Lake diving ?????

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peter

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Brisbane Australia
Just want to know what's to see when you lake dive. I've done all my diving in salt water. I'm assuming most of your lakes are fresh water. What are the good things to sneak a peek at any pictures would be good.
 
Not much to see in the lowland lakes around here. Silt, some rocks, a scattering of fresh water shells, a few drably colored fish, trash. Vis of 5 feet at most, usually significantly less. The mountain lakes are a bit better on vis, but still not much I would call "interesting".

In my area the good lake dive sites are in the lakes that were created for the hydroelectric system. They cover old towns, buildings, bridges etc. The vis is generally too poor for pix, although last year I did participate in a video of a flooded graveyard (the same one seen in the movie Deliverance) but I have gotten to see how it came out. We also dive around the outflow to the nuclear plant which is like a ride at a water park. Whhooosh! Soomme peeppple worrrrie abbooot theee raaddiaaatiiooon,,,,buuutt iii haveee beene diiivvingg theeer fouuur yeeaaarss aaand itttt haaasnt bootttherred meee!!!!

The northern midwest folks will soon tell you about the crown jewel of US/Canadian lake diving, the wonderfully preserved shipwrecks in the Great Lakes at the border.

Coming to visit?
 
Hi peter,

On my first lake dive I was told that about all I would see is fish, zebra mussells and IFR's (interesting rock formations). That dive was in Lake Erie. This year I plan on checking out some of the shipwrecks in Erie and Ontario.

95% of my diving so far has been saltwater.
I plan on changing that fact this year.
 
Tavi.....

But the Great Lakes are large enough to be called "inland seas" in some country.

In the Texas Swamps --errr-- lakes, we get to see lots of bottle and can fish resting on the bottom, the occasional amphibious bicycle, and plenty of fresh water fish.

One of the things I want to do sometime is dive near one of the popular party coves and recover all of the lost jewelry and bikini tops.
 
Originally posted by TexasMike

One of the things I want to do sometime is dive near one of the popular party coves and recover all of the lost jewelry and bikini tops.

I know of a place in Lake Ontario where boaters often meet and tie off to each others boats to spend the day partying.

:idea: I wonder what's down there?
(another idea for next spring)
 
Shipwrecks, About 5000 of them in the great lakes.
Schooners, barques, freighters, tugs, sidewheels, u name it there in there. Great wreck diving:p
 
Watergal
You made my mouth water with the stunning discription. Drabby coloured fish, rocks, and some trash all in one dive, things dreams are made of :)
But the dive on a grave yard that would be the ultimate night dive SPOOKY
p.s Did you have that stutter in your typing before the power plant dive?

Rooster1
Are all of the wrecks mapped or do you have to rely on local knowledge. Would be good to see if you could find some uncharted ones. Do they suffer from rust as much as salt water immersed ones.


TexasMike
Maybe, and this is just a hunch, the jewelry ,beer botles,bikes and bikini tops all come from drunk bikini clad girls jumping thier bikes into the swamp/lake. Should'nt be to hard to track down the scource :D
 
I have dove this new hampshire many times!
vis is usualy 10 to 50 feet some places are lower.
I have found many things like antique bottles old and new anchors. many fishing rods and down riggors. Rings necklaces cash change. my brother in law found a wallet that was lost in 1976! Blew the guys mind when he called him and said he found it!! There are many huge rocks like 30 feet around! Many bass
and perch follow you around. If you start opening up mussels
it looks like a feeding frenzy. There is nice diving in fresh water
but i do 90percent of my diving in the atlantic.
cyas Rick L
 
Here in the Heartland of America, we have quite a few quarries which are worth getting wet for. There a few which have the original quarrying buildings mostly intact underwater...interesting swim-through. One has sunk numerous interesting artifacts: a school bus, several boats and an airplane of the regional jet size, 30-passenger or so (at least I think it was sunk on purpose!).

Then there's the afore-mentiontioned wildlife. I've seen catfish that look big enough to take your arm off, paddlefish (2nd cousin of the sturgeon), and some goldfish that someone got tired of and dumped in the quarry. I never knew goldfish would grow to about 10 pounds if you let them!

And there are the Great Lakes. Enough diving to keep one busy for a lifetime, if you live long enough.

In short, plenty of great diving to go around. I'm not saying it's superior to salt water diving (or the other way around). It's just different, but has its own rewards. All diving is good.
 
Originally posted by watergal
The northern midwest folks will soon tell you about the crown jewel of US/Canadian lake diving, the wonderfully preserved shipwrecks in the Great Lakes at the border.


No, no need to. 5000 wrecks, mostly wooden. many over 100 years old. sunken villages,

No corrosion of kit, no salt crystals,

and awesome weather (if you come out with DG and I - we ran a perfect record last year!)
 

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