Deepest solo yet

[Jimmer]

Hi everyone, this weekend I completed my deepest solo dive to date, I maxed out at 103 feet on a shipwreck in Lake Erie. I just thought I would share my thoughts and feelings after this dive. Previously my deepest solo had been 70 feet, and there have been dozens of these. We were running a charter to a shipwreck that normally had a rope floating on the surface, but this time there was nothing there. My instructor/boat captain asked me if I was willing to splash after we tossed the shotline, to see if we were on the wreck. I agreed to, since I was feeling good, and had dove this wreck multiple times. Everything went quite smooth, the shot line landed dead on the sand beside the wreck, and I found the "missing" floating rope loosely snagged on a few things. I managed to take 5 or 6 minutes and unsnag and organize the rope, tie off a lift bag, and shoot it to the surface. At that point I had about 4 minutes NDL left, so I opted to begin my ascent, and made 3 stops, 1 minute at 50', 3 minutes at 30' and 5 at 15'.

All and all it was a successful dive, the remaining divers who chartered the boat had a good ascent/descent line to follow, and we left a jug on it to make sure we could find it next time.

Jim

 

[texdiveguy]

Which site were you diving on?

Glad your solo dive went well, my deepest solo to date is 172ffw in a lake at a site I know well.

 

[Jimmer]

This wreck is known as the 17 Fathom, in Lake Erie near Long Point. I found this article online about it.

17-fathom.html

Jim

 

[drbill]

Did you carry redundant gear on the solo dive? I used to do all dives deeper than 40' with my pony... until I went deeper without it, and had the primary tank's valve clog unexpectedly at 70 ft. I don't even dive to 5 ft without redundant tanks (since my pony is always strapped to my primary tank). I won't mention my deepest solo dive... if I did, I'd have to kill you since Cheney declared the information to be top secret.

 

[Jimmer]

Hi Dr Bill. I did indeed carry redundant gear. I was wearing double 72's with an isolation manifold, and dual regulators, I carried a computer and a bottom timer on my right wrist, EMT shears on my waist and a line cutter on my computer wrist strap, since this wreck is notorious for being a fisherman's hang up, and has had some pretty mean nets on it in the past. I also had a spare mask in my left thigh pocket.

 

[chilie]

78' @ 52* at White Star Quarry in Gibonsburg Ohio. For those who know the site, it was obviously in the "Crusher Building", one of the best attractions in Midwest US Diving. The vis was absolutley crystal, and I know for a fact I was the ONLY person in he entire quarry : the time I was in the water. Absolutley sublime.

 

[WarrenZ]

140' in 55* water Off Catalina Island

 

[drbill]

Glad to hear that, Jimmer. Not knowing much about you, I was concerned. I've seen divers out here go to 160+ solo without any redundancy at all, just an Al 80. I may do some crazy things, but diving deep (> 40 ft IMHO) solo without redundancy is one thing I wouldn't do after my incident a few years ago.

 

[Timeliner]

131 feet ~ 48* degrees ~ Lake Broken Bow . Oklahoma.
I had a ear issue start at 125 ft. It felt like it just imploded and it hurt so bad I almost puked. I just turned off my light and chilled out for a few minutes till I felt better and finished out the rest of a pretty cool dive.
I'm starting to think like Dr. Bill. I'd like to upgrade to a little larger tank and a bigger pony too.

That way I could use my 19 cft pony as a air supply to my paint gun when I do Graffiti

 

[uncleavi]

200ft just north of Traverse City Michigan in West Grand Traverse Bay.
36 degree water.