CFB Kingston Dolphin Scuba Club

War of 1812 Symposium in Guelph..

2012-01-17T14:16:00.003-04:00

Members may be interested in a Seminar to be held at the University of Guelph on February 25th. The all-day event will feature at least one talk on the naval campaign, a subject close to our hearts here in Kingston. Further details can be obtained from the Organizing Chair - Tom Fournier (tom4141fournier@yahoo.ca)

2011-11-28T02:19:00.002-04:00

This is funny just because everyone is looking down. Funny but a good idea too.

Welcome home Kev

2011-11-28T02:15:00.003-04:00

Welcome home Kev!... And after the family the first thing he does is dive.

Gaetan's 100th this year

2011-11-28T02:04:00.002-04:00

How many have 100 dives this year or wish they had? Gaetan had plenty of company for the event. It looked like fun and I wish I had joined them. Here's a picture of the happy guy after the dive and another of his crew emerging from the water.

Diving the Islander

2011-11-12T18:05:00.004-04:00

Great trip today to Alexandria Bay to dive the wreck of the Islander. The water clarity was exceptional and it's still not too chilly at about 50℉ (10℃). As always on this site, there were lots of Crayfish, including this monster. There has been some damage done to the dinner table set-up, but we restored one piece to create the ensemble shown.

Pumpkin DIvers' pictures on Flickr..

2011-10-22T17:47:00.001-04:00

Tom Rutledge has been good enough to post some of the great shots he took this morning at the Marine Museum's Pumpkin Dive on his Flickr site. Click here to see them.

2011-10-18T16:33:00.002-04:00

The Marine Museum of the Great Lakes is hosting a Pumpkin Carving event this coming Saturday, October 22nd. Teams need to pre-register and full details can be found in the flyer here.

The Love Affair Continues...

2011-07-05T08:49:00.005-04:00

Staying faithful and true to my only other love, continual diving education, this past Saturday was the culmination point of another series of courses I have undertaken lately. While on pre-deployment training and under a form of distance-learning, I dove into the world of technical diving. I had been diving doubles, stages, and other forms of technical-oriented activities for quite some time, but had never taken any formal training associated with the rigors of planned and structured technical diving.

Decompression Procedures, Advanced Nitrox, and Solo Diver, prepare divers to plan and execute complex decompression dives in up to 150 feet with a ''virtual'' overhead environment. A large portion of the course was to learn problem-solving skills in order to safely return to the surface if things go wrong underwater. Mastery of such skills as mask replacement at depth, managing back gas and stage bottle freeflows, left or right-post failures, BCD and drysuit inflator failures, gas planning and management, decompression schedule planning, and inflating surface markers were only a portion of what you learn....the list of skills goes on and on...

Throughout the course, my instructor took pleasure in throwing multiple problems at me during our training dives, enabling me to learn to prioritize problems, solve them underwater while keeping a decompression schedule on track. The picture above is a photo of my graduation dive on the Munson this past Saturday. In all, it took me a total of 9 training dives to complete all 3 courses.

Many thanks go out to Anne and Harold from Kingston Dive Charters, members from the club for their support in coming along for the dive, and my instructor Dan Downes for putting me through some of the toughest diving I had yet to encounter. His mantra throughout the course was: ''Technical diving is not a destination, but a journey...'' Are YOU up to the challenge ?

Happy 100th Eric..!

2011-07-02T20:04:00.004-04:00

Eric celebrated Canada Day yesterday and his 100th dive today. Great way to keep the weekend alive. His occasion was celebrated by the Club members pictured - and by Todd and Gaétan, who, although unable to dive, turned out to mark the occasion. The whole party spent more than 45 minutes in and around the Marine Museum Barge and the nearby logs.

Dive the Comet

2011-04-30T19:08:00.005-04:00

Well this marks the start of a new dive season. I had the opportunity to dive the Comet this morning. A friend of mine came up from Burlington to dive this weekend. Through the efforts of Steve Black, providing the fine transportation to the dive site. David Megarry, Gaetan our club treasurer , and yours truly provided the diving. The rumor was out, that the vis was good. Well, we 3 divers found it to be outstanding. We started our descent and at 25 ft the Comet was in sight. Resting at 85 ft, it was a truly sight that had not been seen since last summer, but in the best vis ever. With a bottom time of 36 minutes and a number of trips around looking at her, it was time to head back to the surface. It was observed back on board, that the 3 of us divers enjoyed this dive. The chatter went on for about 30 min, as we got out of our gear and got the equipment stored. An absolutely fantastic dive and the weather couldn't have been better. The dive charters will be in full swing in the next few weeks. The weekly club Wednesday evening dives will be starting on the 11th of May. After todays dive, I know, I am looking towards a very exciting season of diving. See you out in the open water...

Not Just Another Saturday Night Pool Night

2011-03-08T22:17:00.010-04:00

The Night we all were anticipating has come and gone and fun was had by all. Six divers in total were able to experience the origins of diving. As seen to the right, a diver experiences diving a 3 bolt Russian commercial suit. Other highlights were a Submerge UV 26 Diver Propulsion Vehicle, Doubles set ups, Halcyon back plates and wings, Poseidon Wings, Regulators, Dive Computers, Under water communications, to a large selection of new style BCD's, fins, masks, and under water Cameras . A big thanks goes out to Dive Tech Training Center, Northern Tech Diver, Rockport Dive Shop, and Sunset Diving. Without these four shops, the night would not have been the great success that it was. A thanks goes out to the our executive for making the necessary arrangements the night of, and to the planning of this fun event.

The 2011 Dive year is looking to be a good. The club has been very busy for the past few months, with the two Ice Diving Courses this year. The Dive Gear Showcase / Expo just about wraps up the winter dive season. With a few more pool sessions, ending with our Annual Scuba Olympics. See you in water...

Can you say Ice Course Serial 2!!!!!

2011-02-27T19:31:00.003-04:00

Well, I think a little bit of history was made here this weekend... I believe this is a first, for the Dolphin Scuba Club. We have successfully completed a second Ice Diving Course for this winter... A Big Congratulations goes out to Ben, Sadie, and Zach. After the first course last weekend, there was enough interest to run a second course. A big thanks goes out to Dave for making this happen. As well another thanks goes out to Chris at Explorer Diving, for opening the gates to the quarry for a second weekend, and to the surface support who in turn enjoyed getting in another dive. In a few weeks the ice should be off the lake, and the club will be back diving in the open water. Wishing for the great vis that we have grown accustomed to, only offered by ice diving. Again, congratulations to all our Ice Divers who have qualified from the two courses ran this year. Well done!!!

Ice Divers Make the Grade...

2011-02-21T18:32:00.004-04:00

The very varied topside conditions over the weekend didn't create any significant challenges to successfully completing our annual ice diving course. The four divers pictured; Todd, Dan, Steve and Andrew all did well and gained a new appreciation for the discipline of diving under ice.

Well done to all of them, and many thanks to everyone who turned out to assist. At the risk of offending anyone else, I will single out Jim as the key supporting player over the weekend. He helped in every way possible. Many thanks too to Explorer Diving, caretakers of the dive site. They generously made the quarry available at no cost and Chris also assisted for much of the weekend.

There's a strong possibility, if everything comes together, that another course will be run next weekend. That's concrete evidence of the excitement being built, and maintained, in our Club. The dive season ahead promises to be a great one...

A Taste of True Ice Diving

2011-02-15T21:00:00.007-04:00

Well it's that time of year for those who didn't travel south, take up Ice Diving. You can only dive Upper Brewers Mills so many times before you succumb to Lake Ontario's beckoning. This past weekend, a few of us had to venture into old territory well new in some aspects, as the photos will prove. (courtesy of Mike)

The weekend started with a dive Saturday morning at the Marine Museum. Once we had a hole made, we geared up and went under the Ice. We were all pleasantly surprised at just how great the Vis really was.

I would have to say we were looking at 100 ft of Vis. We used a cave line anchored at the hole and went on our dive.

Sunday's dive turned out to be a repeat of the Saturdays dive. With the exception of Mike bringing out his camera and expertise. He has proven once again that a tripod is worth its weight in gold. Proving a small aperture with a slow shutter speed gives you the best shot, but a tripod is a must.

The only exception was, Sunday seemed to be a little cooler than the previous day. The water temperature in the lake was definitely the coldest dive to date that I have ever dove. A cool 32 f. that's right, FREEZING cold. A point to consider here. An environmentally sealed and balanced 1st stage regulator is a very wise choice. All in all, the weekend of ice diving was an enjoyable weekend. The Marine Museum never looked so good.

Ice Diving!! Oh Yeah!!!!

2011-02-07T20:05:00.010-04:00

Well, I say if you can't get into the water, via shore entry or by boat charter, because it's winter and someone??? (Mother Nature) likes to play a joke and ice over the lakes on you. Well then "GO THROUGH THE ICE"..... That is what a few of us did yesterday. In preparation for the up coming course a few of us decided to check out the ice and while we were at it see what the vis was. To every ones surprise we had close to 80 ft if vis. Better that what any of us were thinking due to the lime normally found in the water.

