Bottom Time E-Mail News Archives
February 16, 2015
We are looking at a couple of different dates for doing the ice diving class this winter. The dates would be the weekend of March 14 th or the 28 th. We need to know which dates will work out for the most that would like to take the class so please let us know as soon as possible so we can post the dates for the class. If you are already certified as an ice diver you are welcome to come along and make the dives.
I know it seems early to be talking about doing a dive trip in 2016 but because of where we are looking at going I need to see how much interest we would have and that way you can start putting money away for the trip so you do not get hit all at once. The first locations we are looking at are Chuuk Lagoon and Yap. Because of the distance and time it takes to travel there we would like to make it worthwhile and do 5 days of diving at Chuuk and 5 days of diving at Yap. When we did this trip in the past we did a day layover in Hawaii and then flew to Chuuk Lagoon to dive the shipwrecks in the lagoon. This is not extreme diving as most of the diving is done on the outside of the wrecks as there is much to see and also doing some diving in some of the exposed holds in the ships. The wrecks are also known for their large amounts of soft coral. You will be able to dive a destroyer, freighters, a Betty Bomber, Zeke Zero and a Submarine. We will have one day layover before we can fly off to Yap. Yap is known for its Manta Ray Diving and macro photography. We will also do site seeing on both islands as part of the trip.
Our other choice would be Fiji. The shop took a group there 4 years ago and everyone that was on the trip said they would go back again so we are looking at this site also. Fiji is known for its colorful corals and shark diving. You will also spend time learning about their culture and see the fire walkers walk on hot coals. I am looking at which trip that most of you would be interested in so I can together with the travel agents and get locked into a good price for the trip. I would like to have responses by the first of March of which trip you would be most interested in. If you would like more information on either trip give me a call and I will answer any questions you may have.
On a separate note someone borrowed one of the Books on Chuuk Lagoon and would you make arrangements to drop it off so I have it available for others to see it so they can learn more about the trip.
Spring classes are posted on the web page on the Calendar and on the Training page. We will be teaching classes in Mahnomen, Fergus Falls, and Detroit Lakes starting in March. If we get enough interest we will also be starting classes this spring in Staples and we are still looking for a location to teach classes in the Fargo Moorhead area so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know.
The weekend of March 21 st is the Upper Midwest Scuba Show at the Double Tree by Hilton in Brooklyn Center. Here are some of the presentations that will be given during the day. Here is the website to see what other talks will be presented as well as information on exhibitors and other things going on at the show. http://www.umsatshow.org/
Everyone that has been down to the show with me comment on how great the show is and look forward to going back each year.
Dr. James Delgado
Director of Maritime Heritage of National Marine Sanctuaries NOAA.
Dr. James P. Delgado, Director of Maritime Heritage in the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries for the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Dr. Delgado has led or participated in shipwreck expeditions around the world. His undersea explorations include RMS Titanic, the discoveries of Carpathia, the ship that rescued Titanic's survivors, and the notorious "ghost ship" Mary Celeste, as well as surveys of USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, the sunken fleet of atomic-bombed warships at Bikini Atoll, the polar exploration ship Maud, wrecked in the Arctic, the 1846 wreck of the United States naval brig Somers, whose tragic story inspired Herman Melville's Billy Budd, and Sub Marine Explorer, a civil war-era find and the world's oldest known deep-diving submarine. His archaeological work has also included the excavation of ships and collapsed buildings along the now-buried waterfront of Gold Rush San Francisco
Exploring Civil War Shipwrecks
Jim has been an invited speaker at conferences, media events and public presentations throughout his career. He has given hundreds of live presentations to audiences ranging from a few dozen to a few thousand. Jim is highly sought as a speaker and is represented by the National Speakers Bureau. Warship stories often include a tragic narrative of warfare at sea. Please join us as Jim draws upon his knowledge as an underwater archaeologist, naval historian, and uses his renowned storytelling skills to regale us with stories of civil war shipwrecks.
Dennis Hale
Author and Sole Survivor of the SS Daniel J. Morrell
Dennis Hale has been a survivor his entire life, from the moment of his birth to his reckless days as a teenager hitch-hiking across the country. Bu nothing could prepare him for his tragic ordeal on the steamship Daniel J. Morrell. Ripped in two by gale-force winds, the entire crew was tossed into frigid waters. Dennis and three others made it to a life-raft... only to face 30 foot waves and freezing overnight temperatures. The sole survivor persevered two November nights--clad only in a lifejacket, peacoat and his underwear. This is his story.
