# First Dive and Finds 2018



## coldwater diver (Jan 1, 2018)

Let me start by wishing all of you out there in this hobby (or obsession) of bottle collecting a Happy Healthy New Year! I will follow with I know its cold and I'm not crazy. So for the past twenty or so years I start the year off by diving. I usually dont mind the cold however it was 3 degree out pushing 4-5 by the time I got to York River Me. I wanted to be close because of the severe cold and possible equipment issues. I suited up at home drove there in dive suit. Well my reg started to free flow also known as dive killer. I got that settled down and continued dive. As I got underway the water temp being 32 degree my dive mask was freezing up so I had to keep flushing and clearing with fresh sea water every 3-4 min. About 16 min in I aborted the dive as my gauges were not reading properly. So I inflated and road the current topside to my exit. Although brief was the dive, the tradition continues. Kinda bummed I would have loved to finish the dive. So here is what I found. I wont be going again until we get out of this deep freeze.


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## coldwater diver (Jan 1, 2018)

I had a stowaway in the broken ceramic Dundee Marmalade. Some old fishing weights, a pyroglazed Pepsi, I found a nice little lamp in some muddy sediment. I had that feeling I was going to find something great but it we have to be some day in the future.


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## downeastdigger (Jan 1, 2018)

So the annual question remains, " Is Kevin crazy, or is Kevin awesome for diving on New Years day? All I know is I would have joined you if my gear didn't ice up so quickly. I would have gone to free flow after 2 breathes! Glad you were safe, have a lucky year!


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## RCO (Jan 1, 2018)

I can't believe anyone would be diving this week , its been freezing here , so cold some rivers that normally are open are starting to freeze . 

surprised there is that much acl left on the pepsi , although found it can vary by location is some rivers where there is generally no acl left on any of the bottles but is a couple others where I've pulled out mostly surprisingly intact acl bottles and I'm not really sure why ?


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## sandchip (Jan 2, 2018)

Nice grabs and hats off to you, bro.  Glad you made it up and out to share your finds with us.  Love that little Peptenzyme.


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## Mikez (Jan 3, 2018)

Very cool.
You inspire me. I won't be doing any winter diving but I'm a fisherman who is on the water all the time including coastal areas. I don't hardly have to change my habits to look for bottles - I'm already out there.
I don't like digging much (i work in utilities) so I have already decided streams, ponds and ocean will be my focus.

On a completely offtopic question; do you ever see trout in those tidal waters in Fall/winter?


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## coldwater diver (Jan 5, 2018)

On a completely offtopic question; do you ever see trout in those tidal waters in Fall/winter?[/QUOTE]

I dont see them in the brackish areas but I have swam along side them in fresh water.


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## logueb (Jan 6, 2018)

Great finds.  Too cold for me to do any creek wading.  I have the same Peptenzyme bottle that was in a trunk at my grandmothers over 40 years ago.  I always loved that little bottle that lays on it's side.  Buster


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## coldwater diver (Jan 7, 2018)

logueb said:


> Great finds.  Too cold for me to do any creek wading.  I have the same Peptenzyme bottle that was in a trunk at my grandmothers over 40 years ago.  I always loved that little bottle that lays on it's side.  Buster



Its a pretty cool find I like the brass cap


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## riverdiver (Jan 10, 2018)

Nice finds Bubblehead!


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## blobbottlebob (Jan 30, 2018)

Awesome Kevin,
You found a lot for 16 minutes and some of it fighting your gear. Here's my pic last time I dove in January. Free flowed in two seconds and couldn't fix it. So, I swam around for awhile and caught a ride on a berg.


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## coldwater diver (Jan 31, 2018)

Did a dive the other day lots of old fishing weights, a nice Blob soda Lewis R Hazard, Milford Ma, a John Wiley Pharmacist Manchester, NH, what I am told is an old brass lobster gauge ( I'm unsure on that one), an interesting bottle that is from Belfast Me embossed Belfast Candy Co. Part of a very old stein and a teacup. Driving home a flock of about 40 turkeys. Blobbottle I'm diving wetsuit no dry. Its just my feet that are cold so Im searching if you know of any really thick booties let me know.


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## sandchip (Jan 31, 2018)

Neat finds!


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## nhpharm (Feb 1, 2018)

Nice finds!  For sure a lobster gauge...

How tall is that Wiley bottle?  His bottles are quite hard to find.  He put out "Wiley's Dartmouth Cologne" as well which are real neat bottles.


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## Mikez (Feb 1, 2018)

Awesome stuff. Look forward to your posts. They are even cooler because you are diving in rivers I'm not far from. 

Question; do you ever go back and explore the bank when you find good stuff? Im guessing some bank side dumps must expose themselves on the river bottom.


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## coldwater diver (Feb 1, 2018)

Hi NH, thanks for the confirmation on the lobster gauge, The Wiley bottle is 3.7/8". Where are you Mike? this river may have had its dumps and I have found a couple of areas that would seem like a riverside dump was the source. Most of the area Im in was the center of commerce bridges, wharfs, moorings etc. Most of it has been silted over, however a simple addition of a sunken log, boat etc changes the thrust (cant think of the right word) and direction of the water in the currents with every tide and things once silted over reveal themselves. I did find on the same river prior to a dive an 1802 mint large cent just sitting there. Just think Lewis and Clark had not even left yet. You just never know what you will find.


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## blobbottlebob (Feb 3, 2018)

Hey Kevin.
The cobalt peptenzyme is cool. Everybody loves embossed cobalt bottles, right? I found one also Reed & Carnrick but mine is from New York. I'm attaching a pic. 
The 'Candy Co' round bottom bottle is pretty cool too. Nothing like that around here. It is reminiscent of that coke hutch . . .


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## coldwater diver (Feb 4, 2018)

Hi Blob That is a great bottle. Interesting the did not put NY and NJ on the embossing maybe they moved. So I got these wet suit socks that did the trick I went oyster diving yesterday in my 7 mill and was able to do my 90 min. It was warmer underwater than above. So I keep finding these tantalizing shards of westerwald pottery here is another, a coral encrusted Caws ink , a top to a stein, and a Benjamin Green apothecary Portsmouth NH. Nothing earth shattering, hope to do a drift dive soon now that I have my gear worked out.


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