“MUD Club”     December 2011 Update

Next Meeting:   Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Andrews University - Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall – Berrien Springs, Mi

Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.  3^rd Tuesday of every month except Dec                                                               

Last Meeting Highlights:

 Results of the November Elections for 2012 Club Officers:

Bob Sweeney (President)      Don McAlhany (V.P.)        Ric Kling  (Treasurer)

      (269-429-6711)                  (269-249-5527)                 (269-944-5026) 

January Meeting:

 Major item will be the collection of Dues, if you are still interested in being a member, please settle up at the January meeting or send a check made out to Ric Kling for $15 & note that it’s for 2012 MUD Dues.  It is intended to have the member phone books out at the March meeting so we need to know who the paid members are. 

Please review the 2011 phone book and check for correct spellings, phone numbers, email address and any other information you might want in the booklet. For Sir Larry to produce an error fee booklet he needs your current & updated information ASAP. 

Have your 2012 diving suggestions, dates and places ready. The places MUDDIES dove last year can be reviewed under the “2011 Events” calendar on the Club website. 

 New Years Gathering & Cold Water Dive:      

Saturday evening, December 31 with:   

Don & Sharon McAlhany     4142 Browning Drive      St. Joseph, Mi 49085     (H) 269-429-5527 

Remember to bring a plate to pass and the Club furnishes the soft drink. If you plan on diving bring your gear (wet suits are acceptable), consider bringing an old dive picture or found “treasure”. Prior year diving videos anticipated. The gathering begins at 1900 hrs.  Looking forward to seeing you ALL. 

Remember You Do Not Have To Dive To Come Over!   If directional assistance is needed or you get lost on the way, call Don’s house number.   A call to Don confirming that you are coming would be appreciated.

 Directions to McALhany’s

(1) If coming from Niles/ Berrien Springs go toward St. Joseph on Old US31 /139, at Scottdale Road & Miners Road (at the stop light) turn Left, Approximately ¼ mile down the road, turn Left on E Glenlord Road, Go thru the intersections of Hollywood, Lincoln, Washington Turn Left on to Browning Drive.

 (2) If coming in from I-94, get off at Exit 23, Go North on Red Arrow Hwy,   Turn Right on to Glenlord Road, Go thru the intersection of Cleveland & Glenlord, Turn Right on to Browning Drive.

  Don’s house is the third house on the Right. Look for the cars and dive flag

If you have not yet done so, check out http://www.facebook.com/scubaobsessed and then http://www.scubaobsessed.com/home.  If you like leave a comment so Darrin can tell you visited the site.  Thanks, Mac

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“MUD Club”      Next Meeting:

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Andrews University -  Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall

Berrien Springs, MI      Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m. 

 (3rd Tuesday of every month except December)                                                                            

October Meeting:

 Key Items this month are:

1)     Club Officer Election night so please consider volunteering for an office.

2)     Turkey Dive is scheduled for November 26 which is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Tentative dive site is the Saint Joseph River in Benton Harbor River View Park at 1300 hrs. Depending on water conditions the location may change so make sure you contact a club officer if you are going in case the site is changed. Aerial picture of dive sites located on http://mudclub.scubaobsessed.com/dive-sites/rivers

 3)     The New Years Eve Gathering and Dive staging location is at Mack’s house. Additional details and map will be sent out in December – RSVP requested

 Last Meeting Highlights:

There were 13 in attendance at last month’s meeting, items discussed were:

1)     Cooper River Tales and lessons learned from the dive trip in South Carolina coupled with show and tell on fossils and shark teeth recovered.

2)     Discussed local dive to Lake 16, river dives in Niles, last Lake Michigan dive and plugged the scheduled  SASS Pub Crawl.

3)     Member Tim Swenor announced that he will be moving to Florida in the coming months and we wish him well in the land of warm water and great visibility.

4)     Show & Tell by Tim S & Ken R included showing of treasures and pictures of items recovered.

5)     Discussed HID and LED lights, Cousteau presentation at Gull Lake HS, Ship Wreck Conference in Muskegon, formation of a West Mi. U/W Preserve, Aluminum Cylinders made from 6351 alloy & rupture under pressure, Possible car in Chain-O-Lakes, who is looking for dive equipment, feedback on who took the test included in the last newsletter and who is interested in a Bonne Terre trip?

 Diving:

As always, Club Decals & Club T-shirts can be available at the meeting but drop Mac a line at muddydiver@aol.com to identify size & quantity wanted.

 HELP is needed to keep the Mud Club web site updated with YOUR dives and finds so send a email to muddydiver@aol.com with details of Who, What, When, Where- (Who went, what you did, when did you go, what did you find, what was the visibility and water temperature) and include a picture or two.

                       The water is still sort of warm so get wet quick before it thickens!

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“MUD Club”

 Next Meeting:   Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Andrews University   – Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall  – Berrien Springs, Mi

Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.    (3rd Tuesday of every month except December)                                               

October Meeting: 

Agenda: Introduce Visitors, Present Club Information & General Dive related news; Ask who has other dive related news, a “Show & Tell” item, Do-it-Yourself (DIY) project, Tale of current diving experience and/ or lesson learned and then its , Open Session. 

As always, Club Decals & Club T-shirts can be available at the meeting but drop Mac a line at muddydiver@aol.com to identify size & quantity wanted. 

Last Meeting Highlights:

There were 16 in attendance at last month’s meeting which was highlighted by Rich Synowiec of Divers Inc. presentation “Diving for Carcharodon Megalodon teeth” and other fossils in the Cooper River which is located in Berkley County near Charleston, SC.

Other items covered included:

1) Reminder that November is election night so think about volunteering for an office, 2) The Turkey dive is scheduled for Saturday, Nov 26 at Riverview Park, 3) The New Years Eve gathering and dive staging location is at Mack’s house- details later, 4) Considerable diving related exchanges which included:

Mack’s Wreck, Fire Boat/Crane, Cedarville, W/H.Barnum, Stalker, Indian lake, Ross, Lee, Eagle, Cora, Duncan Bay, St. Joseph river in Niles, and more.

5) Show & Tell items included Mack’s Sword & micro-anchor from the river and the watch found by Darrin during a wreck dive, 6) Welcome to our newest member “Tim Swenor” a brand new diver but experienced treasure hunter and owner of treasuresdownunder.com/

Diving:

Help keep the Mud Club web site updated with YOUR dives and finds so send a email to muddydiver@aol.com with details of Who, What, When, Where- (Who went, what you did, when did you go, what did you find, what was the visibility and water temperature) and include a picture or two. The water is still sort of warm so get wet quick before it thickens!

 For Sale:  Farmer john style wetsuit and an older jacket style BC:  Jim Scholz

Wanted :  Used 80 cf tank – Mary Beth.

Ear Exam

 What is the most common dive injury?

A. Decompression sickness
B. Lionfish stings
C. Middle ear barotrauma
D. Jellyfish stings

 In what position is it typically easiest to equalize?

A. Head up, feet down
B. Horizontally
C. Head down, feet up

If you are unable to equalize, what should you do?

A. Continue to descend.
B. Force it.
C. Ascend a little bit; try again gently. If still unable, end the dive.
D. Stay where you are.
E. Both B. and D.

 True or False: When you reach maximum depth, you should equalize again.

True  or   False

 If you surface with a feeling of fullness in your ears or hear crackling sounds, you should:

A. Continue diving    B. Discontinue diving    C. Attempt to equalize  D. Seek a medical evaluation
E. Both B. and D.

 A reverse block is…

A. Blockage of the outer ear canal that occurs on ascent and may result in barotrauma.
B. Blockage of the Eustachian tube that occurs on ascent and may result in barotrauma.
C. Blockage of the Eustachian tube that occurs on descent and may result in barotrauma.
D. Blockage of the outer ear canal that occurs on descent and may result in barotrauma.

 What do you do if you experience a reverse block?

A. Descend a little and gently try to equalize.
B. Ascend a little and gently try to equalize.
C. Shake your head from side to side.
D. Descend quickly to avoid further injury.
E. Both C. and D.

 What is the most common contributor to a reverse block?

A. Difficulty equalizing on descent
B. Cold water
C. Congestion
D. Both A and C.

 What do you do if you experience a sinus squeeze during descent?

A. Ascend a few feet and gently try to equalize.
B. Descend a few feet and gently try to equalize.
C. Level off.
D. Clear your mask.

 A diver surfaces and reports his ears are ringing; he is nauseous and extremely dizzy. What should you do?

A. Ask him to try to equalize.
B. Have a trained oxygen provider administer oxygen.
C. Seek the closest emergency medical care.
D. Call DAN.
E. Drive him to the nearest hyperbaric chamber.
F. B., C. and D.

 Discussion & Answers at the meeting or go to http://www.alertdiver.com/?articleNo=651

where the sample questions were extracted from.   Great DAN quiz!

 

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“MUD Club”

Next Meeting: Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Andrews University,  Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall, Berrien Springs, Mi    

Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.  (3rd Tuesday of every month except December) 

 September Meeting: 

Agenda: Introduce Visitors, Present Club Information & General Dive related news; Ask who has other dive related news, a “Show & Tell” item, Do-it-Yourself (DIY) project, Tale of current diving experience and/ or lesson learned and then its , Open Session. 