Shipwrecked
On November 29th 1966, the Great Lakes ore freighter Daniel J. Morrell was northbound in Lake Huron, fighting gale-force winds and tremendous waves. Suddenly, with no warning, the Morrell began to break in half. Ripped in two by gale-force winds, the entire crew was tossed into the frigid waters. Dennis and three others made it to a liferaft — only to face 30 foot waves and freezing overnight temperatures. The sole survivor persevered two November nights clad only in a lifejacket, peacoat and his underwear. This is his story.
John Janzen
Underwater Videographer & Dive Instructor
John Janzen is a rebreather and technical diving instructor who has been diving the Great Lakes for 25 years. He has made many notable accomplishments such as the first dives on the stern of the Carl D. Bradley (370 feet), the first entry of the Bradley's engine room and he holds penetration records in submerged tunnels of regional copper and lead mines. In 2007, he and John Scoles recovered the Bradley's bell, which was the deepest artifact recovery ever performed in the great lakes by autonomous divers. The story is told in the Emmy award-winning documentary November Requiem. John has worked as a diver and videographer for National Geographic, NOAA, Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institution, Michigan State Police, U.S. Coast Guard and The History Channel. Most recently, his videography has been featured in the Great Lake Warriors TV series.
John has written for Wreck Diving and Advanced Diver Magazines, published the Diver's Guide to Lake Wazee and wrote the factory service manual for the Inspiration rebreather. He holds a B.S. degree in Chemistry and is a certified machinist. He works professionally as an Engineer in the defense industry, where he has contributed to many programs including Cray supercomputers, NASA, Navy Research Laboratory, National Missile Defense, DARPA and most recently, in the field of explosives chemistry.
Exploring the Daniel J. Morrell
The Daniel J. Morrell is the shipwreck that Dennis Hale survived. Join John Janzen as he explores both the bow and stern sections of the Daniel J. Morrell which lie five miles apart. With John Scoles the team known as the Johns explored the pristine engine room of the Morrell and Janzen will share their amazing video of this deep penetration dive. Seeing the Johns’ high quality video is a treat you won’t want to miss..
Fred Johnson
Historian, Author, Teacher
Red Wing native Frederick L. Johnson has combined two professional careers. He taught in St. Paul Public Schools for 34 years, 1967-2001, earning the Minnesota Chamber Foundation’s Education Excellence Award in 1987 and receiving a 1990 national Thanks to Teachers award at the Kennedy Center Education Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C. He was a member of a 12-person team selected to teach in the People’s Republic of China in 1988, and a two-time recipient of Minnesota Historical Society’s Excellence in Teaching History (1990 and 1992). As a writer, he served as an associate editor and reporter for the Washington County Bulletin from 1970 to 1983, winning Minnesota Newspaper Association First Places for reporting in 1975 and again in 1977. Fred Johnson has to his credit nine books about Minnesota history along with numerous magazine articles in respected journals including Minnesota History, Aviation History, Minnesota Genealogist and Hennepin County History. The American Association for State and Local History gave his 2008 book Richfield: Minnesota’s Oldest Suburb a special award for exceptional scholarship. Johnson’s The Big Water (Deep Haven Press, 2013) has been called the “definitive” history of Lake Minnetonka. Johnson’s new book The Sea Wing Disaster: Tragedy on Lake Pepin is an expanded and updated version of his original, The Sea Wing Disaster, published by the Goodhue County Historical Society in 1986, reprinted in 1990. The new edition includes 185 photographs and maps along with newly-developed research—letters, documents, public records. The oversize 7.5 x 10” book features color throughout along with annotated endnotes and an index.
The Sea Wing Disaster
The July 13, 1890, capsizing of the steamer Sea Wing and the death of 98 of its passengers horrified Minnesota and the nation. A severe Lake Pepin storm hammered the riverboat, its attached barge, and their 215 passengers during a Sunday evening return voyage to Red Wing. Residents of that city, home to most of the victims, suffered through four days of anguish: the return of 52 of the dead to the city levee on Monday morning, 44 funerals on Tuesday, cannons and dynamite used in hope of raising bodies of the missing, and the recovery of the remaining victims on Wednesday and Thursday. Twin City newspapers rightfully called Red Wing the “City of the Dead,” but small Wisconsin river-bordering communities also suffered. Diamond Bluff and Trenton each saw ten killed. In terms of lives lost, the wreck of the Sea Wing ranks among the most deadly accidents on the nation’s inland waters.
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Tri-State Diving Making Diving Safe and Adventurous
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Sea You on the Bottom
Tri-State Diving Making Diving Safe and Adventurous