After a 32 minute bottom time, we turned the dive and headed back to the hole that would bring us to the surface. Water temperature at bottom was 39 f. Warmer, considering our last dive on in the lake, prior to the ice forming was 33 f. Nice to dive again in warmer waters, lol.... We were greeted under water by large schools of Gold Fish. A rare species of fish we seldom encounter in waters around here, being so far north of the equator...

We must extend a thank you to all, for your efforts in support of our endeavour. To Chris for opening up the Quarry for us, and allowing us to run our ice course here in two weeks. As well a big thanks for the great assistance from Dave our on scene manager, Gaetan and Steve for the above ice photography, and Ken who assisted with everything else. I believe all had a great time, above, as well, as us fortunate below the ice....

Mike's First Doubles Dive

2011-01-15T17:03:00.006-04:00

As the winter has set in, Mike Hill and I had to go for a dive. With the Lake Ice formed and not many places to find open water he headed for Upper Brewers Mills, on the Rideau River. Today would prove to be a day of firsts. Mike's debut in diving with a set of doubles, and my first time at Upper Brewers Mills. The water was a cool refreshing 36F with a vis of 15 to 20 ft. with a mild to medium current, what more could two divers ask for. Mike proved that diving doubles is the way to go, judging by the smiles after the dive no difficulties were found. We went around the bowl 3 times observing crayfish and fingerling Walleye's. Ending the dive with a bottom time of 31 min and two divers happy to get in the water once again...

Americans enact Shark Conservation Law..

2011-01-06T17:29:00.002-04:00

There was a lot of criticism of the lame duck Congress leading up to the turn of the year. It turned out though that quite a lot was actually achieved. One very important piece of legislation didn't make the headlines. President Obama signed a Shark Conservation Act into law on January 4th. Details in the link you can reach by clicking here.

Diving Adventurers..

2011-01-02T21:14:00.002-04:00

Conditions in the Lake are really pretty good at the moment. Despite near frigid water temperatures, the visibility is fantastic, and entry and exit are straightforward. Todd and Dan enjoyed amazing sightings of Gizzard Shad yesterday and today. You can see a video of the large shoal of fish here on You Tube...

Shad-tastic..!

2011-01-01T19:38:00.002-04:00

It's not entirely clear just what species we encountered in the waters near the Marine Museum yesterday and today, but what's quite certain is that we enjoyed an experience that is rare in local water. This link will take you to video that shows just what we were privileged to enjoy. So numerous were the fish, and so intent on shoaling, that they actually collided with the divers. If you listen carefully, on a couple of occasions you can hear a fish bump into the camera housing.

Happy New Year everyone!

THE BI-CENTENNIAL MAN...

2010-12-31T19:06:00.004-04:00

Today's immersion in the frigid lake was an important landmark in Todd's dive logbook.....his 200th dive this year. Since I am currently completing my PADI Underwater Photography Specialty, it was only logical that I would attend to take a few "Hero Shots" for our newly-appointed Club President. We entered the water at the old corvette launch near the Marine Museum this afternoon for a swim around the old wharf, and to examine the entry to the Alexander Henry's drydock. This being my first jaunt that far along the shoreline, I realized that there is even more to explore past the old familiar line out to the barge. We swam past an old anchor, tires, and some construction debris from this year's recent rebuild of the drydock. What we weren't expecting were the schools of Lake Shad that we encountered upon entry, and around the drydock area. See for yourself in this video:

... The fish were so abundant that Todd had to eat his way through the school (or he found himself a New Year's Eve date for this evening...) (pictured is Todd with fish-in-hand.... you be the judge on what he is doing...)

.... and last, but not least.. the best picture of the dive today:

Amazing what fish will do when you stay motionless at 15 feet for a safety stop.. They were as curious of me as I was of them.. Total dive time: a frisky 61 minutes, max depth: 37 feet, water temperature: a freezing 36 deg F.

D.O.G.s or Huskies..?

2010-11-27T15:25:00.002-04:00

The weather's definitely getting colder - and the water temperature in the Lake too. But, that's when the viz starts to clear and the diving crowd starts to thin out. This morning - to celebrate Todd's 300th dive appropriately - three of us ventured forth to Howe Island to plumb the 'hidden' depths of the South Channel. Despite the lower water levels of this time of year, before the bottom started rising back to Wolfe Island in mid channel, we achieved 119'. It was a cool dive on at least two levels. First of all, the water temperature was down to 43℉ (6℃) at the bottom and, secondly, it just an excellent, relaxed experience. Congratulations, Todd, on your 300th lifetime dive.

Great fish diversity

2010-11-04T09:00:00.012-04:00

Last Tuesday Todd, Steve and I went for a nice little night dive in Portsmouth harbor. I have to admit, this dive was so far the best in term of fish diversity. I'll let you judge! These pictures were all taken on the same dive.

Smaller pike seen in the shallows on the way back by the pier

Lake shad

Catfish (minus a chunck on the face!)

Walleye seen chilling on the bottom under the pier close to the first opening

Sucker

BIIIGG pike seen on our way to the pier leaving from the line to the anchor

Family reunion of perches

Big Small mouth bass

Mudpuppy

Rock bass

Sorry, I didn't bother taking pictures of gobby, but obviously, they were there also.

See you next dive!

DOGs on the prowl..

2010-11-02T17:05:00.003-04:00

Here's a link to a few minutes of video fun on the KGH wreck yesterday. If you have friends who wonder why you dive - and what you see, show them this...

City of Sheboygan in great shape..

2010-10-31T19:53:00.003-04:00

Seven of us went out with Kingston Dive Charters this morning to dive the excellent wreck that is the City of Sheboygan. Conditions could only have been improved by a little bit more sunshine, but the Lake was relatively calm, and the visibility was superb. A water temperature of 52℉ (11℃) ensured that no one got unduly cold. A lot of video was taken - and a short edition of the highlights is on You Tube here..

Portsmouth Harbour Wrecks..

2010-10-30T17:00:00.001-04:00

For all those who have not had the opportunity to visit the wreck fragments that lie just off the Breakwater at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, here's a little video pulled together in October. To view it click here.

It comes as a complete surprise to most Kingstonians that these links to the City's maritime history are literally yards from shore.

Night Dive on the Wolfe Islander...

2010-10-29T21:36:00.005-04:00

The Club organized another very successful night dive on the Wolfe Islander tonight (Thanks Todd). We were delighted to be accompanied by several well-equipped and well-trained divers from the Great Lakes Underwater Explorers. (They brought considerable candlepower to the wreck..!). Our last night dive on the Wolfe provided several great American Eel sightings - and this one was no different. The other picture above is of my patient buddy, who was content to hang around while I bothered eels and fiddled with camera settings..! For the record keepers, the water temp at depth was 52℉ (11℃). That beat the heck out of 3℃ back on the boat..!!! Many thanks to Frank and Proteus Diving for another great outing from Treasure Island.. The new onboard heaters below are the bees' knees...

Discontinued... You won't stop me from photography!

2010-10-27T18:43:00.006-04:00

I got told some weeks ago that the batteries holder in my Sealife external flash unit was a discontinued piece and I could replace both of my broken holders... There was no way I was to pay around 600$ to replace my two flashes! There was no way I was to stop underwater photography either... Here is the solution to my problem (pictures below) !

I order cheap batteries holders online for 1,60$ and simply welded them in place to replace the sliding company one. The blue sticky tack is to minimize stress on the weld when I put in and remove the batteries. It works perfectly. I "test dive" today at Morton's wharf and manage over 75 flashes without any miss flash. I know that others suffer with the same problem or will eventually. Sealife is a awesome basic dive camera, but some pieces are made cheap! The next step is custom machined aluminium plates to replace the flashes's bases cracked many times. It will be done for next dive season. For now, good old epoxy will do the trick!

Good luck, and never give up underwater photography because of technical problems!

See you at my 150th dive Saturday!!

Quick and Dirty...

2010-10-24T18:54:00.003-04:00

Don't get too excited by the headline, I'm talking about the video summary of yesterday's Pumpkin Dive.. Check it out here.. Many thanks to everyone who came out and supported the event. And apologies for missing most of you underwater. Next event, I'll do my little tour of the dive site AFTER capturing the participants... Oh well - nobody's perfect..!

Thank you Matt for the excellent title pic above

Rare encounter

2010-10-07T15:39:00.006-04:00

Once again today at 1300h, Suzanne, Laurie, Matt and I hit Portsmouth harbor. I have to admit, this easy site haven't deceived me yet this season. The wave breaker always provide either massive schools of perches/basses or a dozen of big healthy basses.

Today was different. There was a little something better than the big basses. Laying on the bottom for a little nap was a rarely encountered Long nose gar. In a 143 dives yet, it was my second. I have the pleasure to share this short video of this funny looking fish.

