Isle Royale

[flyboy65]

Chartered with Superior Scuba Center here in Duluth aboard the "Wreckreation" yesterday, Aug 31.  Our first dive was the George M Cox.  88' max, 66°surface temp, 62° at depth!  Awesome dive.  She's pretty busted up, but it was a great dive.

Went in and registered at the office, made sandwiches, and headed over to the "America".  This was what I'd been waiting for.  We were doing two dives on the America.  Water temp was the same...62° all the way around.  Lots of penetrations throughout the wreck.  Almost lost a camera down there.  I dropped it somewhere, we looked for it, and found it floating in the ceiling rafters on the last dive...whew! 

Boy, I'd have to say this was the best wreck I've been on to date.  Our third and last dive was also my 100th lifetime dive! 

Overall, a most excellent day of diving!

[Roger Southwick]

Thanks for the report, and congrats on your 100th dive!

[flyboy65]

Thanks.  I was pretty happy that I logged that dive on the America!  Very sweet wreck.

Hoping to get to the north end of the island next summer.  Sounds like those wrecks are pretty spectacular. 

I found Isle Royale very intriguing.  Google satelight shows it to be really gouged up on the north end...many separate islands.  Looks like the glacier just ripped into it!

[Roger Southwick]

During our trip on the Heyboy we noticed the same thing on a nice relief map that Cap'n Ken has on the dining table.  There are some north-south gouges made by a giant wolfman -- or maybe glaciers.   

On our way back down the island, you could see those troughs running across the entire island.  I never noticed them before checking that map.

[flyboy65]

I do plan on going back to explore that island for three days or so. 

[scott1611]

I was up there on the "Wreckreation" this past weekend, departed on the 1st and came back on the 3rd.

We didn't get to dive the America as planned on the 1st, but headed up and dove the Congdon Bow (50F at 98ft) and then the Emperor Bow (57F at 68ft).  Then on the 2nd we dove the Congdon Stern (50F at 121ft) and then the Emperor stern (48F at 118ft) and finished that day with the Monarch (59F at 91ft).  Last day we dove the Emperor stern (45F at 127ft) then dove the America (61F at 73ft) twice before heading back to Grand Portage.  Surface temp was between 65F and 67F the entire time.  Had some current the first two days, but then on Sunday it was calm and no current (on the Emperor).

I really enjoyed my trip up there, and the warm water I experienced on the Madeira the week prior I think followed me up there. 

Congrats on #100 flyboy, I came back with #44 myself.  Maybe I can luck out and get #100 next year up there....I'm leaning toward an Isle Royale trip each year now....