Treasure hunting in Lake Winnipesaukee

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

As a very experienced diver/treasure hunter, even though most would call it another form of dump picking, I have found the most productive part of the dive is the last fifteen minutes of the dive. I guess it has something to do with your sensitively to your surroundings being more heighten as you know end of the dive is near. Most of the time, during the middle part of the dive I’m just marking time, covering ground and keeping an eye on my partners.

One day my wife Linda and I were scouring along the bottom looking for treasures. I got to tell you Linda is a very good diver and have some very respectful finds of her own, however, she does have an overactive imagination, I guess from reading to many books. Linda likes to keep ahead of me due to the silt storm I create while searching and with this overactive imagination of hers, she creates lake monsters from the most benign things. It’s kind of a tradition to sport clothing object we happen to find on the bottom, you know, like put that old hat on or park the sunglasses over your mask just to put a little humor into the dive. Well, nearing the end of this dive, I came onto an old fur coat in the mud and the thought came to mind, wouldn’t I look just grand in this old coat… So, after wrestling it out of the bottom I shook it out and slung it over my back and continued with the dive. Now, if you can picture this in your mind: a big burly, 275lb guy with one peace dive suit, full dive gear on, all black (best color to hide the dirt of the bottom) and a tatter remnant of a shaggy old brown fur coat draped over my back with usual hoses hanging out. I was thinking, how cool, I must look in my new found attire as I crawled along the bottom. The only problem was; it kept slipping to the side and I’d have to stop and shake it back into position. As I emerged out of Linda’s silt trail, I was violently shaking from side to side trying to keep my new coat in position; there she was waiting for me… Well, I got to tell you; she was certainly not impressed with my new found treasure and she bolted to the surface. Thinking she must be in trouble, I followed her up and grab her leg to slow her ascent down, after being kicked in the face several times we finally reach the surface safely. Remember that over active imagination I was telling you about earlier, it was a quiet ride back to the Club.

Just the other day, she showing some of our treasures to group of friends that were over to the house, I overheard one of them remark on how fascinating it must be dive with me and to hunt for lost treasures. Linda went on to tell them about one of our best finds ever, my fabulous fur coat and her reaction to confronting the lake monster face to face. Her final comment was; “yes, it always interesting diving with him, you never know what he’ll come up with next”. Linda still dives with me from time to time but she always keeps me in her sight.

I lost that old coat on the way back to boat, but, it’s just waiting to be found again…

[tis]

LOL! Makes you wonder how an old fur coat got into the lake? I bet you have lots of interesting stories!

[chipj29]

Great story! You musta scared the pants off of her!

[dpg]

Out of curiosity what's the biggest "find" ever to be made in the lake? Of course that would be that was public knowledge?

Anything of great value ever been known (or believed) to be lost and not yet found?

[kjbathe]

No fair! People at work are asking me, "What's so funny over there?" I have tears in my eyes I'm laughing so hard...

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

People often ask me: “what’s the best thing you ever found while diving?” My stock answer is: “narrow the category for me”. Do you want to know by?
• Jewelry: modern or antique
• Watches: Men’s, women’s, dive, dress, or antique pocket watches
• Wallets, purses, or hand bags
• Fishing gear: Rods, down riggers, weights or the whole transom with two down riggers and the motor
• Boats: new ones or the old ones or the boat trailers
• Cars: new ones, antiques or just the trucks
• Outboard motors: what size, what color, what era?
• Coins: antique, silver, gold or how about the box full of silver ½ dollars
• Cash
• Tools
• Pottery
• Rocks, I love breaking open a geode… what treasure it is
• Bottles (this one breaks down into several sub categories)
• Guns, new or old, bullets or cannon balls
• Arrowheads, spearheads or stone tools
• SCUBA gear
• My favorite category; Towels, I’m a sucker for beach towels…

The list goes on and on. There are literally thousands of items that I have found over the years diving in the lake. Like I always say; if you like dump picking, you’ll love diving in the lake… How all this stuff got to where it is on the bottom is another story all unto itself.

[Wolfeboro Matt]

Thanks for the great story. I'm taking diving lessons this weekend and looking forward to experiencing a new aspect of Winni (lake monsters not withstanding).

[kjbathe]

Now I have visions of a lake bottom littered with trash -- cars, trailers and outboards, eh? Is there excess garbage down there everywhere or were certain spots used for dumping in years past? I recall some old trains (or maybe parts of trains) were dumped along the Paugus or Weirs shore at one time.

Just curious...

[Steve Di.]

Originally Posted by kjbathe

Now I have visions of a lake bottom littered with trash.....

I agree with K.J. It is sad that some people are using this beautiful lake as a dump.

[Orion]

Originally Posted by kjbathe

Now I have visions of a lake bottom littered with trash -- cars, trailers and outboards, eh? Is there excess garbage down there everywhere or were certain spots used for dumping in years past? I recall some old trains (or maybe parts of trains) were dumped along the Paugus or Weirs shore at one time.

