DAM Chummers Keep On Diving - 2018

wanderwoman

Tiger Shark
First Name
Jennifer
A murky 30-minute dive at 288 with GWNDWN and a bunch of learners on Sunday, and that takes care of October!!!!
Water was 82 though, so there was that....
 

Siren

Tiger Shark
First Name
Amanda
DUDE!!! We had SO much fun today! 24%'s and my October DAM CHUM dive has been logged!! Today's dive was awesome! We dove at Mermet Springs in Belknap, Illinois; about 30 minutes north of Paducah, KY.

We swam with a spoonbill (normally very elusive), and a VERY VERY NOT SMALL catfish!!! Lots and lots of perch and bass. Swam between the platforms, suspended Cessna, and the school bus & motorcycle. We dove in our wetsuits, because the temps last week were reported MUCH warmer (72 degrees) than what they were today. 55 minute dive. Stayed around 18' because the temperature was 64 degrees. Brrrrr.....I got some video footage of the big catfish, and apparently, he isn't even their big big catfish. The spoonbill was super cool. Mermet Springs is stocked with over 250 of them, and we were promised that if we do a wall dive there next week, we will see lots more of them. For sure busting out the dry suits. It is time.
DSCF1233.JPG DSCF1383.JPG DSCF1374.JPG DSCF1345.JPG
 

Nagae

Nurse Shark
First Name
Jeff
rule check please: when can one start the DAM activity? Post membership or post first CHUM meeting? AngieN and I have logged 16 dives since April but only started CHUM since July and members since August.
 

watermonkee

Tiger Shark
DAM CHUMmer
First Name
Marci
rule check please: when can one start the DAM activity? Post membership or post first CHUM meeting?
Barring any changes, DAM CHUMmer covers the calendar year starting in January and is open to Tiger Sharks to participate. The CHUM board tries to organize a dive event each month to facilitate members in achieving the goal. I encourage you to keep it up!

I also suggest getting the Scientific Diver certification at Spring Lake in San Marcos if you haven't done so already. It's an easy day trip to do excellent diving (and do a volunteer task). Let me know if you need details about it. The board would like to organize a group for the cert class (as it has in the past) sometime in the next few months. It's a good DAM dive in winter, because the water temp is constant at about 71 degrees year-round. Many of us do fine in a good 3mm wetsuit, but it's good for trying out/practicing/buoyancy-checking with a thicker suit or dry suit.
 

Siren

Tiger Shark
First Name
Amanda
November done for both 24% and me!

We went back to Mermet Springs today for a very chilly afternoon dive. Air temp 40 degrees. We started an hour later than our dive there last week; then halfway through the dive, we realized it was really like 2 HOURS later since daylight savings time. No wonder it was so dark underwater. Overcast day, and began the dive at 3pm, which was really like 4pm with the time change. 51 minutes underwater down to 27' before we turned around and hung out in the 20' range due to sunlight. Wore our drysuits today. 60 degrees. SO MANY FISH - large bass, tons of perch, and our favorite mammoth catfish. I got more pictures and a great couple of videos of the catfish, and will try an post a few tomorrow.

One more month till our 3rd DAM CHUM year is IN THE BAG!!! WHOO HOOO!!!
 
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LegoBloxs

Tiger Shark
DAM CHUMmer
First Name
Simon
November dives accomplished, took the day off work and hit Spring Lake with Birddog. We did two dives, Cream of Wheat through to Ocified Forrest clearing weed out of the springs and detritus. Second dive in Deep Hole clearing the upstream side. Both dives well over an hour and all work. Reopened about a dozen small spring in deep hole alone that had be clogged with sediment and detritus.
 

ReefHound

The Last Poobah
DAM CHUMmer
First Name
Todd
watermonkee and reefhound completed November at Spring Lake with a 70 minute dive at Ossified Forest.
 

birddog

Tiger Shark
DAM CHUMmer
First Name
Tracy
December dive in the bag for myself and Legobloxs. Over an hours
dive in Spring Lake. Fish were very curious and a Long nosed gar got a little closer than I was expecting.
 
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