Garrett Rentschler, left, and Greg Wiese set the diving flag during the Wabash Scuba Club’s trip last year to Fletcher Lake in Fulton County, where they went on a quick excursion to sharpen their diving skills. (Photo provided)

WABASH — The name of the group is the Wabash Scuba Club, but don’t let that fool you. They don’t have an office space, a business telephone number or employees setting up shop in the county to the south.

In fact, the name of the club is a bit of a misnomer, since many of its members don’t reside anywhere near Wabash. And in fact, here have been a number of Kosciusko Countians who have been active in the club since its beginnings five years ago.

The club started when friends and diving buddies Garrett Rentschler and Bob Cole realized there had to be others in the region who shared their passion for diving. Both certified divers, the duo initiated an effort to identify other scuba divers in the area who might be interested in forming a local diving club. Cole started a website and a Facebook page to reach out to others who shared their passion. They also reached out to local dive shops to help publicize their efforts.

When the words “scuba diving” are presented to most people, images of bright blue water, coral reefs and tropical weather come to mind. While Rentschler, Cole and their fellow club member Mick Walters all have certainly experienced diving in such conditions, the purpose of their club has a more Midwestern feel to it. During diving months, which for the group often begins in April, members get together around once a month to explore the local lakes and other bodies of water. They’ve dived in lakes and quarries throughout the immediate area, as well as across state lines in Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky.

In the late winter/early spring, club members get together to plan the weekend excursions and put them together on a calendar. Rentschler said a usual trip includes anywhere from four to eight people, although some trips have attracted 15-20. The club usually picks a rendezvous point to meet to combine into carpool groups to reduce traveling expenses.

For one of their group trips in 2016, members of the Wabash Scuba Club dove Dream Lake in St. Paul. Pictured from left are Mick Walters, Garrett Rentschler, Eric Biddinger, Jim Seeds, Bob Cole and Mark Stutzer. (Photo provided)

“Our itinerary is usually pretty simple,” said Cole. “We dive, we eat, we dive again, we eat some more. We always have a good time.”

“None of us are very serious about it,” added Walters, referring to the structure of the group trips. He added with a grin, “We generally don’t like people like that.”

One thing they are serious about, however, is safety during their dives. A licensed dive master, Rentschler makes sure everyone is properly certified. There is no instruction available through the club. Each person must bring their certification card and their dive log book, along with their own equipment, including dive tanks. “We always carefully plan our dives before we go underwater,” he said. “Each diver has a dive buddy for safety.”

The club always is open to new members. There are no membership dues to join the club and no requirement to attend a certain number of the dive trips. “Anyone looking to get wet or to keep active in diving is always welcome,” said Rentschler.

“If you aren’t certified, you can certainly contact us,” added Cole. “We can at least point you in the right direction.”

In their dives, the group often spots a variety of fish species. Perhaps surprisingly, the trio says there is usually “all kinds of cool stuff to see.”

“No matter how many times you dive,” concluded Rentscler, “there’s always something new to discover.”

For more information, visit www.WabashScubaClub.weebly.com, or search for the group on Facebook.