Moby's Dive Shop · Boat Diving BriefingBoat Diving 101 — SeaQuest II

Hammond Marina — 701 Casino Center Dr, Hammond, IN
The boat docks next to the casino · Arrive 30 minutes before departure
Presented by Moby's Dive Shop · mobysdive.com

47 ft

Twin-diesel crewboat

Divers max

30 min

Arrive early

65→45 °F

Surface → depth

The Boat

SeaQuest II on Lake Michigan with the Chicago skyline behind

The SeaQuest II on station over a wreck, Chicago skyline behind. Photo via Double Action Dive Charters.

Know Your Ride

The SeaQuest II is a 47-foot twin-diesel crewboat carrying up to 16 divers. She has an enclosed cabin with heat, A/C, and spacious seating, a large open dive deck with bench seating and built-in tank holders so you assemble your gear right at your seat, twin heavy-duty stern ladders plus a side exit, and water and snacks between dives. An oxygen kit and first aid are aboard, and the crew are there to help — when they give direction, that's the final word on deck.

How the Day Runs

Before Saturday: complete your waiver and certification verification online, load your car the night before, and take seasickness meds per the package (often the night before + morning of).
Arrive 30 minutes early at Hammond Marina — the boat docks next to the casino. Wheel your gear down, greet the crew, and find a bench spot.
Set up at your seat: tank in the holder behind your bench, rig assembled, everything else stowed under the bench in one bag. The deck stays clear.
Briefings: captain's boat briefing, then your instructor's dive-site briefing on the ride out. Gear up when the crew calls it — not before.
Dive 1, then a surface interval on board with water and snacks while we log, debrief, and swap tanks.
Dive 2, then the ride home — a 7 AM charter is typically back at the dock around noon.

Entries & Exits

Entry: walk to the jump point with your buddy — a crew member helps with your fins. Giant stride in, signal OK to the boat, then follow the granny line to the mooring line at the bow.
Descent: down the mooring line together, hand over hand — it leads straight to the wreck. Equalize early and often.
Exit: ascend the line, safety stop, surface and move to the stern ladders. Fins off first (hand them up), but keep your mask on and regulator in until you are fully on deck.
On deck: clear the ladder area immediately — a heaving deck and a diver in full kit are a bad mix at the ladder base.

What to Bring — And What to Leave

The charter does not rent gear, tanks, or weights — everything comes with you, including two tanks for the two-dive trip. Pack it all in one bag; bench space is shared with 15 other divers.

Dive — Gear

Complete Total Diving System — see the wreck briefing equipment checklist
Two tanks — one per dive, both full and in test
Weights — yours, marked; none aboard to borrow
7 mm wetsuit or drysuit with hood and gloves — 65 °F on top, ~45 °F at depth
Save-a-dive kit — o-rings, fin/mask straps, tools
Certification card and dive computer

Topside — Comfort

Seasickness meds — taken beforehand; they don't work once you're queasy
Warm layer & windbreaker — the ride out is cold at speed, even in July
Towel and dry clothes for the ride home
Light breakfast beforehand; water bottle and extra snacks welcome
Sunscreen and sunglasses
Small dry bag for phone, keys, meds

Leave — At Home / In the Car

Giant roller bags and totes — one streamlined bag per diver
Anything you can't get wet that isn't in a dry bag
Glass containers — deck hazard
A big greasy breakfast — your stomach will thank you
Valuables — leave them locked in the car

Seasickness — Beat It Early

Medicate before you're sick — once nausea starts, it's too late for pills.
Stay on deck in fresh air, watch the horizon, and keep busy — the enclosed cabin makes queasiness worse.
If you do get sick: leeward rail (downwind), never the head. No shame — it happens to experienced divers too.
Being underwater usually cures it — don't bail on the dive for a queasy stomach alone.

Boat Etiquette

The crew's word is final. They know the boat, the lake, and the weather.
Keep your footprint small — gear assembled, bag stowed, nothing loose on deck when the boat is moving.
Be ready when called — the group gears up and splashes on the crew's schedule, not yours.
Mother Nature runs the schedule — cold, chop, and blown-out days are part of Great Lakes diving. Flexibility is a diver skill.

