 islands and 3000 coral reefs.
There is no place like it anywhere else in the world. Home to many
diverse types of fish and underwater sea life, Australian waters offer
sites like Fish Rock Cave and the chance to come face to face with a
grey nurse shark. Clownfish, humpback whales, reef sharks, moray
eels, manta rays, bronze whalers and jellyfish all come to the Great
Barrier Reef to play.
Belize
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Underwater
Belize
offers
a
combination of reefs blanketed with
coral and sponge growth as well as walls
“I chose Belize for our
beginning as shallow as 20-40 feet. Belize
September 2010 trip because
is bordered by Mexico to its north, by
it has the second largest
Guatemala to its south and west, and by
barrier reef in the world,
the incredible Blue Hole
the Caribbean Sea to the east.The marine
and offers a great package life that inhabits the reef is extraordinary
price at a small boutique all
and diverse with everything from schools
inclusive.” –Ken Canell
Canell owns Dive Adventures of tarpon to the famed Blue Hole. The
in Ballston Spa, NY. They
coral reefs, mounds of underwater
have been in business for 4 limestone, are the richest, most diverse
years and he has been diving
and beautiful habitats in the sea. The
for 10 years.
local underwater landscape and the ocean
currents make Belize a diver’s dream spot to just glide the currents
in search of other-worldly life. “The Blue Hole for advanced divers
but it is something every diver should see,” Patterson says. “Every
diver wants to put the Blue Hole in their log book before they are
done. Whale sharks underwater, topside Mayan ruins and caves with
bioluminescent worms; Belize has it all top and bottom.”
www.nedivenews.com
“I chose Curacao from the
advertising brochures and
magazine stories but I also talked
to friends and picked from my
bucket list. It was incredible – everything I could
have asked for.” --Bob Cunningham
Cunningham owns Bad Leo’s Diving and has
been in business for 4 years. He has been
diving since 1975.
Curacao
Curacao is one of the
tropical islands of Duth
Antilles archipelago on
the Caribbean Sea near the
West coast of Venezuela
where there are over 100
dive sites to get wet in.
Sixty of these sites are in
the coastal zone and available from land. An underwater park located
in southern Curacao between Princess Beach Resort and eastern edge
of island is a favorite of divers from all over the world. Underwater
species from corals to barracudas to colorful gorgons, lionfish, big
spiny lobster and cardinal fish who hide in the coral background
make diving Curacao a great experience.
“I chose Indonesia
for my group
of ten because
everything on the
trip was fantastic.
Great food, great
diving, great people – it was
just amazing.” -- Rich Lauer
Lauer owns Sub Aquatics Inc in
Reynoldsburg, OH.
Indonesia
Indonesia is one of the world’s largest
archipelagos located in Southeast Asia
and Oceania. It contains 10 to 15 percent
of the world’s coral reefs all in one spot
for divers to explore and play in. Huge
marine playgrounds await divers who
are looking for playmates in the myriad
of fish and invertebrates that call the
rugged surface of shelves and branches of coral home. Indonesia has
more than 17,000 islands with approximately 80,000 kilometers of
coastline. Reportedly 4000 different species of marine life are found
in the Indonesian waters. Patterson says that they book a lot of trips to
the KBR, (Kunkun Bay Resort) in Wakatie. “Indonesia is a beautiful,
exotic destination,” Patterson says. “There is a large variety of diving
with pristine reefs and unlimited viz. Divers can challenge themselves
TROPICAL TOP 10
with deeper dives or muck diving. Once you’ve done some diving in
Indonesia you’ll be spoiled for life.”
Cayman Islands
“I chose the Cayman Islands for
our October 2010 trip because it
has easy, safe as well as great
diving. They offer a great price
with DiveTech, an outstanding
dive operator.” -- Randy Randazzo
Randazzo owns Hampton Dive Center in
Riverhead, NY and has been in business for
30 years.
Incredible coral reefs and
visibility that reaches more
than 30 meters/100 feet,
what more can a diver ask
for? The Cayman Islands,
located south of Cuba and
northwest of Jamaica, offer
“I chose the
some of the best scuba diving in the
Cayman Islands
Caribbean and is renowned for its
for one of group,
Dive and Dash
blue/green waters teeming with life.
mini-trips, because
This is tropical diving like you’ve
it is easy to get to,
never experienced. From the Grand convenient, the diving
is great and
Cayman’s north wall that plunges Sunset House really delivered for us
deeper than 6000 ft offering wall
as provider.” --Michael Feld
diving opportunities that include the Feld owns Ocean Blue Divers, one
spotted eagle rays and sea turtles to the of the country’s largest and most
active dive clubs and has been
famous Stingray City, where divers involved in the dive industry for 4
can see stingrays in numbers that will years. He’s been a diver since 2002.
blow their minds. Grand Cayman
offers accessible shore diving, amazing deep water dives and Blue
Hole dives that make one feel like they are floating in space. There is
little to no current so beach dives are an option here. Beginners and
advanced divers alike will love Grand Cayman.
