website network slowdowns (RONS SCUBA STORIES)

[Jeff]

The Network that the forum server is on is experiencing difficulties this morning. Intermittent slow downs. Hope it clears up soon, but just wanted you to know, ya don't need to adjust your set.

[Ron Scott]

Thanks for letting us know. I was wondering what the problem was. Getting kinda spoiled with the high speed cable service.

[Tom]

I'm glad ylu're spoiled, Ron.  I keep hoping that you will become "Gabby".    

No, you don't need a beard, a toothless mouth and a funny horse.   I just want to hear some of your stories.

[Ron Scott]

I've been on here more this past week due to being somewhat "snowed out" of the woods except for removing the snow off the house roof for the second time again yesterday.

I hate to get too long winded though and get off topic.

[Tom]

Off Topic?

Do we have a  topic?

[Norm]

Since the server is ok I don't think Jeff would mind if you told one story about SCUBA diving. Pleaseeeee.

[Jeff]

Its O.K. Ron,  I fixed it. Go ahead.

[Ron Scott]

I almost got off on one when the Edmund Fitzgerald was mentioned. I don't have the time for a story right now as its getting late in the day and I'm reviewing the Huron-Manistee National Forest's Environmental Assessment for the Briar Hills Project Area of 7,077 acres, a semi-primitive non-motorized area, near Mesick, Michigan.

Maybe tomorrow I'll provide a short one, "Out of Air at 150 Feet" Gee, I'm lucky to be writing this.

[SwampDonkey]

Cheers Ron S.  

[SwampDonkey]

Cheers to you too Jeff B

I had been experiencing server freezes off and on during the day last week. Glad you got it worked out.

[L. Wakefield]

   Yah, it got so slow that I finally couldn't stand it and took a few days off. I am glad it's back. I bet it was the most recent doom virus thingy.  lw

[Corley5]

I've noticed it several times over the last few days and just this morning I fired off a couple e-mails to Jeff about the problem.  It cleared up right after I sent the e-mail and figured Jeff was right on it so I made a post then it was way slow again and I figured Jeff musta fell off it but then I had to go to the swamp and it didn't matter.  Seems good now

[Tom]

It's that frigid air you guys have up there. The bits and bytes are frozen and can't slip through the line.   We do ok down here until y'all get backed up all the way to Texas.

[Jeff]

Dont let Greg take no credit cause I never got those emails. It must have been HIM causing the twubble.

[SwampDonkey]

    Everything OK now?    

[Kirk_Allen]

Jeff,
Have you changed the font size on the text on the web-site.

Either my eyes went bad real fast or the fonts got smaller over the past few days.

I checked my settings and nothing has changed on my end.

Just curious.

Thanks for a great site!

[Jeff]

Jeff,
Have you changed the font size on the text on the web-site.

Either my eyes went bad real fast or the fonts got smaller over the past few days.

I checked my settings and nothing has changed on my end.

Just curious.

Thanks for a great site!

Better check those settings again Kirk. Font size has been the same for 3 years now.

[Norm]

Boy talk about a cliffhanger Ron, I'm holding ya to the rest of that story.

[Ron Scott]

Out of Air at 150 Feet Deep. An early morning dive on the shipwreck Vienna. The Vienna is the ship on the left tied up to a Great Lakes dock; circa 1880.



The Vienna sits upwright in 150 feet of water with the deck at 125 feet in Lake Superior just 1 mile off Whitefish Point.The Vienna was built in 1873 at Cleveland, Ohio. She was 191.4 feet long, with a beam of 33.8 feet and a draft of 14.1 feet. The Vienna was engaged in iron ore and coal trade on the Great Lakes for just under 20 years. She sank on September 16, 1892 in a collision with the wood steamer Nipigon.

The shipwreck was located in 1974 and is now a popular shipwreck dive within the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve.

On the morning of July 8, 1984 at 6:00 a.m. we left the Whitefish Point port of refuge in the Antiquarian, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society's (GLSHS) research vessel. It was a converted Coast Guard 40 footer that had been donated to the GLSHS as surplus.

GLSHS Director Tom Farnquist was at the helm with my son Todd, 14 at the time, as crew, Gary Schumbarger my dive partner and myself. Gary an experienced diver (and it was very important that he was) and I were going to dive the Vienna that early morning when weather conditions were the best with calm waters on Lake Superior.

