Hello everybody!

[kelells]

Hello everyone! My name is Kelley and I am 25. I live near St. Louis, MO. I just got OW certified in September in Cozumel. I only did a few dives while we were down there. I don't know anyone else besides me that is even interested in scua diving. I need some dive buddies, so I am anxious to meet some new people and learn some new stuff. :)
Kelley

[M&P+4]

You've come to the right place - welcome aboard.

[DeepDiverBob]

welcome to the board. Many divers in the st.louis area. I'm sure it wont be too hard for you to hook up with any of us for a few dives from time to time.

[theskull]

Hi Kelley.

A couple of us are planning to make some easy fun dives at Table Rock Lake this weekend. You're more than welcome to join us. Water temp is anticipated to be about 65 F, so a 7 mm wetsuit and hood would be advisable.

Also check out my Fun-diving Club schedule here http://www.midwestdive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1292

theskull

[steve2281]

Hey Kelley,
Welcome to the board. Most of us here have a little interest in scuba diving. This is a great place to meet divers and get in on some local diving. Enjoy the board. steve

[nauifins73]

Hi and welcome to the Board - lots of great people here.

[MgicTwnger]

Hi Kelley. I'll be down at Mermet this weekend, a big hangout for St. Louis area divers.

[Trever]

Hey Kelley,

Some of us are meeting at Cerulean Springs on the 13th It's the May portion of the Explore Midwest Diving. Deep Diver Bob is running the program this year. If weather permits I will be camping there. I am sure that severeal St. Louis folks will be there, and with gas prices as they are you may be able to car pool. Kudos for finding us, this is the friendliest SCUBA board on the planet.

[scububa]

Kelley,

Welcome.

As you can see, lots of diving opportunities. And, lots of these folks here instruct and DM. Be sure and check the "Midwest Diving Destinations (http://www.midwestdive.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=30)" area of the site.

Jim

[Atlaua]

Hello everyone! My name is Kelley and I am 25. I live near St. Louis, MO. I just got OW certified in September in Cozumel. I only did a few dives while we were down there. I don't know anyone else besides me that is even interested in scua diving. I need some dive buddies, so I am anxious to meet some new people and learn some new stuff. :)
Kelley

As you can see, there will be plenty of opportunities to meed up with other divers here. Another good option for you would be to sign up for an Advanced Open Water class. That would be a great opportunity for you to both a) get familiar with local diving conditions and b) meet up with some other divers.

Welcome to the board.

James

[gangrel441]

Welcome aboard Kelley! Finding buddies is only tricky until you already have a few, and this board should give you that opportunity!

[mikiedfd]

Hi Kelley -

Yes, u definately came to the right place. . . We are all interested in scuba diving! Haha, hense we all tend to click on all the scuba sites as the first thing we do when we sit down at the computer. I'm in the Chicago area, so that might be a haul for you but if you ever wander up this way, there's quite a few of us scuba enthusiasts up here. Just hit us up! Finding the common time with someone is usually the hardest thing to do as I'm finding myself most free on Wednesday mornings lately and once summer comes around, my weekend is actually a Friday and Satudray, but as the pool mechanic and head swim coach, sneaking far away from town gets tricky. It's always fun to get the phone call that the filtration system went down on a 95* day(something that I have to go in to fix) and I'm in Haigh Quarry. Oops!

Mike

Hello everyone! My name is Kelley and I am 25. I live near St. Louis, MO. I just got OW certified in September in Cozumel. I only did a few dives while we were down there. I don't know anyone else besides me that is even interested in scua diving. I need some dive buddies, so I am anxious to meet some new people and learn some new stuff. :)
Kelley

[kelells]

Thanks for all the information! What's it like diving around here? Clear? What's there to see. I have only been in the ocean.
Kelley

[theskull]

Clear? Yep, sometimes, but not always.
See? Fishies, more browns and greens than tropical reds and blues, but they have their own charm.
Pretty rock walls, small wrecks, submerged forests to swim through, etc.