Just curious...

"stuff" is very far and few between. Most of the bottom is completely barren and rocky. The rail cars were the result of a train wreck, not dumped there.

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

It’s pretty much a barren waste land… or so it would appear. There is very little junk, trash or treasure just laying on the bottom. Objects of value that we seek have settled into the bottom and therein lies the art of hunting for treasures. Most divers will not want to come in contact with the bottom for a number of good reasons; the mud, encountering sharp objects, encountering wildlife, the unknown or fear. A good treasure hunter just plows right into it and stirs it up with his hands searching. Of course the area is totally silted out and you’re doing this blind for the most part. Sometimes the objects are just sitting there in plain sight, but for the most part they are not as they appear. I can’t tell you how many times I have been fooled thinking something was trash, only to find it was in fact a real treasure.

The lake bottom is a very harsh environment. Due to lack of currants down there, there is a high concentration of acid; from acid rain and tannic acid from the leaves and such. Some things don’t last very long down there; paper breaks down very quickly as well as plastic (remember when environmentalist said “plastic milk jugs will last 400 years”, in the lake its closer to two years). Other things will last an eternity down there and those are the things I’m looking for. Modern day treasurers are great to find too.

[Steve Di.]

Being a former open water diver, I am curious as to the typical visibilty you experience during a summer dive.

[Grant]

Originally Posted by Steve Di.

Being a former open water diver, I am curious as to the typical visibilty you experience during a summer dive.

The viz question is much like "How much is a cab ride?"... It depends.

It depends where you are in the Lake. It depends what season you're diving. It depends how deep. It depends on the weather in the weeks/months before the dive.

When the water warms and the algae blooms intensify in late summer, viz typically declines. If you dive deeper than, say, 60-70 feet, it gets dark very quickly. Some of the shallower parts of the Lake have worse viz than the same depths in deeper areas. I've seen visibility ranging from 20 feet or more down to just a few feet. With 72 square miles of lake and so much variation in depth, shoreline, boat traffic, bottom composition (silt vs. clay vs. glacial till vs. bedrock) and temperature, there are lots of influencing factors.

While carrying freshly-filled tanks across Main Street in Wolfeboro, I've heard lots of folks make comments about diving in Winnipesaukee. "Why on earth would you dive in the Lake?" "What's down there?" "Must be a really boring place to dive!" "What's the point?"

These people simply don't get it. If you like wrecks, there are plenty. As mentioned above, there's ample treasure. Geological wonders abound. Loads of fish. Holes, walls, rocks (just a few), and as much depth as you want. Viz can be much like northeast ocean diving -- from zero to 20. In short, it has everything a diver looks for. Check out the divewinnipesaukee.com site for a representative list of dive sites.

Ah - just two weeks until I finally get back beneath the surface of the Lake...can't wait.

[Steve Di.]

Grant,

Thanks for the reply.

The prices on the Dive Wini site look reasonable. I would like to take my sons on one of their dives. Do you know if they require dive certification for teenagers to dive on one of their trips? I have a P.A.D.I. card, but my boys do not.

[Grant]

Yes, they would definitely need to be certified to dive on a charter. To that end, Dive Winni also runs classes. Their charters are a blast, and so convenient -- the boat is docked right behind the shop!

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

What do mean “former” open water diver? Once a diver always a diver…

The visibility is a very allusive term; it varies for a much as 35 feet to 0 feet. There are many factors that control the visibility: such as runoff from rains, water temperature, weather pressure, pollen count, boat traffic, algae bloom, depth, weather conditions and of course diver activity. I’ve been diving with 30+ feet of vis. and had it change to less than 3 feet in same spot due to a sudden weather front moving through the area.

We don’t dive in the lake for the same reasons that we do in blue water… There are no colorful fish or corals, just gray, green, black, white and brown objects. For most of us, the water temperature or visibility has no impact on when or where we dive, we have a greater objective.

The lake is a hostile environment and one needs to be prepared… That means the appropriate exposure suite, adequate gear and the proper training.

[Steve Di.]

Thanks guys. Great replies.

By former diver, I mean I haven't been diving in over 20 years! I have a full complement of gear, including two tanks, that I bought in the 80s. I am reluctant to use it and should just sell it.

Unfortunately, someone broke into my basement and "shrunk" my wet suit!

[Grant]

Originally Posted by Steve Di.

Thanks guys. Great replies.

By former diver, I mean I haven't been diving in over 20 years! I have a full complement of gear, including two tanks, that I bought in the 80s. I am reluctant to use it and should just sell it.

Unfortunately, someone broke into my basement and "shrunk" my wet suit!

Someone did the same thing to my wetsuit last year. I did, however, find out how to reverse the spell, and it's now back to its regular size.