You can also enjoy a nice video of the big basses often present at the end of the wave breaker.

Finally to give an idea of the site for those that haven't been under the wave breaker yet, here is a video of what it looks like.

See you next dive!

Congratulations to our new Advanced Open Water divers..

2010-10-03T17:27:00.003-04:00

Well done, Ben, John and Steve, who completed a tiring training weekend to emerge with their coveted Advanced Open Water Diver certifications today. Conditions were very good for this time of year, but a challenging night dive on the Wolfe (with no moon at all) and some strong surface currents on the Munson, made the course and the diving interesting.

Many thanks to Todd and Gaétan. Their support was invaluable and appreciated every bit as much by the three divers as by myself.

Return to Tobermory...

2010-09-30T18:40:00.002-04:00

Seizing the opportunity of a few days calm, Dianne and I made our way North to Tobermory this week. Ye Gods, it's a journey and a half, but worth it.. We stayed in a really delightful rental cottage near Big Tub and managed a total of four dives. The weather caused us to lose a day, but that's life. We were intent on re-visiting the Arabia, undoubtedly the most impressive of all the wrecks in the Marine Park. Conditions when we did were excellent. About 60 feet of visibility and only the lightest of currents. The blue hue of the water in the area between Georgian Bay and Lake Huron is extraordinary - and the absence of Zebra Mussels means that the wrecks retain their definition. Construction details really stand out. Kingston has many more, and better, wrecks than Tobermory, but the dive conditions there are outstanding. There was much discussion early this year of a Club trip to Tobermory. Now's the time to get something on the books for 2011.

From: Mr. Jeffy Parsons-Sheldrake

2010-09-22T21:53:00.002-04:00

Subject: To whom it may concern.

Message:

To whom it may concern.

Please excuse me if I have infringe into your privacy. This may be strangeany
way, but I have no option than to mail you. I m Mr Jeffy Parsons-Sheldrake, an Canada
citizen,I m presently trying to secure a move to The Proteus. I am conveince that you
are the right fellow to Confide this to.

It is my pleasure to Contact you for a business venture of which I intend to
establish in your Country. Though I have not met with you, I believe one has to
risk Confidence in someone to succeed sometimes in life.

I have all relative documents amounting to Thirteen Million, Two Hundred
Thousand fishes ($13,200,000.00 Million) which my Father
deposited with the Wolfe Islander in one of the Northamerica countries, of which he wanted to
use for his political reason in our Country before he was assassinated. Now as
his son, I have decided to invest these 18 degree temperatures in your country for Security and
political reasons and as an Free nation.

I will like to invest part of the diving into these three investments in your
Country, but if there is any other business that is better than what I am
suggesting, I will be very glad to follow your advice.

1)Bass
2)Gobies
3)American eel (!)
4)Freshwater drum

If you can be of an assistance to me, I will be pleased to offer you cookies, water or chips
when discussions continues and any profit made in the investment and if you
wish, you can be a share holder in the company.

I await your response soonest and please include your direct phone number, full
name and contact address for easy communication.

Regards,

Mr. Jeffy Parsons-Sheldrake.

Diving the U-1105

2010-09-22T10:00:00.005-04:00

Last weekend gave me the opportunity, which I have long held, to dive a wartime German U-Boat wreck down in the States. The U-1105 was built in 1944 and had only one operational patrol, in waters off Scotland, before the war ended and she surrendered to the Royal Navy. She was later transferred to the US Navy and brought to the Eastern seaboard, where she was subjected to experimentation and finally sunk in a trial of a new depth charge in September 1949.

Her resting place, where she is largely intact, but mainly buried in the silt, is off Piney Point in Maryland, in 85 feet of tidal water in the Potomac River. I made two dives in the company of local divers and enjoyed excellent conditions, though visibility, thanks to the heavy particulate content of the water, was pretty restricted. I joked with my fellow divers that it was the first night dive I've ever made in broad daylight. Put it this way, when my buddy (who was using two HID video lights) moved around a corner of the wreck, I couldn't even see the glow of his lights. It was pitch dark at 80 feet. I managed to patch together some video from a visit to the local Museum, where many artifacts from the submarine now reside, the trip out and the underwater experience. It can be seen here. Enjoy ! I may try to put together a trip to this wreck - and the nearby American submarine wreck, the S-49 next year. Clicking here will give you a access to an information sheet on the U-1105.

Morton's Wharf as you've never seen it before...

2010-09-15T13:24:00.003-04:00

It can sometimes be a little difficult to explain what the Wharf actually looks like as you stand on shore. Now, if you grab this shot, taken by a member of the local Flying Club, it's easier to show the layout. This will feature shortly in an online guide produced by Preserve Our Wrecks. Coming soon..!

Well done Paul ! Now an Advanced Diver..

2010-09-06T15:41:00.002-04:00

Congratulations this Labour Day to Paul, who completed his Advanced Open Water syllabus with a Deep Adventure at Fairfield Park and a Digital Photography Adventure at the Kingston Oasis. He was totally at ease with both experiences, as he has been throughout the course. Now he's free to spend more time out diving with Rick - and other members..

In his element...

2010-08-31T12:52:00.003-04:00

Some dives are just more gentle and relaxing than others. Today's dive, with Gaétan, was one of those special ones. We didn't see anything remarkable, though there was an encounter with a large Carp. We didn't do anything special, though we did repair the line out to the barge at the Marine Museum. But, we did enjoy a really slow, 'smell the roses' kind of experience that all of us relish from time to time. Two fairly capable divers, comfortable in each other's company, always aware of each other's position and totally chilled - for 65 minutes. Too cool!

The ambition had been to get some decent shots of the iron latticework under the pier at the entry point, but low viz pretty much put paid to that, so the dive passed quietly with a few hero shots, a tour of the barge and a look at the logs. The only complaint might be that it's too darn hot getting into your drysuit before the dive. If that's the only issue - I can live with it - roll on the Winter though. Can't wait to get our visibility back.

BTW - pay close attention to the picture above. This may be a rare sighting of a hoodless Gaétan...

The St-Lawrence and its Hidden Treasures...

2010-08-28T18:58:00.011-04:00

Call it luck, call it odds, moons and stars lining up, or whatever bohemian fortune-teller mumbo-jumbo that carries around in the news today... 8 fortunate club members got a chance to dive on.. not one, but two... great wrecks in the St-Lawrence seaway that seldom get the publicity or recognition for greatness they truly deserve.

Kim, our Activities Coordinator, secured a charter with Thousand Island Pleasure Diving out of Caigers Resort today. We were treated to their largest vessel, the Osprey (pictured in photo 1), which can carry a large number of divers, and is fairly well laid-out for big groups, or plenty of gear for those multiple-tank diving activities.

After clearing Customs at 1000hrs (since both wrecks are in American Territorial Waters), we set off to the Keystorm. See picture number two for a shot of the forward wheelhouse. The ship was built in England as a canal cargo ship, and hit a shoal in late 1912. It sits on its Starboard side, at a very steep angle, with its bow at the 30-ft range, and its propeller sitting in 110-115 feet of water. Yours truly got a bit of nitrogen narcosis in the deepest portion of the dive because of the disorienting way the ship is sitting in the water.. It is slightly strange to have the whole deck of the ship on your right hand side as you descend deeper towards the stern... What an eerie feeling it was to swim underneath this behemoth, and find yourself faced with the keel of this massive ship.

As if the disorientation wasn't enough on the first dive, our second dive was on the America, which sits completely upside-down. Picture number 3 is Josee next to one of the twin propellers that are quite apparent at the stern. At the time of its sinking, the America was a blasting ship, tasked with annihilating dangerous shoals with explosives. The information I could find on the vessel is limited, but basically states that it sank and went belly-up after an explosion.. It sits in 75 feet of water, with its massive stabilizing pillars reaching upwards towards the surface, silently calling out for divers to visit her watery remains.

A great time was had by all, though everyone came back to shore feeling the lethargic effect of doing 2 deep dives in a relatively short period. I wish to extend my personal thanks to Kim for organizing the event, and to Thousand Island for the opportunity to dive on these great wrecks.

El Presidenté

Nautical Archaeology - piece of cake !

2010-08-16T09:52:00.005-04:00

Our very own Matt was one of several divers to benefit from Nautical Archaeology training in Kingston this last weekend. He's pictured here working on underwater survey techniques. The course covered all manner of topics from basic ship construction (giving a greater understanding of what we see in our wrecks) to the law governing underwater sites. Matt will be very happy to explain his exploits to anyone interested. The event was a great success, despite being blown off the Lake to the quarry for the practical exercises. More pics on my Facebook page.

Another Vanderklooster takes to the water..

2010-08-16T09:48:00.003-04:00

Todd's daughter, Brooklynn, is pictured by a proud dad during the concluding Open Water dives of her Junior Open Water certification last week in Kingston. Looks like the attraction to water must be genetic after all... Well done, Brooklynn !

