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Bubbles · 10-21-2006, 10:52 AM,

I have been recently certified AOW and would like to continue my newly acquired skills.Â Does anyone dive around here during the winter months besides ice diving?Â Cold air and water is OK I have a dry suit and a desire to get wet!

**Chris H** · 10-22-2006, 07:51 AM,

Typically the Len-Der runs year around, but it is my understanding that this year Jerry has a hull inspection and won't be running this year. That being said, I'm afraid your local diving opportunities may be limited.

Bubbles · 10-22-2006, 11:31 AM,

Cave diving in Wisconsin? : Smile

Â I had no idea!Â That sounds cool.Â I will check into that.Â Â I thank you both for your responses.

Nate · 10-23-2006, 08:19 AM,

I dive often in the winter months at the MG&E warm water outlet if your interested.

scubagrrl · 10-23-2006, 08:48 AM,

The what where??

scubagrrl · 10-23-2006, 08:48 AM,

We have caves to dive in in WI? Where at? I had no idea!

10-23-2006, 09:41 AM,

There is a diveable spring in the state...although the term diveable is kind of a stretch. You won't need your fins, nor your backplate as they will just get in the way Smile

For actual diving, Wisconsin has a pretty rich mining history, and there are a lot of old mines that have now been flooded - kinda like Wazee, and Redgranite, except instead of a big open pit, lots of interconnected tunnels.

The idea is getting a lot of attention in Europe. There is a group of Finn's that have been making some pretty amazing videos of one of their mines, and a group in Sweden are going to be opening up a mine as an official dive site soon.

Bonne Terre is kind of the same concept, bit that one is geared towards open water diving as the tunnels (from what I understand) are not completely flooded.

Nate · 10-23-2006, 10:47 AM,

The Madison Gas & Electric (MG&E) warm water outlet is an outlet on lake Monona with warm current exiting all winter long. The warm water results in a lack of ice for about a 300 yard radius. Fun dive. water temp in the middle of winter is usually in the upper 50's as long as it is running full. A lot of fish tend to gather there due to the warm water. Sturgeon have even been spotted here. You can actually go up into the outlet tunnel a little ways and come out on the other side. It is shaped like an upside down Y with the two outlets on the lake side. You cant go to far because there is a grate. Sometimes current can be strong or weak.

**Chris H** · 10-23-2006, 01:16 PM,

Is there enough/any flow in the local caves to clear out the sediment that presumably gets stirred up pushing tanks through a tiny passage way in the general direction that you hope to get? The bottles are independent?

ethanb · 10-23-2006, 01:36 PM,

The flow is high enough to clear out all the silt very quickly. It's always clear ahead of you, except on the way out. There's not much silt to begin with (the bottom is fairly rocky), as the flow blows it out when nobody is there diving. Yes, the bottles are independent.

Ethan