[Weirs guy]

I'm not a diver, but anyone interested in a deep snorkel trip can check out the cash register off the end of the Winni Pier.....

[scubajay1153]

Hm...not only a treasure trove of old Coke bottles at the end of the Winni Pier but now a cash register? Excellent!

Over the years of diving the Winni's I have come across tons of "trash" deposited by swimmers, boaters and bobhouses. Amazing sometimes what you can come across. Pagers, cell phones and wallets are common around some of the beaches and you never know what you will come across under an area populated by a village of bobhouses in the winter once spring deposits stuff on the bottom.

Apparently some people that are new to boating also fail to realize that when you toss your anchor over board to drag on the bottom while you drift forget to tie the end of the line to a cleat. Last year I found 3 off of Gilford Town beach alone. Including one with the price tag still affixed....

Sometimes the best treasures I see underwater are the faces of those who we are teaching to scuba or giving an introduction to scuba dive. The first breaths underwater usually illicit some wide smiles (after the intial insecurity fades) and when they feed a mussel to a bass for the first time and get a wee nip to the fingers the wide eyes and excited shreaks are worth gold (like the time we took my wifes friend Jenn diving the first time! :P). Introducing people to the underwater world and to learning scuba is just as valuable to me as a 200 year old bottle.

[Orion]

Originally Posted by scubajay1153

Apparently some people that are new to boating also fail to realize that when you toss your anchor over board to drag on the bottom while you drift forget to tie the end of the line to a cleat. Last year I found 3 off of Gilford Town beach alone. Including one with the price tag still affixed....

lol....too true. I have found a few myself. I'm pretty sure divers never need to buy any anchors.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by scubajay1153

Apparently some people that are new to boating also fail to realize that when you toss your anchor over board to drag on the bottom while you drift forget to tie the end of the line to a cleat. Last year I found 3 off of Gilford Town beach alone. Including one with the price tag still affixed....

.

Ah,thanks scuba for finding my anchor.I took it out of the package right after I bought it and no where on the instructions did it mention that the line was not attached already.Let me know where I can pick it up!

[Pepper]

Hairy Water Monsters ...

Shrinking Wetsuits ...

Untethered Anchors ...

I am laughing myself silly reading this thread!

No doubt about it, there are a lot of folks on this forum who know how to tell great stories. Thanks for the great start to my day!

[ocgirl]

TITLE XIX - Public Recreation - Champter 227-C Historic Preservation
Penalty
Section 227-C:17
227-C:17 Penalties. –
I. Any person who, with the purpose of defrauding anyone or with the knowledge that he is facilitating a fraud to be perpetrated by anyone, makes or alters any object so that it appears to have value because of antiquity, rarity, source or authorship which it does not possess, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall forfeit to the state the equivalent in dollars of profits made by the sale of the fraudulent objects.
II. Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA title LXII, any person who knowingly appropriates, excavates, sells, purchases, exchanges, offers for sale, transports, receives, destroys, or in any manner alters any historic resource located on state land, under state waters, or removed from same, except in the course of activities pursued under the authority of a permit or preservation agreement, or as exempted in RSA 227-C:12, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000 or by imprisonment for a period not to exceed 6 months, or both; shall forfeit to the state all materials appropriated; and shall reimburse the state for restoration of a defaced or destroyed property.
Source. 1981, 504:5. 1985, 345:3.

[Pepper]

Well that's one heck of a first post. Not sure I understand your point, though.

[Wolfeboro Matt]

I'm taking a diving this weekend - what great timing for this thread.

A couple of questions for the experienced Winni divers that have posted:

* What kind of exposure suit do you typically wear for summertime diving? wet or dry? thickness? hood/gloves?

* Aside from Winni Divers, are there other outfits that run dive charters, especially mid-week?

* If you're diving with a single other person from a boat, do you just anchor and go off and leave the boat unattended?

Thanks all!

[sa meredith]

OCGirl...
Thanks so much for that wonderful info.

[bilproject]

Originally Posted by ocgirl

TITLE XIX - Public Recreation - Champter 227-C Historic Preservation
Penalty
Section 227-C:17
227-C:17 Penalties. –
I. Any person who, with the purpose of defrauding anyone or with the knowledge that he is facilitating a fraud to be perpetrated by anyone, makes or alters any object so that it appears to have value because of antiquity, rarity, source or authorship which it does not possess, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall forfeit to the state the equivalent in dollars of profits made by the sale of the fraudulent objects.
II. Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA title LXII, any person who knowingly appropriates, excavates, sells, purchases, exchanges, offers for sale, transports, receives, destroys, or in any manner alters any historic resource located on state land, under state waters, or removed from same, except in the course of activities pursued under the authority of a permit or preservation agreement, or as exempted in RSA 227-C:12, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000 or by imprisonment for a period not to exceed 6 months, or both; shall forfeit to the state all materials appropriated; and shall reimburse the state for restoration of a defaced or destroyed property.
Source. 1981, 504:5. 1985, 345:3.

