Another visit to the Highway 15 Quarry

Today, we got two dives in at the quarry on highway 15. In total we spent just over one hour in the water. The water temperature had not changed from last week and the visibility was the same too. Our goal was to prepare for tomorrow's Easter Dive and to add some underwater decoration. With our tasks completed we just continued to enjoy the quarry.

Highway 15 Quarry

This morning granted an opportunity to go diving at the highway 15 quarry (Cruickshank). This was my first time in this quarry although I have wanted to dive in it for some time. The water looked very inviting. After seeing another diver who stopped by out of curiosity we headed into the water. Following the gentle slope into the water we quickly found ourselves at the 30 foot mark. It was surprising how clear the water was; considering all the rain and wind we have had. The visibility throughout the dive ranged around the 40 foot mark. The max depth that we hit was 37 feet and the coldest that my computer registered was a warm 43F (6C). We took our time swimming around and spent about 70 minutes under water enjoying everything we could. As expected there are tires in the quarry as well as bikes and a car. The bottom was mostly rock and gravel with some sections that have a little silt. There were no fish but three live frogs were seen. It was an enjoyable dive that had no effects of the wind. I can just say I look forward to diving in here again and hope to see everyone out on Saturday for the Easter dive.

Dippin' in Deadman...

So, five of us took the opportunity offered by the only recently departed ice to brave the still cold waters of Deadman Bay this morning. After the recent heavy rains and high winds, it was no great surprise to find the visibility poor for this time of year - at about 20'. The water temperature, probably only in the shallow confines of the Bay was relatively warm at somewhere around 36℉ (2℃). Highlights of the dive - sightings of a turtle and a salamander, both looking slightly stunned.

It takes more than a broken arm...

As the attached composite picture (created by Gaetan) shows, it takes more than a minor injury to keep some of our members from a try-out night. Thanks to Adam and all who assisted him, the event on Saturday night was a great success. See more pics on our Flickr site (link to the right).

Nautical Archaeology Training Course Available...

Members are reminded that vacancies are available on a Nautical Archaeology Level One course to be held in Kingston over the weekend of May 2/3. Instruction will be given by members of Parks Canada's Underwater Archaeology Service and the cost of the package will not exceed $200. This certification gives a great insight into ship construction, archaeological principles, survey techniques and methods as well as legal frameworks governing our activities underwater. It is highly recommended, even if you do not intend to undertake survey work. If you do, it is an invaluable foundation to that work. An application form can be downloaded by clicking here. It should be completed and returned by April 20th, if you wish to take the course.

Try-Out evening re-scheduled...

The chance to try out new gear configurations, different equipment and the like, which was postponed last weekend due to a technical problem, has been re-scheduled for this Saturday evening, March 28th between 7 and 9 pm.

Drop Adam Rushton, the coordinator for this event, a line, if you intend to come along...

Scuba Olympic Video..

Thanks to Kevin LeBlanc, who dedicated most of his morning last Sunday to capturing video of the Scuba Olympics, here's a few minutes of highlights to enjoy...

Try-Out Evening Postponed...

The try-out evening scheduled for Saturday, March 21st had to be postponed after the pool was closed for cleaning following a fouling incident. These things are sent to try us - and another date will be arranged once consultations have taken place with all concerned.

To those who may not have received the warning e-mail sent out before the evening - and who may have gone along only to be disappointed - a sincere apology...

Scuba Olympics - another great success...

Pictures - and even video - may flow through later, but here's a short report on the Club's annual Scuba Olympics event. A total of 10 divers participated - about average for the time of year. Five members of the training staff saw to it that everything ran smoothly, with the final event, underwater frisbee, finishing with just five minutes of the pool session remaining. Two more Club members undertook to record the activities for posterity, so the actual tally of members was 19.

Divers geared up, checked their buoyancy and then competed in four events: A relay bucket race; no fins running event - on the pool bottom; blindfold treasure hunt and obstacle course, which severely challenged skills. Judging by the smiles and laughter - on the surface anyway, it was fun for everyone involved. The generosity of various supporters from the local dive community allowed us to send all the participants away with some sort of prize.

Next event for the Club - a try-out evening on Saturday the 21st of March from 7 - 9 pm. Come along and try out a variety of equipments like side-mount rig, backplate, full-face mask and so on...

SOS announce NAS training opportunity...

Save Ontario Shipwrecks have just announced a great leap forward in the business of underwater archaeological training in the Province. In a landmark deal with the Nautical Archaeology Society, they have gained permission to run courses under NAS auspices in Ontario. This is a really welcome development. Resources for training have been significantly lacking in recent years, despite the best efforts of government agencies at all levels and interested avocational groups like SOS and POW. The news release announcing the development can be downloaded by clicking here.