As always, Club Decals & Club T-shirts can be available at the meeting but drop Mac a line at muddydiver@aol.com to identify size & quantity wanted. 

Last Meeting Highlights:

There were 20 in attendance at last month’s meeting including two AU students Chris Greenley & Sinclair Johnston. Discussed the good turnout at the August Club Steak Fry & Dive at Gull Lake, Anticipatory planning for the September Cheboygan Dive trip, Certification of Mary Beth & Dan F, AU Scuba club on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/AUSCUBACLUB/

Lots of diving related exchanges which included: Macks Wreck, Gull lake, Lake Michigan Structures & Pier, The Havana, St, Joseph river in Niles & Berrien Springs,  Lake 16, and more. 

Diving:

If you are planning a dive & want company add it to the clubs EVENTS Calendar and the DISCUSSION area of the web site at mudclub.scubaobsessed.com so others may join in the fun. 

Assistance Wanted: 

The club would like to keep the Mud Club web site updated with YOUR dives and finds so please send a email to muddydiver@aol.com with details of Who, What, When, Where- PLEASE! (Who went, what you did, when did you go, what did you find, what was the visibility and water temperature) and include a picture or two. 

                            The water is still warm – Get wet quick before it thickens!  

H-P8/19/11)     Mussel Mayhem in Minnesota: 

The mussel and the damage done.   A perfect example of the dangers of invasive species is Minnesota’s Lake Mille Lacs, about a 100 miles from Duluth. 

The lake is 128,223 acres (200 square miles) with a Max depth of 42 feet

2005: In 60 dives , 4 zebra mussels are found

2008: Point 4 mussels per square foot

2009: Four mussels per square foot

2010: 14 mussels per square foot

2011: More than 1,000 mussels per square foot (7 mussels per square inch). Peak densities of 10,000 per square foot have been  found.

Its taken only 6 years for the zebra mussel to completely dominate the state’s iconic Lake Mille Lacs.  Zebra mussels average life span is 3 to 5 years. They filter up to a quart of water daily and consume algae, which is food for zooplankton, which is essential food for small fish.  At a density of 500 zebra mussels per square foot, the mussels would filter the entire water column above them every day. In this lake the water will be completely filtered every day, possibly more often. Cleaner water has increased the vegetation growth including the growth of Eurasian watermilfoil which is another invasive found in Mille Lacs.

H-P September 4, 2011   An ecological changing of the guard.  

The great lakes are home  to more than 185 exotic species, but none has done as much to disrupt the base of the food wep as zebra and quagga mussels. Zebra mussels were once  the dominant invasive mussel species in Lake Michigan but they virtually have been eliminated by their close relative, the quagga mussel. In just a decade , the filter –feeding mollusks literally have turned life upside down in Lake Michigan by sucking to the bottom mush of the plankton that sustained a healthy commercial fishing industry.                                             

     

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“MUD Club”    

Next Meeting:  Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Andrews University  – Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall      Berrien Springs, Mi                                  

Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.      (3rd Tuesday of every month)                                                                 

 August Meeting:

 Agenda: Introduce Visitors, Present Club Information & General Dive related news;

Ask who has other dive related news, a “Show & Tell” item, Do-it-Yourself (DIY) project, tale of current diving experience or lesson learned and then its , Open Session.

 Finalize Cheboygan Wreck & Grubbing Trip, September 9-11 (http://www.birchhausmotel.com/)

As always, Club Decals & Club T-shirts can be available at the meeting but drop Mac a line at muddydiver@aol.com to identify size & quantity wanted.

 

Last Meeting Highlights:

There were 21 in attendance at last month’s meeting, A “Thanks” to Jim S getting security to open the meeting room for us.  Primary meeting task was to finalize plans for the Club Steak fry. Other items included where to get hydro’s, lesson learned on o-rings, Trade & exchange opportunity, Wolf’s Dive Shop newest employees Alex & Jeremy, Anyone want to go to Whitefish point before Cheboygan, 1000 muskets “missing from the Lady Elgin Wreck, Leroy’s mask DIY worked fine, Diver Training Magazine distributed, Dives:  Dead Cow dive at Ross Park, Lake 16, Wreck dives on MSB, Tacoma, Muskegon, South Wreck; Rings, wallets, tackle box return.

Diving:

If you are planning a dive & want company add it to the clubs EVENTS Calendar and the DISCUSSION area of the web site at mudclub.scubaobsessed.com so others may join in the fun.

 Dive Equipment:              Trade or Give Away

If anyone has serviceable/ useable dive related gear or accessories they want to trade or even give away to another diver bring it to the meeting.

You are not getting wet?              WHY ! ? !

 

B.C.’s Are Not Weight Belt Compensating Devices

by

Larry “Harris” Taylor, Ph.D.

This is an electronic reprint of an article that appeared in Underwater USA (Oct. 1993, p. 35). This material is copyrighted and all rights retained by the author. This article is made available as a service to the diving community by the author and may be distributed for any non-commercial or Not-For-Profit use. All rights reserved.  

There is within our sport diving community a disturbing trend to overweight. We are propagating a generation of divers who actually believe the myth that it is necessary to grossly overweight in order to go diving. That myth is simply not true!  Dan Orr, Training Coordinator for D.A.N., has interviewed and photographed hundreds of divers in preparation for his slide presentation “Dressed To Kill.” His findings indicate, “Over-weighting is a problem that knows no boundaries in experience or certification level.” Dan’s slide presentation contains numerous “candid” photos of divers who have gone to great (and often bizarre) measures to accomplish this over-weighting. Such extremes include, but are not limited to, strapping large hip weights on scuba cylinders with duct tape, using multiple ankle weights including chains, and use of duct tape to secure weights on the ankles. Although the problem is most easily recognized on the basic checkout, this problem with over-weighting appears throughout our diving community.

One of the genuine pleasures of diving is to glide weightlessly through the water environment. It is this freedom from gravity that is, in part, responsible for that very real “divers high.” Over-weighted divers are not free from the constraints of gravity and thus deny themselves great joy. Diving weightless is fun!  Destroying/or disturbing everyone’s visibility by mucking around on the bottom because of over-weighting are not fun; it is work! Let’s examine and destroy this myth “that over-weighting is O.K. because you can add air to your B.C.” 

Simply put: Work is the movement of mass through distance. If you carry more weight, you move more mass through the water; thus you will do more work.  More work means more air consumed and less bottom time. If you compensate for the extra weight by adding air to the B.C. you increase your drag in the water; thus you do even more work.  The over-weighted diver generally adds a lot of air to the B.C. As the diver moves, the air shifts and such divers often feel like they are moving around out of control. (They, of course, are out of control.) The added air poses an additional problem on ascent. The air rapidly expands and increases a diver’s ascent rate. An efficient diver tries to minimize work done by streamlining his body; thus an efficient diver moves horizontally through the water. An over-weighted diver generally moves through the water with head higher than feet. This position presents a larger cross-sectional area and creates a lot of drag.  Again, the diver must do more work. In this position most of the thrust from the fin is wasted trying to stay level in the water column and forward movement is not as much as it should be. Again, more needless energy is expended. Finally, the extra weight puts a strain on the back and increases risk of diver injury. Bottom line: If you overweight, then you will overwork.

The Greek philosopher Archimedes discovered that an object would be subject to a buoyant upward force equal to the weight of the water displaced by the object. This means that if an object immersed is denser than water (more mass than an equal volume of water), then the object will sink.  If the object immersed is lighter, the object will float and weight must be added for the object to sink.  Most human beings have a density than is nearly the same as water. Lean muscle tissue is denser than water; it sinks. Fat floats. 

There are two primary sources of buoyant force that enter the water with the diver. They are fat tissue and air spaces. The fat problem can be addressed by proper diet, exercise and lifestyle modifications. The air space problem can be addressed by merely taking time to evaluate the situation.

The primary source of buoyancy lies in the wet suit. The foam rubber material uses trapped air for insulation. This volume of air must be compensated for by the addition of weight. The diver becomes heavy at depth because the water pressure decreases the volume of the trapped air in the suit and this reduces buoyancy of the suit.

Divers are people. People do not breathe water. As you enter the water, your primitive brain reminds you that you do not breathe water and you tend to inhale and hold larger volumes of air. For this illustration consider the lungs to be like a Mae West jacket: as you inhale, you inflate your “life preserver” and descent becomes more difficult.” This is particularly noticeable in new divers.  Doing surface dives and floundering around kicking with fins in the air does nothing but burn air, tire divers and increase frustration.  “Most visiting divers have no concept of how much weight they should be wearing to achieve a hovering state of so-called “neutral buoyancy.” Too many divers,” he says, “simply put extra weight on to get underwater, instead of learning to relax.” The best way to descend is to simply relax.  This allows lung volume to be normal. If properly weighted (see below), descent is initiated by simply exhaling. Many early difficulties in descent can be overcome by relaxing a few minutes at the surface prior to submersion.  (I have seen divers remove more than eight lbs of lead when shown how to relax. 