Why It's Worth It

Visibility on the wrecks typically runs 30–60 ft — far better than any quarry you trained in.
Fresh, cold water preserves wrecks like nowhere else — from 19th-century schooners to the steel wrecks we're diving this weekend.
You'll surface with the Chicago skyline on the horizon — bring a camera for the ride.
Boat diving unlocks the best of the Great Lakes: after this weekend, you'll wonder why you waited.

Moby's Dive Shop · Wreck Dive BriefingCarferry Straits of Mackinac

Lake Michigan — off Chicago, NE of Navy Pier
Charter access from Hammond Marina, IN · Scuttled April 10, 2003
Presented by Moby's Dive Shop · mobysdive.com

204 ft

Length overall

45 ft

Top of mast

50 ft

Main deck

73–82 ft

Sand bottom

The Vessel

Straits of Mackinac in service as a Mackinac Island ferry

In later service as a Mackinac Island passenger ferry for Straits Transit, Inc.

Straits of Mackinac stripped for scuttling and sinking sequence, 2003

History in 60 Seconds

Built in 1928, the Straits of Mackinac was a steel, coal-fired car ferry of the Michigan State Ferry fleet, carrying automobiles and passengers between Michigan's two peninsulas until the Mackinac Bridge opened in 1957. She then ran for decades as a Mackinac Island passenger ferry for Straits Transit, Inc. Sold at auction for $1 and saved from the scrapyard, she was stripped and intentionally scuttled on April 10, 2003 as an artificial reef and dive site — the first substantial wreck placed in Chicago-area waters since 1929. She sits upright, intact, and diveable bow to stern.

SSI Wreck Diving — Skills This ClassOpen Water Training Dives 1 & 2 — Both On This Wreck

Both open water training dives for this class are conducted on the Straits of Mackinac: Dive 1 is a general orientation of the wreck site, and Dive 2 uses pre-existing guidelines and safety lines to explore a portion of the wreck. Skill demonstration and evaluation may occur during either dive, and the sequence may be adjusted at the instructor's discretion as long as minimum training requirements are met.

Dive 1 — Wreck Orientation

Dive planning (buddy team) — build a wreck dive plan covering the dive goal, minimum air limits, max depth and bottom time, conditions and visibility, the nature of the wreck, equipment and emergency procedures, communication, descent/ascent and entry/exit procedures, and lost-buddy / out-of-air procedures.
Pre-dive check — complete buddy check of the Total Diving System: valve fully open, breathe both regulators while watching the SPG, inflator and dump valves working, weight system secure with releases reviewed, buckles and clips adjusted, final head-to-toe.
Controlled descent on a wreck — identify the wreck's orientation, descend with your buddy at a controlled rate, equalize early, and arrive neutrally buoyant at depth without contacting the wreck.
Wreck orientation — as a team, orient to the layout, points of interest, potential hazards, and the ascent point. Note: large iron wrecks can make compasses unreliable.
Navigating a wreck — use natural and compass navigation; start into any current; watch gas and distance from the ascent point; turn the dive at your limits and arrive back with reserve for a controlled ascent and safety stop.
Controlled ascent with a buddy — signal and confirm, ascend no faster than 30 ft/min while monitoring your computer, safety stop, and establish positive buoyancy at the surface.

Dive 2 — Exploration With Safety Lines

Using safety lines — know the purpose of and work with each line type: descent/ascent line, current line, surface current line, and cross-wreck line.
Tether line reel exploration — after the demo, in buddy teams: navigate from the descent line to the wreck, keep buddy contact, communicate with line signals, and return along the line to the ascent point.
Optional — underwater DSMB deployment — deploy from the safety stop or shallower than 45 ft, controlling the reel and avoiding entanglement; never let the bag pull you up.
Debrief & records — post-dive debrief, then complete, date, and sign the Training Record and DiveLog with your instructor.

Equipment Checklist

Per SSI: recreational wreck diving may only need your standard Total Diving System — but everything must be in good working order, secured and streamlined so nothing dangles to snag the wreck, and marked as yours. Use good judgment about what each specific wreck dive needs.

