Well, after several false starts, 'Water-Logged' is finally a reality. It took me 3 tries to come up with a water-tight container. Then it took quite a bit of exploring and diving (freediving) different areas to come up with the ideal site.
I finally found the perfect little overhang in 13 feet of water. I put it under an overhang so that it won't get snagged by fishing lures or boat anchors. There are also lots of other little overhangs in the area to make it a little more challenging for you. Hey, at least I didn't hide it under a rock pile!
I debated some on the difficulty rating. It will depend a lot on water clarity at the time of your visit. It could be a one or two in clear water, and a five in very low visibility.
15 feet should be easily attained by any scuba or freediver, and a good snorkeler should be able to do it also. WARNING - DO NOT TRY THIS IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO EQUALIZE THE PRESSURE IN YOUR EARS!!! 15 feet is more than deep enough to cause permanent hearing damage if you don't know what you are doing.
The cache is a piece of black 4 inch PVC anchored to a short piece of railroad rail. Both the anchor and container have a loop of climbing rope attached. They are held together by a simple 'S' hook that is closed on the anchor rope. I rigged it like this so you don't have to swim the anchor to the surface. All you have to do is unhook the cache and bring it to the surface. That way, you'll also know where to put it back.
The cap that you remove is a test plug. Basically, a big rubber 'O' ring gets compressed between 2 pieces of steel. The steel is zinc plated and I replaced the carriage bolt and wing nut with stainless versions. I also made an acrylic wrench to help in opening and sealing the container. Just unscrew the wingnut 3 full turns and lightly tap on the cap to pop it open. The cap may have a little water in it, so you might want to point it down when you open it. To re-seal, tighten the wing nut 2 full turns after the rubber makes solid contact with the PVC. You will have to hold the cap with your fingers until it quits spinning, at which point it has made solid contact.
There is a 2 lb soft dive weight in the container to make it easier to dive with. Please leave that in there.
Original contents include:
- Waterproof Flashlight
- Therapy Putty
- Fish Cookbook
- Mini Leatherman
- Waterproof map of Lake Havasu
- Several fishing lures (Hooks are taped up)
- Coleman working mini lamp replica
- A mini and a regular carabiner
If you have as much fun with this as I have, it will be worth your time.
Enjoy!