Many divers who have descent problems have failed to drain all of the air out of their B.C.’s. Some inexpensive bladder stabilizing vests actually trap large volumes of air. This is not a problem with higher quality jackets. If you are having problems descending, it might be wise to have a buddy look at your jacket to determine if large air volumes are being trapped between the bladder and the outer covering. This is the type of situation that is easily solved: Throw money at the problem (buy a better quality jacket) and the problem disappears. Divers should examine their own individual gear and assume a descent position that places the B.C. vent at the highest possible point. It is helpful to have a buddy/instructor examine descent procedures to determine the optimum venting position. Descent in this position allows the water pressure to push all of the air out of the B.C. (I have seen divers remove 10 lbs of lead, or more, when they were shown how to properly vent their B.C.’s.)

For a 1/4″ farmer john wet suit in fresh water, I use the following procedure to establish proper weighting.  Start with 10% of your body weight on your weight belt.  Inflate your B.C.  Enter water just slightly deeper than your height WITH A NEARLY EMPTY TANK! (~500 psig). Assume a vertical position in the water.  Take a few moments to relax.  Put the regulator in your mouth and breathe normally.  Vent your B.C. Your dive buddy/instructor can verify that your B.C. is empty. You should float at eye level. You should sink as you exhale and rise as you inhale. If you cannot sink below eye level, add weight in 2-pound increments until you can float at eye level. If you sink below eye level, then remove weight in 2-4 pound increments. Since your buoyancy is set with an empty tank, there will be no problem at the end of your dive in shallow water or holding a 10-foot stop because of buoyancy changes caused by the consumption of air. A full tank will be a few pounds heavier than an empty tank, thus you will initially enter the water slightly heavy.  Initial descent is then a matter of venting the B.C. and exhaling. This procedure should be done with each change in equipment configuration. The mark of a good diver is the ability to dive with a minimum of weight. 

Divers should realize that buoyancy is an individual matter that depends on a number of variables. Buoyancy changes with size (weight gain/loss), body composition (%fat), lung capacity, breathing volume, psychological state (relaxed vs. tense), and exercise load. As these variables change, so will the amount of weight necessary to achieve a hovering state. Since buoyancy changes with time and experience, divers should get in the habit of routinely checking their personal buoyancy requirements. 

The weights on the belt should be balanced, i.e. left and right sides should be equal so that the diver does not roll to one side because of more weight on one side or the other. The weight should be as far forward as possible on the belt.  No weight should be on the back part of the belt underneath the scuba cylinder. (This minimizes strain on the back and shifts the center of buoyancy closer to the center of mass. Translation: You will be more stable in the water with lesser tendency to roll. You will be able to remain stationary on the surface without rolling to one side.) Finally, eliminating the weight underneath the scuba cylinder makes the belt much easier to ditch in an emergency.

The ability to control buoyancy is a fundamental skill. Divers who cannot master this skill will be working too hard to ever really enjoy the absolutely fantastic “wonderfulness” of gliding weightless through Planet Ocean. Dive with your brains, not your back!” If you remember that B.C.’s are not weight belt compensating devices, then you will work less and enjoy diving more.

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“MUD Club”

 Next Meeting:  Tuesday, July 19, 2011  -

Andrews University  – Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall – Berrien Springs, Mi

Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.  (3rd Tuesday of every month except  December)                                              

July Meeting: 

Agenda: Introduce Visitors, Present Club Information, General News, Ask Who has other dive related news, Show & Tell, DIY, Current Diving Tales, Open Session. 

Thanks to club member Dave Faulkner for bringing in our newest member, Dan Faulkner who resides in Watervliet. Make sure you say Hello to Dan and update your 2011 MUD Phone books, with his email address and phone number available at this meeting.  

As always, Club Decals & club T-shirts can be available at the meeting but drop Mac a line at muddydiver@aol.com to identify size & quantity wanted. Feel free to bring a “Show & Tell” item, a DYI project, tale of current diving, or even a visitor to this month’s meeting.

Last Meeting Highlights:

There were 17 in attendance at the last meeting and 13 at Roma’s.   

Discussions on the following: [1] Club Steak Fry & Dive = Grills/ Food/ Drinks/ time to start. SEE Notice below; [2] Club Web site FB = Slow access speeds inhibit some from using club site & some people have trouble adding discussion comments;[3] Linking Club site to MSRA; [4] Where are hydro’s available from- Wolf’s & ?; [5] VIP’s available from Wolf’s & Jim Scholz; [6] Several took advantage and picked up Free Anchor’s available after the meeting;   

Comments on: [1] GR is having a Lake Michigan Ship Wreck Exhibit in 2012 and looking for donations; [2] MSRA’s recent flat wreck; [3] 2011 U/W Preserve publication is out- we are in it;[4] Personnel Feedback on the “Air Check” article;

 Show & Tell: [1]Richard Dwyer on Stewarts Cove, No DYI or Show & Tell this month.

 Recent Dives: Paw Paw Lake, North & South Piers, Gull lake, Lake 16, Lake Mich Structures, Sass Wednesday evening dives, South Wreck, Hammond Wrecks, Mich City Wreck  and much more.  

Diving:

If you are planning a dive & want company add it to the clubs EVENTS Calendar and the DISCUSSION area of the web site at mudclub.scubaobsessed.com so others may join in the fun.

Scuba tank hydros are available from “Flame Tamer”, located in Paw Paw, off of Old Red Arrow hwy at 58611 Peters Dr, call them at (269) 657-0942. Tanks older than 1990 are required to have a special tank neck examination pror to hydro.

Club Steak Fry & Dive:   Saturday – July 23 – Cooking begins at 1300 hrs

Come early and dive, dive after eating, or both

The club is providing the steak & chicken, please remember to bring your own table service, a dish to pass, your own drink, and please call a club officer if you will be going and will not be at the meeting so we can get an accurate head count! Thanks to Ken R & Sir Larry for offering to provide the grills.  

Location:

Ross Township Park at 3500 East Gull Lake Drive. This is North of East B Avenue (near the Kellogg Biological Station). There is an entry fee of $5 per car and the gate opens at 9:00am.

Directions:

Go East on I-94 to Kalamazoo-> exit on to South Sprinkle Road (exit 80) and go North – (note: past the intersection of East Michigan Hwy the road name changes into North Sprinkle Road) -> turn Right on Gull Road (43) North to D Avenue East (89) -> turn Left on 40^th street North -> turn Left on B Ave East this turns into ->East Gull lake Drive -> Ross Township park is on the Left.

Dive Equipment:              Trade or Give Away

If anyone has serviceable/ useable dive related gear or accessories they want to trade or even give away to another diver bring it to the meeting. BTW, Wolfs has some very sweet prices on used wet suits.

Your not getting wet?              WHY ! ? ! 

                                                                           Couple Communication

Larry “Harris” Taylor, Ph.D.

This material is copyrighted and all rights retained by the author. This article is made available as a service to the diving community by the author and may be distributed for any non-commercial or Not-For-Profit use.  

A young couple met on a dive boat while on a dive charter near Catalina Island, California. Because hormones were quite active, and the chemistry between the two was in sync, the couple was thinking about post-dive activities and not about their diving. The girl was a novice and was depending on the “macho” male for her safety. During the dive, the girl ran out of air. So, in a near-panic, air-starved state, she went to the man she had dreamed about and gave him a very vigorous “out-of-air” signal. Unfortunately, this guy had only been trained to share air with an octopus (single regulator buddy breathing in many circles has been designated an “unnecessary skill”) and his secondary regulator was in the shop. So, when the object of surface fantasy approached him, he had no octopus and thus, no available option to assist her with her crisis!

So, to defend himself from this approaching air-starved-dive-parasite,  he kicked the girl in the chest to drive her away from him. She then bolted for the surface and embolized on the ascent. The good news was that Catalina is one of the best places in the world for emergency management of dive accidents. Fortunately, the girl was rapidly transported to the chamber on Catalina island. After regaining consciousness in the chamber, she told her story to the chamber attendant and he told the story to me.

Now, it turns out that this particular chamber attendant is a real ‘hard-ass” about dive safety and training procedures. This was, historically, at a time when single regulator air-sharing was first being removed from most recreational training. He wrote the training agency involved and asked them to comment on the male diver’s behavior. The response he received was. “Our diver acted appropriately ’cause buddy breathing causes accidents!”

The points are:

1. 100 feet down, out-of-air is NOT the appropriate time to find out about potential air sharing difficulties.

2. The buddy system works best when each diver is self-reliant.

3. Depending upon strangers (some cave divers called it a “trust me dive”) is generally not a good dive travel strategy.

So, it is just good practice to establish signals and emergency procedures before a dive.

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“MUD Club”    Next Meeting:      Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Andrews University,  Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall,  Berrien Springs, Mi

Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.     (3rd Tuesday of every month except December)               

June Meeting: 

Agenda: Introduce Visitors, Present Club Information & General News, Ask Who has other dive related news, Show & Tell, DIY, Current Diving Tales, Open Session.

Question: Is the MUD Club Web Site useful and are you using it? Why or Why Not?

Thanks to club member Dave Faulkner for bringing in our newest member, Brakell Mullen who resides in Watervliet. Make sure you say Hello to Brakell, another hard charging diver, and update your 2011 MUD Phone books, with her email address and phone number available at this meeting

As always, Club Decals & club T-shirts can be available at the meeting but drop Mac a line at muddydiver@aol.com to identify size & quantity wanted. Feel free to bring a “Show & Tell” item, a DYI project, tale of current diving, or even a visitor to this month’s meeting.

