Posted by Peggy S. Kurpinski on June 02, 19102 at 09:17:17:
In Reply to: Divers visit Historic "Chicora" Shipwreck posted by Craig Rich on June 01, 19102 at 20:55:37:
Saturday, June 01, 2002
2:03:36 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER!!!
The South West Michigan Underwater Preserve Committee would like to announce the first successful TRI-MIX SCUBA dive on the newly discovered shipwreck, suspected to be the CHICORA.
This dive was safely completed by Paul Kuiper (vice President of the SWMUP), Todd VanderArk & Jeff Vos. All divers entered the water at 9:59 AM on Saturday June 1, 2002. They completed this dive after 63 minutes with the maximum depth of just over 260 feet recorded. With a short 10 minutes of bottom time at a cold 39 degree water temperature, they met with their safety divers (Scott Herrema & Jeremy Moore) at 130 feet. Their safety divers carried extra decompression gasses, to insure a safe assent to the surface.
The First Team of Divers, Paul Kuiper, Todd VanderArk & Jeff Vos are all Tri-mix certified and experienced divers. All divers are also Full Cave certified divers. Even with this level of experience, this dive was difficult and challenging, due to temperature and visibility.
Visibility was between 1-4 feet at depth, making navigating this unknown wreck a challenge. The divers swam along the rail, finding no definitive evidence of the name of this vessel, suspected to be the Chicora. Additional dives are planned as continued documentation of this sunken treasure is the sole objective.
A second Team of divers entered the water as the first divers were decompression on the assent line. The second team consisted of Doug Welsh & Charles Larson, with a safety dive of Craig Rich.
Peggy Kurpinski, President
South West Michigan Underwater Preserve
Adventures In Diving, Inc.
254 S. River Avenue, Holland, MI 49423
Phone: (616) 494-DIVE (3483)
Fax: (616) 494-9717