Gary had lost a leg in Vietnam and removed his prostesis while diving since it caused him too much buoyancy. He functioed very well with one leg. About 7:00 a.m. Gary and I decended on the Viena fully covered in Viking dry suits, dual regulators, twin 300 cubic tanks, underwater lights etc. We were going to look over scenes for continued videoing of the shipwreck for documentation by the GLSHS.

We would be exceeding the normal bottom time at the 125-150 foot depths so it was to be a decompression dive, thus the need for an extended air supply. During our predive safety check, we did not discover that I had a leaking maniford though it might have started leaking while on the dive.

The Vienna shipwreck is a facinating one to dive on, given its state of preservation and its intactness. A great time capsule  with many artifacts scattered about. While down on the lake bottom along the starboard side and stern I started to encounter hard breathing from my regulator, but didn't give it much concern as I motioned Gary for us to ascend up to the ship's deck and shallower depth where the regulator might start breathing easier. Harder breathing is often experienced at greater depth.
 
As we compared depth guages, I was loosing air quite rapidly as Gary noticed the leaking air bubbles from my leaking manifold. It was time to abort the dive. We had to make the 191 + feet down the length of the ship's hull to our anchor and decompression line on the ship's bow. Just as we got to the anchor and decompression line from the Antiquarian above  my tanks went dry, "no air". What a feeling.

By now Gary understood the situation and provided me with his spare regulator to breath from his tanks. I didn't have much choice as it was either stay down and drown or go rapidly to the surface with the bends. We weren't sure if Gary's air supply could take us both to the surface as we breathe lightly. The decompression stops seemed like forever, more so than they usually do.

As we broke the surface, our now very bouyant tanks floated us to the Antiquarian where we were assisted on board for some happy conversation and a great appreciation for nature's air supply. This was one time I really appreciated a well trained dive buddy that allowed me to dive another day.

The Vienna has since taken  the lives of a couple divers for whatever reasons. " Always Plan Your Dive and Dive Your Plan".    

[Paul_H]

Ron,
Was that picture taken just before you went down,or when you came clawing back up

[Ron Scott]

It was taken long before I went down and I always remember that dive. My son Todd who was on deck still doesn't realize how close he was to being fatherless.

We always like to get as many pictures, hull prints, or whatever informatiion we can get on a ship before diving on them. It helps to know somewhat where you are going or what you are looking for if possible. Ships look different underwater, especially if they are upside down, broken up, or whatever. Very easy to become lost and one has little air time.

[Tom]

Wow!

How long was it before you went down again?

What is it like, diving in Superior,  Is it cold?  What is the visiility?  It must be much different than diving in the ocean.

Have you ever discovered human remains on any of your dives?  What is the rule for the relics?  

Man!  I'm sure glad you made it.

[Norm]

Great story Ron, thank you. Patty and I both got our SCUBA certification in the 80's, Iowa is not the best place for it.

I was wondering if we could talk you into adding a story or two here every so often when you have a chance. I would certainly enjoy it.

[pappy]

WOW for shore,

Ron you must be one cool customer -- it saved your life..

Great story -- give me more -- give me more --

PLEEEASE


Thanks a bunch,
termite

[Ron Scott]

Answering Toms questions:

1) I dove again that afternoon on the shipwrecks Myron and Myztec also off Whitefish Point and have made numerous dives since.

2) Yes, Lake Superior is very cold, especially at deeper depths. It's never much over 35 degrees. It is said that "Lake Superior never gives up its dead", it's just too cold. We wear the Viking dry suit with Viking specially insulated under- layers.

3) Yes, we have discovered human remains, skeletal remains, plus numerous body recoveries. Many additional stories here.

4) Most of the Great Lakes area are now designated State or Federal Underwater Preserves where nothing can be removed from the Lake bottoms or shipwrecks unless one has all the required permits which are not very easy to get. This even includes underwater log salvage.

Much of my early diving years was before all the state and federal regulations. That was when the salvage law prevailed; if it was abandoned and you salvaged it, it was yours. That was during the days when salvage diving was fun.

Being there near Fort Pierce, Florida you are probably well familiar with what professional treasure hunter Mel Fisher and his family went through in his quest for the Atocha. I just watched his story again on TV last Sunday on the History channel.

The sinking of the Cedarville in the straits of Mackinaw is another story, but I might have to give that one in chapters.  

[Patty]

Chapters will work..       I really liked your story and am looking forward to the next. Thanks for sharing.

[Tom]

Heck yeah.  This is fun.

[Ron Scott]

A sequel on the Vienna shipwreck years later. This was just in the Fall/Winter 2004 issue of the Shipwreck Journal of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. One of its anchors is being returned.