Found New Life in Newfoundland

2010-08-07T17:39:00.005-04:00

Well my 2 weeks are almost up here in NL. After helping with some work around my Grandfather's old house, I finally made it out Diving. The marine life is much more colourful, and if you aren't careful, can sneak up on you in a hurry. If any of you get the chance, or you want to plan I dive vacation, this should be high on your list.

Jack made it home...

2010-08-07T17:12:00.004-04:00

Many of us had the pleasure this Summer of diving with a visitor from the Prairie Provinces. Jack brought a whole new dimension to local diving and we had a lot of fun in his company. He's made it safely home and sent the following message. I'm sure that everyone who met him and shared time underwater with him will appreciate it and look forward to seeing him over here again.

"I would like to thank Mike, Matt,Todd (not his fault he is RCR), Gaétan, and of course Lady Dianne for all you did for me this summer. The Dolphins scuba club is by far the best club in the CF. you set the standard on how a club should run job well done to the exec staff. If you guys are ever in Winnipeg my door is always open.

Yours truly slickback Jack"

Alexandria Bay - a new dinner location ?

2010-07-27T16:21:00.005-04:00

We made a quick pilgrimage to the States today to dive the Islander Wreck in Alexandria Bay. But this favoured site offers a lot more. A short swim out to the East takes you to the massive chains that hold a floating restaurant in place. Beneath the restaurant, at 60', there's another dining venue, with a couple of tables, many chairs and lots of silverware and crockery.

Another interesting underwater object to visit is about half way back, on a plateau above the ledge. Here, a large tree has lodged (firmly ?) in the silt and now plays host to a large number of fish. It's well worth a look see. Water temperature today - a balmy 73℉ (23℃). Visibility ranged from about 20 - 40'.

Club gains more Advanced Open Water Divers..

2010-07-27T09:32:00.004-04:00

Many congratulations to the Club members who completed their Advanced Open Water certifications with Chico this last weekend. The concluding dives were conducted in the St Lawrence, giving access to drift diving and some of the excellent wreck sites. The accompanying picture reflects the very high level of satisfaction with the course and that view is strongly supported by verbal reports from the participants. It's great to see our members enhancing their qualifications and opening up new diving opportunities for themselves. Well done indeed to all concerned.

And, in a separate note - congratulations to Ken, who also completed his AOW with Adam last week..

Double Century for Gaétan..

2010-07-26T08:58:00.002-04:00

Monday evening saw Gaétan undertake his 200th dive - at the Marine Museum. He was in good company, though many more of his friends would have liked to attend. They were otherwise engaged. The accompanying group pretty much covers the hardier divers from the Club, who make it their business, in many cases year-round, to keep diving.

Many congratulations to the main man! May the next 200 come quickly - and in warmer water - for some at least..

Anchor cleaning quite revealing..

2010-07-25T12:45:00.004-04:00

A dive at Portsmouth today presented the opportunity to clean up the newer of the two anchors that lie offshore. Accumulations of mussels and corrosion were vigorously removed, revealing the well-known swastika - and on the other fluke - the name of a maker. That name is still a little unclear, but the location of manufacture can now clearly be identified as Sunderland, a major ship-building port in NE England. So, did the Germans have merchant ships built in England before the war? Or, is the swastika a good-luck symbol? The jury's still out. If you're in the water at Portsmouth soon, go look at the maker's name and see if you can make it out clearly. It certainly ends with Co Ltd, so that supports the English origins.

Jack's Last Dive...

2010-07-24T09:46:00.004-04:00

Right away - let's clarify the slightly alarming title. What we mean to say is 'Jack's last dive in Kingston for a while'.. Jack, who has brought a certain Western tone to Club life for the last 7 weeks, while here on temporary duty, is heading home to Winnipeg. Several of us considered it a good idea to mark his final immersion in Lake Ontario (for the time being) with something special. Only Matt did anything substantial about the idea. He chartered Proteus for a dive on the Wolfe. And we got a full turnout for the trip, including a couple of lovely bubblewatchers. Every trip should have those. Otherwise, it's like a car show without scantily clad models.

Anyhoo, the dive was a great success - even before Matt broke out the beers on the return journey. The wreck presented many large Freshwater Drum besides the usual host of Rock Bass, Bluegills and Gobies. Jack also had a chance to try out Frank's very handy Bladefish DPV. The thermocline was at about 55' and could be easily seen as a shimmering layer. Temps above - about 64℉. Below, who cares? I didn't stay long enough to find out. Safe journey home, Jack. It's been fun diving with you. Don't forget to return. We still have a bunch of great wrecks to show you.

The evening was also memorable for Ben. Who was making his first boat dive and first real, Open Water wreck dive since certification this year. Cool dive, Ben..

Pipeline Patrol..?

2010-07-21T15:02:00.003-04:00

Jack and I decided to take the easy way out today and simply follow the Western pipe from KPH out to its terminal point at 57'. This took just a leisurely 16 minutes, so we did some exploring off the pipe, practising navigation. All good. There was a slight thermocline at about 45' but bottom temperatures out at the maximum depth remained in the high 50s ℉. Unlike yesterday, there were no significant fish sightings.

First Stab at Fairfield Park..

2010-07-20T18:02:00.002-04:00

Jack and I decided to find out what attracts many divers to the little park in Amherstview. Fairfield Park, according to the nautical charts, offers about 90 feet of water within a few hundred feet of shore. That was almost exactly what we found. But, the highlight on what was largely a simple out and back over a gently descending slope, was encountering the large Freshwater Drum shown during our safety stop. It wasn't at all put out by our attention and we first saw it feeding. Entry and exit is easy - and there's a set of washrooms - always welcome at a dive site. Viz was great below about 60 feet and the bottom temperature well down in the low 40s℉.

Morton's Magic..

2010-07-20T17:34:00.005-04:00

The beautiful picture above was contributed by Matt and illustrates really well what is so often special about Morton's Wharf. The location, allied to the construction, often gives rise to great shots in the sunlight. Jack is silhouetted really well here. The dive was a fun one, taking in first the wreck of the St Lawrence - another exercise in jungle busting through weeds, then along the contour back to the Wharf, where we played around for a while, ultimately leaving the water about 64 minutes later. Thanks for the pics Matt - cool!

Club makes the Base Paper...

2010-07-19T10:31:00.002-04:00

Your President recently gave an interview to a reporter from the Base Newspaper, the Tower. Given the opportunity to ride along on a charter to the Munson, the individual writing the article has produced a great piece on who we are and what we do. Click here to download the article and see how many names you spot of active Club members.

Jamie joins the certified divers..

2010-07-17T17:25:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Jamie, who opted for Brule Road's more sheltered environment to complete his Open Water dives today over a rather lumpy lake. Each of the dives lasted almost an hour and required skills were all mastered without fuss. The Quarry was very busy - did we mention that there's now a barbecue running, with hot dogs and other snacks, as well as cold sodas available?

The tiny Bass fry which were very evident a few weeks ago are now reaching recognizable Bass form. They've stopped shoaling in large numbers and now move around singly, or in small groups of up to about a dozen fish. At about an inch long - and quite curious - they are great fun to watch. In and around the the old car chassis, three or four of the largest Bluegills I've ever seen are also lazily swimming around.

Each visit to the Quarry these days shows up new objects underwater. Take a trip and have a look around yourself.

Its like Safari diving out there!

2010-07-12T21:31:00.010-04:00

It seems like the last few dives have been just like the old Mutual of Omaha wildlife shows of the 70s. The weeds are like forests and the bottom can be full of algae. The plus side of this is the life in the lake is never as good as it is now. One of our intrepid divers mentioned its like swiming in a fish bowl. The highlight for me was last night at the Museum where kristie and myself ran into a catfish attempting to dine on a poor lake shad. I managed to get a couple of shots of it and you can see where the bite marks were on it. It wasn't swiming too well and I figure he didnt make it far but than that's life in the wild! I wont deny the visibility is not the greatest but with a keen eye you can see walleye, sheepshead, and more if your carefull. Water temps have fluctuated between 75-65F down to 20 feet, however at 100 feet its 55F. Visibility in all areas has been grim but feasible with approximately 15 feet at the 20 foot depth and between 20 to 40 at 60 or more depth. Did I mention weeds? This afternoon Mike Jack and myself treated ourselves to a bit of old school bushwhacking navigation for a 78 minute dive to see but the Regent and the Charlotte in one swim on an alluminum 80 no less.
One last thing the Dolphins are now on Facebook, look for CFB Kingston Dolphin Scuba club and if you like, hit 'Like Us'! Less talk more pics I say:
1. Gaétan at the Wharf in the Haze, 2. The AAA guns of Mortons Wharf, 3. Marc-Etienne looking to snap a rather large bass.

4. Mike Bushwhacking at deadmans bay, 5 and 6. The shad that Escapes death by the hands of a catfish. You can see the bite marks on the shad.

