Scuba Michigan with Freighter Passing Overhead

[I8leftwingers]

Yesterday it was my first experience with 500 feet cargo over my head! Thank you very much to post that video beacause now I can show to my relative how the noise it is under the water!!

[clarkfk]

i would shit bricks

[ralfcoder]

I've been in the St Clair when a freighter goes by. I've had it happen in the St Mary's River, west of the Soo, too. It's an "interesting" experience. We were in closer to shore, though, so even though we may have been only 30' deep, the boat was still at least several hundred feet further out from us. Were you right under it, or was it out a ways from you?

[michbiker]

Very cool. We had a laker go over us when we were diving in Gray's Reef Passage(West of Mackinaw City) a few years ago. One of those times when you wish the water was just a little bit deeper!

[achilles6312]

that would scare the shit out of me!

[iamchevyman5]

i live in new baltimore. where was this taken?

[jasonlugibihl]

WOW sweet video. That was awsome. Thats just some things you never get to witness a freighter in shallow water. I would have freaked and got made in to fish food .

[kevincrowe1]

Wow. Are you in an area where you know the hull can only get within a certain distance? With low vis like that, getting sucked into the prop would seem a possibility. I'm an avid diver, but have never been that close to such a huge prop. I really am curious, and info would be appreciated.

[karensbordner]

Awesome, thanks for bringing back some great memories. We live in CO now and miss the Great Lakes and river diving. You really need surround sound to actually understand what this sounds like. There were times I felt sonically pinned to the river bottom, but totally loved it. Nothing like the big ships! Some things don't change; 8 ft viz and small boats thinking a dive flag is the start of a water slalom course! Cheers and happy safe diving!

[wondersponge]

i live on the river in canada across from st clair michigan, do you know if there is anything around there??



[wondersponge]

that seems pretty intense. ive been in that same river, a bit further up on the canadian side, i was about waist deep fishing when a 1000 footer went by, i was surprised by how much the boats actually pull the water in. earlier this summer i was at stag island on the st clair and saw someones dog get pulled out by a freighter, luckily someone on a seadoo saved the little guy. do you ever dive up by the bluewater bridge??

[GeneralL33TSauce]

you sir have some huge fucking balls to do that

[ronnin79]

How far away from ship hull you was? How long was that ship? How deep in water you was? Could you see the ship?

[diversnetwork]

Hello

I was maybe 50 foot from the hull... not directly overhead. It was probably a 700 plus foot ship. We were in about 40 feet of water and no we couldn't see it, vis was only about 8 feet that day.

~Rick

[MCOvronnaz]

2:35 "Shit!" looks funny! He really said that??

[headcase01]

It's spooky enough when one sneaks up on you and the boat doesn't want to start, I can imagine how intense it is being underneath one with nowhere to go. I'm surprised the Coast Guard would let divers down with freighter traffic. Very cool vid, ty.

[canadiantimberwolf1]

TheNilvarg you are correct,the KNOCK NEVIS is the world's largest ship at 458.4 meters long (over 1/4 of a mile) and 68.9 meters wide. Previous names: 1989 Seawise Giant, 1991 Happy Giant, 2004 Jahre Viking.

Have a good one.

[mikeamg430]

i live on that river and what is amazing is that average depth of it is only around 30-40 feet deep, given that those ships draw about 24-34 feet they must be pretty damn close to you should you get directly underneath one of em. stay safe out there!

[diversnetwork]

Yes. We've been "too close" a few times. Usually when there are 2 passing, forcing one of them far closer to shore than usual. You can feel the pull of the prop.

[TheNilvarg]

I'm jealous... I used to live on 6th Street, just a few blocks down from the little St. Clair mini-mall. I'm in Georgia now, but if there were anything I could take from Michigan and ship it down here, it would be the city of St. Clair.

[drydock265]

man that's intense

[AnonymousPod]

I would of clung to the bottom, clenched my eyes shut, and wet myself, lol.

[TheNilvarg]

Same here. Freaking scary.

[crackpotsstudio]

yeah, i definately would have wet my wetsuit

[diversnetwork]

it's intense. I have a pee valve in my drysuit, but not a poo valve.

~Rick

[canadiantimberwolf1]

Rick, I understand the prop-wash and such,but in your preoffesional opinion,how close would you say the ship was too you. The sounds are certainly a scary moment in time. I can see the sirring of silt and vegetation and as you say,the clarity is compromised,but you,obviously distraut by the sounds.But you were not sent swirling around out of control.Very interesing.Could you see anything in the water too give indication on where the vessel was. Be Safe and take care.

Stephen

[canadiantimberwolf1]

Proffessional opinion..sorry for the spelling.

[diversnetwork]

Hello.

Many of the Great Lakes ships are 1000 ft +. The photo I added was not the one that was down there but it was likley close to 1000 ft and the prop size isn't far off from the 40 foot diameter.

It was probably 50 ft away when it passed so we only caught prop wash when it made the turn to go north (river bends that way). We were negatively weighted and holding onto bottom debre as well. They come close but if 2 are passing, they come in real close.

[canadiantimberwolf1]

Hi Rick,listen I am not taking away the obvious danger you were in, but, the prop that you showed was from a Super-Tanker that is about 1 mile long.So a prop of that size of about 40' in diameter (Guess only) is the norm and likely you and the rest of your crew would not be here.The Laker that you showed looked like an Algo Central Marine from Sault Saint Marie (Ontario) and that prop is about 10 to 12 foot in diam.I closed my eyes and listened,it is and experience to hear.Glad your ok.

S.

[TheNilvarg]

The largest Supertanker in the world is only a quarter-mile in length.

[jrb51055]

you'd be cleanin out my wetsuit thats for sure, just cant IMAGINE the sound/feeling of an ore boat goin over my head like that.

[scubajenjen]

I had a big boat pass directly over me once (though nowhere near that size). People who ignore dive flags need to be castrated.

[diversnetwork]

It's hard for a freighter to ignore dive flags. they definately have the right of way...we just have to have a plan should one go over. ~Rick

[museumcaffe]

outs!!!!!!!!!

[airdriver]

If this ever happens again, point the camera towards the surface so we can see the bottom of the freighter.

[diversnetwork]

I'll do my best. Often visibility isn't good enough though.

~Rick

[diversnetwork]

for sure. I've been "underweighted" here and felt the pull of the props without a tree to hold on to.

[scoobidiver]

Good job you werent doing your safety stop!!!!

[diversnetwork]

heh. yea I did after it passed.

~Rick

[jones4015]

That would scare the crap out of me... I'll stick to our local quarry for now... whew..

[diversnetwork]

yea. lots of freighters in the river. we have some more dive videos, click my screen name for the list

[14erjohn]

That was really cool...  thanks!

[diversnetwork]

haha, yea I stuck to procedure pretty much to the "T". ~Rick

[Yankee1767]

Rick that is awsome!!! with the right speakers it is just like you're there!!! gives me a chill hearing it again!!! Remember procedures "hold on to somthing and cry"