Too busy diving =P

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

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

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.

Todd becomes our Man of the Century...

The headline should not be misconstrued; it's too early just yet for award ceremonies. But, there is some significance to Todd's latest dive. It was his 100th in Open Water. Many congratulations are due and it seems very fitting, and a mark of Todd's commitment to the sport, that he is currently well into his Divemaster course.

His century was completed on that most testing of Kingston's shore dives, the Stacked Hulls. In 48℉ (7℃), with visibility curiously low at about 20 feet, the dive was conducted in calm conditions at a gentle pace. A total dive time of 55 minutes included a full 15 minutes of wreck sightseeing. Many large Bass were present (one pictured - a Smallmouth ?), at least one big Carp and a Walleye.



Future visitors, do note that there is a short break in the guideline close to shore. Maintaining the line heading will quickly pick up the other side though. Directions and a guide to the wreck are available on the POW website.

The Golden Hour...

Sometimes a dive is just magical. When Kevin, Dianne and I entered the water to head for the Stacked Hulls this afternoon, it was just another dive; check out the line, have a good swim yahdi yahdi yahdah ! It turned out that it was one of those 'everything just clicked' occasions that you rarely enjoy. The line was easily found and followed, only a very slight current impeded the direct passage and the visibility wasn't too bad at about 25-30 feet. That's all well and good, but somehow it all came together for us. The swim seemed effortless, maintaining attitude and pace came naturally and all was well with the World. We were on the wrecks in 20 minutes. Huge Bass lazily and inquisitively nudged towards us and we had a really good look around the Hulls, noting features that we hadn't seen before. In all, we spent about 20 minutes nosing around. The return journey was just as straightforward. Nosing up over the ledge and swimming in over the shelf, it became clear that we were approaching an hour underwater, without really trying. What a great way to enjoy a November afternoon. There were rosy hues in the western sky as we emerged after 63 minutes - and a near full moon to the East. Genuinely, a Golden Hour !

Stacking the dives...

James and Kevin took the opportunity offered by calm waters to check out the line to the Stacked Hulls today. Despite bright sunshine, a bitter northerly made conditions cold in 4℃ air temperatures - just a little warmer than the water. The line is almost wholly intact. A section near shore will need some attention and the divers cleared a heap of accumulated weed from the outer sections, but the site is good to go. Don't forget, if you plan to attempt this dive, to check out the guide on the POW Kingston website and to keep close track of your air. If you're lucky, you'll encounter the unusual Long-Nosed Gar that Kevin and James did. It was resting on the bottom. There were several large Small-Mouth Bass on the wrecks themselves.

Thanks for performing a valuable check-out service James and Kevin...

Christmas visit to the Stacked Hulls...

When you've been busy with the Pumphouse Project and the water's likely to be pretty churned up, where do you go? Well, the answer today, bearing in mind possible access issues with snowy, slippery shore conditions, was to hit the Stacked Hulls.

Despite a heavy swell, courtesy of a brisk westerly wind, and visibility somewhere around 15-20', the swim was fun. The line remains intact and we cleaned it up a bit. The yellow colour really shows up well against the bottom, when it's not slimy and dirty..

Forty minutes out to the wrecks and back, in water just above freezing makes for a great Christmas afternoon treat. Let's hope that the Club's forthcoming New Year's Day dive will enjoy such excellent topsides weather.

Stacked Hulls Metered and Measured...

Kevin and I had the opportunity, at dusk today, to get out and complete the staking of the line to the Stacked Hulls. The stakes start from the edge of the shelf and are carefully placed at 100' (30m) intervals. There are 7 of them, which given that they start at 380' (116m) - and the last stake runs 80' to the wreck itself, makes the total distance 1260' (384m). For safety's sake, the halfway stake is marked by a white, plastic jug. If you get to this and you're not sure about your air for the rest of the dive, it's time to turn around.

It's always interesting to enter the water as a storm is growing. Today, the waves were growing as the wind got up - and when we emerged from the water there was a snowy squall sweeping across the grounds of the Providence Care Facility. Ah, the deep joy of Winter diving. Water temperature - 42℉ (6℃). Visibility - despite the turbulent inshore waters - about 50'. More than sufficient to see the large Bass that were haunting the wreck in the half dark...

