Lake Cleanup

Today was lake cleanup day for Husker Divers, and in the morning, divers and their families began arriving for what would turn out to be a super fun day of diving, food, swapping stories, and more diving. The location was L.E. Ray Lake in Grand Island, Nebraska. As soon as the divers saw the lake, the comments about the great vis began - the water looked so clear!

After a pre-dive briefing, everyone geared up and hit the water. Those not diving collected trash around the shore area, while the divers were issued mesh bags to fill with whatever they found. The usual bottles and cans and fishing tackle were brought in after the first dive, and all fishing line was put in its own bag to be sent in to Berkley Fishing's recycling program. Other items found included an ice fishing rod and reel combo, golf balls, a steak knife, a multitude of fishing lures, an old purse, and a duffle bag.

Not a lot of trash was to be found around the shore areas. A fisherman the divers spoke to said he frequently picks up trash around the area, which was good to hear. Another angler the divers met repeatedly thanked us for cleaning up the lake.

At noon, Joe Tyler fired up the grill and cooked a whole lot of burgers and hot dogs for the appreciative group. Donna Tyler manned the condiment and bun table, and the two made sure everyone had plenty to eat, with chips, pop, and water in abundance. Husker Divers provides all the food at this event each year as a thank you to all our divers and other customers.

Following the lunch break, the divers geared back up and hit the water again to find more trash (or treasure, however you look at it).

The day was wonderful, with perfect, sunny weather, lots of families and friends, great food, and fun diving. If you weren't able to make this year's event, we hope to see you next year in July!

Bull Shoals Trip Report

On Friday, July 10th, sixteen divers from Nebraska converged on Pontiac Lodge Resort, on Bull Shoals Lake in Missouri. A meal on the outside deck at the Pontiac Cove Marina restaurant that evening gave most of the group a chance to meet and greet before Saturday's dives began. Most of those present had met before, if only briefly, but a few divers new to Husker Divers joined us, as well.

On Saturday morning, the group converged on the dock and loaded all the tanks and equipment on the two pontoon boats rented for the dives. After setting up dive equipment, everyone settled into a seat and we were underway. Joe Tyler drove the 35-foot boat, and Kelsey Weiss, a Husker Divers DiveCon from Imperial, Nebraska, drove the 24-footer.

This was a mixed group, with several newer divers and a few with more experience. Bull Shoals is ideal for a group like this, as many of the dive sites have a combination of gentle slopes or shallow rock ledges and deeper wall dives. Abundant fish and varied terrain make each site unique and fun to explore.

One of the divers had completed her academic and pool requirements over the winter and was doing her required open water dives for certification during this trip. It was a fantastic first open water experience. She even found a mask and snorkel on the bottom during one of her dives.

That mask and snorkel were just some of the dive booty found at a site that turned out to be just about everyone's favorite. Everyone on the larger boat, anyway. Divers from that boat found a $10 bill, a $5 bill, a brand new bass lure, and a nice, useable pair of sunglasses. One of the Husker Divers staff found a new 10-pound anchor at another site, which made a total of two anchors found and hauled aboard on this trip. Various other fishing tackle was found during the trip, as well.

A highlight of the trip for five of the divers was the deep dive. Joe Tyler led the group down through the murky thermocline and into the 50-foot visibility below. The water temperature there, at 57 degrees, was not as cold as expected. The group found an underwater forest and swam through the tall, dead trees, ducking under branches and maneuvering around the trunks. One diver dropped down to the sloping forest floor, where she found a huge, white-shelled clam (one buddy pair, 20 feet above, said later they saw her carrying the clam and could tell what it was in the clear visibility). At 121 feet, the bottom continued downward but the forest seemed to thin out. It was time to begin the ascent. A large walleye was spotted briefly on the way up, at around 95 feet. During the safety stop, one diver spent the time building sculptures out of the rocks and slabs of shale on the bottom at about 19-20 feet. The group continued to explore the rocky ledges and overhangs as they made their way back to the boat.

Back at the resort, the group spent the evenings grilling on the deck outside the rooms and swapping stories. Pontiac Lodge Resort was ideal, with very clean rooms and kitchenettes in each room. The kitchenettes are stocked with pots and pans, dishes and utensils. A charcoal grill sits outside eatch room (bring your own charcoal and lighter fluid). All linens are provided.

The marina staff was professional and friendly. Our two pontoon boats ran great and were clean and well-maintained.

This trip to Bull Shoals was absolutely wonderful, as was the June trip. Next year's two trip dates are set, and divers can contact Husker Divers for dates and to reserve your spot. Call the store at 402-420-6338 or e-mail huskerdivers@prodigy.net with any questions. Or stop by the store at 5600 S 48th Street in Lincoln (1 block south of 48th Street and Highway 2, across from Sonic). We hope you'll join us next year!

Happenings and What's Going On

Husker Divers had ten Boy Scouts from an Omaha troop complete a Scuba BSA session in the pool on Sunday evening, July 5th. The guys had a great time, and they earned a patch they can wear on their swim trunks. Congrats, guys!

Husker Divers has three new Medic First Aid/CPR instructors. This class is for everyone, not just divers. If you or someone you know would like to take a first aid/CPR class, let us know at 402-420-6338 or at huskerdivers@prodigy.net. Class times are flexible and can be scheduled on evenings and Sundays when the store is closed. Divers, you should know that First aid/CPR certification is required for Stress & Rescue certification.

Our second Bull Shoals, Arkansas trip leaves this Friday. Those who were on the first trip reported 35-40' visibility, and the vis should be just as good for this weekend's trip!

If you haven't visited DAN's (Divers Alert Network) website in awhile, or if you're not yet a DAN member, be sure to check it out. They've added a number of fantastic benefits for members, including free online workshops and travel info. It definitely pays to be a DAN member!

Don't forget to sign up for SSI's 2009 Master Diver Challenge! To be a Master Diver, you need to have completed four specialties plus Stress & Rescue and have 50 logged dives. The next Stress & Rescue/Search & Recovery classes will be held in conjunction with our open water weekend in Kearney the last weekend in July. We'll also be offering these two specialties at the September open waters. Any time we're in Kearney, certified divers are welcome to join us to log dives and/or complete specialties. Just let us know in advance.