Saturday, March 31, 2007

Eight is Great..!


It's not even April - and today we put 8 divers in the water at Gananoque. Dianne, Malcolm, Chris, Olivier, Marc-Etienne, Donovan, Dominique and I all enjoyed brilliant sunshine and chilly waters to complete an enjoyable dive. Although no one reported any exciting sightings, Malcolm completed his Open Water Dive 2 and everyone had fun.

For those who love the stats. Air temperature 10C (50F), water temperature 35F (2C) and the visibility was about 25-30 feet. With enthusiasm like this in the Club - the forthcoming Summer season should be a record breaker.

More pics to follow, but I'm off to see Sharkwater.....




Thursday, March 29, 2007

Scuba Experience a success...



Due in no small part to the great efforts made by many members of the Club, including the volunteers who assisted the instructors in various ways, tonight's Scuba Experience was a great success. Despite an occasional chaotic moment - and the work of the fin fairies (who always hide the one you need) - 34 individuals who had never tried Scuba before got a positive impression of our sport.

We must all hope now that some of these folk will have been sufficiently enthused to come and enjoy our courses and join the Club.

Gananoque - Open for diving...


Hurrah! A dive venue that isn't Brewer's Mills at last. Chris and I spent some time finding a decent dive site in Gananoque this morning. I guess he'd tired of driving from his home to Brewer's all the time. Long story short, after checking out the River (too dirty, lots of silt, some current) we finally went in by the Beacon on the Eastern side of the Marina. An easterly wind ensured that the breakwater sheltered us from any drifting ice and we had a good 45 minutes or so to explore the area. An undistinguished muddy bottom, with some weeds, led us to a trench that holds a large bore pipe heading directly South. Following this took us (after a gentle 20 minute swim) to the intake / discharge point - a large, cubic, concrete structure. Maximum depth achieved was only 33 feet.

The water is colder than at Brewer's; we both registered just 35F (2C). Visibility though, in sun-dappled water, was a brilliant 40-50 feet. We disturbed a couple of large Catfish en route, spotted a large, lazy Bass resting by a rock and spooked a Pike. But the highlight, encountered on the way back, was spending time with a shoal of 150-200 baby Perch. These fish, measuring about 3-4", swam just ahead of us in the trench for about 10 minutes. A magic few moments - and perhaps quite unusual. For weather freaks, the air temperature was 6C (43F) - in bright sunshine, but with a cool easterly breeze.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Spring Moods...



The onset of Spring is really evident these days. The thin mist at Brewer's this morning presaged a warm, still day that made diving a delight. Add the joy of watching a young fox run below the canal bank and a group of four Bufflehead Ducks diving on the upper stretch and it doesn't get much better.

Dianne, Jeremie, Chris and I spent between 47 and 64 minutes in the water, which was a comfortable 39F (4C). Air temperatures of 6C (43F) on arrival had risen to 10C (50F) by the time we headed out. The viz was pretty standard at about 15-20 feet - more in places. No significant underwater sightings.

The biggest surprise of the day came when I got home and hung up my drysuit. Retrieving a data logger I keep in my pocket, a crayfish (only small - maybe an inch long) dropped out with it. The little fellow seemed unharmed and I'll take him back to a more appropriate environment later on today...

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Sunday Club Report - March 25th


Another good dive for the Sunday Club. This time attracting four divers; Adam, Kevin, Jeremie and myself. The venue - no surprises here - was Upper Brewer's again. For the benefit of those who were less familiar with the site, we headed upstream initially and visited the dam. Adam and I amused ourselves by heading right into the turbulent stream emerging from the overflow and discovered an interesting ledge under the bank.

Tiring of the upstream side, which is very shallow, we all allowed the gentle current to sweep us back under the bridge and into the 'bowl'. By this stage, we'd become two pairs. Adam and I continued South, checking out the old sawmill site and doing a little bit of rummaging. At this stage, after seeing many Crayfish, I spotted a dozing Turtle.

Everyone enjoyed a decent diving experience and I forced Adam to the exit just before 80 minutes had elapsed. Next time, I'll pump my tank right up and let him stay a little longer. Water temperature 38F (3C) and air temperature a pleasant 6C (43F). Occasional sunshine definitely improved the day - and I can report that the Martins have arrived at the stream, swooping and wheeling over the water. We were also treated to a little tattoo from a woodpecker, which attacked the power pole right by the vehicles. Ah - Spring !