Last Meeting Highlights:

15 Members, 2 guests, Michael Stolz of the AU Dive Club and Brakell Mullen a dive buddy of Dave Faulkner’s were present at this meeting. We distributed 10 copies of the “Dive Training” magazine to interested divers. Reminder to set aside July 23 to attend the Club Steak Fry & Dive  Discussed local dives made to Ramona, Diamond, Indian, Pipestone, Lime Lake, Paw Paw, Little PPL, Ross, Lake Michigan and St. Croix dives. Mentioned charters are being scheduled by Bob Jensen, that a basic scuba class was starting in June, and that Bob was certifying 22 new divers, all from Lakeshore HS, who are getting ready to be trained in U/W Welding by SeaBrex Marine. Informed members that Wolf’s had a special sale on specific scuba tanks this month, received an update on the DIY U/W housing project, there was no show & tell this month, and it was asked if anyone was interested in  having a “Trade or Give Way “extra” dive gear day. So far gloves and a hood have been donated.

Current Events:

Lots of diving is taking place on the inland lakes and some wreck diving when the lake permits. It’s that time of year so take advantage of the soft and warm waters. The 2011 copy of the Divers Guide to Michigan U/W Preserves is now available from the MUPC check out http://www.michiganpreserves.org/about.htm

Diving:

If you are planning a dive & want company add it to the clubs EVENTS Calendar and the DISCUSSION area of the web site at mudclub.scubaobsessed.com so others may join in the fun.

Major Dive Event:

July 23 - Club Steak Fry & Dive:  (Saturday after MUD Club Meeting)

1. Confirm Location: Gull lake or ??

2. We need a head count of who will be attending:

3. It was suggested the club JUST supply the steak & chicken & everyone bring a plate to  pass, their own service and drink.!

4. We need grills. Who will volunteer to bring one?

5. What time do we want to start cooking & eat?  Divers can dive before or afterward.

 Dive Equipment:              Trade or Give Away Day

If anyone has serviceable/ useable dive related gear or accessories they want to trade or even give away to another diver bring it to the meeting. If you tell me in advance what you are bringing I will post it in the news letter & web site.

                                             You are not getting wet?  WHY !

 Air Check Ritual

by  Larry “Harris” Taylor, Ph.D.

This material is copyrighted and all rights retained by the author. This article is made available as a service to the diving community by the author and may be distributed for any non-commercial or Not-For-Profit use.   All rights reserved.

The “air check ritual” became a part of my diving as a result of the following incident.

Much of my diving is drift diving in the extremely swift water of the St. Clair River at Port Huron. There are 1-2 scuba deaths every year in this river. The NOAA measured current flow here is in excess of 90 million gallons a minute. It is not a place for novice divers. (I do NOT train divers to play here without a minimum of 50 dives.) Since we may drift a mile or more per dive, it is common practice to suit up at the exit point, load all the gear into one of the on-site vehicles, drive upstream to the entry point and go diving. We commonly check cylinder pressure at the assembly point and then turn the air valve off for transport. To prevent overheating on the surface during hot, humid days, we try to minimize our time at the entry point. Typically, we drive to the site, quickly put on gear and jump into the water.

The entry point at the mouth of the St. Clair river involves climbing over a 4 foot rail fence that lines the walkway along the river bank. There is only a very narrow edge on the river side of the barrier. We climb over the rail with one fin on, (height of rail and length of fins makes climbing the fence with both fins on most difficult), secure position on the narrow ledge, put on the second fin and then drop 8-10 feet into water moving in excess of 2 knots. Because we wish to minimize our surface travel distance on entry, we typically deflate our bc’s prior to the entry. So, we hit the water a bit heavy and immediately start sinking. Typically, I enter the water first and my buddy enters the water about 10 seconds later from a point about 20 feet upstream from me. This way, my buddy descends directly to a rally point at the bottom. We do a quick check of gear and then start the drift.

On one very sticky day, we moved rapidly to the site, climbed over the rail and entered the water. As usual, the shock of hitting colder water was an instant relief to the over-heating that had occurred on the surface. However, it became readily apparent on my second breath that I had forgotten to turn on my air. I can assure you that descending in cold, swift water without air is stressful!

After the dive, I decided from then on, I would breathe several times on the regulator before entry to prevent this stupid mistake from occurring again. The idea is that should you (or someone else) turn off your air after initial pressure check (for transport, or perhaps to stop a leak), the gauge will read full and there will be a few breaths available from the air contained in the hose between the first and second stage. But 4 breaths should be enough to consume this in-hose air, so if the spg goes to zero during the ritual, then the air valve is off, even though the gauge reads full. It is much easier to take care of this problem (air valve turned off) on the surface than at-depth.

So, the air-check ritual done immediately prior to entry is:

1. Look at the SPG and insure that cylinder is full.

2. Breathe 4 times.

3. Look at SPG again.

4. If the cylinder pressure has not gone to zero, then you have air for the dive.

5. If the cylinder pressure has gone to zero, then turn on the air before getting into the water.

 The point is: We, as humans, are not perfect creatures and we WILL MAKE MISTAKES. The purpose of training is NOT to eliminate all errors; it is to make these errors that will occur because of our imperfect nature nothing more than an inconvenience, instead of a life threat.

So, prior to every entry, look at the pressure gauge, breath through the regulator four times, and then look at the gauge again. If the gauge is zero, turn on the air. If the gauge is at full cylinder pressure, then enter the water and enjoy your all-too-brief adventure in Planet Ocean.

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“MUD Club”                    Next Meeting:                           Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Andrews University  – Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall  -Berrien Springs, Mi

Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.    (3rd Tuesday of every month except December)

May Meeting: 

No major items scheduled for this month’s meeting. Club Decals & club T-shirts can be available at the meeting but drop Mac a line at muddydiver@aol.com to identify size & quantity wanted. For those few who do not have a 2011 MUD Member card send a picture (head shot) to Mack at the club email address. Feel free to bring a “Show & Tell” item, a DYI project, or tale of current diving, or even a visitor to this month’s meeting.

Last Meeting Highlights:

21 individuals present at this meeting, 2011 Member Club cards were distributed & a few club T-shirts were sold. We distributed 12 copies of the “Dive Training” magazine to interested divers.

Welcome to two AU Dive Club members, Greg Chase and Michael Stolz, who dropped in at this month’s meeting. It was announced that the “3^rd Coast Surf shop” opens 4-30 in downtown St. Joseph and that Items turned in for Logo Embroidery are not ready.

Jim Scholz gave a report on his attending the 4/16 MSRA Ship Wreck event and the AU Scuba Club meeting on 4/17, Bob Sweeney told about the dive at Gull lake, Richard Curtis told about the SASS dive at Lake Cora and his Key West dives along with some Show & Tell manatee & whale bones from Venice Florida. Mac brought in two embossed bottles from Indian Lake, and Darrin Jillson a catalog of interesting (environmental) water related instrumentation & equipment. A DIY status up date by Larry Bartels on his U/W camera case & video camera test.

Member comments on the bones found in Galien (they were determined to be old Indian bones), it appears that Indian lake has lampreys’, and Asian carp & shovelheads are on their way here.

Current Events:

Dives since last meeting include multiple dives in Paw Paw Lake (East), Lake 16, Indian Lake, Ramona park, Pipestone Lake, and Lake Michigan. Collectively the water is “wet suit” time and the weeds are getting long so it’s time to get wet!

For Sale:

Call Ric Kling as he may still have some ALMOST new Scuba Pro equipment for sale. Wolf’s Marine & Dive Shop has a special on specific aluminum tanks (various sizes) so check them out.

Diving:

Lake Michigan temperature at 75 feet was 39F last weekend, Paw Paw Lake has been averaging in the 50’s so it’s getting to be 5 finger glove time and not mitts. If you are planning a dive & want company add it to the clubs EVENTS Calendar and the DISCUSSION area of the web site at mudclub.scubaobsessed.com so others may join in the fun.  We have some momentum going so let’s hit the month of May diving hard.

Dive Events:             

May 18: Gull Lake – Ross Township (Sass)

May 25: Campbell Lake (Sass)

June 1: Blue Lake (Sass)

June 9:  Eagle Lake – Augusta (Sass)

June 9:  Basic Scuba class – contact Bob Jensen (Wolf’s marine)

June 25: Indian River Cleanup Cheboygan, Mi www.idivemi.com

July 23: Club Steak Fry & Dive:  (Saturday after MUD Club Meeting)

Sept 9-11:  Cheboygan Wreck & Grubbing Diving Weekend

Oct 8-9:  Cooper River Dive Trip (Hunting for Shark teeth)

Dive Equipment:                    Trade or Give Away Day

It has been suggested the club have a “Trade or Give Away” opportunity at our summer meetings. If anyone has serviceable/ useable dive related gear or accessories they want to trade or even give away to another diver bring it to the meeting. If you tell me in advance what you are bringing I will post it in the news letter & web site. (Have a small pair of gauntlet gloves to whom ever  they will fit)

Question of the day: If you are not getting wet, WHY NOT!

“You don’t quit diving because your too old, you get old because you quit diving!”

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“MUD Club”                   Next Meeting:      

Tuesday, April 19, 2011   

Andrews  University,  Biology Amphitheater,  Price Hall,  Berrien  Springs,  Mi.  

Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m. p.m.  (3rd Tuesday of every month except December)

April Meeting: 

No major items scheduled for this month’s meeting. Club cards for those who had their pictures taken at previous meetings will be available for pickup; Decals and club T-shirts will be available for purchase (Decals are $6.00 and the T-shirts are $14.00 L & XL and $15.00 XXL); For those of you who want a 2011 MUD Member card send a picture (head shot) that you like, to Mack at the club email muddydiver@aol.com. Please note that sweat shirts, jackets and other items turned in for Logo Embroidery will NOT be available at this meeting. We will keep you posted on the completion and pick up date. Feel free to bring a “Show & Tell” item, a DYI project, or  tale of current diving.

Last Meeting Highlights:

19 at last month’s meeting- Great Showing; Club Decals, T-shirts, and club phone books were distributed at this meeting; Sweat shirts, jackets and misc were brought in to be embroidered; No status update on Club information being placed in the 2011 Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve (SMWP) Publication; No one attended this year’s OWU or Ford Seahorses shows; Ric had “equip for sale” show & tell; Larry B presented his DYI u/w camera & case; Jim S spoke of the GR Wreck presentation; discussed participation at Wolf’s Open House weekend; Passed out Scuba Training Magazines; mentioned the Ghost Ships  weekend (3/24-25); noted update on New Year dive article in the Niles paper.

Current Events:

Dives since last meeting include Niles river, Paw Paw Lake (East), Little Fish lake, and Indian Lake. Collectively the water is getting to be “wet suit” time  and the weeds are still down so its time to get wet!

For Sale: 

See or call Ric Kling as he may still have some ALMOST new Scuba Pro equipment for sale. (Scuba Pro BC w/ octopus inflators, regulators, dive computers & accessories).

Diving:

Lake Michigan temperature is running 47F whereas inland lakes, Paw Paw Lake, Fish Lake, Indian Lake; water temperature is averaging about 55F so it’s getting to be no-glove diving time.  If you are planning a dive & want company add it to the clubs EVENTS Calendar and the DISCUSSION area of the web site at mudclub.scubaobsessed.com so others may join in the fun.  We have some momentum going so let’s hit the month of May diving hard. 

Dive Events:              MAJOR DATES

June 25th        Indian River Cleanup Cheboygan, Mi www.idivemi.com

July 23;           Club Steak Fry & Dive:  (Saturday after MUD Club Meeting)

Sept 9-11:       Cheboygan Wreck & Grubbing Diving Weekend

Oct 8-9:          Cooper River Dive Trip (Hunting for Shark teeth)

Ship Wreck Coordinates in the Straits of Mackinac

Cayuga 45*43.070-085*11.160

Cedarville Stern 45*47.320-084*40.325

Cedarville Bow 45*47.244-084*40.286

Eber Ward 45*48.737-084*49.134

Fred McBrier 45*48.110-084*55.090

Maitland 45*48.259-084*52.545

M. Stalker 45*47.647-084*41.047

Minneapolis 45*48.523-084*43.951

Northwest 45*47.320-084*51.300

St. Andrew 45*42.041-084*31.799.

Sandusky 45*47.980-084*50.237

W.H. Barnum 45*44.706-084*37.851

William Young 45*48.777-084*41.923

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   *All coordinates are given as “North DD*MM.MMM-West DDD*MM.MMM”   re:   http://www.idivemi.com/

==================================================================

News – MUD Club 2011

Next Meeting: Tuesday,        March 15, 2011 

Andrews University,  Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall, Berrien Springs.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.  ( 3^rd Tuesday of every month except December)

March Meeting: 

Welcome to our newest member David Faulkner from Coloma – Welcome aboard. Major items at this meeting are the distribution of the Club Member phone & email booklet, MUD Club T-shirts and Club Decals to those ordering them. Decals are $6.00 and the T-shirts are $14.00 L & XL and $15.00 XXL. This meeting is also “Bring Your Own Polo Shirt” (or other item) night if you want it sent in to be embroidered with the club logo. For those of you who want a MUD Member card and were not at the last meeting just send a picture (head shot) that you like, to Mack at the club email muddydiver@aol.com.

Last Meeting Highlights:    

A BIG Thank You to Lucy R for obtaining a quote & sample from JAC Custom Pouches for the Club Logo embroidery for the last meeting and another to Jim S for working to get our Club information placed in the 2011 Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve (SMWP) publication.

We appreciate Ric K brining in his new mask & camera (Liquid Image) for show and tell and to Jim S for telling us about the recently held Underwater Archeology Class held January 12 & 13 by “Adventures in Diving” and co sponsored by the South West Michigan Underwater Preserve (SWMUP).

During the end of meeting discussion, it was mentioned that it might help getting new members if we attached our club application form to the club web site. That was good feedback and “a work in progress”. 

Current Events:        

What’s the word from anyone who attended the 41^st Our World Underwater” and/ or the Great Lakes Shipwreck Festival in Ann Arbor? 

For Sale:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         See Ric Kling at this month’s meeting. He may still have some ALMOST new Scuba Pro equipment for sale. This includes: (2) Scuba Pro BC w/ octopus inflators (2) Scuba Pro regulators & accessories, (2) scuba Pro dive computers. 

Diving:     

It’s getting warmer, most of the water is soft, so let’s get out there and dive. If YOU don’t populate the 2011 MUD Dive Schedule who else will, so be ready to suggest a dive date, site, and be the “Go To” person for that dive. 

We are starting out the year by having gotten in some nice ice dives and river dives- let’s keep the momentum going for this year –  Lets Dive, Dive, Dive ! 

Dive Events:              MAJOR DATES  

March 19-20:  Wolf’s 2010 Annual Open House – Sat 9-5 & Sunday 12-5

March 25-26:  Ghost Ships Festival, Milwaukee, WI.

April 15-17:     GLWC Meet N Greet 2011 (Gilboa Quarry west of Findlay, Ohio) 

April 16:          Mysteries & Histories beneath the Inland Seas”            

July 23;           Club Steak Fry & Dive:  (Saturday after MUD Club Meeting)                    

Sept 9-11:       Cheboygan Wreck & Grubbing Diving Weekend       

Oct 8-9:          Cooper River Dive Trip (Hunting for Shark teeth)

SPECIAL EVENT:  March 23:  An Evening with Underwater Explorers – 7-8:30 pm Grand Rapids Public Museum.  Paul Nargeolet and Kenneth Vrana will present “RMS Titanic and the Titanic Mapping Project – Michigan Connections” and Vrana and Richard Gross will present” Le Griffon: Has LaSalle’s 1679 Flagship been found in Lake Michigan?”

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“MUD Club” -  Next Meeting:    Tuesday, February 15, 2011

At Andrews University – Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall – Berrien Springs, Mi                                                                                                                                                                                                     Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.   (Every 3^rd Tuesday of every month except December)

February Meeting:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Welcome to our newest members of the MUD family: Jake & Mary Beth Thar from Niles and Paul Kuiper from Holland. Make sure you welcome them aboard when you see them.

If you know of a diver out there let’s see if we can’t drag in a couple of additional members this year.  As a reminder the grace period for $12.00 dues is the month of February. As voted upon at the January meeting the MUD club dues will increase to $15.00 a year beginning in March 2011 which is the first increase in over 35 years.  If you cannot make the February meeting, make a check out to Ric Kling and note that it’s for 2011 MUD Dues.

Sir Larry intends to have the Club Phone Books available at the March meeting so make sure we have the most current home address, phone number, and email address. You can just email Mac with you email address when and if it changes.  We plan on taking club member photos at this month’s meeting for issuance of MUD Club Cards. Nothing fancy, just doing head shots

Status of T-Shirts & Polo’s:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Lazer Graphics in Benton Harbor was contacted for pricing of shirts and stickers. Their quote based on 25 T-shirts with 7 colors on the back and the MUD logo on the front was $20.07 each. Buying 50 brings the cost down to ~$13.00 each. (We only have 16 spoken for). They can also do Polo shirts with the club logo via embroidery or digital and these would cost between $23 & 30 depending on the shirt. MUD club decal stickers (for tanks etc) would be $6.00 each with a run of 6. I will have a sample MUD Club decal and polo shirt at the February meeting.

HELP populate the 2011 MUD Dive Schedule:  Note the Wednesday evening dives by SASS.        Be ready to suggest dive sites, dates, and identify if you will be the “Go To” person for that dive.   You can also check out the “2010 Events” calendar on the Club website to refresh your memory where MUD divers did go last year. 

