| 7/15/2010 8:50:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Rockford resident enjoys sharing dives on the Net
Jeannie Gregory
Editor
When Bob Shoemaker was just a child he would pack up his fishing poles, don his waders, hop on his bicycle and make the trek to the Rogue River from his home on 13 Mile Road. He spent countless hours catching fish and looking at the rolling waters of the Rogue, wondering what was underneath the surface.
Today Shoemaker still loves the water. Only now he knows the wonders of what is hidden in the depths of plenty of Michigan's bodies of water. Shoemaker, a 2002 Rockford High School graduate, now spends his time scuba diving and living the dream he had as a young boy.
"I've always been fascinated by the water," said Shoemaker. "Before, I could just guess what was out there. Seeing it firsthand is an incredible experience."
Shoemaker started working in high school, putting money away so that he could start to dive. He continued to snorkel and fish and also took ecology and biology courses at Rockford High School, courtesy of teachers Rick Folcik and Geoffrey Downs. Shoemaker said the classes opened the door wider in his quest to identify and understand the underwater species.
Right after graduation Shoemaker landed a job at Moby's Dive Shop, located on Northland Drive, adjacent to Versluis Lake. It wasn't glamorous - to start he was responsible for cleaning up the equipment and the building, but he was able to be around diving and he started helping in various ways, continuing to earn money for his goal.
In 2006 he was able to help in an official capacity at Moby's as a Dive Control Specialist when he earned his certificate and in 2007 he became a full-fledged dive instructor.
Shoemaker's first dive was at Versluis Lake. In Shoemaker's mind, his imagination was not as impressive as the reality.
"It was a whole new world," he said. "Just being able to see everything under the surface was amazing. It is the equivalent of turning over an old rotted log and seeing everything that is living under it."
Shoemaker enjoyed his diving - even in the icy Michigan winters, joined by another Michigan native, Jim Norton. He and Norton led dive trips starting in 2006, helping fellow scuba enthusiasts explore Michigan waters. It was last September when Johnny B. Allen entered the picture, joining the duo on a dive at a rock quarry in Ohio called Gilboat. Allen joined the duo on consequent dives.
Allen admits he was intrigued by Shoemaker and Norton's banter after the dives. He also noted that they talked about one thing continuously - scuba diving. It took Allen, a video production enthusiast, just two months of knowing the duo to come up with the idea to host a scuba diving show on the Internet (see box).
"We hit it off," Allen said. "They were funny and energetic and I kept thinking, 'this would make a great show.'"
Evolving Creativity's online scuba show Talking-Scuba launched in January of 2009 and has gained steam in popularity.
"It has been growing every month," Shoemaker said. "I thought it was a really good idea. We knew there wasn't much on scuba diving online. At first we talked about just an audio clip, but the coolest part of scuba diving is the visual part of it."
The group discussed the lack of quality, professional shows related to scuba diving and wanted to bring the dives to the masses.
"We said 'let's do it,'" Allen said. "And it's rolling well now."
According to Allen, "Bob and Jim tell some of their best dive stories while enjoying a cold and refreshing beverage. This concept made its way into the set and styling of the show. The two of them sit at 'The Scuba Lounge' drinking one of their favorite drinks and talk about the most recent dive or other scuba-related news of the week. Their stories are not only informative and exciting, but have plenty of humor to keep the show light and entertaining."
Shoemaker's favorite dives are famous Michigan shipwrecks.
His first shipwreck dive was in the Straits of Mackinac. According to Shoemaker, drivers can see the sunken ship's marker to the west while driving on Mackinac Bridge. The steamship Minneapolis sank when it tried to get through the ice and lost its hull in the attempt. The wreck is moored, resplendent with the steam stacks dotting the floor of the lake.
It was the deepest dive Shoemaker had ever attempted at the time and he remembers it well.
"When I started going down I saw a wall," Shoemaker said. "I didn't know what it was, it was just this huge wall. I finally figured out it was a huge wall of white fish. It seemed like there were a million of them. These dives are an awesome opportunity to see these things - and historic things like the shipwrecks."
And Allen, creator of Evolving Creativity has visions of how he wants the show to grow. Presently, the show focuses on Michigan waters and Allen wants to involve local divers more in the show.
"We want the show more integrated with the community," Allen said. "We want local divers to interact with us, it will add interest to the show."
He also wants to branch out in the future to sites outside of Michigan, and perhaps create some documentary films as well.
But for right now, the trio at Evolving Creativity are enjoying their new project.
"It's a great idea," Shoemaker said.
For more information go to www.talking-scuba.com. The show also has a presence on Facebook and Twitter. To voice an opinion, go to fans@talking-scuba.com.
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