Congratulations to two new divers..

Today, the Club saw two more divers join the ranks of the certified. Alex and Cody have been working away quietly to complete all the requirements of certification. They made two open water dives today; the first at Morton's Wharf, in fairly lumpy conditions and the second at Kingston Oasis (which is now the official title for Brule Road Quarry). The dives lasted 45 and 59 minutes respectively and gave the divers plenty of time to enjoy their surroundings and test their skills.

Brule Road is gaining popularity and it's well worth the $3 charged for admission to have the facilities that have now appeared available. The owner tells me that he plans to build a new home on the site and to improve the site still further. As a welcome - and easily accessible - alternative to a stormy Lake, it's a really welcome dive venue.

New students make the grade...

The Club gained several more certified divers at the weekend. Congratulations to all concerned. The pictures, taken after all training was completed, show them enjoying the sights and experiences offered by Brule Road. Added to exposure to rather more challenging conditions at Portsmouth Harbour and the Kingston Psych Hospital, the weekend's package was a very successful one. For those members who are still a little intimidated by temperatures in the Lake, it's well worth mentioning that the Quarry is 12℉ warmer - at 62℉ (17℃).

Fish and things...

The opportunity was seized today to go and investigate Brule Road after the Winter. There's always the chance up there of another abandoned car or some other example of the disposable society. Kevin, Jim and I enjoyed about 40 minutes in the 45℉ (7℃) water without discovering anything obviously new.


However, we did appreciate an encounter with the large Carp that is sometimes seen. It seemed interested to see us, but kept a wary distance. The other unusual sighting is illustrated below. One of the many Bass in the waters had attempted to push its body under the silt and weed, apparently lying in a form of trench of its own making. We speculated that this may be a spawning behaviour. That being the case, we didn't disturb the fish. Visibility was about 30 feet - typical of the quarry. Divers using the site should be aware that several bottles have been broken on the beach at the normal entry area. Caution is advised...

Quarry Time...

The wind was making the Lake look less hospitable again today, so it seemed a good time to go and check out the quarry at Brule Road. As it happened, the visit was made more exciting by disturbing a couple of lovers, who had rather carelessly parked on the top of the approach road. There's something incredibly amusing about watching two people rapidly dressing while trying to appear innocent...

After this frisson, the dive was almost routine. A theory that the water there would be colder than the Lake, because it's got less flow and, as a smaller, shallower body of water it's more directly influenced by the air temperature, was proved spot on. The low reading on our two computers was 44℉ (7℃). I made a mental note, as the numbers on my display descended into the 40s, to fit my dry gloves this weekend.

Although we didn't hit all the corners of the site, there didn't appear to be any new additions to the local 'attractions'. A solitary Bluegill was spotted. Viz wasn't too bad - given the rain and high winds we've had recently; probably about 40'.

Blown off course - we're at the quarry again...

Given the impact of the tail end of Hurricane Gustav on the lakeshore, it was more prudent today to head for Brule Road. The picture of Kevin LeBlanc was taken by an AOW student completing their Underwater Photography Adventure. Pretty good results in murky water. The quarry was warm and sunny - with the rippling surface causing no significant disturbance below. Bluegills and Bass were around in large numbers - and very approachable. Great training - even if it wasn't raining...

Ain't Raining? Still Training...

A series of three days with students culminated this morning with certification of Eric, a student who had (wisely?) elected to postpone his Open Water dives after completing pool training last Winter. Two dips in the Quarry yesterday were quickly followed up today with immersions at KPH and Morton's Wharf. While the fish life was fascinating - and included encounters with large Freshwater Drum in both locations - the visibility was less impressive at about 20 feet. Water temperature of 68F (20C) made up for much though. The topsides weather was outstanding - and here's a top tip - there is abundant shade at Morton's in which to park and get dressed...
Couldn't help but think what a great day our buddies must be having on the two tanker out of Caigers. Really looking forward to this evening's report...

Fresh Fry tonight...

Kim mentioned disappointment at a lack of fish sightings during last night's charter dive. Well, tonight at the quarry we literally swam through shoals of small Bass fry. Numbering in the hundreds and present in two or more locations, these tiny fish were teeming around the cruiser and in the corner of the bowl beyond it to the South. Also seen during a night dive with Theresa and Neil were the large Carp often spotted in the same bowl and a nocturnally hunting Catfish, which was totally undisturbed by examination under our lights.