So that wraps up our 2010 Bucket List of tropical dive
destinations. Even though the cold winter weather is on its way, that
doesn’t mean you have to sit by the fire and wish you could dive….
hit the Bucket List and log some of the most incredible dives of your
life in that log book. I know I will. ■
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23
DRYSUITS 
Drysuits
NORTHEAST DIVE NEWS
Making a Difference in Diver Retention
L
et’s face it, we have all been there - it’s all about the creatures, colors
and underwater landscape when it comes to diving, but often times it’s
just too darned cold, even for veterans. Well, if it’s cold for the old seasoned
guys then you can bet the newest divers often stop before they even really
begin - because it’s cold. So what is an industry to do? Enter the drysuit.
The onset of the drysuit is changing the way divers hit the water. No
longer is your dive dictated by how cold you want to be in order to log a
dive. Now, thanks to drysuits, a diver can enjoy the sport with more comfort
than ever and it just may keep those new divers coming back for more.
Dive shop owner Mike Druce, of National Aquatic Service
in Syracuse, N.Y., has seen the benefits of drysuits first
hand. Druce says that not only have drysuits added
to the comfort of his students, it has also extended
their dive season.
“I teach students from a dozen or so tech
colleges and up here the water gets pretty chilly,”
Druce explains. “Before I would have students
come out and they would take their courses and
when someone would ask how it went the first
thing the student said was, “man it was cold.” Since
we have switched to the drysuits, students are toasty
and more likely to continue diving.”
Druce says making the switch to drysuits for his business was a “nobrainer”. “Once we saw the way the regular students were reacting I
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DRYSUITS
decided to purchase more suits for our
rental program; I bought 53.” Druce says.
“When we would take divers out on the
boat before I would have two, maybe three
divers on an early run, now, the boat stays
full. The drysuit allows students more dive
time because they aren’t cold and happy
divers mean a happy dive
shop owner.”
John Stella, a former
sales representative for
the east coast for Whites
Drysuits agrees that diver
retention has always been a
big problem and that drysuits appear to be
solving it. Stella has worked in the diving
industry for over 25 years so he has seen
the many changes that have come and gone
but he believes that drysuits may be the best
change yet.
“I literally grew up in the industry,”
Stella says. “So you could say that I know
diving better than most, which is why when
I saw what drysuits were doing for the
industry and the sport, it was easy to get
excited.”
Drysuits
are
affording
divers
opportunities they have never had before.
Dive News Network Publisher Rick Stratton
has had his finger on the pulse of the dive
industry for over 17 years now and he says
drysuits offer something new to every diver,
experienced or new.
“Before, dive suits were bulky and a
person had to find a way to get comfortable,
but drysuits fit to your body,” Stratton
explains. “The suit is designed for mobility
and comfort, allowing divers the opportunity
to stay down longer as well as dive in places
they would not have logged on their books
before. We here in the Pacific Northwest are
used to diving cold, but now our dive sites
will see more action because of drysuits.”
Bruce Justinen, founder of Seasoft
Scuba,
headquartered
in
Auburn,
Wash., agrees that drysuits will make
a marked difference in both diver
retention and rentals.
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With Utila being one of the world’s most social dive communities, look no
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enjoy the Bohemian lifestyle, you’ll greatly appreciate the Mango Inn’s location in the heart of the town’s residential area, just a few minutes’ walk
from colorful shops and the beaches.
Dive Package: 7 nights’ standard cabin accommodations, transfers,
breakfast and dinner daily, 18-dive package and 1 night dive.
Offer is good thru Dec. 15, 2010.
CARIBBEAN - Bonaire
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Feeling festive? Then you’ll feel right at home here, among the Dutchinﬂuenced, brightly-colored garden view and oceanfront rooms and
suites here on the Netherlands Antillean island of Bonaire. We know
you’ll be spending your day out and about, enjoying unparalleled
shore diving. So when you return, you’ve got a variety of options. How
about trying your luck any night of the week, at their casino?
Dive Package: 7 nights’ deluxe room accommodations, hotel taxes
and services, daily breakfasts, 2 daily boat dives and unlimited shore
diving. Offer is good through Dec. 15, 2010.
CARIBBEAN - St. Lucia
Anse Chastanet Resort
“In most of the United States and
Canada, diving tends to be a seasonal
sport.” Justinen says. “Using a drysuit
makes it a year round sport, allowing
divers to cold water dive in comfort. From
a business stance, drysuits would definitely
make a difference in the area of suit rentals,
the average retailer really should consider
having some on hand.”
So if you haven’t tried a drysuit, now
might be a good time to don one and jump
in the water. After all, longer dive times,
warmer dives, new dive sites to explore,
more comfort...what’s not to love? ■
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Want the communal feel of a rustic, seaside Mexican pueblo with cosmopolitan attractions nearby? Then this charmer of a resort is for you.
You’ll be situated on the edge of the Caribbean Sea, ensconced in
the property’s lush gardens. You can pick from either 100 tastefully
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eight enticing and just-renovated deluxe cabañas.
Dive Package: 7 nights’ Ocean View accommodations, daily breakfast,
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Offer is good thru Dec. 15, 2010.
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Do you miss the vacations you used to take back in the day? You know
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Dive Package: 7-night accommodations, taxes, transfers, meals and 12
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Rates based on per person, double occupancy and subject to change.