The object would have to have been designated as historic by the Federal or State Government for this law to be applied. This state code applies to sites already designated as historic. Application here in this discussion of finding lost items on the lake bottom is taking it out of context.

Most of you older folks know full well that the lake was literally used as a dump for glass, cans, old boats for years by shoreline and island residents. Paper garbage was burned in 55 gallon drums. Right off my dock on Bear is where the hotel dumped it's trash when it was in operation

[Grant]

Originally Posted by Wolfeboro Matt

I'm taking a diving this weekend - what great timing for this thread.

A couple of questions for the experienced Winni divers that have posted:

* What kind of exposure suit do you typically wear for summertime diving? wet or dry? thickness? hood/gloves?

* Aside from Winni Divers, are there other outfits that run dive charters, especially mid-week?

* If you're diving with a single other person from a boat, do you just anchor and go off and leave the boat unattended?

Thanks all!

7mm will suit you fine in just about any season (pun intended). I dive a 7mm FJ, and have used it in Winni from early May to November. (This really depends on your tolerance for cold. I have a nice "subcutaneous sweater"...) A hood is always good if you're going deeper than, say, 40 feet in summer. I never dive without gloves, but 99.9% of my diving is in northeastern waters. Plus, I like to fish around for junk.

There was another dive outfit across the Lake, but I believe he is now focused on commercial stuff. Check Fathom Divers.

If you're ever looking for a summer dive buddy, send me a PM here. I have a regular local (Tuftonboro) buddy who will no doubt read this. We're both back and forth throughout the year. My schedule is weird this year (kid heading off to college, another in a unpredictable national-level soccer), but I'll be up sporadically throughout the coming six months and beyond.

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

"One man's trash is another man's treasure"

I was wondering how long it would take before someone would bring this up… Yup, been there before, in fact I have petition the state to declare a site an “historical significant site” and guess what they had to say… It was about the same thing they have to say about anything… “You do the research; you spend your money to prove your point and just maybe we’ll consider it…”

Isn’t it grand to be a young lawyer? You think you have the world by the short hairs, only to find out, nobody really cares… You are most welcome to come dive with me and record the infractions I make to the State’s penal code regarding antiquity. Although, you will get more satisfaction trying to nail me on dive flag ordnance. But, after 30 years of diving I got that one covered too, in fact, I dare say I’m the only diver in the lake who actually dives with a legal flag… Your job is to determine just how far I am from said flag…

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

I spend most of my time diving in “Mooring Field Hell” and I just doesn’t get much worse than that… Well, on second thought, it does, much worse, but we won’t go there. As a new diver you’ll want to dive with someone closer to your skill level.

[hazelnut]

W. Diver, Keep up the good work! Not only are you providing excellent stories but in my opinion you are slowly cleaning up the bottom of the lake.
I highly doubt any authorities are going to hunt you down anytime soon. Wow what a weird choice of words for a first post from ocgirl?

[ocgirl]

It was my first post. I am generally a easy going person but this issue is important to me. This subject is one that few people realize but it is valid because pot hunting is against the law. If you have questions or concerns call the AG's office or ask the State Archaeologist who issues the permits.

[jrc]

By what event does trash become an historic resource?

I mean, if someone threw a beer bottle in the lake today, I can swim down, pick it up, drive to Mass and get my 5 cent deposit right? What if they threw it last year, 10 years ago, 50 years ago, 100 years ago, 200 years ago, 2000 years ago, when does it become a historic resource?

Does it become this on it's own or does someone have to declare it as such. Since the law says you have do this "knowingly" how can anyone be charged unless it's some well establish historic site.

[Orion]

You can't get the deposit back on the 200 year old bottle because the barcodes become illegible.

The reality is, there are no "archeologists" mining Winni for historic treasures. If Winni Diver doesn't find it, it'll just keep sinking into the silt and nobody gets it.

[Grant]

Originally Posted by ocgirl

It was my first post. I am generally a easy going person but this issue is important to me. This subject is one that few people realize but it is valid because pot hunting is against the law. If you have questions or concerns call the AG's office or ask the State Archaeologist who issues the permits.

So we're required by law to leave all the former garbage down there to decay and lie in silt and muck for eternity? And what would be the "cut off date" that defines antiquity? I've brought up whiskey bottles from the 1800s, and beer cans from the 2000s. Guess I should've left them.

One would think that NH lawmakers might have more pressing, relevant matters to address.

Happy treasure hunting!

(Paging Diver1111...you should share your slide show...)

[Grant]

Originally Posted by Winnipesaukee Divers

...I dare say I’m the only diver in the lake who actually dives with a legal flag… Your job is to determine just how far I am from said flag…

Speaking of legal flags, I know what the law says, and I've seen your flag. But where does one find such a flag? Every dive shop and online vendor sells flags, but I've never seen one that meets the following criteria...

