Oh, and one other thing: I'll take those "picked-over" wrecks in the shallows (you'd be surprised how much is left on these vessels, especially in Michigan waters where they've got laws against artifact removal) over one of the deep wrecks any day. I'm not ruling them out, but I also am very wary of narcosis...the idea of not being in my right mind inside a wreck 200 feet down is way, way scary.
I've never been fresh water diving. It sounds like you saw some cool stuff though. In Massachusetts, about every wreck is plundered.
I am just getting back from Cathedral Rocks in Rockport right now. It's the deepest shore dive on Cape Ann (Gloucester and Rockport.) which tops off past 80' in high tide.
My last three dives have been disasters, LOL! Two dives ago I was getting my advanced cert when my regulator broke. I was getting about 15% of my air. The instructor wouldn't belive me and I didn't know what was wrong and then he saw the air shooting out the back of my regulator.
Two dives ago it was Winter and the water was 38 degrees. I was testing my new Dry Suit. We encountered massive riptides. One diver couldn't continue in ten feet of water because of disorientation and surge. Mind you this guy is advanced and certified in almost everything. Two of us got mild hypothermia (It was my gloves! I was warm but heat was being leeched away from my gloves. After a tortuous swim back we struggled just to get ON the beach.
Todays dive. Let's see... I have a sinus infection almost beat so I decided to really test out my suit. At 46' I had a coughing fit and started sucking in seawater. So I kept my second stage in my mouth while fighting the urge to throw up. I ascended a bit too quickly. I didn't break any safety rules but I was feeling very "trapped" if you get my meaning. I surfaced and proceeded to go on a coughing fit and vomiting large quantities of sea water for five minutes.
My buddy surfaced and asked if I was going to go back down to try for 80'. I called it there and let him go on alone while I went back to shore. We had two other people in the water with him.
It was good while it lasted.
We really love our diving here in New England. "If you haven't taken a fall or been pounded against the rocks with all of your gear on, you're not a New England Diver." is our motto. Diving keeps me sane with all of the socialists running around here.
Arioch7 out.