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Diver1111 · 08-07-2014, 06:55 PM

At the end of July I punctured my eardrum-not diving related-I messed up badly-an accident but still my fault. While I wait for it to heal and get the ringing to stop-not to be confused with the normal voices in my head-I am looking for a few divers to dive some sonar targets for me in the meantime. I might be able to dive in September we'll see. If not it looks like October.

I estimate since 7/1/14 I have at least 15 new boats and a few barges to dive, plus some very strange structures that are really interesting. I have a huge amount of scan data to review thoroughly and am working on that now to extract more targets I didn't grab while scanning.

Since I can't dive I've been scanning and now have a pile of things to dive to at some point but in the interim I want to post some them for others to dive.

Senter Cove Guy is my primary dive buddy on Winni but he is not always available, not that I can dive now anyways.

The sonar targets vary in depth from 15-20 feet (Lees Mills) to 90 feet (North Weirs).

If you dive these you need to have your act together meaning:

- Zero light possible; If you're not comfortable in jet black (no light) conditions don't do it; This applies to Lees Mills as well, really shallow, but the water there is the color of dark ice tea due to tannic acid in the water from leaves so it's very dark even at 20 feet; The water there doesn't turn over much either like most of the lake thus resulting in these conditions; Viz might be 4 feet; Some divers can't handle this nearly blind environment regardless of depth and don't realize it until they are in it;

- I suggest Advanced Open Water rating or better plus alot of dives to back it up; Patches on your sleeve w/o actual experience doing what the cert says you can do is asking for trouble;

- Ice cold sometimes (43 degrees+-); Dry suits would be a good idea but that's up to each diver to determine;

- Fluent with GPS usage; My targets are in the xx xx.xxx format and of course based on a WGS84 Map Datum; You will need a good GPS to get right over the target; Then you have to get a flag on it by dropping a weight on a line; For targets about 50 feet deep or less I use a 15 lb. disk-shaped gym weight; For deep targets say 60-100 feet I use a one gallon paint can filled with concrete (with a U-shaped bracket embedded in it to clip in to) because it plummets straight down and doesn't sail or fly off at an angle on me like an anchor or disk shaped weight if it's dropped too fast; If you are in the wind you may not have time to lower it slowly to prevent it from sailing on you; If it sails or the boat drifts you can get on the bottom thinking you flagged the target just fine and find nothing unless you do it right;

- Flags-I suggest more than one but again I can only suggest how you make yourself known to boaters, for the few boaters who actually know what they look like; I often let one drift 50 feet off the stern tied to a cleat w/ a 3' x 3' square foot one on a 7 foot pole on the stern as well. Sometimes I will stake out a territory with other flags also to try and create a boundary, again for what that's worth in terms of letting boaters know there are divers in the water; For the general public I attach a picture of a dive flag;

- A wreck reel; What you clip it to is up to you if you get to the bottom and don't see the sonar target; Sometimes I use the anchor (doesn't help in dark water if the target marker is not nearby) sometimes the flag weight, but this can be a problem as the weight can move; I have a great solution I came up with with Senter Cove Guy that is very effective so solve this-ask me later about it;

- GoPro camera or other means to video the target; Not essential but I really like watching videos after a dive; A light source will be needed as well even at 40-60 feet depending on conditions; Figure out how to do both at once (film and get light on the object); I mounted my GoPro Black to a light that goes up to 2,500 lumens that does it for me so it's one package that can be handled with one hand; You'll want a way to clip it to your BC or other place; I would like you to mail me the video clip on a flash drive which I will return to you after I copy it to my PC;

I would really appreciate it if you dive these sites to film them and post the clip to the Forum along with a description of what you found.

I will post some things shortly.
Diver1111

08-07-2014, 06:55 PM	#1
Diver1111 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Exeter NH Posts: 596 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,027 Times in 224 Posts	Punctured eardrum & new sites to dive At the end of July I punctured my eardrum-not diving related-I messed up badly-an accident but still my fault. While I wait for it to heal and get the ringing to stop-not to be confused with the normal voices in my head-I am looking for a few divers to dive some sonar targets for me in the meantime. I might be able to dive in September we'll see. If not it looks like October. I estimate since 7/1/14 I have at least 15 new boats and a few barges to dive, plus some very strange structures that are really interesting. I have a huge amount of scan data to review thoroughly and am working on that now to extract more targets I didn't grab while scanning. Since I can't dive I've been scanning and now have a pile of things to dive to at some point but in the interim I want to post some them for others to dive. Senter Cove Guy is my primary dive buddy on Winni but he is not always available, not that I can dive now anyways. The sonar targets vary in depth from 15-20 feet (Lees Mills) to 90 feet (North Weirs). If you dive these you need to have your act together meaning: - Zero light possible; If you're not comfortable in jet black (no light) conditions don't do it; This applies to Lees Mills as well, really shallow, but the water there is the color of dark ice tea due to tannic acid in the water from leaves so it's very dark even at 20 feet; The water there doesn't turn over much either like most of the lake thus resulting in these conditions; Viz might be 4 feet; Some divers can't handle this nearly blind environment regardless of depth and don't realize it until they are in it; - I suggest Advanced Open Water rating or better plus alot of dives to back it up; Patches on your sleeve w/o actual experience doing what the cert says you can do is asking for trouble; - Ice cold sometimes (43 degrees+-); Dry suits would be a good idea but that's up to each diver to determine; - Fluent with GPS usage; My targets are in the xx xx.xxx format and of course based on a WGS84 Map Datum; You will need a good GPS to get right over the target; Then you have to get a flag on it by dropping a weight on a line; For targets about 50 feet deep or less I use a 15 lb. disk-shaped gym weight; For deep targets say 60-100 feet I use a one gallon paint can filled with concrete (with a U-shaped bracket embedded in it to clip in to) because it plummets straight down and doesn't sail or fly off at an angle on me like an anchor or disk shaped weight if it's dropped too fast; If you are in the wind you may not have time to lower it slowly to prevent it from sailing on you; If it sails or the boat drifts you can get on the bottom thinking you flagged the target just fine and find nothing unless you do it right; - Flags-I suggest more than one but again I can only suggest how you make yourself known to boaters, for the few boaters who actually know what they look like; I often let one drift 50 feet off the stern tied to a cleat w/ a 3' x 3' square foot one on a 7 foot pole on the stern as well. Sometimes I will stake out a territory with other flags also to try and create a boundary, again for what that's worth in terms of letting boaters know there are divers in the water; For the general public I attach a picture of a dive flag; - A wreck reel; What you clip it to is up to you if you get to the bottom and don't see the sonar target; Sometimes I use the anchor (doesn't help in dark water if the target marker is not nearby) sometimes the flag weight, but this can be a problem as the weight can move; I have a great solution I came up with with Senter Cove Guy that is very effective so solve this-ask me later about it; - GoPro camera or other means to video the target; Not essential but I really like watching videos after a dive; A light source will be needed as well even at 40-60 feet depending on conditions; Figure out how to do both at once (film and get light on the object); I mounted my GoPro Black to a light that goes up to 2,500 lumens that does it for me so it's one package that can be handled with one hand; You'll want a way to clip it to your BC or other place; I would like you to mail me the video clip on a flash drive which I will return to you after I copy it to my PC; I would really appreciate it if you dive these sites to film them and post the clip to the Forum along with a description of what you found. I will post some things shortly. Diver1111 Attached Images