Exercising Stakeholder Privileges...

Work on enhancing the line to the Stacked Hulls was the order of the day today. As well as checking and cleaning the line, it's amazing how much algae and gunk accumulates in just a matter of days, today's aim was to put in some long-planned stakes and take some measurements.

For interested parties, take note - the swim to the edge of the shelf from the start point close to the beach is 380' (116m). We then installed the first three stakes - at 100' (30m) intervals. That took us to roughly half way to the Hulls. We'll finish the staking - and measuring - very shortly, but my guess is that the total swim is going to come out to about 1300' (396m).

Water temperature today - 42℉ (6℃). And the visibility - 60' or better, I think...

Surf entries on the Lake - unusual...

When a strong westerly breeze blows over the Lake for several hours, it can raise quite a wave on shore. But, that's no deterrent to the determined diver - and just to prove the fact - three of us made our way out to the Stacked Hulls this afternoon through some fairly heavy surf. I can't remember encountering quite so much surge in the shallows ever before. Understandably, the visibility was pretty poor in the early stages, but on the wrecks themselves we enjoyed about 30 feet or better - certainly enough to make for some decent video. I've decided that some of these big Bass are frustrated actors. They certainly mug it up for the camera. Check out the short video here. The water temp was the usual 50℉ (10℃). Total dive time, with about 15 minutes on the wreck, was 56 minutes.

Stacked Hulls Line in good shape...

The weather's just too good these days to pass up diving. Today, it presented an opportunity to make a check dive on the line out to the Stacked Hulls. It's become such a straightforward trip with the new route that there's no wasted effort in locating or following the guideline. But, caution should be exercised. This is still an each way trip of about 1000 feet. If you're going to attempt it - and have any time to spend on the wrecks, which deserve it, then make sure your air consumption is modest, if you're diving a single 80 cu ft cylinder. The line was in good shape. The weeds are all dying back and the interference and drag they had been causing is all but past. For the record, the water temperature was 50℉ (10℃). With a bit of wind playing across the Lake and generating a slight swell, the visibility was down on the weekend, but still reasonable at about 25-30 feet.

Stacked Hulls ...

As suggested yesterday, the chance was taken today, in ideal weather conditions, to make an expedition to the Stacked Hulls. It's been a week or two since the line was checked, so there was no knowing what to expect. In fact, the line was easy to pick up and ran uninterrupted out to the wrecks, where the viz was in excess of 40 feet. There was at least one very large shoal of Perch on the wrecks and several large and lazy Bass. At the shore end, it's remarkable how quickly the weed beds in the shallows are dying back and thinning out. The plants are already mainly brown and lifeless. Anyone who wants to make us of this new line, which takes several minutes off the old swim to the Hulls, should e-mail me for info on picking it up. Alternatively, if you take the old line out of Portsmouth to the right-angled bend in it and 'jump off' there swimming 220° you'll pick up the new line at about the half way point. Water temperature today out on the Hulls (where a small thermocline could be felt at about 50 feet) 57℉ (14℃).

Twice the fun...

Two dives today. The first was an attempt to re-locate the STOP sign from the old line to the Stacked Hulls. The intention was to put it at the edge of the second ledge that lies on the path followed by the new line. The only problem was that 100 lbs of lift didn't do the trick. So.... we moved up to the ledge and followed it from the old line to the new one - only about 5 minutes swim along. Then, we moved out along the new line. To our surprise and delight, we discovered that someone has 'jumped' the gap that had appeared last week. After a few minutes work to remove weeds, we headed back for Portsmouth, picking up the old line and following it in.

The second dive of the day was with Cory, a recently qualified diver, who has excellent skills. We parked below Queen's on Collingwood St and entered the water in the bay East of the PUC complex. Despite battling in the shallows with awful weed growth, we enjoyed a good swim around the wreck off the pier and along the breakwater below the far edge of the dock. Lots of fish were present, albeit in viz of only about 20'. The water temp for both dives is dropping away slowly - showing 66℉ (18℃).