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25
email: [email protected]
• www.scubatravelventures.com
SEABASE 1
NORTHEAST DIVE NEWS
Introducing SeaBase I
A Bold Step in Undersea Research,
Education and Eco-tourism
A three-dimensional
rendering of
SeaBase I.
Dr. Richard Cooper poses with a scale model of SeaBase I.
By Kathy Reed, Senior Editor
F
rom the beginning, human curiosity has
driven us to explore, pushing us to the
edge of our physical world and beyond.
We’ve reached beyond our earthly confines
to the stars, and we’ve only just begun to
explore the depths of what our world’s oceans
have to offer.
While only a few of us will achieve
the status of astronaut, many more of us
have the opportunity and ability to become
aquanauts. A new project proposed by
retired University of Connecticut professor
emeritus of marine science, Richard Cooper,
will open a new door to certified scuba divers
all over the world.
SeaBase I, a large, shallow water
undersea habitat utilizing a new, innovative
design, is proposed to be completed by
2013 and, subject to government approvals
and the completion of an environmental
impact assessment, placed in a coral
reef system off Ambergris Caye, Belize.
A non-profit endeavor, its purpose will
be the development of underwater
research, education and eco-tourism
facilities, or REEFs ™. Those concepts
represent the significance of the program
and its uniqueness.
“A lot of the technologies we were
developing were not really available to
the average scientist or student, and it was
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especially not available to the certified
scuba diver,” Cooper, 74, told Dive News.
“With virtually all the ocean floor habitat
programs we’ve done to date, we’ve
tried hard to make them research and
educational facilities. After we made a
few mistakes, we learned how to operate
more safely and more productively, such
as Aquarius, the only one in operation right
now for research and education off the
Key Largo, Fla., area.”
Unlike past underwater habitat
programs that could only accommodate
five or six aquanauts, SeaBase I will be able
to house up to 25 aquanauts at a time. The
massive four-story, 40-by-60-foot habitat
will allow visits anywhere from a few days
to a few months, to test the concept of long
term human habitation of the ocean floor.
The ultimate goal of the SeaBase project
is to bring underwater scientific research,
education and certified recreational scuba
divers together.
“We’re going after the certified scuba
diver, or eco-tourist,” said Cooper. “Many of
your experienced divers are really anxious
to become part of something that’s unique
and constructive and beneficial.”
Former underwater habitat scientist
and consultant Kenn Feigelman, currently
the director of operations of Deep/Quest 2
Expeditions in Ontario, Canada, has come
on board to help promote SeaBase. His
company will be involved in filming the
project from conception to completion.
Feigelman, who has been involved with a
couple of simple underwater habitats, such
as Sublimnos, which was placed in Georgian
Bay near Tobermory, Ontario in 1969, will
be among the first group of aquanauts to
stay in the habitat.
“Sublimnos is a mere shadow
of what SeaBase I is slated to be.
Unlike
other
underwater
habitats,
which were placed deeper and were
strictly
for
scientific
personnel,
SeaBase is going to be inviting divers, as
eco tourists, to come and see the habitat,”
Feigelman said. “This is a modern day
habitat. It’s going to be constructed
of ferrro-cement and built in modular
form, shaped like a Mayan pyramid, in
honor of the Mayan people who live
and still reside in and around Belize and
that area of Central America.”
SeaBase will rest in just 60 feet of
water, making it easily accessible to this
new breed of citizen scientist. Long periods
of decompression, mandatory for other deep
sea habitats, will no longer be necessary.
“The whole habitat will be pressurized
to 21 feet, which means we can go down
for a three hour stay, or be down there
for three weeks or three months, and not
require lengthy decompression to surface,”
explained Cooper.
MIDWEST DIVE NEWS
While the habitat will be accessible to
certified scuba divers, neither Cooper nor
Feigelman want the SeaBase project to
be confused with an underwater hotel for
vacationers.
“This is a serious research habitat,” said
Feigelman. “It’s very unique, because it’s not
an exclusive, scientific ‘boy’s club.’ At the
same time, it’s not some kind of underwater
hotel where you can rent a room for a night
and look at pretty fishes going by.”
Cooper estimates the cost of a fiveday stay on SeaBase I will be comparable
to a “regular” dive vacation, and said
the programs’ nine directors all noted
industry professionals want to keep the
cost competitive to keep it accessible.
Divers would get to stay in the habitat, and
would be able to assist in research projects,
functioning as “proxy” scientists.
“We will have professors and their
students, we’ll have dive club members that
have their own projects – they want to study
the corals, the aquaculture with lobsters, the
life history of fishes that live in the sands
or the fronds of the corals,” Cooper said.
“They can either do their own project or
work with a full time scientist. They will do
some preparation and reading and research
at home before they come to SeaBase I.”
An obvious area of study will be the
coral reefs where SeaBase I will be located.
“We have identified the coral reef
environment as the most sensitive and most
impacted of all the ocean environments in
the world today,” Cooper explained. “Even
though coral reefs occupy only two tenths
of one percent of the footprint space of the
ocean, they house something like 25 to 30
percent of all the species, and are generally
considered the canaries of the ocean – as the
canary is to the coal mine.”
