AOOGAH, AOOGAH... dive, dive, dive

[Micheal_R]

Anyone who has been diving for any length of time will spend hours telling you about the world underwater. The life, the peace and serenity, the finds that have been made. Just give us a chance and we will talk your ear off. This tale will tell just what my most unusual find has been.

We were over at Murray and Lynnes for dinner last week and we got to talking about diving and the question was asked of me,

 

[Wayne in BC]

what a find! That is a mighty expensive piece of equipment to just leave there, no bones in it?
Now you have started with the awesome diving stories, don't quit eh?

 

[Micheal_R]

It is funny though; I had forgotten all about that until Murray asked me. I guess alzheimers is settling in.

thanks bud

Fair winds

M

 

[david(tx)]

other hobbies,or maybe their just a result of diving,the detecting,bottle hunting etc.i'm not up on my history but i'm guessing many many ships have sailed to and betwwen vancouver and victoria,all the accidents,sailors dumping stuff overboard.

i'd bet in the old days ships would dump their trash coming in or leaving the harbor.must be a bunch of bottles around there.wonder if their are any stories of smugglers leaving contraband buried just onshore somewhere.

i saw something the other day on the atocha,seems you can invest,i think 10,000 dollars and i guess recieve a dividend as the haul more stuff up,they think there is a bunch more to be found around the wreck.enjoyed the story mike.

 

[Micheal_R]

One of the best places to dive, and find things, is around the old piers and wharves. Dishes are always there [heck why wash the sucker when you can just turf it out the window... the company has lots of money], bottles, artifacts.

Heck, I have a story wherein a chest of silver dollars was lost overboard right at Rithets Wharves in Victoria. I actually talked to the guy that dropped it so it is reliable information. To the best of my knowledge, that area has never been dredged. Problem is the incredibly deep mud there. I looked but never did find anything like that chest.

Fair winds

M

 

[david(tx)]

of the water covers things in silt,if it was sandy guess it would be nice,the silver might never be found.

 

[Royal]

I have not been diving as long as you but it has been over thirty years but I never have found a sub.

Almost every one of my dives would be interesting to a non diver, as I am sure yours would.

The thing that I really think about under there is the peace and quite, other than the bubbles. There is always excitement of some sort, rarely a completely dull dive.

There are glory holes like that all over the place for divers.

Thanks for taking us back with you. I can not imagine why you guys never floated that sub though. It had to have some historical value if not monetary

 

[Rob/Windsor Ont.]

The first thought that entered my mind was the mini-subs that the Germans were said to have employed off of our east coast during the war years. I realize it's a stretch but it'd sure be nice to know where that two-man unit came from. No matter how we slice this one, coming upon a find like that is not an everyday occurence. Very, very cool ! I'm more than happy to take in as many diving stories as you (and Royal) can muster. Reading them is the next best thing to being there. Excellent post !

 

[Ron J]

n/t

 

[Micheal_R]

Just one of those 'I will get back to it later' type of things I guess. However, I do have some docs appointments this summer. Even if I do not raise it, I will get pictures~!!

Thanks bud

calm seas

M

 

[Micheal_R]

n/t

 

[Micheal_R]

I will dive on it again this summer. But I have no idea of the history of it, or even where to start searching.

Fair winds

M

 

[Arkie John]

...you're the only human I know that has found an unclaimed submarine on the bottom of the lake.

Maybe when you get back down there you can shoot a photo or two of it for us.

Thanks for the story. It gave me some good ideas. Still praying for Alice's continued recovery.

aj

 

[Micheal_R]

n/t

 

[Ol' Frank]

Good story!

About all that Glo & myself ever did was to snorkel -- she has some damage from a heart attack, so we couldn't do anything very strenuous while on vacation. When her nephew Marty -- now a missionary in the Philippines -- was a lifeguard at Fort DeRussy on Waikiki beach, we decided to go out into the shipping channel and get some coral. Although it's illegal to do that from other beach front property, That location is a military Site, right next to a major R&R property. So we tucked short pry bars next to our waists and swam the 1/2 mile out to where coral was obtainable. Marty told me that it couldn't successfully be chipped from the decks of sunken barges because it would shatter and be useless.. yep, nothing attached to metal could be saved! So we messed around on the bottom and found a few chunks of coral, slipped them in our mesh bag, and swam back to the beach front. We washed the coral with a high-pressure hose and let it dry out. It sits on our mantle today. In retrospect, it would have been nice to indulge in the entire scuba thing -- I'd only taken a few lessons, but gave it up because of Glow's condition. When the scuba systems first came on the market, a few local fellows set up a dredge, located by the old Argo Mill in Idaho Springs where a small creek runs down from Central City. Gold wasn't selling for much then, but local treasure-club rumor claims they took over $7000 out of that river!

Again, thanks for the story. -- IL' Frank

 

[Ol' Frank]

Good story!

About all that Glo & myself ever did was to snorkel -- she has some damage from a heart attack, so we couldn't do anything very strenuous while on vacation. When her nephew Marty -- now a missionary in the Philippines -- was a lifeguard at Fort DeRussy on Waikiki beach, we decided to go out into the shipping channel and get some coral. Although it's illegal to do that from other beach front property, That location is a military Site, right next to a major R&R property. So we tucked short pry bars next to our waists and swam the 1/2 mile out to where coral was obtainable. Marty told me that it couldn't successfully be chipped from the decks of sunken barges because it would shatter and be useless.. yep, nothing attached to metal could be saved! So we messed around on the bottom and found a few chunks of coral, slipped them in out mesh bag, and swam back to the beach front. We washed the coral with a high-pressure hose and let it dry out. It sits on our mantle today. In retrospect, it would have been nice to indulge in the entire scuba thing -- I'd only taken a few lessons, but gave it up because of Glow's condition. When the scuba systems first came on the market, a few local fellows set up a dredge, located by the old Argo Mill in Idaho Springs where a small creek runs down from Central City. Gold wasn't selling for much then, but local treasure-club rumor claims they took over $7000 out of that river!

Again, thanks for the story. -- IL' Frank

 

[Arkie John]

new (basic) dive gear 2007
wetsuit 2007
excal 2007
Fisher 1280 2007
hooka 2008
drysuit 2008

Yup, I gotta plan, Mr. Mike. It'll be a blast!

Keep those stories comin'. I likes 'em! <><

aj

 

[Micheal_R]

That would have been..... oh 38-40 years back. We had to go deep for it, since the guy I was with wanted black coral. I cannot remember the exact depth... in excess of 150 feet I if I remember correctly. I too, still have some of that coral.

It is funny the things that we use as dust collectors.

fair winds

M

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

I would love to see the photo! You have had some great adventures while diving. I wonder what ever happened to that airplane that you all found...and was there anything inside of it. Adventures like this is fascinating to me. I have never done any diving and kinda get excited when I read stories like this...right on par with a lost treasure story as far as I am concerned. Mike, thanks for sharing this with the forum, it was one fantastic story! Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Micheal_R]

n/t