New Hampshire Revised Statute Title XXII, Chapter 270, Section 270:31, Scuba Diving and Snorkeling:

I. Any person engaged in scuba diving on any of the public waters of the state and any person engaged in snorkeling in normally traveled navigable public waters shall have a diver's flag, consisting of a red flag with a diagonal white stripe, displayed indicating that diving activities are in progress. The bottom of said flag shall extend at least 3 feet above the surface of the water, the view of which shall be unobstructed for 360 degrees.

I'd say that the bottom of just about every flag that I've ever seen on the Lake (excluding yours), including the one I own and use regularly, is only about 18-20 inches above the surface. I might try modifying mine this year to make it compliant.

[Sman]

I have only been down about 40 ft in Lake Winni, It seemed to start to get pretty dark, I actually like diving when there is more light, so not sure I will ever get to see first hand the answer to the second part of my question, which is...

How deep have you guys been in the lake and is there any light at all?

And thanks for the stories and information

[Grant]

In Winnipesaukee, I don't think I've been deeper than 75 or 80 feet. Pretty dark at that depth, too.

Elsewhere, I've been to 130-140 fsw, and it's been a bit brighter.

[scubajay1153]

Go see Dave over at the Ship's Store at Fay's. I was in there a couple days ago and he had some floats with flag sticks that are easily over 3 feet tall and he has dive flags in stock.

Besides DW and Fathom's you have Aquanuts Scuba in Concord as well on Manchester St at Airport Rd.

Pot hunting? Do I have to take a safety course before I hunt for them? And wear an orange hat or wetsuit so others searching for the elusive bean crock pot don't accidentaly speargun me whilst searching the bottom for rubbish? What's the limit a day?

Speaking of pot....off of a local swimming beach a few years ago I found a very nicely made hand blown pot pipe. Exquisite colors and all. Turned it in the cops but at last check no one had come in to claim it....wonder why....

A lot of neat pottery shards laying around in the miscellaneous stuff off the Messer Street boat ramp for those interested in a shallow dive/snorkel....it's a nice and toasty 43 there right now so you'll need at least a 3mm shorty...lol

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

As with everything, if you do it often enough someone is going to take issue. Mine comes from an incident at Bear Island, namely diving in the channel doing an archival survey of the sunken horse barge. There was a crazy old lady who lived on the Island and was very put out with us being there day after day. She kept calling the MPs to complain and of course the MP Officer would come to roused us out of there. Naturally we felt we were well within our rights to be there and to counter the Officer’s advancements, we logged a complaint that he was in fact violating the Dive Fag ordnance. Out came the rule book and the tape measure, we were busted again… All’s well that ends well, we decided to call it a draw and all complaints were dropped, besides our mission was complete, however, some valuable lessons were learned that day…

I have modified my dive flag to exceed the state regulations by simply replacing the ¼” fiberglass shaft with a 6’ one. The reason most all flags are to short is; they have to be able to fit within the dive bag when you travel, but New Hampshire being New Hampshire they have their own way of doing things. The reason the state is not willing to conform to rest of the world standards is they want some obscure law in which to rain in nefarious divers such as myself… I’m sure you can see this very same approach on hundreds of other issues concerning the state; such as, a national ID… By bringing my equipment into the State’s standards, it’s one less thing they can use against me when I’m caught looting the States treasures…

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

All the way to the bottom of the deepest hole 213'... What's down there and was there any light? 12 feet of silt and no light at all. The light only penetrates to about 130 feet in the lake. The Mt. Washington could have been right next to us and we would have never seen it.


Your next question is, why??? We were training to dive the shipwreck André Dora, doing a mixed gas dive with decompression stops. It was all for nothing as our dive was canceled just before we entered water as two divers on another boat died just before us. After hearing the news and watching the recovery we decided there nothing down there we needed to see.

PS: Don’t even start with the chart says the deepest point is 187’… it’s wrong…

[chipj29]

Originally Posted by Winnipesaukee Divers

All the way to the bottom of the deepest hole 213'... What's down there and was there any light? 12 feet of silt and no light at all. The light only penetrates to about 130 feet in the lake. The Mt. Washington could have been right next to us and we would have never seen it.


Your next question is, why??? We were training to dive the shipwreck André Dora, doing a mixed gas dive with decompression stops. It was all for nothing as our dive was canceled just before we entered water as two divers on another boat died just before us. After hearing the news and watching the recovery we decided there nothing down there we needed to see.

PS: Don’t even start with the chart says the deepest point is 187’… it’s wrong…

The Andrea Doria. That accident fascinated me as a kid in the 1970's. I still like to look up stories about it. I guess she settled on a rather deep ocean floor...that is something I didn't know.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by Winnipesaukee Divers

We were training to dive the shipwreck André Dora, doing a mixed gas dive with decompression stops.
PS: Don’t even start with the chart says the deepest point is 187’… it’s wrong…

My B-in-law did the Andrea Doria.By the way,my Bizar chart shows 213ft as the deepest.