Core — Total Diving System

Cylinder & regulators — alternate air source easily accessible, mounted around the chest area, clearly identified
BCD / delivery system appropriate for the wreck's depth, streamlined — no dangling hoses or gauges
Dive computer + SPG — a computer greatly extends your bottom time on the wreck
Weight system — no snagging hazard; releases reviewed with your buddy
Exposure protection for Lake Michigan cold — hood & gloves; suit also protects from exposed metal and sharp edges
Two cutting devices — monofilament is a real hazard on these wrecks

Wreck — Special Equipment

Tether line reel — non-floating, cut-resistant line (nylon recommended; never hemp or cotton)
Primary light — powerful wide-beam, burn time longer than the planned dive
Backup light — mounted separately from the primary so either is always reachable
Slate and pencil
Diver's tool
Small mesh bag
DSMB & spool — for the optional deployment skill; reel line at least 15 ft longer than the depth

Boat — Verify On Site

Descent/ascent line — anchor or mooring line to control descent and ascent
Current line (granny line) — boat to the descent line, reachable as soon as you enter
Trail line off the stern with flotation, if current is running
Cross-wreck line — for heavy current or low visibility
Safety cylinder & line — extra cylinder with two second stages at the stop depth on deeper dives, emergency use only
First aid kit and oxygen kit aboard

Dive Plan

Descend / ascend on the mooring or anchor line. Orient to the line's tie-in point before leaving it.
Max depth 82 ffw at the sand; most of the tour runs at 50–60 ft on and around the main deck.
Plan gas and NDL for a square profile to the sand; safety stop at 15 ft on the line.
Site is rated for intermediate divers; wreck & penetration training required for any overhead work.

Hazards

Overhead environment — the wreck is intact; no penetration without proper training, lights, and reels.
Monofilament & entanglement — the wreck is an active salmon-fishing spot; carry two cutting devices.
Silt inside the hull — stay off the bottom, use good trim and finning technique.
Cold below the thermocline — Lake Michigan can drop into the 40s °F at depth even in summer; dress accordingly.
Boat traffic — surface on the line or with an SMB.

Logistics & Conditions

Charters run from Hammond Marina (Hammond, IN), a short ride to the site.
Visibility is variable — plan for anywhere from 5 to 30+ ft depending on weather and season.
Fresh water: adjust weighting vs. salt; ffw depths on gauges.
Buddy checks and lost-line / lost-buddy protocol briefed before splash.

Moby's Dive Shop · Wreck Dive BriefingPatrol Boat Buccaneer

Lake Michigan — ~10 miles off Chicago
Charter access from Hammond Marina, IN · Scuttled June 18, 2010
Presented by Moby's Dive Shop · mobysdive.com

100 ft

Length overall

23 ft

Beam

72 ft

Sand bottom

2010

Scuttled June 18

The Vessel

The Buccaneer afloat before her 2010 scuttling — wheelhouse, long cabin, and pirate-era paint still aboard. Photo via Double Action Dive Charters.

History in 60 Seconds

Launched in the early 1900s, the 100-foot Buccaneer served from 1925–1936 as a fast patrol boat — one of only 13 vessels fitted with a 3-inch/23-caliber deck gun — chasing rum runners on the lakes during Prohibition. After her government service she lived a second life as a pirate-themed party and charter boat. She was intentionally scuttled on June 18, 2010, about 10 miles off Chicago as an artificial reef and dive site, and sits upright on the sand in 72 ft with her wheelhouse and cabins to explore.

SSI Wreck Diving — Skills This DiveOpen Water Training Dive 1 · Wreck Orientation

First dive of this wreck class — objective: a general orientation of the wreck site. Skill demonstration and evaluation may occur during either training dive, and the sequence may be adjusted at the instructor’s discretion as long as minimum training requirements are met.