The night dive was the second training dive of the evening. The first had seen a couple of students complete their Open Water Dive 2. They too had seen the clouds of small fry and been impressed. For anyone who remains at all reticent about the water temperature, the quarry is the place to dive. The minimum temperature recorded was 73F (the same as the air temperature). The many swimmers and bathers visiting the site these days have knocked visibility back to less than 30 feet, but that's pretty good in most books..

Two more divers join the ranks of the certifiable...

Neil and Theresa completed Open Water certification this afternoon with a gentle dive on the wreck beside the PUC dock. Their tasks were all completed successfully and they emerged with huge smiles and plans to take full advantage of the Club's charter programme in the weeks ahead. It was their first experience of the Lake after spending time at Brule Road. A water temperature of 56°F (13°C) made wet suit diving perfectly comfortable. Congratulations to both of them on their tremendous enthusiasm throughout the course and good luck to them as they start the real learning process as newly certified divers.

Brule Road again...

Back to Brule Road today for another wildlife survey. Principal result, at least two mediocre Bass spotted in the shallows. Good news - we entered just as the rain started and exited just after it had finished - about 50 minutes later. Bad news - well, none really. The water temp showed 47F (8C) and viz wasn't bad. It's a real treat returning to the little beach, because the water temp there is in the 50s. I'd recommend a visit to anyone anxious to re-acquaint themselves with open water.

Warm Water...?

With the Sun beating down over several days and a spring-fed source, there was a reasonable expectation that water temperatures in the quarry at Brule Road would be kinder to divers than the still frigid expanse of the Lake. It proved to be the case today, when 40 minutes in 46F (8C) water (warmer in the first 6 feet) provided a really relaxed dive experience. Visibility, below a milky, upper layer, was about 50 feet. It has to be admitted that there's not much life around yet. A couple of small fry were seen and the odd scuttling retreat amongst the rocks suggested crayfish, but only the mussels were commonly sighted. The good news is that the approaches are dry and firm and the water's substantially warmer than elsewhere right now. Time to think about the wetsuits folks..

Ice is nice...

When you're ice qualified and Spring is clearly on the way, you seize every chance to get wet where some of the water's still solid. Today's destination, once again, was Brule Road, where we took a large reel out to its full extent exploring some of the usual sights. For the second time, close to the entrance hole, a large bullfrog was defying hibernation to examine our activities. A Small shoal of Striped Bass was also very active. Conditions couldn't have been better, with clear, blue skies, flat calm and an air temperature of 2C (36F). The water was 40F (4C) and visibility better than 50 feet.

Snow business diving in this weather...

Showing no respect for the blowing snow, Adam and I ventured under the ice at Brule Road today to practice line drills and explore the quarry. You'll appreciate that this wasn't a careless venture. In fact, we spent more than an hour in discussion of the 'what ifs' before we even suited up and we both carried redundant air supplies.

There were some really neat aspects of the dive. For example, we inserted an ice screw into the underside of the ice (no one can interfere with it there!) and every thread of the screw was visible penetrating the crystal clear medium. We also surprised two very dozy - and really rather large - Bass on the bottom near the cabin cruiser. One of them was so torpid that it resisted the urge to swim away until we were literally within inches of it.

The visibility under the ice was amazing - and despite overcast skies and snow cover on the surface - there was a lot of light. Following strict gas management rules, we completed the dive in 38 minutes. For the sake of the record, the air temperature was -1C (30F) and the water 38F (3C).

Four New Ice Divers...

The 2008 Ice DIving Course was brought to an end this afternoon. Congratulations to Nancy, Dianne, Otto-Carl and Gerhard on their new certifications. And thank you to everyone (and there were many) who provided assistance. This most labour-intensive of all our training offerings demands a great deal from everyone involved. This year the demands on the instructor were considerable too. It's greatly to our chief instructor's credit that he battled an infection all weekend to keep the course on track.

Pictures have been posted on our Club Flickr site. A brief video with highlights of the weekend's activities can be seen on You Tube.

For the record keepers, and to save you reading the comment below, we saw water temps of about 40F (4C) and air temperatures between freezing and -8C (18F). There has to be a suspicion that the quarry is spring fed. That water temperature defies any other explanation. The weather was changeable, with blowing snow one minute and bright sunshine the next.