And . . .

Water that may be cold, especially on deeper dives.
Clean fresh water that does not corrode your gear and doesn't have to be rinsed off everything after each dive.
Convenient, affordable dives that you can do every month if not every weekend! :)

theskull

[Atlaua]

Thanks for all the information! What's it like diving around here? Clear? What's there to see. I have only been in the ocean.
Kelley

Clear you get at Bonne Terre. Pricy you get there as well. Diving around here will be new for you. Better, worse....for you to decide, definatly different. If you love getting under, learn to dive locally and you will find some new passons. If it's warm water and blue fiishies you like....well it's not here. If it is good friends and good skills, that can be found in abundance!!!

James

[gangrel441]

Thanks for all the information! What's it like diving around here? Clear? What's there to see. I have only been in the ocean.
Kelley

St. Louis, you have the Mississippi and Bonne Terre Mine, but just a few hours trip up I-55 and you are in Chicago, and Lake Michigan has some great wreck diving. Charters leave from most of the major marinas from here to Milwaukee and beyond. The wrecks off of Chicago tend to be shallow (<45 ft), but the further north you go, the deeper they get. Charters run in the $50 - 80 range for a two tanker without equipment. The zebra mussels over the last decade or so have changed the vis from around 5 ft to sometimes over 50 ft. In the cool/cold, fresh water, steel ships tend to rust less and wood ships stay largely intact much longer than in the corrosive salt water. Therefore, you can dive a 150 year old or older wooden schooner wreck that is still largely intact to this day!

As others have mentioned, if it is colorful fish and coral reefs you want, the midwest isn't your place. But, for outstanding wreck diving, boats that aren't crowded, challenging conditions, and experience that will prepare you for diving anywhere, this is it! Happy diving!

[theskull]

St. Louis, you have the Mississippi and Bonne Terre Mine, but just a few hours trip up I-55 and you are in Chicago, and Lake Michigan has some great wreck diving. . .

The Mississippi?? Even I won't dive there!!

theskull

[SLIM]

The Mississippi, might as well dive in a cease pool. Oh wait I have done that a few times. Thre is not much diving in the ole mighty miss mostly due to the strong curents and the navigable water way that it is. Great muddy waters to have nasty oils and crud get all over you and for infections.

SLIM

[gangrel441]

The Mississippi, might as well dive in a cease pool. Oh wait I have done that a few times. Thre is not much diving in the ole mighty miss mostly due to the strong curents and the navigable water way that it is. Great muddy waters to have nasty oils and crud get all over you and for infections.

SLIM

My bad...never been. I have Lake Michigan and a handfull of quarries here. Isn't there any diving in the tributaries that lead to the Mississippi?

[kelells]

Sounds like fun! Well...not the Mississippi part! I think I would be freaked out if I couldn't see around me very far. I think it would be fun to go to Bonne Terre or that Cerulean place. I still have to start investing in equipment. I don't even know where to start with that :)
Kel

[gangrel441]

Sounds like fun! Well...not the Mississippi part! I think I would be freaked out if I couldn't see around me very far. I think it would be fun to go to Bonne Terre or that Cerulean place. I still have to start investing in equipment. I don't even know where to start with that :)
Kel

A good place to start with investing in equipment is to rent and demo gear until you find what you like. While gear is a great investment to make, it is not one to rush in to. Relax, enjoy your diving, and learn what you can to make informed decisions. ;)

[SLIM]

Any good shop will let you try before you bye. Take the time to get what you want so that you are not going after the cheap stuff and then find that you will spend more in the long run in a year or less. It is true you get quality and perfromace for the money that you spend. There are some expections. Talk to not just the store people but the divers out there, ask questions. What is the track record in the years down the road. I have gear that is still used that I have had since 78, yes I still trust my life on it.

SLIM