"Blizzard-Like" Conditions on the Munson...

Of all the things I have experienced in my lifetime, I would never have thought I would experience an underwater blizzard... That is exactly what the conditions were like on the Munson tonight...

Jim, Gaetan, Josée and I were fortunate enough that the winds died down this evening, and Anne from Kingston Dive Charters took us out for a dive. Wave action on the surface was a bit choppy, and we experienced some current going down the mooring line. As we approached the 100 ft mark, I was asking myself: "Where the heck is the wreck ? It should be around here somewhere ?!?" Gaetan zoomed past me, and inadvertently slammed into the bottom.. that's how bad the visibility was. Once our eyes got used to the low-lighting, we slowly began to make out the shape of the wreck 5 feet in front of us. Visibility was down to maybe 3-5 feet WITH our high-powered canister lights... oh, and I forgot to mention the CURRENT... On the upper deck, we had to continually frog-kick to stay in one spot, looking at the artifacts placed here-and-there on the wreck. With all the silt and particulate moving in the water and across our light beams, it literally seemed as if there was heavy blowing snow going across the wreck. Penetration inside was tricky as well because of current pushing us into the lower beams inside the lower portion of the barge.

After 30 minutes of bottom time on Enriched Air Nitrox 32, it was time to try and find the elusive mooring block (yes, the viz was really that bad). Finding it on our second tour around the wreck, we slowly ascended the line. I will openly admit that this was one dive that I physically came up the line one hand over the other, holding on because of the poor conditions we were encountering..

Hopefully, over the next few days, the sediment caused by our heavy winds, rains and run-off from land will settle and allow some better diving conditions for those of us who will be enjoying a nice 4-day weekend. HAPPY CANADA DAY EVERYONE!!!!