 As a reminder the 2011 Club Officers are:

      Don McAlhany (President)    dwmack@aol.com (269-249-5527)                      Bob Sweeney (V.P.) (269-429-6711)      Ric Kling (Treasurer)   (269-944-5026)                                            

2011 Dive Schedule

Feb 18-20:  Our World Underwater (The 41^st), Convention Center, Rosemont, IL.                                                                                                                                                                                                           Feb 26:  River Dive – Marmont Launch 1500 hrs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     March 5:  Great Lakes Shipwreck Festival, (Seahorses) Ann Arbor, MI.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      March: Pick Up Dives – Get on the horn and call people                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              March 19-20: Wolf’s 2010 Annual Open House – Sat 9-5, Sunday: 12-5                                                March 25-26:  Ghost Ships Festival, Milwaukee, WI.                                                                                  April:  Its time to begin wreck hunting and lake diving!!!  Get the boats out                                        Also, its time to start announcing those pick up dives or Minute Men Dives  by going on “Discussions” and getting the word out. At least give me a call – I might want to go!                       April 15/17:  GLWC Meet N Greet 2011 (Gilboa Quarry west of Findlay, Ohio)       April 16:  “Mysteries & Histories Beneath the Inland Seas”            May 21:       Saturday after Club Meeting                                                                           June 25:    Saturday after MUD Club Meeting                                                                            July 23;  Club Steak Fry & Dive:     Saturday after MUD Club Meeting                                                                    August 20:      Saturday after MUD Club Meeting                                                                     September 9-10-11 (plus):  Cheboygan Wreck & Grubbing Diving Weekend                                                Sept 24:       Saturday after MUD Club Meeting        October 8-9;  Cooper River Dive Trip (Hunting for Shark teeth)         October 22:    Saturday eeting                                                                                  November 19:   Saturday after MUD Club Meeting                                                                                           Nov 26:  Saturday – Turkey Dive, Riverview Park (tentative location)                                          December 31:  New Year Gathering & Midnight Dive  (Mac’s House)                                                         January 1st – Holland Channel Dive – 12:00                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  We are starting out the year getting in some nice ice dives – let’s keep the momentum going for this year -  Lets Dive,                                                                                                                                       Mud Club  February Newsletter Addendum – 2011

 For SALE:  See Rick Kling at this month’s meeting.  He has ALMOST new Scuba Pro equipment for sale. This include’s:

(2) Scuba Pro BC w/ octopus inflators  (2) Scuba Pro greglators & accessories, (2) scuba Pro dive computers.

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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Andrews University  – Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall  -  Berrien Springs, Mi

Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.    (Every 3^rd Tuesday of every month except December) 

January  Meeting:   

Number 1 item on the agenda will be the collection of Dues for 2011. If you are interested in renewing your membership, please settle up at the January meeting or send a check to Ric Kling (make check out to Ric & note that it’s for 2011 MUD Dues).  Sir Larry would very much like to have the member phone books available at the March meeting so we need you to renew your membership and make sure we have your current phone number & email.  

Items still open for discussion and resolution include:

2)   The purchasing of T-shirts and Polo shirts with logo. We need to know how many of  what do   you want to buy. Our active membership is down so we do not have the numbers to make volume purchases.

3)   Club dues have been $12 a year since 1970’s. Are we are raising the club dues and if so, to what amount?

4)   We need to populate the 2011 MUD Dive Schedule

 So be ready to suggest dive sites, dates, and identify if you will be the go to person for that dive.   You can also check out the “2010 Events” calendar on the Club website to refresh your memory where MUD divers did go last year. Here are a few:

St. Joseph River(SJR),  Singer Lake,  Holland Channel,  Lake 16,  The Havana,  Paw Paw Lake, The South Bend,  New  Barge & Crane wreck;  Bristol Lake;  The “Ironsides,  Chamber Dive;  Lake Michigan-Grand Mere area;  Dayton Lake;  The Muskegon,  Eagle Lake;  Diamond Lake;  Lake Cora;  Gull Lake;  Lime Lake;  Ann Arbor #5;  Lee lake;  The Dead Zone Lake Michigan; The South Pier;  The North Pier,  Cambell Lake,   Ann Arbor # 5,  SJR South Bend,  SJR Niles,  Mowing the lawn on Lake Michigan; The Rockaway,  Cheboygan Weekend;  Macks Barge;  Lake Michigan Sand Wrecks, and Riverview Park. 

New Year’s Party & River Dive:             

 A BIG Thanks to Bob & Maggi for hosting the 2010/2011 New Year Eve Party and dive.

 2010/2011 New Year Divers were Sir Steelman, Ken Riemer, Bob Sweeney, and Don McAlhany with Shawn Schanck and Mary Beth Thar snorkeling around us.  On shore we had Lucy Riemer, Jeri Steelman, Jake Thar, Shawns wife and Chris Goller (Photographer).

 2011, Jan 1 Second Dive of the Year

Bob Sweeney, Darrin Jillson, Jim Kliemann, Josh Klieman, Chris Goller and Don McAlhany attended the Holland Channel Dive on New Year’s Day and then participated in the diver gathering hosted by Paul & Louise Kuiper in Holland Michigan.

 As a reminder the 2011 Club Officers are:

      Don McAlhany (President)    Bob Sweeney (V.P.)     Ric Kling  (Treasurer)

          (269-249-5527)                    (269-429-6711)                (269-944-5026)

Last year we had a LOT of good diving and most everyone got wet so let’s keep the momentum going for this year -  Dive, Dive, Dive !

2011 Dive Schedule        Lets fill in the blanks

January 22 or 23:  Ice dive Lake 16 (Bob S) 

1/27-30:  Strictly Sail show at Navy Pier, Chicago

February 12-20:  Detroit Boat Show at Cobo Center, Detroit

Feb 19:  Saturday after MUD Club Meeting

Feb 18-20:  Our World Underwater (The 41^st), Convention Center, Rosemont, IL.

Feb 26:  The Chicago Maritime Festival, Chicago History Museum  

March 5:  Great Lakes Shipwreck Festival, Ann Arbor, MI. 

March 19:  Saturday after MUD Club Meeting  

March 25 & 26:  Ghost Ships Festival, Milwaukee, WI.

April 15/17:  GLWC Meet N Greet 2011 (Gilboa Quarry west of Findlay, Ohio)

April 23:  Saturday after MUD Club Meeting

April 23:  “Mysteries and Histories Beneath the Inland Seas”, Holland , Mi.

May 21:  Saturday after MUD Club Meeting

June 25:  Saturday after MUD Club Meeting

July 23:  Saturday after MUD Club Meeting

August__:  Club Steak Fry & Dive

August 20:  Saturday after MUD Club Meeting

September___:  Cheboygan Weekend

Sept 24:  Saturday after MUD Club Meeting

September/October:  Cooper River Dive Trip (Hunting for Shark teeth)

October 22:  Saturday after MUD Club Meeting

November 19:  Saturday after MUD Club Meeting

Nov 26:  Saturday – Turkey Dive, Riverview Park (Mac

December 31:  New Year Gathering & Dive  (Mac)

 

2010 News:

MUD Club 2010

• January Newsletter
• February Newsletter
• March Newsletter
• April Newsletter
• May Newsletter
• June Newsletter
• July Newsletter
• August Newsletter
• September Newsletter
• October Newsletter
• November Newsletter
• December Newsletter

MUD Club 

 Next Meeting:

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Andrews University – Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall – Berrien Springs, MI

Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.  (Reminder: there is NO meeting in December)

November Meeting:                        Agenda

1.  Club Election Night so please give some thought to volunteer for an office.  Fresh blood is always appreciated so give some serious thought to stepping up to the plate for a term as President, VP, Treasurer, or Newsletter Editor. If you don’t want to do it alone, share the office with a friend. Try it, you might really like it!

 2. Our “New Year’s Eve Social Gathering & Night Ice Dive” will be at Bob & Maggi Sweeny’s again this year.  A reminder note with location & phone number will be sent out in December.  Bring a plate to pass, your own service and let Bob/Maggi know if you expect to be there since they really do need to have a head count estimate.  The Tentative plan is to dive in the St. Joseph River (Old Water Tank location) or at Singer Lake public access. Final location will depend on the ice & weather conditions.

 3. Club Memorabilia – No updates on T-shirts, Polo shirts at this time. If you have sources or quotes please bring them with you.  

  4. Show & Tell:  Bring something dive related (picture, item, news info) and share. Don’t be bashful – bring it!

 5. Current Dives:  Share any information on dives you have made since the last meeting or plan to make. We are always interested in the water clarity, temperature, depth dove, and what you found interesting during the dive. 

 6. Time for You to talk about most anything else you’d like to talk about a share your tips for Cold Water diving. [Yes I know, Dive Dry ]

 After the meeting plan on gathering at Roma’s for food and to continue tales & plans for diving.

Lake Michigan is still in the mid 50’s so it’s NOT dry suit time yet - Get Wet  

Tidbit for today:      Cold Water Diving – Wet or Dry

This is preaching to the choir but most consider Cold Water as 60°- 45° and Hard Water 35-32°.   Cold water for most of us is where we breathe faster, use more air, where it can suck the life out of batteries for lights, cameras & computers, and create conditions for a regulator free-flow. Emergencies are much more likely in cold water conditions due to stress on the human body and our equipment.

Considerations to diving in cold water regardless of the suit you wear include maintaining your body warmth before suiting up, minimizing heat loss during the dive and recovering / getting warm after the dive. That means you have to stay warm before dressing for the dive and not get damp while you prep your dive site.

Wear a warm and wind proof hat to reduce heat loss from that vital area especially of you are short on hair. Having an oversize windproof over coat to slip over your suit before and between dives will cut the wind chill, and can also double as a changing room if need be.  It’s a must to keep the feet and hands dry and warm before you get in the water. You must also be prepared by being rested, well nourished and hydrated.