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Five Dive...at Brewer's




One of the best things about diving is the experience of enjoying the excitement of a new diver's first underwater experiences. Today, taking Malcolm into Brewer's for Open Water Dive 1, was one of those great moments. His delight was apparent from the outset - and he did a really good job of coping with the challenges of cold water, drysuit management and the basic buoyancy skills.

It was a great help to have Dianne along to act as a more than capable buddy to Malcolm. The presence of Jim and Christopher, who are both working hard to get some dives in as the Spring season (and the Lake, fingers crossed) both open, was very encouraging.

Sightings today included the usual Crayfish and the less commonly sighted Perch - rather cold and docile in the 'Bowl'. For armchair divers, the water was 37F (3C) and the air a balmy 6C (43F). The overcast conditions encountered when we arrived had given way to rain by the time that Jim and Christopher, who had spend an hour or more in the water, finally emerged.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Oh No, not Brewer's again...again...


When the Sun is shining and the air is warm (comparatively) what's a guy to do but go and dive..? I had the good fortune to persuade Dianne to accompany me, once again, on an exploratory foray at Brewer's Mills this morning. Conditions couldn't have been better - well, the visibility could have been slightly better than the 20 feet we enjoyed - but conditions were fine. It would be good to say that we encountered something really neat, but the truth is that we did some air sharing drills and had a really good exchange with a couple of feisty Crayfish. Chilly hands led to an exit just short of one hour in the water.

Record keepers might wish to know that the water temperature was 37F (3C) and the air was standing at 5C (41F) - with a brisk and chilly southerly wind. But the Sun was shining, the geese were honking and the birds are beginning to appear in the woodlands again. Can't you just feel the Summer approaching ..?

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Scuba Olympics




There was a huge turnout today for the 2nd annual Scuba Olympics - 20 divers .
The following activities were played: Hula Hoop Obstacle Course, Running Race, Tug of War, Blind Treasure Hunt and Ultimate Frisbee.
Everyone had a great time and prizes were handed out to the top six divers.
Many thanks to Adam for organizing the entire event. Pat, Mike, Adam and Matt assisted with running the event.
Also many thanks to Joan for collecting many prizes for this event and the Spring BBQ.

The screen grabs shown above are from the video footage taken, which will be available to all very shortly. Meanwhile, check out a video sampler on Google Video.

Back to Brewer's


After a lively morning in the pool, three of us hadn't had enough. So Joan, Dianne and I made our way, in brilliant sunshine, to Brewer's Mills. Highlights of the dive - seeing a small Snapping Turtle, introducing Joan to the resident Crayfish and just enjoying a mellow dive experience in good company.

For the record: Topsides temperature of 1C (34F), water temperature 37F (3C). Visibility about 15 feet - again somewhat poorer than of late. The wind was a brisk Northerly.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Wetsuit wonders of Brewer's...



Chris is pictured just before another outing at Brewer's Mills today. Astonishing as it may seem, this is his third dive at the site within the last week - in a wetsuit. His commitment is extraordinary...

Today's dive was undistinguished. Cloudy conditions did little to improve visibility that was generally limited to about 15 feet. We made our way downstream to the dock below the lock and had a look around there before returning up the East bank. Navigation in this small, but unremarkable, stretch of water can be testing, but I think that familiarity with the landmarks that do exist is slowly building.

For the record: Air temperature -1C (30F) with a cool North wind. Water temperature remains stuck at about 36F (2C) and the ice shield below the lock is still in place.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Not so boring Brewer's...




Great dive today with Dianne and Christopher between threatening showers. Task One was to find and photograph some Crayfish. This was not a challenge. We were practically tripping over them - metaphorically speaking. A toad and a small, unidentified fish also surrendered to the lens.

As a free information service for those who are not yet ready to jump back in the water; the air temperature was 6C (43F) and the water temperature a balmy 37F (3C). Good enough to keep us in the water for some 51 minutes, finding the usual maximum depth (in the 'bowl') of 27 feet.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Sunday Club Re-United at Brewer's



Spring has sprung one might cautiously suggest...