“From my perspective, anyway, it will
encourage more undersea research, and not
just coral reef research,” said Feigelman.
“Obviously it’s being placed where it is
to primarily encourage research on the
coral reef community and so on, but it will
also encourage pharmacological research.
Scientists will be trying to come up with new
drugs and medications derived from the sea
and its inhabitants, you might say.”
So why does Cooper feel now is the right
time for a project like SeaBase?
“It’s the right time now for a number of
reasons,” he said. “The human pressure on
our oceans - and the oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico is a prime example right now – is
greater than it has ever been in the past. The
economy is such that government has so
many demands on the dollar there’s no way
it’s going to commit to a $25-$30 million
program and keep it going for decades,
which is the significance of this program.”
In addition to its significant role in
underwater research, Cooper believes the
SEABASE 1
program will have a positive effect on the
region in which it’s placed. While confident
the plan for SeaBase I will go through,
Cooper must still win final approval from
the government of Belize.
“You’ve got a lot of countries in the
Pacific rim area and Caribbean, such as
Belize, who have depended on tourism and
fishing for their overall well being for many
years - their economy has gone south,”
Cooper said. “So wherever we set this
program up, and I fully expect it to be off
Ambergris Caye, it’s going to have a huge
positive impact to their tourism, diving and
fishing industry. We’ll be hiring probably 35
to 40 Belizians. We’ll be getting a number of
their school children involved. The program
will significantly increase the flow of divers
and non-divers to their hotels, motels,
restaurants, gift shops and so forth.”
SeaBase I, which will be a “green”
program, will also have staff dedicated to
researching the technical aspects of the
habitat program and diving in general.
“We’re going to be doing a lot of work on
developing deep diving rebreather systems
and small, mobile habitats,” expounded
Cooper. “We’re going to spend a fair amount
of time on the technology side of the coin
designing, building and field testing a small
habitat that would handle three or four
aquanauts for recreational or meaningful
archaeological studies in various locations
around the world. But we’re not billing this
program as an investment deal. This is a not
for profit research and educational facility
using some portion of the five million scuba
divers in our country and the 30 million divers
worldwide as the primary workforce.”
Not to be overlooked is the potential
impact SeaBase could have on future
generations.
“Hopefully it will encourage young
people to get into marine sciences,”
Feigelman said. “That to me is a very
important aspect of the whole project, to
encourage young persons around the world
to get involved with the habitat and undersea
research.”
Cooper estimates the cost of the entire
project will be about $30 million. $12-$15
million of that cost will be the engineering,
design, construction and transportation of
SeaBase I. The group is looking for corporate
and private donations.
“If a dive club, for example, was excited
about this and wanted to launch a local
fundraising drive to come up with $10,
$15, $20 or even $50,000, we’d be very
appreciative, and we’d give that club special
consideration. People that help us in some
significant fashion in getting this thing off
the ground - or in essence, out to water - we
will work with them very closely.”
For more information on the SeaBase
program, visit www.SeaBase1.org. ■
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GEAR BOX Balance BC
I test dove the new Balance BC by
Aqualung and thought it was awesome.
It has the new Flat Valve™ technology
on the upper right shoulder area and
on the lower right backside that makes
it easy to dump excess air from just
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Tired of trying to put drysuit arms through shoulder straps? All
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place easily. The Balance comes with a zippered, pull-down pocket,
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steel tri-load distributors. The Balance is incredibly well designed
and an extreme joy to use. I think I need to test it on every dive.
www.aqualung.com
The Pocket Buoy
Looking for a dive flag float system that
you can take anywhere and set up in just
minutes? The Pocket Buoy comes in a netted
10”x10”x2” bag, and with just a party balloon,
inflates to about the size of a basketball. It has
an internal frame that allows the collapsible
fiberglass flagpole to stand up as tall as larger
inner tube flag systems. The Pocket Buoy can
be taken down in little more than a minute at
the end of a dive and tucked away almost anywhere. A rubberized
sphere can be inserted for permanent inflation needs. A white “Diver
Below” banner can be added to the flagpole to really drive the point
home to boaters who don’t know what a dive flag is for. The Pocket
Buoy provides a tall flag and little excuse for the next dive not to be
the safest dive yet. www.pocketbuoy.com
WITH MIKE HUGHES
Jake ID
Here is a new, innovative way to mark
your dive equipment. You may have seen
those woven strips on the end of missiles
with red letters stating “Remove Before
Flight.” Now Jake ID wants you to attach
one of these lanyards on your dive gear
before your next dive. You pick the words
that will be woven into the fabric. There
are designs for dive light lanyards, dive
gear bags, wet suit zipper pull cords, tank collars, booty pull straps,
and even nitrox tank Id’s that allow you to add the percent of O2 and
the MOD; max operating depth. Jake ID has collars for dive buddy
cats and dogs too. The personalized straps are also popular with
airline crews for flight bags. For more details, check out the web site.
