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PEARL LAKE, IL GEM OF A DIVE SITE
BLOcK ISLAnD’S HEROInE nuDIBRAncH InVASIOn
DROP In On Virginia Beach
WREcKS The BahaMaS:cLEARLY A WInnInG PARADISE
PEARL LAKE MIDWEST DIVE nEWS
18 www.nedivenews.com Northeast & Midwest Dive News MAY �008
PEARl lAkE: DIVINg gEM Of THE MIDWESTStory by Greg KentPhotography by Greg Kent & Gary Chesnut
Pearl Lake’s quality of diving is outstanding! We dive the Thor Ann, a 45-foot trawler in the lake to train our wreck divers in preparation for wreck diving in Lake Michigan. -Capt. Dan JohnsonLoves Park Scuba, Loves Park, Ill.
Located in South Beloit, Ill., at the Illinois / Wisconsin state line and just five minutes west of Interstate 90, Pearl Lake’s 35 acres of clear water offers one of the finest diving and training environments in the Midwest. At first glance, you would expect to find this crystalline lake nestled somewhere in the North Woods. Instead, it is just a few minutes north of Rockford, Ill., the state’s second largest city and only an easy one-hour drive from the suburbs of Chicago.
From April to October, certified divers come here to enjoy a relaxing day of
diving in an undemanding but interestingandenjoyableenvironmenttosharpentheirskillsafteratimeoutofthewaterortosharean outing with family members in Pearl’spark-like atmosphere. Additionally, the finest professional dive stores and instructors inthe Midwest come here to introduce theirstudents to the underwater world at thisrecreational facility ideally suited for divetraining.Thewaterisdependablyclear,withvisibilityfrom15to40feet,andaquaticlifeisabundant.However,it’sthestaffthatmakesthedifference.Theyworkhardtomakethestudent diver’s first open water experience as safe, interestingandenjoyableaspossible.Thishelpsthedivingprofessionalswhotraintheirstudentsheretodosowithminimumeffortandmaximumsafety.
A plus for students, new divers and
X
Illinois
MIDWEST DIVE nEWS PEARL LAKE
1�Northeast & Midwest Dive News MAY �008 www.mwdivenews.com
1220 Dearborn AveSouth Beloit, IL 61080
(P) 815-389-1479(F) 815-389-1407
Diving Mecca of the MidwestSince 1962
H
D
M
M
B
S
ealthy aquatic environment featuringBass, Walleye, Perch, Bluegill andnumerous invertebrates.
ive sites include a submarine, schoolbus, airplane, 40’ fishing trawler, cabincruisers, boats, concrete tile swim-throughts and statues.
ultiple entry areas with over onedozen underwater training platforms
odern campground with overnightand seasonal sites. Complete withwater, electric and sewer.
eautiful, Caribbean-like guardedbeach with snack and beach bark.
upper Club offering casual and finedining.
ON-SITE AIRFILLS
www.pearllake.com7307 N. Alpine Rd. Loves Park, IL
Loves ParkScuba & Snorkel
Established 1984
LovesParkScuba.com
(800) 541-1062(815) 633-6969
TheMidwest’sPremiereDiveCenter
S SUMMER PECIALSAdvanced & Rescue Diver Pkg.
Master Scuba Diver
Rental Packages
Tropical Trips
(includes training materials)Equipment Rental Extra
(includes 6 shipwreck dives, deep diver,boat diver, equipment specialty,underwater photography.(Books & charter fees included)Equipment Rental Extra
(includes BCD, Regulator, Wetsuit, Tank &Weight Belt)
(includes air)Curacao November 8-15, 2008
Fiji February 12-21, 2009
LAKE MICHIGAN SHIPWRECK DIVES
$2,599.00
$1,550.00
(includes air from LAX)
SubmarineParking
Available
JUST MINUTES FROMPEARL LAKE$249.99
$499.99
$39.99 DAILY
Departures from Milwaukeeand Racine10 Different Shipwrecks20 ft -130 ft DepthsTechnical Wreck Dives
$952-tankdives
PEARL LAKE MIDWEST DIVE nEWS
�0 www.nedivenews.com Northeast & Midwest Dive News MAY �008
C D COASTAL IVE ENTERHingham, MA
Offering Personalized Training& Custom 6 Passenger ChartersSpecialties Include:Nitrox, Wreck, Drysuit, LobsterFlounder & Scallop Dives
UDT Facility, IANTD & PADI(617) 529-4317
www.coastaldivecenter.com
“We have been d iv ing there for 31 years. We go f o r a w e e k e n d and it becomes a mini-dive vacation. It is a wonderful experience. It gives a real reason to get certified in the Midwest. Hospitality and friendship are the reasons we keep returning (to Pearl Lake).”
Dick SmithMidwest Diving SpecialistsNormal, Ill.
experienced divers is the ease of entry.Unlike most quarries with limited anddifficult access, Pearl offers more than a dozenentryareasincludingseveralcapableofaccommodatinganumberoflargegroups.Additionally,trainingdepthsandinterestingsitesarejustashortswimoffshore.Inrecentyears,12trainingplatformshavebeenaddedto keep students off the bottom and thusmaximizevisibility.Allarelocatedin20to25 feetandvary insize from8-by8-footmesh grids up to a 45-foot flatbed trailer.
Whenitcomestointerestingattractionsfor the certified diver or an exciting first tourforthestudent,Pearldoesn’tfallshort.The east beachoffers anold stepvan andseveral boats. Just north of this area, anarrow channel bisects two shallow sandflats and harbors what is perhaps the lake’s most interesting wreck – a 33-foot yellowsubmarine.Restingonaslopingbottomat20feet,it’sascaled-downversionofaWorldWarIIU-boat.
