Who thinks diving sucks around here?

[KJackson60]

Well, it's not the Caribbean, or so I've been told. But it is what I have. Fortunately I have several places to dive anywhere from an hour to four hours away. This does not include Lake Michigan. Every location available to me has a different environment. Sand/mud bottom, stone bottom, natural lake, flooded quarry, natural setting or "human enhanced" (read as junk) environment. They all offer various depths and viz. The point I am trying to make is that these dive sites all have unique characteristics and I enjoy all of them for different reasons. They also give me the opportunity to practice, practice and practice. When I do someday get to the Caribbean I hope to be fully prepared to enjoy those wonders.

Oh, and I have been diving in Lake Michigan. Just an awesome experience that I was very prepared for due to my time in the "Sucky" dive sites that I train in. Keep at it, look around for another place close or at least within driving distance and check it out. A new experience can make all the difference.

Keep diving, be safe.

 

[Blu Diver]

Does diving anywhere suck? Sure it does, from time to time! Diving in the midwest allows divers to hone their skills. You will use your compass more often, find yourself focusing more on your technique due to the lack of viz and the colder water. When you're deep in the soup and it's 42 degrees, visibility is only a few feet at best and someone turned the lights out. It can be mind over matter. Being calm and staying collected is imperative! This builds a better diver, than somone who has been spoiled their entire career.

 

[Hank49]

I grew up in the midwest and I appreciate what you divers there go through. You must REALLY love diving.
HOWEVER, I see a couple posts here stating how your training there will make you a better diver than us "warm water wusses", or "spoiled divers". Don't kid youselves. As I said, I lived in Ohio until I was 21, was a pretty good waterman compared to all my buddies...moved to Hawaii and got my a$$ handed to me. It took years to develop ocean knowledge about tides, waves, currents, confidence.... skills. Yes, it's warm but it's a whole different animal than the quarries and lakes where you are.

 

[SteveC]

Anytime you want to test that theory your welcome to come to the midwest for some good old fashion "muckdiving"

 

[fire_diver]

I grew up in the midwest and I appreciate what you divers there go through. You must REALLY love diving.
HOWEVER, I see a couple posts here stating how your training there will make you a better diver than us "warm water wusses", or "spoiled divers". Don't kid youselves. As I said, I lived in Ohio until I was 21, was a pretty good waterman compared to all my buddies...moved to Hawaii and got my a$$ handed to me. It took years to develop ocean knowledge about tides, waves, currents, confidence.... skills. Yes, it's warm but it's a whole different animal than the quarries and lakes where you are.

Knowing the minute details of an area is simply an aspect of living there. Your Hawiian friends would be equally lost if they went to a dive off the west coast.

The main fact is that most lake and quarry divers are happy with 10-15 foot of vis. Most "warm water wusses" would be terrified to dive anything so turbid. Most WWW divers hold to the 80-80-80 or no dive. So it would seem that us midland divers are somewhat better prepared divers.

 

[Scubagal]

Hey, it's the midwest. If you're passionate about diving you do what you have too - none of that sissy clear warm water diving around here.

Scubagal, 4 sites an hour away from Omaha? I thought you guys were up in "no-mans land" - care to give me the 411 on the sites around Omaha?

Snagel

Sure!

Atlantic Quarry in Atlantic, IA - tons of very friendly bluegill, largemouth bass, crappie, large carp, and saugeye. My personal favorite local dive site.

A lake right next to I-80 near Percival, IA - Bluegill, largemouth bass, carp, and gar.

Quail Run Quarry near Malvern, IA - A local dive shop uses this site but you can only dive when the shop is there and they charge $10.00 per person.

Panty Lake (don't ask ) near Nebraska City, NE but across the border in IA - visibility hasn't been very good here I assume because it's so close to the river. There is a submerged boat, and I saw a large snapping turtle both at the surface and under the water at this lake. We've done a few cleanup dives here but the visibility has never been more than 5-6 ft., and sometimes less than 1 ft.

Hope this helps, let me know if you need more info or directions to any of the sites.

 

[Kevrumbo]

I had a trip to Fiji in December once, and my Sister-in-Law says, "Why don't you come spend the Holidays with us in Boonville (MO) instead??"

(Can't remember exactly what my glib reply was, but she doesn't talk to me that much anymore!)

 

[Hank49]

Knowing the minute details of an area is simply an aspect of living there. Your Hawiian friends would be equally lost if they went to a dive off the west coast.

The main fact is that most lake and quarry divers are happy with 10-15 foot of vis. Most "warm water wusses" would be terrified to dive anything so turbid. Most WWW divers hold to the 80-80-80 or no dive. So it would seem that us midland divers are somewhat better prepared divers.

I couldn't disagree with you more.

 

[fire_diver]

So Hank, you think that divers who only dive in clear, warm water are better divers than those who dive clear or brackish, or straight mud, warm, cool, or cold water? How is limiting your diving environs making a better diver?

 

[Hank49]

No, I didn't say, or imply that. I AM saying that you are kidding yourself, thinking that being trained in cold, low vis ponds makes you a better diver than someone trained in a warm ocean.
I'll agree that someone trained in a cold, low vis ocean...north Atlantic or Pac NW with surf, currents, boat traffic, etc etc...is a better trained diver.
The sea cannot be mastered. You'll be faced with choices there and some days, you'll likely go out in conditions that require skills that exceed your capabilities and be asking God to get you back to shore safely...I did.