www.jakeid.com
TUSA Water Proof W1
Here at Dive News Network we have a team
testing out new dive products. TUSA recently sent
us a Water Proof W1series wet suit. It’s the 3-D
anatomically sculpted 5ml or 7ml suit for men or
women. The W1 comes with pre-bent wave flex
arm and leg panels. It zips right up the front and
can zip all the way up, forming a
water dam neck seal that prevents
water flow when moving your neck
and spine. The W1 has double seals
on the wrists and ankles, a Hex Tex
inside lining to slow water movement
for enhanced warmth, vulcanized
kneepads, spine pad, and computer
strap and other device anchor points on the wrists. These are just some
of the reasons why my teammates keep telling me this is an awesome
suit, but so far haven’t shared it with me. I’ll do an “in-depth” review
on this cool product, just as soon my teammates’ backs are turned.
www.tusa.com. To see a video of the test dive, check out:
www.youtube.com/DiveNewsNetwork
SMS100 Sidemount System - Taking Diving to a Whole New Level
28
We have all been there...hauling our gear
to the beach or the boat complaining
about that backache. We’ve also seen
the really cool gear that cave divers and
technical divers have and asked, why
not the regular diver. Well, Hollis, a
subsidiary of American Underwater
Products, (AUP) has heard the cry
and they have answered with their
new SMS100 Sidemount system.
Hollis is a company
that strives to bring innovation
to the dive industry by designing
the highest quality and most
innovative scuba diving equipment
available and this new piece of
equipment is no exception. The SMS100
was designed not just with
the sidemount cave divers in
mind, but any diver. The kit
was designed for any diver
who is interested in improving
their
dive
experience.
They system is suitable for
sidemounting twin or single
cylinders, but also for use with re-breathers or rear mounted singles.
Gene Muchanski, marketing specialist for AUP, says that divers will
be amazed at what they see in the new system. “We are very excited
about the product,” says Muchanski. “It takes the weight off a divers
back and redistributes it. Cave divers and rec divers will find this
system very helpful but so will open water divers.”
The SMS1000 Sidemount is constructed of strong, quality
materials. Muchanski says that Hollis used 100 denier CorduraTM
with a PU lamination outer shell. The sidemount also sports a 15mm
urethane internal bladder. “The SMS100 has a streamlined design
for reduced drag and passing through confined spaces,” Muchanski
says. “It also includes a removable elastic bungee system and a 360
Degree wing. This system will provide the diver with 52 lbs of lift.
Divers can take comfort in the fact that the system is there to make
their dive easier.”
The SMS100 allows the diver full visibility over their system
streamlines the divers profile which in turn reduces drag increasing
bottom time. “The system’s designer, Bob Hollis, has been designing
underwater gear for over 50 years,” Muchanski says. “He has more
experience than anyone else in the industry. AUP is proud to have
Bob and his son Nick, VP in Charge of Operations at Hollis, on the
team. Bob just continues to design equipment that makes the sport
better and better.” For more information about the SMS100 visit
www.hollisgear.com. Check out our YouTube channel to see more:
www.youtube.com/divenewsnetwork
www.nedivenews.com
DIVE SHOP PROFILE - DIVER’S NOOK
By Kathy Reed, Senior editor
T
ony Agnello, owner of Diver’s Nook in Parry Sound, Ontario,
has a motto: You’re gonna have fun and you’re gonna like it!
That pretty much sums up Agnello’s good-natured approach to
business, which seems to have worked, since Diver’s Nook has been
around 31 years and counting. Agnello,
who grew up in Toronto, moved to Parry
Sound when he was 16.
“Being in a small town in Ontario,
there’s not much for you to do unless you
own your own business,” he chuckled.
“Besides, I wanted a job where I could go
boating every day and people paid me for
it.”
Agnello, who learned to dive in 1972,
started his business on the eastern side of
Georgian Bay during the recession of the
1980s, quite a learning experience for a
young man.
“When I first started, the banks
wouldn’t touch you because we were in
the middle of a recession, which I didn’t
understand,” he said. “Yeah, that was fun. But over the years you
learn how to stick handle pretty good. We made it happen anyway.”
Diving in Parry Sound tends to be more of a summer activity, and
that’s when Diver’s Nook runs its classes, which are all open water.
Agnello has a 24-foot aluminum boat in which he can take six to
eight divers at a time. He said there are many interesting dive sites,
from wrecks to wall dives. Wreck sites include the S.S. Atlantic, the
TROPICAL DIVE DIRECTORY
schooner Jane McLeod, the wooden steamer Seattle and the tugboat
Midland, to name a few.
“At the Limestone Islands, the fossils are 400 million years old,”
enthused Agnello. “The water’s really clear, and it’s the only place
where the limestone actually surfaces. We also have some nice wall
dives, and there’s a really cool night dive by a
lighthouse I like to do. That’s fun when the light
flashes and there’s all kinds of old machinery to
look at, so I have a bit of variety here.”
During winter months, Agnello said he sells
a lot of dive equipment, plus Diver’s Nook is
also the only bait and tackle shop in town, so the
combination of the two businesses has proved to
work well for him.
“Having the bait and tackle store takes the
pressure off the dive store,” he said. “Back in the
80s I worked doing contracting in the winter. In
’89 I opened the bait and tackle with the dive shop
and I knew that was a good business decision.”
Being his own boss also suits Agnello.
“My favorite thing about owning my own
business is peace of mind,” he said. “It’s great
being my own boss, being able to call the shots and being in control
of my fate. I live right next to my store. It’s a lot of fun for me.”