[hilltopper]

Anyone ever read Shadow Divers? Good book and it talks about the Andre Doria quite often. This book is the only reason I know what the heck Winnipesaukee Divers is talking about when he says "mixed gas".

[Sman]

Shadow Divers great book yes! Must read for any diver and a great read if you don't dive

[Lake Fan]

[QUOTE=Grant;69155]Speaking of legal flags, I know what the law says, and I've seen your flag. But where does one find such a flag? Every dive shop and online vendor sells flags, but I've never seen one that meets the following criteria...

New Hampshire Revised Statute Title XXII, Chapter 270, Section 270:31, Scuba Diving and Snorkeling:

I. Any person engaged in scuba diving on any of the public waters of the state and any person engaged in snorkeling in normally traveled navigable public waters shall have a diver's flag, consisting of a red flag with a diagonal white stripe, displayed indicating that diving activities are in progress. The bottom of said flag shall extend at least 3 feet above the surface of the water, the view of which shall be unobstructed for 360 degrees.

I got hassled the Marine Patrol while diving on the Lady a few years back. He cited that same law. He wasn't too impressed when I mentioned that most of the official navigation markers in the lake aren't even 3' high.

[Grant]

Originally Posted by Lake Fan

I got hassled the Marine Patrol while diving on the Lady a few years back. He cited that same law. He wasn't too impressed when I mentioned that most of the official navigation markers in the lake aren't even 3' high.

Great point, although I doubt it would sway the MP...

I think I'm going to modify my flag this spring to be NH-compliant. I just leave it up there anyway. Longer rod on the same float/weight. Luckily, we don't even need one in our local hole (no boats) down here, and don't use them on ocean dives. But with the way some folks disregard dive flags on Winni, I suppose bigger is better.

Looks like this will require a trip to Bradleys...

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

I have four or five dive flags, two that are state compliant and the others are just standard issue. We always mark our boat with a dive flag as well. Our thinking is that it may lend some explanation as to why our boat is anchored where it is. This tick doesn’t always work, as sometimes it draws more attention than warranted. A lot of people think they own all the water in front of their property and if we're diving there, we must be up to no good… So, out they come (endangering other divers that may still be in the water) demanding to know just what we’re looking for and if they happen to have a waterline nearby, they can get downright unfriendly.

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

One day my old dive buddy Cliff suggests we do an exploratory dive in Wolfeboro Bay to find the reputed “One Horse Open Sleigh” that went through ice about a hundred years ago. “Won’t this make a great dive site to take accomplished students”, he said. I thought to myself, “What’s wrong with this picture”? The thought of two of us exploring the bottom of Wolfeboro bay; looking for something that had been lost and written about in a book a hundred years ago. What’s the chance of finding this relic? But, any reason to go exploring is good enough, besides we could find all sorts of other lost treasures.

It didn’t take long to find it, maybe the second or third dive and there it was right where the book said it was. It was a black sleigh with red pin stripping sitting upright on the bottom. How cool is that? The harness was still attached and both Cliff and I had the same idea at same time. There must be some brass buckles, bells and adornments somewhere and we started to pull them up out of the murky bottom. I watched as Cliff followed a section the harness out for a ways, tugging it up into view. He finally got to the end and gave a big yank and the whole horse’s head popped up out of the bottom… The look on Cliff face was priceless as he gasped for air and lurched back, I heard a muffled scream as he couldn’t drop it fast enough. Cliff signaled to me with a diagonal hand slash across his chest ending with a fist and thumb up; meaning this dive is over, right now. As we began our assent back to the surface, Cliff’s eyes were as big as saucers while he kept shaking his head form side to side and our rapid ascent alarms were chipping all the way up. Once on the surface Cliff spit out is regulator and gasped for fresh air. I said, “Wow that was some find; what are you going to do with your horse head?” Cliff’s only comment was, “I’ve had enough let’s get out of here”.

The “One Horse Open Sleigh” is still down there complete with the harness, brass buckles, bells and adornments and yes, the horse. We never did take any students to the site; Cliff thought it might be too intense for new divers, besides it’s a little deep and in the middle of the bay. I never could find the site again, its deep, dark and cold down there and the visibility is so poor I could have swam right past it on several occasions and never seen it.

[Coolbreeze]

What is the story behind the accident? Was the sleigh driver from Mass. by chance?