Stacking up another dive...

After sailing plans were cancelled by high winds and an ominous weather forecast, and a quiet afternoon at home proved too quiet, the decision was made to go and check out the Stacked Hulls again. No bad thing, as it turned out, because the line had parted about half way out to the wrecks. Whether this is the result of an unintended anchor strike, or pressure from accumulated weed proving to be too much for the line at its weakest, most extended point, it turned out to be easy to by pass and temporarily address. The dive was otherwise unremarkable. That said, the number of fish seeking shelter in and around the hulls was considerable. Oh to have a video camera on days like this. Visibility was average, probably about 30-40 feet. Interestingly, particularly since I had elected to dive wet (Hyperstretch 7mm), the water temperature was down to 66℉ (19℃). If anyone is keen to make this new, line-guided trip to the Hulls, and considers their air consumption better than average (this dive was 63 minutes long and brought home 600 psi), give me a call.

Stacked....

Tonight presented the first opportunity to check the line laid last week, in the dark, from a boat, between the Stacked Hulls and the shore near the Psychiatric Hospital. The delightful outcome was a 75 minute dive that began by picking up the cross line leading to the main one in less than a minute. Look out for details of the location very shortly. But be aware, this dive is not for the inexperienced or those who are a bit heavier on their air...

The swim out to the wreck took 20 minutes - the same as the testing run last week. One curious observation - since the line has been in the water only about 5 days - was the huge amount of weed that has drifted into it and accumulated on it. Perhaps not so surprising given the high winds and big seas experienced over the preceding 24 hours. Out on the two wrecks (are there more ?) the fish life was abundant, a mix of Perch and Bass. There was plenty of time to have a look around the whole site before heading back to shore - clearing some of the weed on the way to reduce strain on the line.

The low temperature on the wreck was 68°F (20°C) and the visibility about 30 feet.

Leisure Show and the Stacked Hulls - all in a diver's day..

Today started with representation of the Club at the Base Fall Leisure Show. This seemed to draw a decent attendance and Dianne and I were certainly kept busy answering the questions of many visitors to our stand. It seems likely that we'll pick up about half a dozen new members who are already certified - and likely as many or more people who want to take training.

This evening there was a golden opportunity to hit the Stacked Hulls from a boat and take a really leisurely tour of this interesting site. The fish life was incredible, literally dozens of Perch and Bass. We were out there, once again, beyond the onset of darkness. It's a magical experience to enjoy a dive on a calm lake with the lights of the City on the skyline and the various navigation beacons twinkling out on the darkness of the water. Difficulty in getting divers to join us made it impossible to fulfill an ambition to run a line ashore from the site, but we'll get that done very soon. These wrecks are deserving of more visits. Thanks to Adam for making his fine dive boat available - and to Tom and the team aboard Seadeucer, who gave us numbers that put us right on the wrecks in short order...

Stacked Hulls in the Sunshine..

Calm conditions and brilliant sunshine made for a great opportunity to hit the Stacked Hulls today. Dianne, Chris and I made a gentle transit - taking about 55 minutes for the round trip. The visibility was in the order of 25-30 feet (more in the shallows). The most curious element of the dive was finding the Hulls full of what appears to be some sort of algae / fungus growth. This grey-green, light material has the appearance of 'cotton wool balls' or bubbles. It is more than a couple of feet deep in places and clearly associated with the wreck. Whether the association has something to do with the shelter the Hulls provide - or the consumption of the Hulls by the material - is unclear.

There was little other life evident - though a couple of large, pale Bass were spotted close to the Hulls - and we saw a Crayfish in the shallows near the pipe.

Water temperature was 39F (4C) and the air temperature about 12C (54F) - with a cool Southerly wind.

AFTERNOTE: It was suggested by someone who is knowledgeable about Kingston's waters this afternoon that the unusual agglomeration at the Hulls could have been Fish Roe. Comments on this would be welcomed. It was certainly a strange sight.