Today's dive was blessed with brilliant sunshine, an air temperature of 6C (43F) and a strong turnout of enthusiastic divers. Dianne, Jim, Christopher, Rob and I enjoyed a leisurely 45 minutes or so in water that is slowly warming up. We all recorded somewhere around 36/37F (2/3C). The plan called for a dip into the 'bowl' below the bridge and a downstream transit to look at the area around the bottom end of the locks, taking in the remains of the old sawmill on the East bank en route. There were no glitches. A variety of objects were examined and several bits of clay pipe recovered. It was very noticeable that, for some reason, the crayfish were abundantly evident in the bottom of the bowl. I personally spotted 4 or 5 in the couple of minutes spent in that area.

The diving future looks bright right now. One of the aims must be to visit the section of water downstream of the lock complex, before the Canal opens for the Summer season on May 24th. Currently, ice precludes safe entry.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Underwater Photography Presentation


The club had a good turnout to the Underwater Photography presentation by Mike. Mike covered many aspects including many of the challenges of shooting underwater and the various tools and techniques for coping with them. He also brought along many pieces of camera equipment for the crowd to play with.
If you had to miss it, don't fret, as he will be offering a full-blown underwater photography course later.

Friday, March 9, 2007

Yes, OK - Brewer's again..

I can hear people asking, "is Brewer's the only place you ever dive?" Well yeah, until the Lake thaws out, I guess it might be - ice diving aside. And trust me, it's a whole lot easier to don your drysuit and slip into the water at Brewers than to assemble the equipment (and fellow ice divers) to go dive under ice.

That little rant aside, for anyone who has managed to maintain a semblance of curiosity, I can reveal that the wonderful conditions experienced today made for a great dive at Upper Brewer's for Dianne and I. As intended, we made a slow progress down to the area around the dock below the locks for a spot of light excavation. It would be good to relate that we found lots of great artifacts, but it wasn't so.

The return journey took us back past the site of what I have been told is an old sawmill quay. There are some substantial timbers, many with large iron nails and fixings still evident. It was a real bonus to have hardly any current at all.

Conditions - outstanding! The Sun was shining brightly, there was little breeze and it felt warm topsides despite an air temperature of -5C (21F). Water temperature somewhere around 36-38F (2-3C) and visibility about 20 feet, but giving the impression of better in the bright overhead light. We spent 52 minutes in the water and only came out because it was beginning to get chilly.

Monday, March 5, 2007

Back to Brewer's



The site at Upper Brewer's Mills is beginning to fit like a comfortable old shoe. Dianne and I made another dive on it this afternoon, investigating the upper channel all the way to the waters immediately under the hydro dam. The bad news is that this very shallow stretch really doesn't have a lot to commend it. We saw several waterlogged trees, some modern bottles and assorted items of abandoned houseware, but not much else.

A slow drift back downstream took us back to the hole just south of the bridge, where we spent a little time sightseeing. Crayfish seem to have a crazy love life. We encountered a pair of them in a tight clinch on the bottom. Otherwise, it was just another day at the office...

Next time - we head south with utensils to do some prospecting in the mud under the lock stream. Water temp today - 35F (2C). Visibility about 20 feet in most places. No current to speak of. And the air temperature, -2C (28F) with a biting West wind making for cold conditions - even in the bright sunshine. But the ice that was on some of the margins is definitely disappearing.

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Brewer's again...



Dianne and I ventured out to explore a little more of the dive environment at Upper Brewer's Mills this morning. We found the water pretty welcoming, with only a very slight current and decent visibility, estimated at 20 to 40 feet, depending on location. After the usual drop into the bowl below the bridge, we made our way down the West side to the point that separates the Lock stream from the hydro channel. Here we had a good look for clay pipes and other treasures, but came up empty. A little care was needed in the area. It's very easy to become engrossed in the search and stray under a substantial ice sheet that runs down - almost to the point - from the lower lock gate.

Our return journey was made up the East side, back into the bowl and then through the bridge for a quick survey of the area on its North side. The only sight of note was a frog, quietly resting amongst the boulders under the bridge. Dianne had spotted several crayfish earlier - and produced a rifle or shotgun stock from the muck just before we exited.

The whole dive took us up to 50 minutes. No doubt our comfort level was increased by water at a temperature of 36 or 37F (2 or 3C).

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Fish Recognition session spot on


A medium sized crowd ventured out in the eve of a potential winter storm to enjoy another of Mike's outstanding presentations. Mike covered a great variety of identification techniques and parameters to watch for as well as tricks to be successful at fish watching. He also covered a variety of fish identification tools, including books, ID cards and SW tools. The evening was wrapped up with a video on the fish of the Cayman Islands.