Dive planning (buddy team) — build a wreck dive plan covering the dive goal, minimum air limits, max depth and bottom time, conditions and visibility, the nature of the wreck, equipment and emergency procedures, communication, descent/ascent and entry/exit procedures, and lost-buddy / out-of-air procedures.
Pre-dive check — complete buddy check of the Total Diving System: valve fully open, breathe both regulators while watching the SPG, inflator and dump valves working, weight system secure with releases reviewed, buckles and clips adjusted, final head-to-toe.
Controlled descent on a wreck — identify the wreck’s orientation, descend with your buddy at a controlled rate, equalize early, and arrive neutrally buoyant at depth without contacting the wreck.
Wreck orientation — as a team, orient to the layout, points of interest, potential hazards, and the ascent point. Note: large iron wrecks can make compasses unreliable.
Navigating a wreck — use natural and compass navigation; start into any current; watch gas and distance from the ascent point; turn the dive at your limits and arrive back with reserve for a controlled ascent and safety stop.
Controlled ascent with a buddy — signal and confirm, ascend no faster than 30 ft/min while monitoring your computer, safety stop, and establish positive buoyancy at the surface.

Equipment Checklist

Core — Total Diving System

Cylinder & regulators — alternate air source easily accessible, mounted around the chest area, clearly identified
BCD / delivery system appropriate for the wreck's depth, streamlined — no dangling hoses or gauges
Dive computer + SPG — a computer greatly extends your bottom time on the wreck
Weight system — no snagging hazard; releases reviewed with your buddy
Exposure protection for Lake Michigan cold — hood & gloves; suit also protects from exposed metal and sharp edges
Two cutting devices — monofilament is a real hazard on these wrecks

Wreck — Special Equipment

Tether line reel — non-floating, cut-resistant line (nylon recommended; never hemp or cotton)
Primary light — powerful wide-beam, burn time longer than the planned dive
Backup light — mounted separately from the primary so either is always reachable
Slate and pencil
Diver's tool
Small mesh bag
DSMB & spool — for the optional deployment skill; reel line at least 15 ft longer than the depth

Boat — Verify On Site

Descent/ascent line — anchor or mooring line to control descent and ascent
Current line (granny line) — boat to the descent line, reachable as soon as you enter
Trail line off the stern with flotation, if current is running
Cross-wreck line — for heavy current or low visibility
Safety cylinder & line — extra cylinder with two second stages at the stop depth on deeper dives, emergency use only
First aid kit and oxygen kit aboard

Dive Plan

Descend / ascend on the mooring or anchor line. Orient to the tie-in before leaving it.
Max depth 72 ffw at the sand; work the deck and superstructure shallower.
At 100 ft long she tours quickly — plan a full perimeter at the sand, then rise to deck level for the second lap.
Rated an ideal intermediate wreck; overhead training required for any interior work.

Hazards

Overhead environment — cabins and wheelhouse are enclosed; no penetration without training, lights, and reels.
Monofilament & entanglement — carry two cutting devices.
Silt in interior spaces — good trim and finning technique.
Cold below the thermocline — 40s °F possible at depth even in summer.
Boat traffic — surface on the line or with an SMB.

Logistics & Conditions

Charters run from Hammond Marina (Hammond, IN) — roughly 10 miles to the site.
Visibility variable — plan for 5 to 30+ ft depending on weather and season.
Fresh water: adjust weighting vs. salt; ffw depths on gauges.
Buddy checks and lost-line / lost-buddy protocol briefed before splash.

Moby's Dive Shop · Wreck Dive BriefingInland Steel Barge

Lake Michigan — off the Inland Steel shoreline
Charter access from Hammond Marina, IN · Identity & sinking date unknown
Presented by Moby's Dive Shop · mobysdive.com

40 ft

Sand bottom

≈25–30 ft

Deck (approx.)

Upright

And intact

Identity unknown

The Vessel

Inside the Inland Steel Barge — light shafts through deck openings

Inside the barge: daylight shafts through deck openings across the open internal framing — the swim-through terrain trained divers can tour. Photo via Double Action Dive Charters.

History in 60 Seconds

The Inland Steel Barge is a massive, unidentified barge resting upright and remarkably intact in 40 ft of water off the old Inland Steel mill shoreline near Indiana Harbor. How and when she sank is a genuine mystery — no confirmed identity or date exists. Her scale is the draw: an immense exterior that beginners can cruise easily, plus open internal framing with swim-throughs for properly trained divers. You can log multiple dives here and still not see all of it.