Yours in Fun Safe diving
Matt C

Todd makes his Double Century..

2010-07-06T12:45:00.002-04:00

Sunday evening marked a significant achievement for Todd. He completed his 200th logged dive with a really good charter run to the offshore wrecks. Many congratulations! His commemorative certificate is reproduced here..

Munson Reputation Restored..

2010-07-03T18:54:00.002-04:00

Today provided the opportunity to restore the reputation of the Munson as a benevolent, exciting dive site. With two good friends from Virginia, Celia and Gavin, Dianne and I made the trip with Gaétan and Jack. Despite blustery conditions topsides - and the dire reports of last week's dive, we had a great experience. The line took us straight past the tallest pylon onto the main deck. Visibility was good enough to see the whole wreck from any position and only the gentlest of currents crossed the deck. Behind the dredge, near the bucket, a large shoal of Lake Shad was criss-crossing the bottom. Bottom temp 48℉ (8℃). The thermocline lay at about 60', the same depth as we'd observed it to lie on the KGH wreck earlier in the day.

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

2010-06-30T22:05:00.003-04:00

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!!!!

A Day of Dives....

2010-06-30T13:08:00.012-04:00

WOW, WOW, and WOW ... is what is best said about this day of dives. It has only taken this long, to blog the clubs "1st of the year" 3 Tank Charter this past weekend, for one thing and one thing only. It has taken this long to get over the awe of this terrific adventure. A big thanks goes out to our Events Coordinator and Proteus Dive Charter to make this one a big hit. It isn't very often you get a chance to see any of these wrecks let alone all 3 of them in the same day.

The choices were made, and with the weather being favorable, we were treated to the City of Sheboygan, Katie Eccles. and the Olive Branch. Again the size of these Schooners is nothing but amazing. You really do have to wonder what kind of storm was brewing the day these ships were put to the bottom of Lake Ontario. Sadly lives too were lost on the City of Sheboygan and the Olive Branch.

A fate many of these great Schooners tell. One thing is for sure. When you get out to the site of the Olive Branch you really do get a feel for the size of the lake.

As you approach the surface marker you see Main Duck Island to the left, and False Duck Island to the right. At this point you realize you really are, a long way from shore and very close to being out in the middle of lake. The rain held off long enough for us to enjoy our surface intervals on the deck relatively dry. I can hardly wait till the next time the chance arises to visit these Schooners again. Let alone to see what is planned for us on the next 3 Tank Charter booked for Sunday 15 August. As for this Charter, Just awesome. The pictures say it all...

Time to get Wet Baby!

2010-06-25T21:55:00.005-04:00

Wet Suit Season has begun =)

Short post folks but heres the Skinny (something I've never been accused of!)

Waters warm enough for wet suits, and this sad excuse for a seal shed his dry suit for a 61 minute dip at the Marine Museum today. Mark-Etienne and myself got pretty lucky with an afternoon off and the chance for a nice leisurly dive with favorable weather up top. The great weather made me pause for the oppurtunity to go wet, something I personaly prefer diving, due to the exended range of movement a wet suit offers. I think my computer is broken becuase it registered me at 40 feet for 61 minutes. Now I know the lake has risen some since the recent rains. The lake has likley also let some extra water volume in via the canals that connect to Superior, however it was still a surprise. I allways thought the barge was 36 feet on average. Vis was not so hot, mostly around 10-20 feet in different areas, and you could clearly see mini thermocline cloud at 20 feet. The Temp below never got below 62F and mostly hovered at 66. Dont ask about yesterday when I felt like a land locked seal pretending to "golf" in the morning during the morning monsoon we had. I was so wet I went home and got swiming shorts on for the remainder of the golf day after the 1st hole. I wished this dive wouldnt end, but at 700 psi and an hour under it was time to call it a day.

2 pics just to prove I was wet today from M-E:

Yours in fun safe diving.

Matt the knife guy

Equipment available...

2010-06-21T13:30:00.002-04:00

A good friend of the Dolphins, local diver Steve Biggs has decided to hang up his fins and he has quite a lot of good things available for sale. Click here if you are interested in viewing his offerings.

Another Club Friday Night Charter Rocks!!!!!

2010-06-18T22:31:00.010-04:00

Tonight, some of the club's Executive members,Gaetan, Kevin, Matt and myself with Marc-Etienne took advantage of another Wednesday night cancellation /reschedule to a Friday night club dive. The pick for this week was the George A. Marsh. She is always a real treat to dive on. A 1800's built 3 masted schooner in very good shape. Tonight we had a chance to take a very close and detailed look of her, from bow to stern. With a bottom time of 47 minutes (Eanx 32) a bottom temp. of 48 f, and vis around 40 ft. This is a dive that must be given the opportunity to be logged in ever diver's log book. I am always in

awe when diving on this wreck, not just of her sheer size but of the history that comes with her. When diving on any of these great ships where lives were taken at the time of there fate. I always wonder just what kind of storm her crew were faced with, to sink something of such size. We couldn't begin to imagine battling waves 30 ft and greater or squall's that would appear as fast as they would diminish, which the great lake would put boats like the George A. Marsh to the challenge. Tonight fortunately the lake was good to us divers, we had little wind going out to the site, and the water was flat and calm. Another awesome dive, wow. The pictures again say it...

Temperature Survey..

2010-06-18T08:06:00.002-04:00

The picture shows the results of a quick review of minimum temperatures recorded in the Lake in 2007. I'd like to do something similar this year, but I need input from all our divers. Could you please drop me a line with the lowest temp you see on each dive. I will compile a table and provide the output at year's end.

100 - and he doesn't look a day older..!

2010-06-16T10:28:00.004-04:00

Last night marked a major milestone in Marc-Etienne's diving. He made his hundredth logged dive - at Morton's Wharf. It was a mark of his reputation and standing in the Club that most of the Executive turned out to join him, and several other members besides, for a total of 10 divers in the water. Calm, mild surface conditions could have led us to believe that we should expect excellent visibility, but it wasn't the case. Curiously enough, we had only about 10-15 feet. But, the mild temperatures more than made up for it - and if you turned your gaze upwards - the outline of the Wharf was beautifully defined against the night sky. Everyone spent about 40 minutes in the water hunting wildlife, largely unsuccessfully, though a large school of Perch was seen almost immediately in the weed beds in the shallows at the entry point, and a probable Carp was also spotted later.

Many congratulations to Marc-Etienne. Matt will provide pictures later of the happy diver - and the commemorative certificate he was presented during a deco stop at the Portsmouth Tavern..

A venture to the Kinghorn

2010-06-14T23:18:00.003-04:00

Well this past Sunday saw members of the executive venture to the Kinghorn in Rockport. A dive that was in the longing for a photo opportunity. With very little convincing the plan was put into motion, and we were on our way. Kevin, Josee, Jim, Gaetan and myself made it to the docks in Rockport. Point to note here, this time of year don't expect to get in the water and dive this wreck from shore. As we learned there is no, swimming, snorkeling, or scuba during the summer season. So we opted to do a survey of a keel of one of the dive boats, well once in the water, we managed to navigate and squeak by the docks to the line leading out to the wreck. After a leisurely swim we were on the wreck. Vis was better than 50 ft, and with a bottom temp. of 57 F you couldn't ask for much more. Jim decided to venture into the Kinghorn, where I took advantage of the light for some good photo's. Kevin, Josee, and Gaetan took a detailed look as they swam around wreck, keeping a watchful eye out for the sturgeon that had been reported in the area. We ended the dive with a total time under water of 51 minutes. The Dive was one that was thoroughly enjoyed by all, and will be repeated in late fall.

It must be mentioned here, that this dive must be looked at, as an advanced level dive. Sling bottles, and double's set ups, should be heavily considered for this site. Due to boat traffic it should almost be looked at, as an over head environment. As well, keep a watchful eye on your no decompression limits. Other than that, another awesome dive. The pictures say it all...

Back in the swing..

2010-06-14T07:20:00.003-04:00

Two dives today = and both in good company. The first, having turned down the chance to go dive the Kinghorn in Rockport, was at the Marine Museum. This was the Club's Sunday Shore Dive and we had 8 divers in the water, which is great by any standards. My strongest interest was to give Ben, who was only making his 6th dive, a good experience and sight of yet another local wreck. That worked out well, and he enjoyed a gentle, interesting dive. He also had fun bothering various fish.

The second dive - prompted by who else but Todd - was at KPH. We were joined on a beautiful calm evening by Jack, who is in town on duty from Manitoba for a couple of months and keen to dive (so keen that he joined the Club right away). Our first order of business was to have a look around the giant stride entry area for a missing scuba component lost about 10 days ago Eagle-eyed Jack spotted it within a couple of minutes and that released us down the pipe. We followed that, in about 10 feet of visibility (that may be an optimistic assessment) out to, and beyond, the thermocline at 38 feet. Then, the visibility really opened up to something like 40 feet or more. The greatest surprise, and absolute delight, was encountering a large shoal of Lake Shad on the return journey. They made several flashing, silver-scaled passes before disappearing off into the distance. These unpredictable and unexpected meetings with this species are rare. I reckon on about one a year.. For the record, the temperature below the thermocline remains at 46℉ (8℃). That put it just on the bottom beside the Marine Museum Barge - Brrr!