As for the future, another wreck wouldn’t hurt.
“I wouldn’t mind sinking a nice wreck out here,” Agnello said. “I
might do something like that – it would be good for the area.”
For more information about Diver’s Nook and diving Parry
Sound, go to www.diversnook.com. ■
Diver’s
Nook
Parry Sound, Ontario
TROPICAL DIVE DIRECTORY
A listing of participating dive shops, charters, live
aboards and resorts in tropical locations around the
world. Listed in alphabetical order by country.
bAHAMAs
Juliet Sailing & Diving 866.558.5438
www.sailjuliet.com
bonAire
Buddy Dive Resort 599.717.5080.518
www.buddydive.com
Deep Blue Adventures 888.266.2209
Quest Dive Adventures 770.992.8414
www.questdive.com
britisH virgin isLAnd
NV Yacht Charters 443.829.8576
www.nvcharters.com
CAyMen isLAnds
Divetech@Cobal Coast Dive Resort
888.946.5656 divetech.com cobaltcoast.com
Little Cayman Beach Resort
800. 327.3835 www.littlecayman.com
Southern Cross Club 800.899.2582
www.southerncrossclub.com
Sunset House 345.949.711
www.sunsethouse.com
CostA riCA
www.questdive.com
CoZUMeL
FiJi
Beqa Lagoon Resort 800.542.3454
beqalagoonresort.com
Dancer 305.669.9391
www.dancerfleet.com
Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat
679.992.4001 dolphinbaydivers.com
Koro Sun 970.209.4265
www.korosunresort.com
Lalati 866.755.3453
www.lalatifiji.com
Qamea Resort & Spa 649.360.0217
www.qamea.com
www.questdive.com
Wananavu 679.669.4433
www.wananavu.com
FLoridA
Juliet Sailing & Diving 866.558.5438
www.sailjuliet.com
Key Dives 800.344.7352
www.keydives.com
Sea Experience 954.770.3483
www.seaxp.com
Kungkungan Bay Resort & Spa
530.347.2300 www.divekbr.com
www.questdive.com
MAyA rivierA MexiCo
Phantom Divers +52.984.879.3988
phantomdivers.com
PHiLiPPines
Abyssworld Dive Voyages
415.830.3846 www.abyssworld.com
Atlantis Dive Resort 775.588.0500
www.atlantishotel.com
red seA - egyPt
Fly & Sea Dive Adventures
888.995.DIVE(3483) www.redseadiving.ca
roAtAn
CoCo View Resort Roatan
800.282.8932 www.roatan.com
seA oF CorteZ/soCorro isLAnds
Rocio Del Mar 602.558.9580
www.rociodelmarliveaboard.com
st. Croix (U.s. virgin isLAnds)
gALAPAgos
Cane Bay Dive Shop 340.773.9913
www.canebayscuba.com
indonesiA
Bequia Dive Adventures 784.458.3826
www.BequiaDiveAdventures.com
Divencounters 877.323.DIVE
www.divencounters.com
www.mwdivenews.com
West indies
Live AboArds
                    A listing
   of participating
        dive shops, charters, resorts, and independent instructors NORTHEAST
CONNECTICUT
Divers Cove LLC
Essex
(860) 767-1960
Store
Scuba Made Easy
Pawcatuck
(860) 303-4612
Instructor
Seaview Scuba Inc
Quaker Hill
(860) 442-7279
Store
Capt. Saam’s Scuba School
Stamford
www.Capt-Saam.com
Store/Charter
Central Sales Scuba
Thomaston
(860) 283-9239
Store
New England Dive Center
Wallingford
(203) 284-1880
Store
DELAWARE
Salty Dog Dive Center
Wilmington
(302) 994-3483
Store
(207) 784-7300
Store
Northeast Charter Boat Company Eliot/Portsmouth
(603) 235-5526
Charter
MaineDiversScubaCenter.com
(207) 775-3467
Store/Charter
MAINE
Barclay’s Skindivers Paradise
Auburn
Portland
MARYLAND
Underwater Playground
Edgewood
(410) 679-6413
Store
MASSACHUSETTS
Diver Jim’s / Belmont Scuba
Belmont
(617) 484-5246
Store
Burlington Scuba
Burlington
(781) 272-5164
Store
Boston Harbor Diving Co.
East Boston
(617) 846-5151
Charter
Fitchburg
(978) 343-6330
Store
Gloucester
(978) 525-3432
Charter
Onset
(508) 291-7282
Store
Westfield
(413) 532-5110
Store
Andy's Sport Shop
Easy Diver
Buzzards Bay Diving Ctr.
At The Waters Edge
NEW HAMPSHIRE
UW Sports of New Hampshire
Diver's Den Dive Shop Inc.
Central NH Divers
Keene
(603) 357-4430
Store
Manchester
(603) 627-2536
Store
Meredith
(603) 528-2330
Store
NEW JERSEY
Venture III
Belmar
(732) 928-4519
Charter
Gypsy Blood Dive
Brielle
(973) 949-4599
Charter
Egg Harbor Twp
(609) 641-7722
Store
Hoboken Dive Center
Hoboken
hobokendive.com
Store
East Coast Diving Supply
Northfield
(609)646-5090
Store
Treasure Cove Divers
Westfield
(908) 654-8808
Store
Atlantic Divers
NEW YORK
Finger Lake Scuba
NORTHEAST
NORTHEAST
DIVE DIRECTORY
Dive Master Services Inc.