SSI Wreck Diving — Skills This DiveOpen Water Training Dive 2 · Exploration

Second dive of this wreck class — objective: experience using pre-existing guidelines and safety lines to explore a portion of the wreck site. Repeat the core habits from Dive 1 (buddy planning, pre-dive check, controlled descent and ascent); skill evaluation may occur on either dive, with sequence at the instructor’s discretion. At 40 ft the barge also suits the program’s optional skills perfectly.

Dive planning & pre-dive check — buddy team plan (goal, air limits, depth/time, wreck hazards, communication, lost-buddy and out-of-air procedures) and a full Total Diving System check before splash.
Using safety lines — know the purpose of and work with each line type: descent/ascent line, current line, surface current line, and cross-wreck line.
Tether line reel exploration — after the demo, in buddy teams: navigate from the descent line to the wreck, keep buddy contact, communicate with line signals, and return along the line to the ascent point.
Controlled ascent with a buddy — max 30 ft/min, safety stop, positive buoyancy at the surface.
Optional — underwater DSMB deployment — the 40 ft bottom is within the SSI guideline that deployment be shallower than 45 ft: unpack carefully, inflate, control the reel as the bag ascends, then tension the line — never let it drag you up.
Optional — swim through — the barge’s framing fits the standard: buddy teams, daylight zone, clearly visible entry and exit free of obstruction, direct instructor supervision — only if conditions and every diver’s comfort and buoyancy allow.
Debrief & records — post-dive debrief, then complete, date, and sign the Training Record and DiveLog with your instructor.

Equipment Checklist

Core — Total Diving System

Cylinder & regulators — alternate air source easily accessible, mounted around the chest area, clearly identified
BCD / delivery system appropriate for the wreck's depth, streamlined — no dangling hoses or gauges
Dive computer + SPG — a computer greatly extends your bottom time on the wreck
Weight system — no snagging hazard; releases reviewed with your buddy
Exposure protection for Lake Michigan cold — hood & gloves; suit also protects from exposed metal and sharp edges
Two cutting devices — monofilament is a real hazard on these wrecks

Wreck — Special Equipment

Tether line reel — non-floating, cut-resistant line (nylon recommended; never hemp or cotton)
Primary light — powerful wide-beam, burn time longer than the planned dive
Backup light — mounted separately from the primary so either is always reachable
Slate and pencil
Diver's tool
Small mesh bag
DSMB & spool — for the optional deployment skill; reel line at least 15 ft longer than the depth

Boat — Verify On Site

Descent/ascent line — anchor or mooring line to control descent and ascent
Current line (granny line) — boat to the descent line, reachable as soon as you enter
Trail line off the stern with flotation, if current is running
Cross-wreck line — for heavy current or low visibility
Safety cylinder & line — extra cylinder with two second stages at the stop depth on deeper dives, emergency use only
First aid kit and oxygen kit aboard

Dive Plan

Descend / ascend on the mooring or anchor line. Note the tie-in — the wreck is big enough to lose it.
Max depth 40 ffw — generous no-deco time; gas supply is the practical limit.
Navigate by the long hull sides: pick a side, run it out, come back the other — note your heading at the line.
Suitable for all certified divers outside; swim-throughs only with overhead training.

Hazards

Overhead environment — swim-throughs and interior framing require training, lights, and reels.
Sharp, rusted steel — gloves and careful hand placement; watch hoses near edges.
Silt inside the structure — one bad fin kick can brown out a swim-through.
Monofilament & entanglement — carry two cutting devices.
Boat traffic in the nearshore zone — surface on the line or with an SMB.

Logistics & Conditions

Dived from the SeaQuest II out of Hammond Marina — short nearshore run.
Shallow site — often diveable when deeper sites are weathered out; can carry surge in a blow.
Visibility variable nearshore — plan for 5 to 20+ ft.
Great second dive of the day after a deeper wreck; still worth a full day on its own.