[Island Life]

Originally Posted by Winnipesaukee Divers

t didn’t take long to find it, maybe the second or third dive and there it was right where the book said it was. It was a black sleigh with red pin stripping sitting upright on the bottom. How cool is that? The harness was still attached and both Cliff and I had the same idea at same time. There must be some brass buckles, bells and adornments somewhere and we started to pull them up out of the murky bottom. I watched as Cliff followed a section the harness out for a ways, tugging it up into view. He finally got to the end and gave a big yank and the whole horse’s head popped up out of the bottom…

Hope you called the AG's office or asked the State Archaeologist who issues the permits, otherwise you'll hear from our newest poster.

[scubajay1153]

2 summers ago another FD scuba diver and I borrowed a buddies boat with a depthfinder/fish finder and set out to dive the Lady of the Lake and then the train wreck off the Weirs. The Lady was easy to find and dive and after a surface break and a a snack we headed back. We trolled back and forth off the Weirs looking for the tell tale bottom indications for the train as well as trying to line up the shore markers we were told about and finally found a promising ridge on the bottom that could be our wreckage. Down we go and after searching back and forth we realize we found nothing but a rock formation that was a few feet high and wide but a good hundred or morre feet long. Lisa and I realized that by the depth we were at (about 60 feet) when we got to the end of the rocks that we had indeed missed our mark. Dejected we decided to follow a compass heading back to our anchor line (tied to a cleat mind you! :P). About half way back in 50ish feet of water I felt a presence and that it seemed a wee darker then normal for this depth. We stopped swimming a nd looked up to find we were looking at what appears to be a paddle wheel from an old steam ship or some other lake vessel. I of course left the camera on the boat but I estimate the wheel was a good 2 feet wide and at least 12 feet high. As it is standing completely upright in the muck with at least a few feet sunk below view. Some of the wooden pieces are still intact as well. I will try to find it again this summer and get some pictures so maybe it can be identified.

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

The train wreck is pretty close to where it’s indicated on the charts. The operative word here is “wreck”, meaning not much recognizable. It looks like a pile of old boards and some iron wheels strewn about the bottom. The real treasure (there I go, loosely using that word again) is further down the slope about 90 feet deep are six huge rolls of paper, you can add your name to the honor roll.

A better dive site in that area is the “Pile Driver” also on the chart. This is a 90 foot long, steam barge with derrick on one end, sitting upright on the bottom. There is a pile of coal, cables, winches and tools still on the deck. The story is; it was working barge used to put in pilings around the lake and was commission as a viewing platform to watch the greatest fireworks display at Weirs Beach on the fourth of July, 1922 (marking some momentous event for the town). There was this lavish party on board and the Champagne was flowing. When the first of the fireworks went off all the party goers crowed to the starboard side for a better view. Water shipped over the side and down she went 65 feet to the bottom. I seem to recall reading that there were a hundred drunken people in the water in the middle of the night, but all managed to survive. The last time I was at the wreck, the Champagne gasses and bottles were everywhere as well as the tools.

Both of these wrecks are deep and cold, so be prepared. Pick a bright sunny day and mid-day is best.

[Grant]

Is that a different barge than the one right off of Weirs (just left of the "Weirscam" view)? Senter Cove Guy and I dove that one in late August, and I think it was 40-49 feet, but I didn't see any bottles. Cool wreck, though! Even though it was August -- peak Lake temps -- I can say that definitely the coldest dive I've had in Winni.

Thanks for the sleigh horse head story. I had heard someone relay that one on the Lady Go Diva one summer Sunday, but I never did learn who it had actually happened to. I should've figured it was you!

[winnidiver]

finely, I got the boat done today.Mechanical it has been ready to go for two weeks.Today I got the cleaning and electronics installed.I have to work tomorrow,but next weekend it will be diving and fishing.
Reading these posts have reminded me of a lot of places I have not seen in years.Thanks all for the list,I will try to get to some of them this summer.
Now if we can just have some sun next weekend,It doesn't have to be warm,just sunny would be nice.

[ACutAbove]

This is a very interesting read. I have only done my check out dives and that was a few yrs ago. I have always wanted to dive the lake, mabey this will be the yr, if I am not to busy working all summer.
Mabey a group dive or something???? Who rents equiptment around here I have the basics but never thought I would dive enough to justify buying everything.
Also has anyone dove Squam lake? Is there anything worth seeing there???

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

At Dive Winnipesaukee in Wolfe City. Tom can rent you anything you want… You can also get; a refresher course, charter trips or contacts to other dive buddies. Then after the dive you can venture across the street to the Wolfeboro Diner and get the best burger in town…

I mention the restaurant because, the average dive; is 45’ in 65 degrees water for 45 minutes, consumes 3,000 calories. Not to mention when the dive is over you still have shelp your gear around, all in all you have had a pretty good workout and you and could eat that horse… Not that the Diner is serving horse of course, just a play on words from a previous post.

[corollaman]

Originally Posted by Winnipesaukee Divers

As a very experienced diver/treasure hunter, even though most would call it another form of dump picking, I have found the most productive part of the dive is the last fifteen minutes of the dive. I guess it has something to do with your sensitively to your surroundings being more heighten as you know end of the dive is near. Most of the time, during the middle part of the dive I’m just marking time, covering ground and keeping an eye on my partners.