• Stay warm before the dive. Heat loss is gradual and can start long before you get to the dive site.
• Stay warm between repetitive dives. Standing around in wet gear between dives adds to your body’s deprivation of warmth through evaporative heat loss – get in the car and get warm.
• Get warmed up as soon as possible after a dive. You can start on the dive boat by toweling off and getting into dry clothes.
• You can develop hypothermia without immediately recognizing it. When choosing your exposure suit, err on the side of thermal protection.
• Become an educated consumer. Visit your local dive shop and have them show you the different styles of protective garments and accessories. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Choosing the proper exposure suit is an important part of planning your dive, whether or not you use a wetsuit or dry suit. By logging water temperatures, depths, bottom times, and thermal protection information, you’ll put together a statistical reference work for future dive planning.

Keep your tanks indoors the night before and keep them warm and your regulator should be kept in a warm place before diving.  Dive with a 1^st stage diaphragm regulator that is environmentally sealed. As a general rule, diaphragm regulators are less prone to freezing problems than piston regulators. An environmental seal prevents water from entering the chamber and freezing. Downstream regulators will universally freeze in the open position, free-flowing the regulator.

If the outside air is below or near the freezing mark, before the dive, do not exhale into the regulator until both the first and second stages are submerged. The moisture in your exhaled breath can collect in the second stage and cause freezing before you even get in the water.

Always have a redundant gas supply in case the regulator freezes. Redundancy comes in many forms including a good close buddy, doubles, or a pony bottle.

Make sure your suit is well fitting, no holes or seam leaks. This is especially true for your gloves and booties. A well fitting suit will reduce water flushing in and out.

 Also remember that your buoyancy will change with depth and the first 33’ you go down compresses the suit tremendously with resultant thermal protection decrease.  Thicker suits require more weight.

 For ice and river diving I prefer a two piece suit with long john bottoms, step thru top, with a vest with attached hood.  I also use 5mm 3 finger gloves, soled booties, and a second short hood. Under the wet suit I wear thin woolen long johns or single woolen pants and long sleeved shirt. Some people wear skins or similar undergarments. I have sewed stirrups in pants and thumb loops in the shirt to minimize ride up when putting the wet suit on.

The type of insulated clothing is up to the preferences and experience of the individual. Some like fleece, Gortex, Thinsulate,  Skins, Under Armour, or Wool. A good thing to remember is Do not wear cotton as it is a horrible insulator when wet. 

I like to use warm water, not hot, and have it poured down my chest, back and down the arms as a pre-warmer and to minimize the cold water creep effect when you first submerge.  As a side note it’s not a bad thing to have your gloves and booties soaking in a large jug of warm water prior to use. Having warm water available is also good to have in the event you have a regulator free flow close to shore and to thaw out zippers after the dive.

To conserve heat after the dive, it’s really nice to have a heated shelter to change in especially if you are diving wet. The MUD club uses a canvas pop-up ice shanty with a rug on the plastic floor heated with a small propane gas heater.

I like having something to sit on when changing and use a Rubbermaid tote to put my wet gear in as I take it off. It keeps it out of the dirt and is easier to stow in the car and not get the seats wet. Having a thermos of hot drink is a good thing to have available to start getting your core temperature up. 

Dry Divers: While there are many high-quality wetsuits available and cold tolerance varies from individual to individual, a well maintained dry suit with a proper undergarment will keep you warmer for a longer period of time. Hypothermia is extremely dangerous. It slows the thinking process down and also is a major contributor to decompression-related injuries.

Wear a proper undergarment under your dry suit. A proper undergarment is a garment made out of a warm material that, in the event of a flood, retains most of its insulation value when wet.

3M Thinsulate is an example of this kind of fabric and it retains over 80% of its insulation value when wet. Most manufacturers make Thinsulate lined undergarments including DUI and many others.  In the winter months, adding a thin wool or polypro layer underneath the dry suit undergarment can help wick moisture away from your skin and keep you much more comfortable during the dive.

Wear dry gloves. Just like a dry suit will keep you warmer than a wetsuit, dry gloves will keep you warmer than wet gloves. It is important to use a dry glove system that allows you to keep the inner seal intact in case you get a leak in your glove. Without a wrist seal, a small leak in the glove can rapidly lead to a very wet and cold dive. To equalize the gloves, slip a long, thin piece of surgical tubing or shock cord underneath the wrist seal.

 

Last  Meeting:

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Andrews University  – Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall  – Berrien Springs, MI

Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.     (3^rd Tuesday of every month except December)

 October Meeting:                        Agenda

(1) Club Election Time next month (November) so give some thought to

    volunteering for an office.  Fresh blood is always appreciated so give some     

    serious thought to stepping up to the plate for a term as President, VP,

    Treasurer, or Newsletter Editor. Try it, you might like it!

(2) Bob & Maggie Sweeny volunteered to be the host for our “New Year’s Eve

     Social Gathering & Night Ice Dive”. Specific details at the November

     meeting. Tentatively we plan on having the New Years Eve dive in the St.

     Joseph River as we did last year.  Are there any suggestions for an

     alternate site wiith or without ice. Tentative count for participants

     requested.

(3) Club Memorabilia – Polo shirts, Tee-shirts, Winter/summer Hats and

     Pennants. A sample quote obtained from “United Sports Apparel” located

     in Stevensville for the above items will be presented. If anyone else is

     working on getting quotes bring in the information for comparison.

(4) Show & Tell: If you have something dive related (picture, item, news info)

     Don’t be bashful – bring it!

(5) Diving:  Share any information on dives you have made since the last

     meeting or plan to make.

a. Jim Scholz presented “What Lies Beneath, Shipwrecks of Southern

           Lake Michigan” at the La Porte County Historical Society Museum in La

           Porte, IN.

 b. Successful Wreck searching efforts discussed by Ken, Jim S, & Mack

 (6)  And last to talk about most anything else you’d like to talk about. 

 After the meeting plan on gathering at Roma’s for food and to continue tales & plans for diving. 

 

Tidbit for today:                                               Michigan Dive Flag Rules According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Rules on the Water, divers should:   use common sense; avoid high boat traffic areas and always display a diver down flag when diving The detailed law for Michigan divers is in the NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT, 324.80155, of 1994: Any person diving or submerging in any of the waters of this state with the aid of a diving suit or other mechanical diving device shall place a buoy or boat in the water at or near the point of submergence. The buoy or boat shall bear a red flag not less than 14 inches by 16 inches with a 3-1/2 inch white stripe running from 1 upper corner to a diagonal lower corner. The flag shall be in place only while actual diving operations are in progress. A vessel shall not be operated within 200 feet of a buoyed diver’s flag unless it is involved in tendering the diving operation. A person diving shall stay within a surface area of 100 feet of the diver’s flag. For Boaters in Michigan According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Rules on the Water, the red-and-white diver down flag means: Do not approach, divers are below. Stay at least 200 feet away from diving operations. This flag may be flown vessel or float. Similarly, the MI DNR says of the blue-and-white alpha flag: Vessel has personnel and/or equipment in water and is unable to maneuver. Do not approach; maintain a safe distance of at least 100 feet around vessel. Watch for divers. In both cases: Vessels displaying these signal flags could be moored, anchored, drifting, or slowing towing divers. DO NOT APPROACH. STAY A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY. Lake Michigan is still in the 60’s so it’s NOT dry suit time yet - Get Wet

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MUD Club

Next Meeting:  Tuesday, September 21, 2010

At Andrews University, Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall

Berrien Springs, MI,  Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.

(3^rd Tuesday of every month except December)

 September Meeting: 

 The following items will be reviewed and discussed:

October: Jim Scholz will be presenting “What Lies Beneath, Shipwrecks of Southern Lake Michigan” including the wrecks Muskegon, F.W. Wheeler and the David Dows both located in the Michigan City area.  The presentations are scheduled to be given at the La Porte County Historical Society Museum in La Porte, IN, October 2, 2010 at 11:00am & 1:00pm. It would be great to see some MUD members in the audience.

November: Club Election night so give some thought to volunteering for an office. 

December: We need to determine where we want to have the New Year Eve Night Ice Dive & who volunteer’s to be the host for our social gathering before & after the dive.

Club shirts:

Several meeting ago it was decided that the members need a distinctive tee shirt to identify club members and to bring attention to the club. The design generated for the last Ecology dive was selected to be on the back (minus the date) and the MUD club logo on the front. Consideration was also to be given to having a polo shirt (light blue) with the MUD logo on the top left side. 

It was also asked if the MUD club pendent that some members were flying under their dive flags could be obtained.

Toward this end, it is intended to have samples of the ecology design and club logo available at this meeting to enable assistance from members on obtaining sample prices for having these shirts made. It appears that prices are dependent on number of colors in the design and the method used to create them on the shirts. The methods include Screen printing, Iron on transfers, Digital Printing, Photo transfer, and Embroidery.

In addition, If you have something dive related (picture, item, news info) that you would like to share bring it for “Show & Tell”. Don’t be bashful – bring it!

Please share any information on dives you have made since the last meeting or plan to make.  And lastly we will be to talk about most anything else you’d like to talk about. 

After the meeting plan on gathering at Roma’s for food and to continue tales and plans for diving. 