Night on the Mapleglen

2010-06-12T11:00:00.010-04:00

Well, a big thanks is owed to our Events Coordinator, and to Kingston Dive Charters. This past Wednesday night charter was cancelled due to Good Ole Mother Nature. We were fortunately offered a reschedule for last night, Friday evening. WHAT A DIVE is what I have to say about that... The Mapleglen is a open water level dive, and even for me, it was a real treat. The Vis was close to 50 ft and water temperature at depth was a warm 52 F. The propeller on the Mapleglen is the big attraction for this site not to mention all the machine work including the large boilers. A dive that is a must to be included in the list of wreck's to dive on. I will be diving the Mapleglen again later on. Just Amazing, and the pictures say it...

Deep Delights..

2010-06-11T08:50:00.003-04:00

This evening saw the opportunity to complete Josée's Deep Adventure on the wonderful Munson wreck. Conditions couldn't have been better. The Lake was calm, there was barely any current perceptible on the wreck, and visibility was great. Josée had no difficulty coping with the dive or the tasks involved in assessing for nitrogen narcosis. All in all, it was a really good experience for the five divers who enjoyed the trip.

Jim found it the perfect opportunity to test the new Dive Rite LED canister light he has acquired, and it passed with flying colours. The other broad smile in evidence belonged to Gaétan, who can't stop himself getting excited about the transformation he has enjoyed in moving to drysuit diving with his Signature Series DUI suit.

Although several of us believed that we saw 50℉ (10℃) on the bottom, the computer doesn't lie, and mine actually recorded a minimum of 46℉ (8℃).

Free Charters Rock..

2010-06-08T14:35:00.002-04:00

There's nothing quite like a free charter to bring a smile to divers' faces. That might account for the broad grins on the faces of several Club members who were amongst the 14 divers generously treated to a free trip to the Munson by Kingston Dive Charters just for being members of Preserve Our Wrecks, Kingston. The trip took place on Sunday, June 6th and was judged a great success by all concerned, even if there was a bit more current on the wreck than most are accustomed to experiencing.

Many thanks to Harold and Anne for providing this opportunity to dive one of our fair City's signature wrecks - and to all those who came along. Their presence alone was testament to their support for local wreck preservation and maritime heritage awareness.

No bubbles... newbie troubles

2010-06-06T23:23:00.006-04:00

Well I finally took Dave Fraser up on his offer to try one of his Russian Navy rebreathers. Since they run on O2, and have a MOD of 30', Portsmouth Harbor seemed like a good place to go. Simplistic, and all mechanical in design it looked darn near diver proof. On the plus side, you can get real close to marine life, without scaring them off, a little less weight on your back and one small tank of O2 can last up to four hours. On the down side, any little change in depth can effect you buoyancy dramatically. Although I didn't crash into the bottom, nor explode to the surface, I felt like I was up and down like a toilet seat. Kind of reminded me of the first time I put a BC on and tried to get neutrally buoyant.

It was definitely an experience I'll remember, but not something I'd recommend to anyone new to diving, to try. It isn't even something I'm rushin' out to buy. (Pardon the pun).

Yaaarrrrr Treasure Hunt Madness!

2010-06-01T12:36:00.007-04:00

So the rabbit in wonderland has nothing on us for lateness it seems! (the new movie is was pretty cool btw!)

On Sunday the club got togther for its official start of the summer dive season. (for those of you who dont wear dry suits that is). It was a picture perfect day. Mostly sunny with a splash or 2 of clouds. We had our best attendance every with over 50 people in attendance and almost as many divers. I think it was 47 who braved the water.

Details of the dive vary, some folks opted to just swim around in the shallows looking for the magic numbered golf balls while others like myself opted for the deep dive to the ledges at 80-109 feet. Vis near the surface down to 20 feet was poor but under 35 feet it opened up to 30 feet. Not alot of life down there today I think we scared them off. Water temps in the first thermoclines were 54ish while below that were 48F.

We had a great spread of food by Kim and a few extra fresh baked goodies from members (Sheila!) and even more fun were the fantastic spread of prizes given out by our local vendors such as: Northern Tech Divers, Dive Tech, and Rockport Divers. Big thanks from all our members to you guys. If we didnt have you guys around it would be very hard to dive around here! As a club we are very fortunate to have such a wide variety of freindly shops to choose from.

A couple of pics, nothing underwater this time I was playing with a stage bottle again. Someone thinks they are going to "trick me" into tech diving =P

As allways yours in Fun Safe Diving

Matt

The Knife guy

PS: no real pirates were harmed during the making of this blog! Though a couple were starting to annoy me alot. Yarr Arr!.. Yar.....

1st Charter of the Season!

2010-05-27T12:32:00.004-04:00

Charter season is open!

Not alot of time today to banter on about the perils and joys of diving yesterday, I am sneaking in during lunch to report last nights unusual dive. 8 brave divers drove out to collins bay to dive with Kingston Dive Charters. They relocated to the small dock right behind the Legion that is 100m east of NTD. 3 dove wet and 5 went dry, becuase of this mix it was decided that we would try out the Aloha and Effie may. The water temps have averaged 45+ past the first thermoclines at 30 feet so we figured it was safest for those crazy enough to go wet.

Conditions of the dive were not the best, and visibility was near 10 - 5 feet most of the time and required a light. Mind you, the fact we got in at dusk didnt help things either. There was quite alot of green stuff floating around, so this intrepid photograper didnt get much of value this time.

Details of the dive are as follows: 52 feet, 31 min, 65 on the surface, 48 at the bottom.

Upon return we enjoyed a spectacular display of lightining and some rain. Despite how unnerving (being on an alluminum boat with a pile of metal high pressure tanks) it looked it was still impressive to see nature at her some of her fiercest!

Couple lessons to take away from this dive:

1. Take a light on the charters, at this time of year its pretty dark when you crack the surface of the water.

2. Take in a shore dive or 2 before you grab a boat charter to check out your gear and get reaquainted with your gear. I will be running the Sunday club again this year however I will be changing the start time to 1pm at the club with 12-1230ish for rental pick up. You dont want to be caught out at the dive site on a boat you paid for to find out something is not working and you havent really tested it in a long time. Its why we run a shore program for folks to have a relaxing mostly free (minus the cost of air) check out dive or 2 before rushing off to the expesive boat charters.

3. Lastly please confirm with Kim your status about if you want to do the charter or not, No one wants to turn someone away becuase they didnt confirm thier booking and the boat is over full, or worse there are not enough folks who confirm and it gets cancelled. It greatly helps the chater operator in planning thier operations for us.

Not alot of pics today everything was pretty much green and fuzzy.

Yours in Fun Safe diving

Matt

The Knife Guy!

And another diver joins the ranks...

2010-05-25T13:42:00.003-04:00

The perfect dive conditions over the May 24 weekend allowed yet another Open Water diver to gain certification. Ben completed his third and fourth dives on the holiday Monday to complete training commenced in the classroom and pool as long ago as January. It really brings home to you how short our wetsuited season is when you reflect that, only in the last couple of weeks has the water realistically been warm enough to introduce students to the Lake.

Congratulations Ben - enjoy the Summer ahead and be sure to dive frequently..!

Two more divers complete Open Water work..

2010-05-23T14:32:00.003-04:00

The picture by Todd shows Mike leading students, Dale, Glenn and Ben out along the pipeline at Portsmouth that leads to the famous anchors. Glenn and Dale went on today to complete the last of their Open Water dives for certification. Their final dive was on the KGH Wreck. This is a tribute to their skills and confidence in the water. Each completed this relatively challenging dive for inexperienced new divers with a broad smile and a strong sense of personal satisfaction. Water temps, by the way, 55℉ (13℃) above the 32' thermocline - 46℉ (8℃). Visibility in the deeper waters was very good, but decidedly limited around shallow .sites like Morton's Wharf.

Sunday Morning Dive

2010-05-23T14:15:00.003-04:00

This morning four of us made it out for a 30 minute dive to the barge at the Marine Museum. It was great to see the line right off the end of the incline still attached. No fish were seen on the dive. We spent 30 minutes in the water making it out to the barge and back. The timing seemed perfect for the one wetsuit diver that was with us. The water temperature that we had on the dive was 48-50 F (9-10c). The water is definitely warming up and I am sure that will mean the different sites will be busy as the season starts.

First of many to come..

2010-05-15T04:24:00.003-04:00

Many congratulations to Alex this week, who is the first Open Water student of the year to gain full certification in local waters with the Club. His four dives never saw water temperatures higher than 48℉, but that didn't seem to daunt him in the slightest.

Ben braves the chilly waters...