One day my wife Linda and I were scouring along the bottom looking for treasures. I got to tell you Linda is a very good diver and have some very respectful finds of her own, however, she does have an overactive imagination, I guess from reading to many books. Linda likes to keep ahead of me due to the silt storm I create while searching and with this overactive imagination of hers, she creates lake monsters from the most benign things. It’s kind of a tradition to sport clothing object we happen to find on the bottom, you know, like put that old hat on or park the sunglasses over your mask just to put a little humor into the dive. Well, nearing the end of this dive, I came onto an old fur coat in the mud and the thought came to mind, wouldn’t I look just grand in this old coat… So, after wrestling it out of the bottom I shook it out and slung it over my back and continued with the dive. Now, if you can picture this in your mind: a big burly, 275lb guy with one peace dive suit, full dive gear on, all black (best color to hide the dirt of the bottom) and a tatter remnant of a shaggy old brown fur coat draped over my back with usual hoses hanging out. I was thinking, how cool, I must look in my new found attire as I crawled along the bottom. The only problem was; it kept slipping to the side and I’d have to stop and shake it back into position. As I emerged out of Linda’s silt trail, I was violently shaking from side to side trying to keep my new coat in position; there she was waiting for me… Well, I got to tell you; she was certainly not impressed with my new found treasure and she bolted to the surface. Thinking she must be in trouble, I followed her up and grab her leg to slow her ascent down, after being kicked in the face several times we finally reach the surface safely. Remember that over active imagination I was telling you about earlier, it was a quiet ride back to the Club.

Just the other day, she showing some of our treasures to group of friends that were over to the house, I overheard one of them remark on how fascinating it must be dive with me and to hunt for lost treasures. Linda went on to tell them about one of our best finds ever, my fabulous fur coat and her reaction to confronting the lake monster face to face. Her final comment was; “yes, it always interesting diving with him, you never know what he’ll come up with next”. Linda still dives with me from time to time but she always keeps me in her sight.

I lost that old coat on the way back to boat, but, it’s just waiting to be found again…

How would a fur coat end up in the water? Maybe it fell off one of the steam ships in the old days, but who would be wearing a fur coat in the summer? Did the steam boats run in the late fall/early winter too?

[Senter Cove Guy]

Originally Posted by scubajay1153

2 summers ago another FD scuba diver and I borrowed a buddies boat with a depthfinder/fish finder and set out to dive the Lady of the Lake and then the train wreck off the Weirs. The Lady was easy to find and dive and after a surface break and a a snack we headed back. We trolled back and forth off the Weirs looking for the tell tale bottom indications for the train as well as trying to line up the shore markers we were told about and finally found a promising ridge on the bottom that could be our wreckage. Down we go and after searching back and forth we realize we found nothing but a rock formation that was a few feet high and wide but a good hundred or morre feet long. Lisa and I realized that by the depth we were at (about 60 feet) when we got to the end of the rocks that we had indeed missed our mark. Dejected we decided to follow a compass heading back to our anchor line (tied to a cleat mind you! :P). About half way back in 50ish feet of water I felt a presence and that it seemed a wee darker then normal for this depth. We stopped swimming a nd looked up to find we were looking at what appears to be a paddle wheel from an old steam ship or some other lake vessel. I of course left the camera on the boat but I estimate the wheel was a good 2 feet wide and at least 12 feet high. As it is standing completely upright in the muck with at least a few feet sunk below view. Some of the wooden pieces are still intact as well. I will try to find it again this summer and get some pictures so maybe it can be identified.

Have you had an opportunity to revisit this site?

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

Originally Posted by corollaman

How would a fur coat end up in the water? Maybe it fell off one of the steam ships in the old days, but who would be wearing a fur coat in the summer? Did the steam boats run in the late fall/early winter too?

While tied to our docks at the Club the weekend before last, I watch as an old woody speed boat pulled up to the Inn's dock next door. The old geezer, all dressed up in blue blazer, white trousers, white shores and captain’s cap got out and tied up. He put the rag top down and made everything ship shape. Then he pulled out this heavy fur coat and draped it over the bridge deck between the seats. He went on cheesing down the lines and tweaking everything else to show its best side.

He pranced around like a nervous cat for next 15 minutes while this,( shall we say; full figured) bride and her group made their way down the hill from the Inn's wedding tent. After about what seem like a hundred poses, it took three people to get her into the back seat. The groom squeezed in next to her, another dozen poses later they motored out past me. All the while the old coat lay on the bridge deck behind her.

So, I guess that would one explanation on how a fur coat got to the bottom of the lake. It’s very entertaining living next to the Inn...

PS: as you may recall: that weekend was 90+ and surly there was no need for such a heavy coat.