We will be making our first trip to Crosby (actually our first diving since we got certified) Aug 30/31 on the jamboree with GUDC.
I really haven't gotten any information from GUDC about where the dives will be, so I don't really know what their involvement in this is supposed to be. It seems like I might wind up on my own.
So, are there any suggestions about where to go and what dives are good? All our gear has been purchased, the tanks are rented, the dogs are going to a friends, and the hotel booked so we are going.
Thanks for your help.
Matt
Stop by MSD in Brainerd and ask them for recommendations. You can also buy dive site maps from them.
Matt,
I think Huntington has had some of the best vis. I would try Connecticut Two Bit (on Huntington). It has a nice slope underwater to the left that is great for newer divers. The trail down to the water is a bit steep but still manageable - even in full gear.
GUDC normally camps out around Louise. If you are on that side both Louise and Mangan is always a nice dive or Portsmouth.
Check out Minnesota School of Diving's Website and click on the Local Diving Link, You can search for sites by feature, name or on their map. Lori
As far as I know, GUDC will be camping mostly at Louise, but one never knows. Personally, I may head over to the Portsmouth Campground, kind of getting sick and tired of all those vehicles running through the camping and dive site leaving behind a trail of dust that filters through all my "stuff."
I won't be camping. I just dropped all my money on scuba gear and we don't own camping gear - so it will be a hotel for us.
I assumed, maybe incorrectly, that there would be some organization about what is planned since it is through the dive shop. I'll pry for more info again when our cards come in.
Thanks for the suggestions so far. I want to figure out what to do on the first day. Then I plan to go to MSD to get our tanks filled and maybe I'll get a guide book for Sunday then.
Vis in the pits has been very variable this summer. Louise was great a while back but the last dive I had there (last week) the vis was so-so above 60 feet and very good below that.
Huntington has been very good my last dive there was at Connecticut Two Bit.
Those are about the only two I would recommend right now. Alstead and Mahnomen has been terrible as I am sure Pennington is as well.
There was a MSD fundive out there tonight but I couldn't make it to that one. I will probably be out there on Thursday however.
Well, it turns out I wasn't hearing anything because the trip is a bust. So, if we go, it would just be us going on our own.
I'm not sure how I feel about that. This is our first real dive after being certified and we have all brand new equipment that is different from what we rented in class. I had been hoping to do a group trip for the first one in case we have any trouble there would be experienced people around who might be able to help us.
There is a Dollar Dive at Blue Wave Scuba we could do instead but that's only one day not two. Its such a bummer because we got ahotel reserved, arrangements for the dogs, etc. I'm not sure what to do.
Hey Matt...
Cross reference your post in the "diving get-togethers". Crosby....Always someone diving there. I don't know if I'm doing anything on the 30th, otherwise I'd jump on the bandwagon! Good Luck!
let me know if you have any interest in hooking up while you're up there. i'm going to be in brainerd with my family this weekend and it would be a shame if i didn't make the ~10 mile hike up to the mines with my fiance to do some diving. plus i'm sure we'll need a chance to get away from family. i've never been there before and i'm planning on checking with msd to find out what they suggest for dives but i would guess i'm going to connecticut two bit or portsmouth.
We decided to sign up for the dollar dive with Blue Wave Scuba. I've still got tanks rented for the weekend, so we might go do something else local on Sunday.