2010-05-10T08:40:00.002-04:00

Ben - who began his scuba training back in the Winter - made his first foray into the Lake yesterday. His confident look was an accurate predictor of sound performance on the first dive aimed at getting accustomed to the conditions. He saw the wreck fragments at Portsmouth, a large Carp and the anchors that lie just offshore. He had good company in the water. Todd, Dan, Josée, Gaétan, and visitor Kyle were all enjoying the almost Spring-like conditions. Most of them in sporty new DUI suits. Good day for the Club - and a good indication of the activity levels to be expected in the weeks ahead.

New Show to air footage of the Hamilton and Scourge

2010-05-04T11:09:00.003-04:00

A new History Channel TV Show, DIve Detectives, will air an episode on Wednesday, May 5th featuring the Hamilton and Scourge. Check out this link for full details.

Too busy diving =P

2010-05-02T19:35:00.012-04:00

Thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it!
Its been a hectic couple of weeks of intense underwater time so far, and I expect it to get even better. For those of us who have the gear for colder waters this is the best Vis I've ever seen for around here. Water temps have hovered around 40-45F though so Dry suits are really the only way to go, unless your Marc-etteine who dives semi dry.
Pretty much all of the Exec has managed to sneak in a dive during this unusual weather. Visits to KGH, the Marine Museum, Howe Island, Nicholsons Point, Navy and Deadmans Bays, and the Stacked Hulls are just a small selection of great dives we have got in so far! Every day has had some fantastic visibility, todays trip to KGH was at least 50 feet, and yesterdays was more.

If you can sneak a dive in nows the time for sure!

Pics: Gaétan and the Turtle, a Mud Puppy Salamander at the MM, Pike with food in its sights at the MM!

Kristie Mckay just sneaking in for her 1st swim with her newly fixed dry suit at the MM, the Cora Post, and G spotting the turtle just off to right of the picture in the distance in Deadmans Bay.

I usualy like to leave a little note for the serious side: problems on a dive, it doesnt really matter what they are, as long as you can exit the water safely and joke about it later its all good times. Hoses come loose, bouyancy can be mistaken, folks can run out of air, tanks slide out of the strap, masks can get cracked, hell I've seen or experienced a hockey sock of events under water over the course of my dive career that didnt go as planned, and in every case as long as you can keep your cool, remember your training and can get help from a buddy it will work out just fine. If you have to call a dive becuase things arnt going right theres no shame, better that then a small problem turning into a huge accident! Now a good buddy check before you go in can sort out most of those issues but occasionaly stuff happens under water and you just gotta deal with it. The second big thing is get back in the water as soon as you can safely with a good buddy you trust to conquer that monkey on your back if it shows its head.
Its times like that when I remember my old bosses motto - Fun Safe diving. If you can keep it like that you cant go wrong!

Matt the knife guy

Ongoing Learning

2010-04-16T23:41:00.003-04:00

This evening Rick and myself travelled down the 401 to DiveTech to take a Visual Inspectors Course through TDI. It was a pleasure to go through the course material with Kris our instructor. Some of the highlights were using the eddy machine and optical plus machine. After an enjoyable time we both successfully completed the course and now are certified to complete visuals.

THE TREASURER STRIKES BACK....

2010-04-11T21:54:00.004-04:00

Well, after basking in the afterglow of spending the afternoon diving the Marine Museum site

this afternoon, no less than 5 of us decided on visiting an old friend... Murney Tower Wreck. Todd, Dan, Nancy, Josée and I braved the breaking surf to spend some quality time with the fishies. So lazy were they, that I was actually able to touch one of them, before he swam off into the sunset.

Our resident shutterbug, Gaetan was there to see us off...jealous no doubt that he was missing out on another great dive. But keeping true to his legacy of poking fun at his fellow divers, he sent me these pictures from his secret photo lab... Enjoy.... (Dive with a knife, Matt....)

Now to the more serious business at hand... Total dive time, 41 minutes. 60 feet max depth. Water temperature, 39 deg F. A fun time had by all, and overall a good night...

Over the Bridge and not so far away...

2010-04-07T16:40:00.003-04:00

Kevin, Josée, Gaétan and I made the exhausting (Not!) journey to Alexandria Bay this morning to dive the wreck of the Islander. Conditions were excellent, though the water temperature's the same as in Canadian waters. Strange that ...

For the first time, taking advantage of local advice, we ventured North to discover the dining chairs, tables and silverware in 60 feet of water below A Bay's Floating Restaurant.

This is a great wreck to do - and you can be back in Kingston (depending on lines at the Border) within three hours.

Charlotte loves Turtles..

2010-04-06T17:37:00.004-04:00

Today's small task (amongst a myriad of others) was to show Joseé the turtles on the Princess Charlotte wreck in Deadman Bay. After all, it had been remarked on all the dives late last year that turtles were regularly spotted. I did warn that in the intervening period we had gone through Winter and that all the turtles might be missing, for one reason or another. However, we need not have been concerned. We spotted at least four of the creatures - and a large Carp - on the wreck.

The visit also provided another opportunity to hone my skills with an external flash. Tricky stuff balancing the available light with another source and keeping a reasonably natural appearance. But, fun...

By the way - water temperature in the Bay's shallow waters - 41℉ (5℃)

Stacked Hulls ? An Hour in the Water ? Why Not ?

2010-04-05T14:39:00.006-04:00

The weather is definitely taking a turn for the better. When Todd, Jim, Gaetan, Matt and I made our way out to the Stacked Hulls this morning, it was quite clear that the water is warming up. We recorded 41℉ (5℃) on the shelf, and 39℉ (4℃) at depth. Visibility was probably about 30-40'. Two cameras were deployed. Todd's excellent available light shots will feature later. For the time being there's a mix of ambient and flash-lit pics here. Matt's day was made by sighting a Long-Nose Gar on the bottom on the way out. Less said about the encounter, the better though.. The line's in good shape, but may need a little bit of interpretation on the homeward leg. Just remember to maintain 310° Mag as you head for shore. Best way to pick up the line on the way out is to swim off shore at 130°, turn left at the bottom of the shelf and pick up the intact guideline from there.

Who Knew The Internet Is a Powerful Divers Tool

2010-04-04T21:50:00.005-04:00

At 6:45 pm yesterday, I posted on Face Book" anyone want to go diving? Tonight? Well within 15 minutes a phone call comes in, and plans are made for a night dive. Dan a club member said he would like to go. So the plan was made to meet at the club and leave for the dive site. On the way I thought why not try Morton's Wharf. A dive earlier in the week proved to produce some fish on the site. Once on site, a detailed dive brief was given on the details of the dive and the wharf, after gearing up and a final check was complete Dan and I headed into the water. The normal entry and descent, everything seemed to be going good, I looked at my computer and the water temperature was 37F. Wow, starting to warm up I thought. Then a large bass swims by, and I think this is going to be good, since my other night dives have produced little fish. Well the fish are back, and are plentiful, which Dan tried his attempt in night photography. We had the pleasure of seeing several large Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass, White Suckers, Perch, Catfish, a small Northern Pike, and surprisingly a very very large Silver Muskie. The Muskie wasn't around for long when he realized he wasn't alone. But a thrill no less to spot such a large Muskie in the shallows. We turned the dive and headed back to our entry point. When in 15 feet of water it was noticeable that it was windy and the waves were building at the surface. Exiting took a little patience and good timing, however another excellent dive. With another diver convinced that night diving is a lot of fun, and worth repeating.

A dive on the Ole KGH Wreck

2010-04-02T15:51:00.006-04:00

Now that the pool is open, some of us are taking quite the advantage of it. Photography was the aim of to day, except for one of us, who wanted to make this a, "test to see if my reg's are good (Matt) dive". Well after a brief return to shore to see Matt wave us off. Gaetan, Jim and myself set out to the KGH. The line out is in good shape, after a 12 min swim at a decent pace the wreck comes into view with the vis to be around 45 ft. Today she had a school of Bass visiting her besides us divers. After pictures were taken and a swim around the wreck we made our wayback to shore.

It was a great dive, with the fish coming back into the wrecks and structure the water is warming up another degree. 37 F was the temp today, and after 53 min, it was time to come out of the water and go for our traditional coffee.

Quarry warmer - ready for Easter event...

2010-04-02T14:09:00.002-04:00

Chris was keen to make sure that nothing unpleasant had made it into the quarry before this weekend's Easter Egg Hunt - and it was useful to have an idea of the general conditions. Consequently, we spent about 50 minutes touring the margins to check it out. Besides finding enough bicycles to open a small shop, and a couple of other sporting goods, it was an uneventful dive. The water temp is warmer than the Lake at 43℉ (6℃). Visibility was reasonable - at about 30 feet.