Phoenix Scuba & Water Sports, Inc
(716) 822-2816
Store
Long Island
(845) 735-5550
Charter
(631) 225-8450
Store
Mamaroneck
(914) 381-1884
Store
New York
(212)645-1234
Store
Aqua Visions Scuba
Leisure Pro Ltd.
Pan Aqua Diving Inc.
New York
(212) 736-3483
Store
A+ Pro Divers
Plattsburg
( 518) 561-7748
Charter
Hampton Dive Center
Riverhead
(631) 727-7578
Store
Swim and Scuba
Rockville
Centre
(516) 872-4571
Seascapes USA
Syosset
(516) 433-7757
Center
QCScuba.com
Wantagh
(516) 826-SCBA
Store
Store
NORTH CAROLINA
Discovery Diving
Beaufort
www.DiscoveryDiving.com
Store/Charter
Dive Hatteras
Centerville
www.divehatteras.com
Charter
Outer Banks Dive Center
Nags Head
(252) 449-8349
Store
PENNSYLVANIA
Lehigh Valley Dive
Bethlehem (610) 746-4016
www.LVDive.com next to Dutch Springs
Uncle Joe's Scuba
Indian Valley Scuba
(412) 262-2664
Store
Erie
www.scubaerie.com
Store
Harleysville
(215) 256-6000
www.IndianValleyScuba.com
B & B Diving - 2 quarries
Store
Hillsville
bbdiving.com
Store
Irwin
(724) 863-0752
Store
Jersey Shore
www.divestsc.com
Store
Randy's Dive Shop
Sunken Treasure Scuba Ctr.
Store
Coraopolis
Diver’s World
Lancaster Scuba Center
Lancaster
(717) 397-2822
Store
A-1 Scuba Diving
Trevose
A1ScubaGear.com
Store
Williamsport
(570) 326-2091
Store
A Water Odyssey Scuba
RHODE ISLAND
Newport Diving Center
Newport
(401) 847-9293
Store
ScubaMadeEasy.org
Westerly
(401) 742-4898
Store
Simply Scuba
Tri-State Area
(401) 787-1517
Instructor
East Bay Dive Center
Warren
(401) 247-2420
Store
Giant Stride Dive Shop
Warwick
(401) 732-8808
Store
Avie's Ski/Sports
Westerly
(401) 596-0375
Store
(401) 742-4898
Instructor
Ballston Spa
(518) 879-8866
Store
Bottom Time Dive Charters
Blind Bay
( 518) 561-7748
Charter
Jeanne II Diving Charters
Brooklyn
www.jeanne-ii.com
Charter
Kings County Divers
Brooklyn
(718) 648-4232
Store
Stingray Divers
Brooklyn
(718) 384-1280
Store
Captain Mike's diving
City Island
(718) 885-1588
Store
Atlantis Divers
Thousand Island Dive Excursions
Clayton
(315) 686-5542
Charter
Adventure Scuba Company
www.scubamadeeasy.com
SOUTH CAROLINA
www.LexingtonScuba.com
Lexington
(803) 785-6060
Store
(804)320-7000
Store
VIRGINIA
Atlantis
Pisces School of Dive
East Rochester
(585)381-2842
Store
Chesapeake Bay Diving Center
National Aquatic Services
East Syracuse
(315) 479-5544
Shop
Lynnhaven Dive Center
Elmira
(607) 368-2096
Shop
Freeport
(516) 298-2633
Charter
30
Lackawanna
Lindenhurst
Store/Charter
Lockness Dive Boat
Mobile Air Fills
Garloo
(800) 764-3483
Ed's Pro Dive Center
www.scubadms.com
Long Island Scuba
Auburn
Dive Adventures
Kingston
Chantilly
(703) 263-0427
Store
Portsmouth
www.cbdcscuba.com
Store
Virginia Beach
(757) 481-7949
Store/Charter
(802) 865-2771
Store
VERMONT
WaterfrontDiving.com
www.nedivenews.com
Burlington
ILLINOIS
Below H2O
Aurora
(630) 820-2531
Store
Bad Leo's Diving
Bloomington
(309) 826-1080
Store
Windy City Diving
Chicago
(630) 209-2445
Charter
Enterprise Marine
Des Plaines
(847) 640-8113
Charter
Elmers Water Sports
Ill. Institute of Diving
D.D. Dive Shop
Sealions Dive Center
Sentry Pool & Scuba
Scuba Emporium
Dive Right In Scuba
MIDWEST
                                  
DIVE DIRECTORY
Ozark Dive Company
Popular Bluff
(573) 778-3483
Store
Gateway Scuba
St. Louis
(314) 843-0354
Store
West End Diving
St. Louis/St. Charles
(314) 209-7200
Store
Waynesville
(573 )774-DIVE
Store
Odyssey Scuba and Travel
OHIO
Evanston
elmerswatersports.com
Store
Safety Service Divers
Glen Ellyn
(630) 469-3483
Store
Portage Quarry
Glenview
(847) 657-3483
Store
Aqua Specialists
Cleveland
(866) 359-5709
Store
Hanover Park
www.sealions.org
Store
Aqua Immersion Dive & Travel
Columbus
(614) 457-3483
Store
Moline
(309) 797-9721
Store
White Star Quarry
Orland Park ScubaEmporium.com
Store
Quarry
Gibsonburg
(419) 637-3483
Quarry
Kettering
(937) 264-2999
Store
Sea Level Scuba
Northwood
(419) 691-2991
Store
Plainfield
(815) 267-8400
Store
WISCONSIN
Skokie
ScubaSystems.org
Store
(815) 389-1479
Lake
Northland Equipment
Scuba World, Inc.
