Glad that I didn't have to decide!

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diverbrian

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Messages
2,378
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Location
Sanford, Michigan
# of dives
200 - 499
Here's the story:

I was on a charter to the Straits of Mackinaw. Friday was a gorgeous day and I did a deco dive on a shipwreck at 120 ft. followed by an "off gas" dive on a shallower (70 ft). This was a lovely day to be on the water.

The next two days get more complicated. We had twelve or so people sign up for the two day charter (The first day was considered an Advanced/ Tech charter.) which is geared more towards newer divers. The charter operator is not based out of Mackinaw and had to trailer a smaller boat up there. This boat is a six-pack meaning that we split the charter into a morning and afternoon grouping. I orginally took the morning and agreed to move to the afternoon to let a married couple dive in the morning.

Saturday's dives went great. Weather was beautiful. Our first dive was on a schooner that was discovered last year. The second was on a shallower boat (about 70 ft again). The highlight of this trip to most of us was going to be the Cedarville which is about 100 ft. down.

Today was where the "rock and a hard place decision" came in. The weather kicked up (as it will on the Great Lakes). The morning group was in the middle of it and got to continue diving. They did two dives on the Cedarville and got back a little late. Prior to their coming back, the decision was made by the shop representative in the harbor to send the afternoon divers home.

I agreed with it, but have to admit that it is a major inconvience. The dive location is roughly 2 1/2 hrs. to 3 hrs. one way from where most of us live. On a dive schedule like this that necessitates staying in a hotel after a long dive. If I could have predicted that I wasn't diving Sunday, I could have skipped the room for Saturday night (definite) and would have considered it for Friday as with an afternoon schedule I could have driven home after Friday's dives and been back on the pier for dives Saturday afternoon. I wasn't going to try this if three days of diving with very little recovery time was involved. It was really frustrating when I saw very little but clear skies and sun on most of the way home, LOL.

I little of this is whining, I admit. Much of it though is saying that many times making the safe decision can be very difficult. The shop representative who presented me with that decision had also wanted to dive the Cedarville. He wasn't overly happy about it either, but what will you do when you see lightning in the horizon.

I am certainly glad that they made the decision early as I would have hated to go to the trouble to have my gear out of my car on the pier (parking here is a ways away when you are lugging gear and tanks) and be told "Oops, we're blown off!". Imagine what my response would have been to that!
 
I live 90 minutes from Monterey, the closest reasonable dive destination.

Often, you can't tell whether the vis will be decent, the surge will be low enough, etc. until you are already there....

I've signed up for boat trips where it turns out that only one or two divers get wet, and they are only down for 20 min, due to current, etc. The rest of us are out the cash, time, effort, etc.

Sorry it happened, but I'm thinking this doesn't happen often.
 
The LDS refunded me for the actual lost dive day (too bad that they couldn't cover the hotel, but not their fault). More importantly, I reached one of my goals.

My dive on the William Young was number 100 in my logbook. In just a little over a year's diving (I certified OW July 14, 2002), I have 101 dives. And the diving season isn't done yet! I won't reach anymore milestones this year (except my Dive Control Specialist Certification), but that is plenty for right now.
 
diverbrian,

Just curious, was your charter with Scuba North? If yes, how did they do?
 
We are diving the straits in two weekends...what was your second wreck?...and how was that dive?
 
I flew from San Francisco to San Diego for 3 days of diving last year, including my wreck course - the boat captain had a "medical emergency" after 1 day of diving and only 2 dives into my course, there was not a replacement captain available, and the other charters in San Diego were booked solid that weekend. Plus I had a discount SouthWest airlines ticket that could not be changed, and it was *cheaper* to sit on my butt in San Diego for 3 more days in the hotel (2 days diving plus a day before flying), than buy a new ticket to fly home. Got to see the Zoo at least! Had to drive down a month later to finish the course - surprise surprise, the charter company cancelled ALL of our diving after we arrived - and they'd known it was going to happen before we had departed San Francisco by car 10 hours earlier! Luckily myself, and a buddy who came along for that trip, were able to get on the Lois Ann for the remainder of our dives. Finished the course at least :)
 
Our charter operator was Randy Johnson out of Alpena. Overall, he did an excellent job and I would highly recommend him. His boats are basic, but well cared for and in good condition. I believe that the name of the business is RJ Dives.

Now to the information near and dear to every diver's heart:

The wrecks that I dove (including conditions):

Friday, July 18:

Eber Ward- about 46 degrees at 117 ft. (First time on that wreck or I guarantee you that I would have been deeper, etc.)
Beautiful wreck and about 40 ft. vis. Mild surface current.

Sandusky- about 52 degrees and 75 ft. Probably about 30 ft. visibility. In great condition. Stiffer surface current down to about 30 ft.

Saturday, July 19:

William Young- about 57 degrees at 120 ft. In very good condition. Take a look at the wheel if you get a chance. About 50 ft vis. Current that had divers hanging off the line like flags on a pole ending about 40 to 50 ft. down.

William H. Barnum- about 62 degrees at 71 ft. Great to look at. Lots of fish to look at. It must have been crayfish day down there. I spotted a lobster sized one in the boiler. Another 40 ft. vis or so. Another current similar to the William Young.

All in all, for the dives that we went on, we had excellent conditions for Great Lakes diving.

Scubaroo, just a minute! I didn't ignore your post. I was answering the midwesterners.
 
I am sorry about your inconvienence there, Scubaroo. You certainly made lemon out of lemonade on that one. If I had flown to location and got canceled for that reason, I would have been livid. This is especially true if a course were involved. I am glad that you got it done.

The good thing about my location is that I seldom have fly to find good diving. Thank you for showing a positive attitude in a situation where I am sure that it was difficult to do so. It makes my situation look tame.
 
Gedunk,

I've travelled and dove many places with SCUBA North - Truk Lagoon, Belize, Mackinaw, Whitefish Point, Alpena, Charlevoix, Manitou, Beaver Island and a trip to the Cayuga. They've always been fun, safe and professional trips. I'd highly reccommend them.

As for Mackinaw - I was there in mid-June and rate it one of my top 3 weekends in the Great Lakes after 15 years of diving. Weather, conditions and vis were perfect!!!!! & the company!

Saturday

The Milwaukee and the William E. Henry were georgous. The last time I dove the Milwaukee we could hardly see our fingers when our arms were outstretched. This time you could see the whole wreck.

And oh the Henry! The bow is split open and the sun was shining brightly through the hanging chain. You could swim through and follow it to the anchor. What a sight!

Sunday

Another dive on the Henry and one on the Eber Ward. A great day for sure.

And Brian, congrats on 100 and good attitude about better safe than sorry. if I could only have a dollar for every dive day that's been cancelled I'd be a rich women. & many of those days were in Mackinaw. The wind and currents sure do like to rip thru the Straits.

Paula
 
Unfortunatley for all of us the dive operator has a legal responsibilty, these boats are not "Ride and dive at your risk", if something were to happen that would be all on the operator, they have to make professional decisions. Trust me, I have had three planned dives cancelled so far this summer, due to tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico, and I am getting a little pissed myself. Fortunatley I have my own boat and havent suffered a lack of diving, However here in Clearwater Fl, if you want to dive in water more than 100 feet you need to travel about 120 miles offshore to the middle grounds, that's a little out of range for my boat to go safely. Also that's where the BIG fish to shoot are. So I somewhat know your feeling. The main thing is your here to dive another day. And after your next trip you'll forget all about the missed opportunity.
 

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