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On Memorial Day 2007 Silent World Divecenter installed a new surface on the training platform in the Sheboygan Quarry. This new surface is larger, safer and more comfortable than what had been there. It will make training dives more enjoyable for the students as well as the instructor.
 
We owe a big Thank You to the following people for helping with this project.
Their efforts will benefit classes for years to come.

Del Kubichek: Helped us acquire the perfect material.
Frank Brotz: Readied the new surface for installation.
Keith Mitchell: Gave his time and talent to help install

 
Here is the platform prior to installation. Mr. Frank Brotz added colored reflective tape so students can easily orient themselves to their location on the platform. The new platform surface is 11'X14'. About the size of an average bedroom! He also machined the connecting points of the 3 pieces for easy assembly underwater and drilled and taped the connecting points for locking screws.
Compact pick-ups are great for gas mileage, and are fun to drive. But the beds fill quickly. Six feet of the platform hung out over the end of the tailgate. The buoys were used to float the platform sections over to the existing frame.
The platform pieces were carried down the beach and placed at the waters edge until we suited up. The whole job was WAY more work than expected! Each piece weighed about 8,000 lbs! Well maybe not quite, but it sure felt like it when walking in sand.
After suiting up each platform piece was carried out to waist deep water and the floats were tied to it. It was then pulled over to the existing frame and lowered down onto it. Suspending the piece perfectly horizontal in the water was near impossible. There was always a slight tilt to it. This made pulling it through the water a serious workout! Keith was a real trooper giving up his Memorial Day holiday to help us. And we sincerely appreciate it.
It was a full day just getting all of the platform pieces to the frame 20 feet below the surface of the quarry. We were all pretty tired and low on air. Kathy and I came back later in the week for two more dives to finish assembling the platform and tying it to the frame. 

We were a bit too busy to get underwater photos of the new platform but will add them later when they are available.

 

 

 

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