Offthenorthshore,diverscanexploreafull-sizeschoolbus,a30-footcabincruiserand a statue ofThe Lady of the Lake, ordiverscandriftalongrailroadtracksleftoverfromthedayswhenthiswasabusysand-and-gravelproducingoperation.
Thewestshoreoffersseveralmoresmall
boats, another large cabin cruiser,the statue of Wally Gator and aBeechcraft twin-engine airplane.Thisareaalsoattractssomeofthelarger fish in the lake due in part to the habitat offered by the dozensofconcretedrainagetilesscatteredalong the bottom; many are largeenoughtoswimthrough.
Everyareaofthelakeprovidesa healthy natural habitat and anideal freshwater ecosystem tobe explored. Huge smallmouthand largemouthbass,walleyeandyellow perch cruise the bottom.Massive schools of bluegills driftthrough the shallows and pesterdiversforhandouts.Whitesuckersscourthebottomand,onoccasion,oneof the lake’s20- to30-poundchannel catfish will add an extra heartbeat or two for the diversurprised by one approaching out of thegloom.Anumberofspeciesofaquaticplantsadd an emerald hue to the environmentand the presence of several varieties ofinvertebrates makes exploring the bottommore interesting.An observant diver willfind three species of clams, several varieties of snails, and a prolific population of crayfish.
Turtlesarefrequentlysightedintheshallows,and some years, in the fall, freshwaterjellyfish are present.
Surfacewatertemperaturesvaryfromthelower40sFinthespringandfalltothehigh70sF inmid-summer. InJulyandAugust,the temperature drops another 10 to 15 Fatathermoclineat25to35feet.Althoughvisibilityisalwaysgood,itistypicallybestinAugustandSeptember.Themostinterestingdiving in the lake is found above 35 feet.Divers who seek deep-dive training canvisitthe80-foot“Hole”whereplatformsandbuoyeddescentlineshavebeenplaced.
The Witte family opened Pearl Lakeas a fishing facility in 1962. Since then, it has evolved into a multi-use recreationalcomplex.Thefamilystillownsandmanagesthefacilitythatinnowayresemblesthesand-and-gravelpitthattheybegantransformingmorethan45yearsago.
Besides the lake’spopularityasadivedestination, it also features one of thelargestandbestkeptswimmingbeachesinthe Midwest.A large deck with beach bar
MIDWEST DIVE nEWS PEARL LAKE
�1Northeast & Midwest Dive News MAY �008 www.mwdivenews.com
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Available at thesefine retailers:-----------------------Scuba Tech
Holly Ridge, NC910-329-1666Leisure ProNew York, NY212-645-1234
Mid-AtlanticScuba CenterBensalem, PA215-245-0141
Closed In CozumelEdmonton, AB780-914-5886
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-----------------------Scuba ExtremeMiddleburg, FL904-269-8021-----------------------
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-----------------------Rockport Dive
CentreRockport, ON613-659-4044-----------------------
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902-345-2215
Not Just Another Fin
and DJ’s on weekends makes this a greatspottorelaxafterthediveorentertainmentfor non-diving companions while thediversareunderwater.
A large portion of the grounds isdevoted to camping.Well-kept and quiet,the campground offers facilities for bothtent and recreational vehicle camping.Reservations are recommended, since thefacilityisalwaysbusywithovernightersandweekenders. Seasonalsites are available forRVs and park homes.A ful l-service RVdealershipandservicecenterislocatedattheproperty’sentrance.
A local dininglandmark,PearlLake’srestaurant occupiesan all-glass buildingoverlooking the lake.Itsloungeanddiningareaoffercasualdiningand cocktails and a great place to unwindandrelivetheday’sdivingexperiences.Themenurangesfromthick,juicyburgers,steaksandseafood.
FromlateAprilthroughOctober,divingis available seven days a week. Divinghours are from 8 a.m. until dusk withcheckoutrequiredbeforedark.Nightdivingis permitted on Fridays and Saturdaysanddiversmustbeupandoffthegroundsand checked out before 10 p.m. Notifythe staff when you register that youintendtonightdive.
Whenarrivingforthedivingday,follow
thesignstotheregistrationarea.Diversnotsigning in with an instructor must show anationally recognized certification card, and register and dive with another certified diver. Visitorsmustagreetofollowstandardsafedivingpractices,useequipmentappropriateto the diving environment and pay thedailyentrancefee.Non-diversovertheageof 10 accompanying certified or studentdivers are required to register and pay
the daily non-diverfee.Diversmustbefully equipped tobe in thewaterandnon-diversmuststaycompletely out ofthe water, exceptat the swimmingand wading beachadjacenttothedivingarea. Registereddivers and non-
divers can gain complementary entry tothe beach. Swimming and wading are notallowedinthedivingarea.
A i r f i l l s a r e a v a i l a b l e a t t h eregistration area where three compressorsand 8,000 cubic feet of storage quicklysupplydiver’sneeds.
So, whether you are a neophyte diverjust earning your fins or an old mossback looking for a little underwater relaxation,you’ll find it at Pearl Lake, the diving gem of theMidwest.Forentryfees,specialevents,theclosingdateandotherinformation,call(815)389-1479,[email protected].■
“ I love go ing ( to Pear l Lake). They have supported diving in the Midwest for more than 40 years.”Patric Hammer,Scuba Emporium, Chicago