Swansea
www.scubaworldinc.net
Store
Mermet Springs
Vienna
mermetsprings.com
Quarry
Pearl Lake
(440) 988-5079
Southern Ohio Dive Academy
South Beloit
Scuba Systems
Amherst
Bowling Green portagequarry.com
Store
INDIANA
Goose's Scuba Shack, Inc.
Dyer
(219) 322-7222
Store
Lake County Divers Supply
Hobart
(219) 942-0016
Store
CANADA
MIDWEST
MIDWEST 
Apostle Island
NorthlandEquipment.net
Store/Charter
Aqua Center of Green Bay
Green Bay
(920) 468-8080
Store
Adventure Charter Boats
Milwaukee
adventurecharterboats.com
Charter
ONTARIO
Marlins Scuba
Burlington
www.marlinscuba.com Instruction/Charter
Wet Beaver Scuba
Cardinal
(613) 862-0907
Charter
LTC Scuba Center
Concord
www.ltcscuba.ca.tt
Store
N'Pursuit Adventure Charters, Inc.
Hobart
www.npursuitcharters.com
Charter
Hart City Scuba
Elkhart
(574) 264-3528
Store
Windmill Point Park Inc.
Fort Erie
windmillpointpark.com
Quarry
ASP Diving
Fort Wayne
(260) 207-2773
Store
Tri City Scuba Centre
Kitchener
www.scubacentre.ca
Equipment/Instruction
Scuba Shack
Muskoka
(705) 687-5879
Store
Matt Leydens' Dive Shop
Des Moines
(515) 288-6312
Store
Diver’s Nook
Parry Sound
(705) 746-9757
Store/Charter
Scuba 2000
Richmond Hill
(905) 771-1500
Store
IOWA
MICHIGAN
Thunder Bay Scuba
Alpena
(989) 356-6228
Store
Thousand Isl. Pleasure Diving
Divers Incorporated
Ann Arbor
www.diversinc.com
Store
Dan’s Dive Shop
Sub Aquatic Sports
Battle Creek
(269) 968-8551
Store
Bruno's Dive Shop
Clinton Twp
(586) 792-2040
Store/Charter
Rec & Tec Dive Charters
Clinton Twp
rectecdivecharters.com
Charter
All Seasons Diving Co
Dryden
AllSeasonsDiving.com
Charter
Anchor Bay Scuba
Rockport
(866) 659-2334
Charter
St. Catharines
DansDiveShop.ca
Store/Charter
Divers Den
Tobermory
(519) 596-2363
Charter/Store
G & S Watersports
Tobermory
(519) 596-2200
Store
Toronto
www.aquariusscuba.com
Store
Aquarius Scuba Diving Centre
NEWFOUNDLAND
Ocean Quest
Conception Bay S
(709) 834-7234
Charter
Fair Haven
(586) 725-1991
Store
Farmington Hills
(248) 478-6400
Store
Wet N Rugged Sports
Galesburg
(269) 381-2101
Store
Enveco Diving
Bereford
Advanced Scuba & Paintball
Holland
(616) 392-4433
Store/Charter
The Dive Shack
Saint John
(506) 634-8265
Store
Shediac
Shediac-Divers.com
Store
Sea the World
ZZ Underwater World
Lansing
(517) 485-3894
Store
Great Lakes Divecenter
Shelby Township
greatlakesdivecenter.com
Store
Great Lakes Scuba
Traverse City
(231) 943-3483
Store
Scuba North
Traverse City
(231) 947-2520
Store
MINNESOTA
Innerspace Scuba
Duluth
innerspacescuba.com
Store
Bonne Terre Mine
Bonne Terre
(888) 843-3483
Mine
Columbia
(573) 4432182
Store
MISSOURI
A Life Aquatic Scuba
Joplin
(888) 565-3483
Store
TD Scuba
Extreme Sports Scuba, Inc
Lee's Summit
(816) 525-3487
Store
Dive Stop
New Melle
(636) 398-4464
Quarry
NEW BRUNSWICK
Confederation Divers
(506) 542-1011
Store
NOVA SCOTIA
Easy Dive Canada LTD
Cape Breton Is.
(902) 345-2215
Store
Do you
want
your
business
listed here?
Call us
360.240.1874
www.mwdivenews.com
31

L.R. Doty Discovery - Shipwreck Explorers

Transcription

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