Past Club Events:

Since the August meeting we had the biggest club dives of the year and the best participation. The events were the “Club Steak Fry & Dive” held at Gull Lake in Ross Township and the Cheboygan (Treasure & Wrecks) weekend.

We had 21 people attend the “Steak Fry & Dive” and 17 people participated in the Cheboygan weekend trip. Club members took up most of the rooms at the “Monarch” motel and the carry over stayed at the “Birch Haus” motel across the street. Members brought 3 boats to the site which allowed the 10 divers to pretty much do any dives they wanted. Shipwrecks visited during the dive weekend included the Sandusky and Maitland on the left side of the Mackinac Bridge in Lake Michigan, and the St. Andrew to the right of the bridge in Lake Huron. Rubble wrecks in shallow water included the Genesse Chief, Leviathan, and Islander all in Lake Huron straight off the Cheboygan piers in Duncan Bay. In addition to the shipwrecks there was great diving (grubbing) in the Cheboygan River up from the Coast Guard dock and downstream of the Lock. Typical river visibility was at least +10 feet with a water temp of 63°F.  It was also nice having a full service dive shop “Northern Michigan Dive Center” available for air, nitrox and misc. So if you are up that way be sure to drop in an say Hi! (http://www.idivemi.com/northern-michigan-dive-center/) 

See the events Muddies have participated in this year. Check out http://mudclub.scubaobsessed.com/

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 Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Andrews University, Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall,  Berrien Springs, MI

Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.      (3^rd Tuesday of every month except December)

 August Meeting: 

 First item at this month’s meeting is planning for the “Club Steak Fry & Dive” to be held at Gull Lake in Ross Township this coming Saturday, August 21^st.   

 The first thing we need is a head count of those coming. If you can’t be at the meeting please send an email or call me if you are going so we have a count by Tuesday night.   Remember there is a fee to get in and the local police “DO” verify those present have paid the fee.

 This is a “bring your own” service and a plate to pass, the club provides the meat & drink.

 We need the following:

A.  To establish the start time for firing up the grill & begin cooking. Come early if you want to       dive before we eat and then dive again after we eat.

 B.  We need the first person at the park to Corral at least one picnic table & stake out an area for us.

 C.  A volunteer to buy & bring the steak & chicken (to be reimbursed)

 D.  A volunteer to buy & bring Ice chest with pop (to be reimbursed)

 E.  A volunteer(s) to bring a gas powered grill (or two)

 Second item is a reminder that before the next meeting we have the Cheboygan (Treasure & Wrecks) weekend “plus” scheduled to begin Friday, September 10.  It would be nice to have a firm headcount at this month’s meeting. Everyone going will be responsible for booking their own rooms.   Last year we stayed at the “Monarch Motel” located at 1257 Mackinaw Ave, Cheboygan, Mi 49721, Phone  231-627-2143, RESV: 1-800-276-9382. www.monarchmotel.com.

 I called Rob Sheppard and the room rates for weekdays are 1 bed $35, 2 Bed $45. The weekend rate (Friday & Sat) are 1 bed $45 and 2 bed $55. They have 8 rooms that are 1 bed and 4 rooms that have two beds. If you are there Wed & Thur and stay the weekend, the rooms are 1 bed $35 & 2 bed $45 for all days stayed.

 No information on access this year but the Park worked out pretty well last year and the boat launch is real close.  I am looking forward to grubbing in  Duncan Bay and checking out the local rubble wrecks.

 We typically meet for breakfast at the “Carnation” restaurant on Main Street at 8:00 AM then it’s off to dive.  Lunch is when you break for it and Supper is downtown Mackinaw, usually at a buffet place.

 Item 3 will be “Show & Tell” – so bring something to share.

 Item 4 will be to share tales of dives since last meeting.

 Item 5 will be to talk about most anything else you’d like to talk about.  

After the meeting plan on gathering at Roma’s to continue tales and plans for diving.

Events since last meeting that MUDDIES participated in:

There was a lot of shipwreck & grubbing done since the last meeting, just check out “http://mudclub.scubaobsessed.com/ “, specifically Fresh Mud  & Event’s.  Were you getting wet?

Air available in Cheboygan:   Northern Michigan Dive Center next to the State Street Bridge (107 W State St)  231-597-8460 Hours:  Monday:  Closed ; Tue – Thursday:  10:00 – 6:00  Friday:  10:00 – 8:00;  Saturday:  8:00 – 4:00    http://www.idivemi.com/dive-sites/ 

It’s as warm as its going to get – Get Your gear & Get Wet!      

 

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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Andrews University – Biology Amphitheater, Price Hall  – Berrien Springs, MI

Meeting starts ~ 7:30 p.m.

                        (3^rd Tuesday of every month except December)

July  Meeting: 

Changes/ discussion, addition of dates and places you are willing to be the diving contact for, Show & Tell – so bring something, share tales of dives since last meeting, and of course, talk about most anything else you’d like to talk about.  After the meeting gather at Roma’s to continue tales and plans for diving.

Events since last meeting that MUDDIES participated in:

July 14 (Wed) - Gull Lake – Richland – Lobster Hunt –  Sass

July 12 – North Pier, St. Joseph

July 11 – Dive the Ann Arbor #5

July 10 – North Pier, St. Joseph

July 09 – South Pier, St. Joseph

July 07 (Wed) – Cambell Lake Comstock – Potluck – Sass

July 07 – Saint Joseph, South Pier Dive

July 05 – Saint Joseph, South Pier Dive

July 04 – Saint Joseph, South Pier Dive

July 03 – South Haven – Dive the “Ann Arbor # 5″

June 30 (Wed) – Eagle Lake – Augusta – Capture the Flag- Sass

June 29 – Dive the “South Bend” in Diamond Lake

June 23 (Wed) – Lake Cora – Lawrence – Sass

June 20 – Paw Paw lake – U/W House Hunting

June 19 – Gull Lake, Ross Township - MUD

June 16 (Wed) – Lime Lake (Spring Arbor) – Dog & Suds – Sass

June 14, Sunset Beach & Pier – Grubbing Dive, Paw Paw Lake, Watervliet

June 11, Front Beach Park & Pier, PPL, Watervliet

June 09 & 10, Lake Michigan out of St. Joseph - Mowing the Lawn

Hey Muddies:    

 If you need help in populating the MUD Club site at (http://mudclub.scubaobsessed.com)        with your Bio’s or adding your picture, call or drop an email to Darrin Jillson at  darrinjillson@hotmail.com for assistance. Remember that I need you to send me notes and /or pictures of ANY scuba related activity You participated in. 

 Tidbit for today:  NOAA Site [http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/dp_forms.html] 

                                Has the following information available for you.

Forms:  

Tables & Formulas

U.S. Navy Standard Air Decompression Table 40-70 feet (USNDeco40_70.jpg)

U.S. Navy08/07/2008o80_100.jpg)

U.S. Navy Standard Air Decompression Table 110-130 feet (USNDeco110_130.jpg)

NOAA No-Decompression Air Table

NOAA Nitrox 32 Dive Chart

NOAA Nitrox 36 Dive Chart

No-Decompression Air Dive Table –1999

Residual Nitrogen Time Table for Repetitive Air Dives – 1999

Required Surface Interval Before Ascent to Altitude after Diving

Diving Formulas  and Air Requirement Formulas

   It’s as warm as its going to get – what’s your excuse for not diving? 

                               Get Your gear & Get Wet!         If Not Now, When?  

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March 5-6, 2010 “Ghost ships Festival”, Milwaukee, Wis. – Attended as scheduled and enjoyed the CCR seminar & pool time.

February 27, “The Great Lakes Shipwreck Festival” 2010  (Ford Seahorses) was held at the Washtenaw CC in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Great seminars & people.

February 20, “Our World Underwater” at the Donald E. Stephens Convention in Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.  Day Trip a possibility for Saturday the 20th.

February 13: Return to “Lake 16″ & Ice Dive with a twist .  Great dive -9 divers down

February 6: Ice Dive with a Twist, lake 16, Martin, MI

January 31: Ice Water River dive, Saint Joseph River, Below the water tower, St. Joe, Mi

January  23:  Ice Dive – Singer Lake, Baroda, Mi.    

January 9, 2010: Ice Dive in Singer Lake, Baroda, Mi 

January 1, 2010:  River dive in Holland, Mi   

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December 31, 2009  Midnight New Years Dive (St. Joseph River, BH) – hosted by Bob Sweeney

December 26, 2009  At the Water Tower, St. Joseph River @ ~1400.

December 5th, 2009  (Staurday) –                                                                                                                           Pre New Years “check out the area” dive site. Staint Joseph, by the silo’s/ water tower.

December 2009 check out the Linclon Township Library (Stevensville) for the MUD Club Artifact display.

See the Saturday (December 5) edition of the “Local Events” section of the South Bend Tribune for an article on the M.U.D. Club.

November 28th, 2009 – Turkey Dive, Saint Joseph River, Riverside Park, Benton Harbor Mi.

Nov 21 & 22, 2009 -  River bank grubbing – St. Joe River, Berrien Springs.

Nov 15 dive was a River (under the bridge) grubbing dive in Niles.

Nov 7 dive was a Grubbing Dive in Paw Paw Lake, Coloma.

October dive was a Grubbing dive at Barron Lake, Niles Mi.