The Bottom Breathers Dive Club meeting covered local dive sites, choosing a new dive computer, and upcoming 2019 events. Local sites discussed were Haigh Quarry, Mermet Springs, and Lake Michigan. Features to consider when choosing a dive computer included display size, nitrox support, integration with air tanks, and ease of use. The 2019 events calendar included trips to the Florida Keys in June and Mermet Springs in October.

1. Bottom Breathers Dive Club
Meeting: 5-Apr-2019
Today's topics:
Local (“local”) diving sites,
Choosing a new dive computer

2. 2019 Events
• Next meeting – May 10, 2019
• April 6th - Haigh quarry opens
• June 20-25 - Florida Keys trip
• July: No Meeting (Summer vacations)
• Aug 17th - Club BBQ (changed date)
• Oct 4-6 - Mermet Springs trip
• Oct 11th - Club meeting, pizza party @ Dan &
Anne's House
• Oct 20th - Underwater pumpkin carving (Haigh)

3. 2020 Events
• Jan 11th, 2020 - Club party
• Jan 29-Feb 6, 2020 - Socorro Liveaboard
(Nautilus Belle Amie)
• July 31-Aug 5, 2020 - Guadalupe White Shark
Liveaboard (Nautilus Belle Amie)

4. Florida Keys 2019
Trip Info
Trip information
June 20-25, 2019

9. Trip information
• Local Diving in Key Largo (6/21-6/24):
– 2-tank morning boat to wrecks and deep sites
– 2-tank afternoon boat to shallow reefs
• All boat trips optional, a la carte, up to 16
dives
• Pricing varies based on dives selected, $1022
for 16 dives including room, tanks, weights,
nitrox on wreck dives (flights not included )
– Reef only: 8 dives, room, tanks, weights: $630

10. Trip information
• Accommodations: Ocean Pointe Suites in Key
Largo (MM 92.5 oceanside), sharing 2 BR condos
with laundry and full kitchens, 4 to a room
• Diving: Florida Keys Dive Center (MM 90.4
oceanside), full service, rentals, 46’ Newton boats
• Plan A: Fly on 6/20, dive! 6/21-24, fly out in PM
on 6/25. Use MIA or FLL airports.
– Share rental cars where possible from FLL or MIA

11. Trip information
• Plan B: All of Plan A PLUS go dive Blue Herron
Bridge on 6/25 (high tide at 3:08pm)
• Questions/Reserve at
info@bottombreathers.org

12. Socorro Island
Liveaboard Info
Trip information
January 29-February 6, *2020*

13. Trip information
• Jan 29-Feb 6, *2020*--8 nights, 9 days
• Nautilus Belle Amie – 140’ long, 33’ wide
(www.nautilusbelleamie.com)
• 2 cabin classes available (9 spots remaining)
– 1 premium suite berth (male)
– 0 superior suite berth SOLD OUT
– 8 lower deck stateroom berths
– 0 single stateroom SOLD OUT
• Boat can handle 30 divers total
• Details on www.bottombreathers.org (right side link)
• Reserve at info@bottombreathers.org

14. Trip information
• Departs Cabo San Lucas in the evening
• We will stay one night before and 1 night after
for travel ease.
• Free checkout dive before boarding on first
day!
• Currently 18 divers from our last “Socorro”
trip signed up – a great group!
• Info: http://www.bottombreathers.org/2018/07/23/bottom-breathers-
liveaboard-29-jan-2020-socorro/

15. Trip information
• Pricing:
– Premium - $4695 - main deck – 1 berth left (male)
– Superior - $4095 - upper deck – SOLD OUT
– Stateroom - $3595 - lower deck
– Single stateroom - $4494 - lower deck– SOLD OUT

16. Trip information
• Payment:
– $100 deposit to reserve a spot (non-refundable)
– 10% due 29-Jul-2018 now
– 10% due 29-Apr-2019
– 20% due 29-Jul-2019
– balance (~60%) due 30-Nov-2019
• Payment types: paypal, credit card, personal
check, electronic payment

17. Guadalupe Island
Liveaboard Info
Trip information
Jul 31-Aug 5, *2020*

18. Trip information
• Cage “diving” tethered to the boat
• 2 surface cages (6am-6pm)
• 3 submersible cages (scheduled)
• 2 bait stations (crew only)
• No fins, no scuba – surface-supplied air
• Water temps in July: 72F
• Logistics: Fly to San Diego, bus to Ensenada, MX and
return to San Diego via bus after
• Info: http://www.bottombreathers.org/2018/07/23/bottom-breathers-
liveaboard-31-jul-2020-guadalupe-white-shark-cage-dives/

19. Trip information

20. Trip information
• Jul 31-Aug 5, *2020*--5 nights, 6 days
• Nautilus Belle Amie – 140’ long, 33’ wide
(www.nautilusbelleamie.com)
• 5 cabin classes available (28 spots remaining)
– 4 premium suite berths
– 8 superior suite berths
– 12 lower deck stateroom berths
– 2 single staterooms
– 2 “triple” stateroom berths (3 bunks, 2 occupants)
• Boat can handle 32 “divers” total
• Reserve at info@bottombreathers.org

21. Trip information
• Pricing:
– Premium - $4295 - main deck
– Superior - $3695 - upper deck
– Stateroom - $3195 - lower deck
– Single stateroom - $3994 - lower deck
– Triple stateroom - $2895 - lower deck

22. Trip information
• Payment:
– $100 deposit to reserve a spot (non-refundable)
– 10% due 31-Jan-2019
– 10% due 31-Oct-2019
– 20% due 31-Jan-2020
– balance (~60%) due 1-Jun-2020
• Payment types: paypal, credit card, personal
check, electronic payment

