Diving into new realms

There might not be any shipwrecks in southern Minnesota, but Owatonna has an active diving club that trains people to go elsewhere and explore underwater treasures. The club is the largest of its kind in the state.

Don Matejcek helped start the club in 1963 and is still involved.

“In the 60s, 70s, and even early 80s, the lakes around here were great for diving. We did a lot of diving just locally. But then as the years went on the lakes turned green and the vegetation took over,” said Matejcek.

That led to trips to bigger bodies of water. Now the club hosts trips to the Great Lakes as well as points south. They also dive in old iron ore pits in Northern Minnesota, where enthusiasts will sink platforms or objects to dive around. One diver adds plastic skeletons to spice it up.

His grandson Eric continues the tradition.

“They had a pool growing up and we would actually use the equipment while we were younger in the pool. My dad now has a pool, and my kids are doing it in his pool. My son actually just took the class and will do open water here in June,” said Eric Matejcek.

“The main thing in Lake Superior is shipwrecks up and down the North Shore. Some date back to the 1800s. Along the South Shore we go to Bayfield, Wisconsin around the Apostle Islands. There are at least 20 wrecks around there. Lake Michigan – right out of Milwaukee – there are 10-12 wrecks,” said Don Matejcek.

He also travels south.

“The ocean diving is beautiful. The fish and coral and everything. But I still love shipwrecks and the history of it all,” said Don Matejcek.

Eric has done some warm water diving in Aruba, “which was great and fantastic but there’s just something about shipwrecks especially when you can find one that’s pretty intact and you can go inside them.”

Don told the Owatonna Live Coaches Show that sharks aren’t any real concern.

“They don’t bother you. They’re curious. They look at you. They have no reason to mess with you.”

Eric said snapping turtles are the critters to watch out for.

The club has about 70-80 families across the region as members. Don says 12 or 13 years old is a good age to start. They recently taught a doctor in his 70s the skills of scuba diving as a hobby for his retirement. Family membership is a mere $30 annually. Training dives are held at the Owatonna Middle School. The club owns a building to store equipment and for classroom space.

Eric says they are exposing the sport to a new generation.

“We also provide a little class for the middle school too. That’s been two years of doing actual diving in the water with them. Three years total,” said Eric Matejcek.

His dad started the class. Eric works with students who can put on the gear and try in out underwater.

“So, you’ve got seventh and eighth graders doing it and kind of getting interested in it. And so hopefully we can start broadening not just the kids, but families in general. That’s really what this is: a family thing.”

His own son is excited for the chance to go scuba diving with his great-grandfather (Don) this summer.

The club started the New Year’s Eve diving tradition in Owatonna years ago while Don attended a holiday party.

“Some of the guys said, ‘Why don’t you go jump in a lake?’ So, the next morning we went out to Kohlmier and cut a hole and went ice diving.”

They provided support and safety services for the Special Olympics Polar Plunge when it was hosted here.