And if you like a little bit of scurrilous gossip - ask anyone who was there about the chainsaw and the jeep...

Ice-capades...

The first day of the annual ice course is behind us. It can be counted a great success. All four students got dive time and 'enjoyed' the challenges posed by their instructor. The entry point was perfectly placed, with the cabin cruiser sitting just off to one side of it and other attractions within range of the dive tethers. There is no doubt that the day's success owed a great deal to the small band of volunteers who assisted with transporting the equipment, setting up the tent and dive site and acting as dive tenders, cooks and more. Pictures and video will be posted on the conclusion of the course, but the sample shown here gives a feel for the day...

Ice Course Initial Session Completed..

The four divers taking this year's ice diving course completed their first session last night. A thorough review of the various procedures involved and an examination of equipment was followed up with time in the pool rehearsing the various skills that are unique to the discipline. Several volunteers were on hand to assist with the administration and to keep things ticking along. By the end of the session, everyone had a pretty clear idea of what the coming weekend's activities will entail. The divers had also, importantly, identified many of the challenges that ice diving will present. Minor gear revisions and thoughts about how to address skill issues will be the focus of attention before we hit the quarry on Saturday morning.

If anyone is thinking of visiting the site over the weekend, the best times to do so would probably be early afternoon on Saturday or shortly before lunchtime on Sunday.

Ice Course Preparations...

Adam and I spent a couple of hours this morning examining options for the location to host this year's ice diving course. Members will by now have seen his e-mail on the subject. The likelihood is that the course will be held at Brule Road, where the picture shown above was taken today. Conditions seemed excellent and the quarry offers several interesting objects for inspection, including the cabin cruiser which could be clearly seen through an exploratory ice hole this morning.

Closed until further notice....?

Anyone harbouring ambitions to shore dive Lake Ontario is likely to be disappointed for the next little while. The picture was taken during a quick survey of popular sites this morning. This leaves determined divers with the choice of ice diving (if appropriately trained and where the conditions permit - perhaps Brule Rd) or visiting sites on the Rideau, such as Brewer's Mills, which is open.

Photo Morning..

This was the day for taking on the Underwater Photography adventure, the final dive of Theresa's AOW. The larger picture shows that she grasped the basics well. Truth to tell, conditions were challenging for any kind of photography. The torrential rain, hail and thunderstorms of yesterday had left their mark on the quarry's waters. A great cloud of silt was hanging in the water below the surface and overall visibility - even below the thermocline - was only something like 20' or less. Nevertheless, more than an hour was spent in trying out various lighting and camera settings.

I took the second picture towards the end of the dive, having seized control of the camera to accomplish an ambition to photograph the Bluegills in this location. Water temperature at the bottom - 67F (19C). The surface waters are actually in the 70sF.

Busy at Brule Road

Today's dive at Brule Road answered a request from one of the 5 Club members making the trip to be introduced to this handy little, sheltered site. The Quarry was busy. About a dozen other people - in various stages of undress - were soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the swimming opportunities the location offers. Despite distractions, the divers made it into the water for about 70 minutes, checking out the sights and reflecting on the increasingly bold fish behaviours of the Largemouth Bass and Bluegills encountered. The Bluegills are particularly colourfully marked currently. It's tempting to speculate that they are in courtship colours. Other fish are clearly past this stage, because at several points we found dense shoals of small fry.

Chris Haslip had reported the presence of a new boat in the quarry last week. This lies in about 17 feet of water immediately to the left of the entrance beach. It should also be noted that the bowrider (which sat beneath the rock edge on the Western side) has been moved towards the cruiser in deeper water. It now stands proudly isolated between the Hyundai and the Cruiser.

Visibility this afternoon was about 35 feet and the water temperature varied from 72F (22C) at the surface to 62F (17C) beneath the thermocline, which sits at about 17 feet.

Today saw Ryan complete his Open Water Certification at Brule Road. The water was great. Bottom temperature 55F (13C). Visibility reached 40 feet or more. He had the company of Theresa, who acted as a competent buddy (second time this week with a student) and Nancy, who was just enjoying a dive.

The opportunity was taken, once training had been completed, to take some underwater photographs. Since the water was so warm (comparatively) the dive was drawn out to just one minute under a full hour.