23. “Local” dive sites
At least you can drive there 

24. Haigh Quarry
• About 90 minutes from the dive shop
• Familiar to many, friendly faces
• Outhouse style bathrooms, fresh-air changing
rooms
• See: “friendly” bluegill, catfish, truck, WI duck,
30’ cabin cruiser, fire engine, box truck, statues,
rock quarry equipment (crusher, drill, etc), U/W
archeology site, swim-thru tube, the “hole”
• Open April-Nov

25. Haigh Quarry
• Water temps vary by depth (available online)
– 20’: 70s in July/Aug, 50s in Apr/May
– 40’: low 50s in July/Aug
– 80’: 40s pretty much all the time
• Many platforms available (mostly available)
• Gear rental, fill station onsite
• Ice diving offered one date in February typically
• $30/day
• https://www.haighquarry.com/

26. Mermet Springs
• About 5.5 hours from the dive shop, loc: near
Metropolis, IL
• Heated, indoor plumbing toilets, hot showers
• See: paddlefish, trucks, train cars, boats, planes,
helicopter, ambulance, 727 fuselage
• Guide lines from one attraction to another
• U/W music (typically tropical rock, requests
possible)
• Open year round, less hours in winter

27. Mermet Springs
• Water temps vary by depth (available online)
– 20’: 70s in July/Aug, 50s in Apr/May
– 40’: low 50s in July/Aug
– 80’: 40s pretty much all the time
• Several platforms available (mostly available)
• Gear rental (incl dry suits), fill station onsite
• Onsite campground (tents and also RV hookups)
• Snacks/sandwiches/drinks available onsite
• $25/day
• https://www.mermetsprings.com/

28. Bonne Terre Mine
• About 5 hours from the dive shop
• Familiar to many, friendly faces
• Diving in a cave, but with surface air, so not
“cave diving” – OW certification sufficient
• See: One fish (maybe), ore carts, huge pillars,
miner caps, dynamite packing material, light
bulbs, writing on the walls, platforms for
mining
• Open year round

29. Bonne Terre Mine
• Water temps constant all year: 57F
• Guided dives on “trails” – different trails each trip
(if you go each year)
• Gear rental, fill station onsite
• Offer accommodations in the train depot, other
places (also a Super 8 motel in town)
• $80/dive (no accommodations), packages
available for dive+accommodations
• https://www.bonneterremine.com/

30. Pearl Lake
• About 90 minutes from the dive shop
• See: school bus, a twin-engine airplane, a
vintage steam shovel and over 15 sunken
vessels including a 33 ft. yellow submarine, 30
ft. patrol boat and a 45 ft Great Lakes fishing
trawler
• Popular summer swimming beach available
too
• Open April-Nov

31. Pearl Lake
• Water temps vary by depth (available online)
– 20’: 70s in July/Aug, 50s in Apr/May
– 40’: low 50s in July/Aug
• Many platforms available
• Camping available, restaurant onsite
• Gear rental, fill station onsite
• $30/day
• http://www.pearllake.com/

32. Lake Michigan
• 30 minutes to 3 hours from dive shop 
• Temps: vary with depth, typically 50s
• See: Wrecks! Most are natural, some artificial
reefs
• Several local shops host boat trips

33. Strode Lake
• Canton, IL – 3h from dive shop
• Managed by local park district
• Was an old strip mine
• Max depth: 60 feet
• See: bus, coffin, two boats, a step van, and a semi
tractor flat bed
• No shop, no equipment rentals, no air fills onsite
• $5 entry fee
• Google: Strode Lake scuba

34. Chilicothe Rec Area
• Chilicothe, IL – 2h from dive shop
• Managed by local park district
• Was an old strip mine
• Max depth: 25 feet
• No air fills on site, no dive shop
• See: school bus, several boats, & dive platforms
may be found
• $15 entry fee
• Google: Chilicothe rec area scuba

35. Red Granite Quarry
• Red Granite, WI – 3.6h from dive shop
• Max depth: 238 feet!
• No air fills on site, no dive shop
• See: fish , railroad tracks with old ore cars,
plus there are old Model A Ford auto parts at
the west end, where there was once a garage
• $15 entry fee
• Google: red granite quarry scuba

36. Choosing a new dive computer
Considerations and features

37. Dive Computer Features
• Display size and visibility (backlight?)
• Nitrox (mixed gas) support
• Air integration (wireless or console mounted)
• Location: wrist or console mounted
• Ease of menu navigation (aka “why I hate
renting computers”)
• Remote monitoring (for your buddy’s air)
• Durability

38. Dive Computer Features
• Battery: self-change or shop/mail in
• Download capability
– Bluetooth or wired
– To computer, smart phone, tablet?
• Alarms: programmable, depth, low air, ascent
rate
• Algorithms: conservative vs liberal vs kitchen
timer
• Activation: manual turn on or water activated
• Price!

39. 2019 Events
• Next meeting – May 10, 2019
• April 6th - Haigh quarry opens
• June 20-25 - Florida Keys trip
• July: No Meeting (Summer vacations)
• Aug 17th - Club BBQ (changed date)
• Oct 4-6 - Mermet Springs trip
• Oct 11th - Club meeting, pizza party @ Dan &
Anne's House
• Oct 20th - Underwater pumpkin carving (Haigh)

40. Tonight’s Social Time…
• Dinner (fish & chips, anyone?) and drinks at:
• Draft Picks Restaurant
– 523 Fairway Dr
– Naperville