Hi from Chicago.

[ShiksaRochele]

I'm a new AOW in Chicago. I've been reading this board for a couple of months, and it's really a great community.

I'm looking for local people to dive with that don't mind a newbie.

 

[Laser]

I'm in Chicago as well. I will be at Haigh Quarry Sat morning. Stop on out.

 

[netmage]

I completed OW down in Key Largo in early may - also local to Chicago. I've been to Pearl Lake, White Star, Haigh and Gilboa so far.

Gilboa was the nicest underwater. Lots of stuff in a relatively small area. Just don't like the whole camping/parking pass situation and lack of areas to lay out gear. Love the plane and the tubes.

Haigh was the nicest above water. Great facilities, nice people. Lots of grass and picnic tables for laying out gear and donning wetsuits. Check out the LARC and the Truck.

Was supposed to have my AOW this weekend at Haigh, but I think it's postponed - I was the only person signed up. I'll probably drive out to Gilboa and tag with my brother as he does his Dry Suit Checkouts.

 

[ShiksaRochele]

How is Haigh? I just checked out their website, but the map is so low rez. that I can't really read it.

I'd love to head out there this weekend! Unfortunately, I have to fix my car so that I can do it. (Stupid city girl let her car sit unused for a year and the rims corroded. I can't keep tire pressure. Diving has been only motivation to finally work on it.)

If you're planning on going again in the near future, lmk and I'll try and meet up.

 

[ShiksaRochele]

Netmage! That's funny- I just did my AOW in Key Largo 2 wks ago. (It was sooo nice to be down there, given the current weather situation up here, and the dives were great.)

Who are you doing your AOW with? If you work out at any of the Multiplexes, LPAC, etc., and signed up through that, I'm pretty sure I know. (It seems like everyone I meet that learned how to dive here had the same instructor.)

 

[netmage]

ShiksaRochele once bubbled...
Netmage! That's funny- I just did my AOW in Key Largo 2 wks ago. (It was sooo nice to be down there, given the current weather situation up here, and the dives were great.)

Who are you doing your AOW with? If you work out at any of the Multiplexes, LPAC, etc., and signed up through that, I'm pretty sure I know. (It seems like everyone I meet that learned how to dive here had the same instructor.)

I'm doing all my training through IID out in Glen Ellyn. It's a bit of a haul from downtown, but they were the closest NAUI shop and their website was fairly informative for shopping around. They have a good package deal to cover AOW, Nitrox and Rescue, which is as far as I want to take it right now. (Might ask them about swapping Rescue for Wreck Exterior give my proximity to Lake Michigan.)

My OW checkouts was with Kelly's on the Bay. Nice folks, good crews & boats, decent prices. Of course running into the Spotted Eagle Ray
on Molasses Reef was a plus...

 

[ShiksaRochele]

Ok then, I was wrong! Cpt. Darrick Lorenzen is the NAUI instructor that I used. He has contracts with the Multiplex clubs, LPAC, maybe some others, and I think Equinox in the city and a bunch of other clubs in the suburbs. I've randomly run into 5-6 people in the last couple weeks that had just signed up for class/just finished their pool time- and all of them were using Cpt. Darrick.

Have to say, my fave Key Largo dive was by far Speigel Grove. We had a great guide (Dan) who had been one of the people involved in sinking it and who had dived it 170-something times... (I'm forgetting the name of the outfit we went with now though)...

 

[Zellet]

Welcome to the SCUBABOARD it is a great place with lots of nice friendly helpful people.

 

[MgicTwnger]

If you check out this thread, you'll find some other area divers (including yours truly) having a get-togeather next month in CHI.

http://www.scubaboard.com/t21690/s.html

 

[_Kurt_]

Hello and welcome from a Cicero boy living near Gainesville, FL.!