Situated on a wreck off shore from Raccoon Park in West Springfield
is Lake Erie's first scuba cache. The cache is a 3" diameter 1 foot
long white PVC pipe permanently (we hope!) attached to the wreck.
Inside are two very special first and second finder's prizes (for
you and your buddy) of unactivated Canadian and Northwest PA
Geocoins. Simply twist off the end cap with the square knob.
The posted coords are for the cache itself as we actually
vaccuum sealed our GPS and took it out with us in our float. If
you're not that crazy, here's an alternate method: There is a 5-ft
diameter inverted cement pipe just west of the most westerly
pavillion at N 41 59. 401 W 080 28. 938. From there, project due
North (magnetic) 700 feet. One of the members of our dive group
(who found the wreck several years ago) says that there are
alternating bands of rock piles and sandy bottom, starting from
that same pipe. Just after the third band of rocks lies the wreck.
If you hit the fourth band, you went too far. We didn't use this
method however so we can't guarantee that it works.
The wreck is very shallow; we found it in only 8 feet of water.
Visibility is highly variable; the night we hid the cache it was
very poor and we swam right over the wreck several times until we
saw a big fish and then, BAM there it was. Two weeks later we
returned to the cache to add the "logbook" (dive slate) and the
water was calm and visibility was much better. We could see the
cache from the surface. Same big fish was there; I think it is a
bass. A dive slate is secured to the outside of the cache for you
to sign. IN ADDITION you must email me the password phrase
contained within. I have laminated several passwords so feel free
to take one with you if you don't think you can remember it! If
there is only one password left in the cache then please leave it
there for future finders.
There was quite a longshore current the night we placed this
cache, so be sure you're ready for that. Don't forget your flag and
float as there could be boat traffic in the area. Don't do this one
alone, normal dive safety rules apply. And don't forget the shore
support!