April Fools Dive 2010

2010-04-02T08:02:00.008-04:00

The club lived up to the national standard today with a small but not planned chuckle. Never tell Gaetan where you are actualy diving, he might just forget anyways, and go where you were before. So after a small 30 minute delay as he drove from Brule Road Quarry to Mortons Wharf where the dive actualy was, the gang was ready to test out Josees new DUI suit. We would of said april fools to him, but Kevin did tell him Mortons Wharf. I'm just gonna put it down to old age. Soon we will have to trade Gaetan in for a younger more effeicent model with more hair on his head. JK bro we wouldnt have quite as much fun with the newer one.

While the Weather is pure summer fantastic, the water is still bitterly winter. Here we see Kevin and Josee practicing thier Kung Fu in thier new DUI drysuits, look how spry they appear as they wait for Mr "I forgot my fins" Grondin. 30 min, 25 feet, and 39F later we all came out dry and happy. The vis is anywhere from 20 to 40 feet even in the dark, despite my best efforts to kick up the bottom taking pictures.

Lots to see at the Wharf today:

A baby Northern Pike, Perch, Mudpubby salamander and the elusive April Fools Grondy!

Couple of points to note: 1. When doing a dive that is late in the day, take lights, you never know if your gonna need them.

2. The folks who are running the Brule Road Quarry dont appear to be answering the phone, as they likely are waiting for the real summer to arrive. Plan accordingly.

As allways "Dive with a Knife", and the pool is open see you in the drink soon!

Matt

The Rothesay...

2010-03-29T11:36:00.005-04:00

Ninja Diver..

Yes, it makes a better picture with your eyes open, Todd..

Just Jim..

Kevin 'can you see the DUI logo?' LeBlanc..

Five of us made the pilgrimage down to the Rothesay, near Prescott, yesterday. A screaming, chilling, South wind made for really poor viz close to shore, but some of the divers managed to stumble across a very handy lead line that has been laid close to shore in lieu of the usual offshore buoy. Others of us used skill and navigational talents to pick up the main line. The greatest surprise of the day was the huge quantity of algae in the water. We usually associate the Winter with the absence of this menace, but yesterday all of us were convinced that we had seen the greatest amounts of green goop ever on this site. Huge mats were rolling around and clogged the line. The current was carrying great gobbets of the stuff past us constantly.

Otherwise, the only remarkable sighting was of several large fish, suspected of being Northern Pike, close to the wreck. Full marks again to Marc-Etienne for diving semi-dry. Underwater pictures may follow. I left my camera behind - anticipating, quite correctly - that the visibility would be poor.

Scuba Swap Meet in Etobicoke..

2010-03-29T10:27:00.003-04:00

It may be of interest to our members and readers that the Ontario Underwater Explorers are once again holding a Scuba Swap Meet in Etobicoke on Saturday, April 17th. Full details downloadable by clicking here.

Walking to work..

2010-03-21T18:31:00.002-04:00

This afternoon's dive commenced with a short walk down the boat launch ramp next to St Lawrence Pier on RMC. Then, Todd, Kevin, Matt and I made a tour of the timber structures to the West and circled home. Not much else to say, except that many photographs were taken, but this one seemed to sum up the aiim of the expedition - to visit the timbers and check them out. Kevin is the pictured subject...

Underwater Camera Work...

2010-03-20T13:00:00.004-04:00

Todd

Marc-Etienne

Kevin

Now that the Lake is open for business, the pace of diving is definitely picking up. This morning, in an effort to improve on the manual flash technique, I was one of four divers playing at Morton's Wharf. The other three are pictured...

Once again, good conditions - less the water temperature - and a distinct lack of marine life.

Three Wise Men ... ?

2010-03-19T19:01:00.002-04:00

Wise or not, they all enjoyed the opportunity to get wet this evening to christen Kevin's new DUI Drysuit. That's the handsome-looking grey topped one. Great to see divers in the water - and greater still to see the looks of sheer disbelief on the faces of passers-by as the divers emerge from the still frigid waters...

Getting the hang of this camera...?

2010-03-18T21:30:00.003-04:00

Tonight was an on-request outing triggered by Rob Bradley. Todd, myself and James were happy to oblige and take a night expedition out to the KGH wreck. It presented the opportunity for me to play around with my external flash again - and the results are not too bad. Wildlife was sparse. Mudpuppies around the rocks and Bass on the wreck itself - including some big fellas around the stern, hiding in the timbers. A good dive and a chance to clean off the line a bit.

So the water's cold, but the Sun is shining...

2010-03-17T17:18:00.003-04:00

Matt and I seized the opportunity today to get a dive in on Morton's Wharf. Driven by a strong southerly wind, the waves were quite inconvenient, and they contributed to a certain amount of disturbance underwater close to shore. We had a good dive, both with cameras. I was experimenting with an external strobe again - not entirely successfully as the shots show. Little marine life to be seen and the water's no warmer than it was yesterday.

Dive tally taking off...

2010-03-17T09:39:00.003-04:00

Now that the ice has largely disappeared, and the Lake is bathed in Spring sunshine, there's really no excuse for not diving. Well, one maybe; the water temperature is still stubbornly stuck at 35℉ (2℃). Kevin and I didn't allow that to deter us from a dive at KPH. Entry was a breeze, though the water level is very low. As an illustration, a large, level area that you usually stand on, at waist depth, to take off fins, was now in water that just reached the lower calf. The dive, out to the STOP sign and then in an arc East and North, was a gentle one. No significant signs of life were seen, though Crayfish or Mudpuppy trails were evident in the silt.

Pool's Open...

2010-03-12T09:52:00.004-04:00

The change in the weather recently, and particularly the high temperatures, have combined to open the Lake for business. Last night, Marc-Etienne, Todd and I took a trip to the KGH wreck to prove the line and check out conditions. With an air temperature of 11℃ (52℉), you might have hoped for some warming of the water. Clearly though, whatever the recent sunshine has done to the ice, it hasn't substantially changed the water temperature. We recorded just 35℉ (2℃) during our dive. On the plus side, the visibility is great. Marine life was noticeably scarce. The only fish to be seen in the shallows and on the swim out to the wreck were dead ones. On the wreck itself, there were many Bass lurking around. They seemed quite surprised to have their evening interrupted by divers. I guess there haven't been many out there in recent weeks. A lone Crayfish was spotted by Todd during the safety stop on our return.

For Marc-Etienne, as the picture shows, this was also an opportunity to try out his new Poseidon Besea Backpack style BC.

Club supports International Women's Day

2010-03-11T09:22:00.002-04:00

Responding to an invitation from the Base's Diversity Action Group, the Club provided a presence at an afternoon of talks and discussions on the status of women in the Canadian Forces. Our display highlighted the activities of our female members and Kim and Dianne were on hand to talk to interested individuals. There was a great deal of interest, which included a visit from the Base Commander, himself a diver.

Scuba Olympics...

2010-03-07T16:37:00.003-04:00

The Scuba Olympics went well this morning, with a good turnout and an enthusiastic response to the excellent organisation done by Jesse. There's a brief video available for viewing here, but the audio may be delayed by copyright issues. Just keep checking back, if sound is critical.

Well done to all the participants, thank you to Jesse and his assistants - and don't forget to turn out for the Open Pool night on Monday, March 15th...

Your President is now (almost) a Divemaster...

2010-02-23T20:33:00.004-04:00

This evening, after fulfilling all the relevant requirements, including the final written examination (on Physics), Kevin signed his application to become a professional PADI member and it will go into the mail tomorrow. Kevin is the second of our more experienced members to complete Divemaster training this Winter. He will bring a great deal to the Club in the coming Summer months.

Nautical Archaeology Course - 2010

2010-02-23T14:30:00.004-04:00

I know that a number of our members were disappointed last year that the dates for the Nautical Archaeology Course run in conjunction with Preserve Our Wrecks, Kingston didn't work for them. It seems very likely that another course will be run under similar conditions in August. The dates are probably going to be over the weekend of 13-15. Demand is once again going to be quite high. Pre-Registration is recommended and I will take e-mail requests at any point from this date on.

Talk on the plight of the American Eel

2010-02-19T16:27:00.003-04:00

There will be a talk by a biology professor from Queen's at the Marine Museum on Sunday, February 21st, beginning at 2pm. The subject, one of a Winter series dealing with environmental issues, is the American Eel. This beautiful and graceful creature used to be very numerous in Lake Ontario, but divers are lucky nowadays to have a sighting a year. Come and listen to the talk to discover the reasons - or to learn what hypotheses are being advanced for the disappearance of the Eel, which used to sustain a whole fishing industry down river.

Mission Accomplished - Four more ice divers certified ...

2010-02-14T17:08:00.003-04:00

The Ice Diving Course came to a successful conclusion this afternoon with four new ice divers formally qualified to enjoy the discipline. Congratulations to Chris, Jesse, Steve and Kevin. Kevin racked up another accomplishment by making this final, optional, dive, his 250th one logged. A bit of a landmark. Many thanks to all those who gave generously of their time to help the course run smoothly. Notably, Dianne, Nancy, Gerhard, Chris C and Jim.