In his element...

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...

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

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..

Charlotte loves Turtles..

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℃)

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.

Triple Treat Thursday...

Three dives today. Great result for this time of year. The first two immersions rectified a failure in communication last week, when Bill (a Flying Frogman keen to learn the layout at Brewer's) and I waited for one another at different locks. This week we planned more efficiently, met at Timmy's on Highway 15 and then made our way in convoy to first Upper Brewer's and then to Lower Brewer's, diving in each location. It has to be admitted that we might have spared ourselves the trip if we'd known that the viz would be limited to about 5' in both locations. Another unforeseen element was a water temperature of just 45℉ (7℃). That's just a few degrees less than the Lake in recent days, but it sure makes a difference. The rewarding aspect of the afternoon's activities (fostering friendships is taken for granted) was the small pile of 'treasure' recovered by the docks at Lower Brewer's. It included several items of cutlery, a dive tool, pair of sunglasses and other odds and ends.

This evening, Todd and I made our Thursday night pilgrimage to the Lake, opting to check out Morton's Wharf again. Tonight's sightings were exceptional. We spent about 10 minutes in very close proximity to a large Northern Pike (estimated at about 30"). It appeared to be every bit as interested in us as we were in it. Nearby, a pair of very large Carp were equally unconcerned and allowed close examination. These key sightings were supported by the usual Bass, Mudpuppies, Perch and Catfish. All in all, with nearly 45 minutes in very clear water, which remains at about 50℉ (10℃), this was one of those, 'you should have been with us' dives.

Another Diver earns certification...

Blown off the Lake by blustery (and cold) southerly winds, three of us headed for Kingston Oasis (also known as Brule Road Quarry) yesterday to complete Alex's certification requirements. It's always a shame when you can't provide a variety of dive site experiences at the conclusion of an Open Water class, but the Oasis worked out pretty well. You'll gather from the picture that Alex was in full control by the end of the day.


Conditions in the quarry were good - and this must have been appreciated by at least three other groups of divers who appeared, complaining about being denied access to the Lake. Visibility was somewhere close to 40 feet and the temperature very much the same as in the Lake's more exposed waters at 64℉ (18℃). There were a lot of fish to see, including what Todd identified as a large Koi Carp. The number of little power boat hulks in the water seems to be increasing with every visit. We counted at least 5 yesterday.

There's no longer a permanent presence at the Oasis taking in admission monies, but if you're planning on a visit it would be a courtesy to call the owner, Dan, to advise him. He has taken a lot of trouble to improve the site and to clean it up - and he has many more plans. He can be reached at 613 386 5289 / Cell 613 329 7790.

SundayDives are GO!

Just like the old serial tv shows we have lift off on the Sunday dive program. Meeting at 9 am for gear and leaving for underwater adventure at 930. We boldly go where many have gone before. Ok so thats not my finest intro to writing ...

A small handful of folks braved the bright sunny day at 2 different sites Morton's Wharf and POH ( I don't have info on that dive ATM). Gaetan and myself experienced a leisurely hour-long dive at the Morton's Wharf. Sitting at 27 feet max depth at the end of the underwater pier this is easily one of Kingston's easier dives. I bet this would be a wicked night dive. The entry is a bit tricky however the water was calm at least when we went in. It was not so nice when we got out as the winds really picked up. Vis was clear for 30 or so feet, and we were treated to lots of bass that clearly had just spawned, as well as one massive Carp, and a skittish catfish. Water temp was a balmy 66F and I did the dive comfortably in a single layer 7mm wet suit. A simple dive with a few swim throughs and few plates and cups scattered around as well as a really old TV.

Big thanks to Chris Haslip for giving me a small map of the site however after 30 min of searching I gave up on looking for the St Lawrence that sits in 6 feet of water. Also thanks to Mike for pre-filling the air banks the day before for potential divers!

In short: I intend to dive every sunday in the morning (weather and other factors aside) and anyone is welcome. I havent decided how I want to post the intended sites in advance. Further: weather does affect that as well, so for now I will play it by ear and figure out the plan at the club. I am allways open to shore diving ideas and if there is something that can be done by rec divers from shore then we can entertain that. Its a long hot summer and quality time underwater is a sure fire cure for the heat.
Oblig pics:
Nice bass Geatan!

A swim through, the super carp, and as allways blowing bubbles:



Keep blowing bubbles

Matt

BTW I must say our new sign is nice and bright!

Stay tuned

Another Diver Advances...

Todd celebrated Canada Day today with his final adventure to complete his Advanced Open Water certification. We went to Morton's Wharf and enjoyed many encounters with marine wildlife. Several Carp visited us, a large Catfish, at least one magnificent Walleye and, of course, lots of Bass and Gobies. Visibility was not too good and there's a huge, shifting mass of bright green algae on the top of the Wharf. Otherwise, the dive was a lot of fun and allowed both of us to exhibit good buoyancy control as we moved up and over the wall several times.

Sidemount Try-Out...

Today was a great day to dive. The Sun was glistening on the Lake, but a brisk breeze kept things moderately cool while gearing up. Adam had given me the chance to try out a side-mount rig and we chose Morton's Wharf to do so. The rig was perfect. Nothing needed to be done to the fit or weight - and it was really comfortable. I could get used to this.

The dive lasted just on 70 minutes in water that, at its low point, was just 46℉ (8℃). Visibility, although there was a murky layer in the upper sections, was great, probably as much as 60 feet in the deeper water. There were many Bass lurking on the Wharf and, in the area just to the West of it, a large school of Carp - perhaps as many as 8 or 10.

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...

Piping Hot - NOT !

Despite heaving seas and blustery, freezing winds, three of us ventured into the Lake today to begin to answer some questions about the intake pipeline that used to serve Kingston's pump house on Ontario Street. This research is being undertaken for a group that previously restored the Phoebe and is now working on the historic pump house itself. Much is known about the pipeline, but the group are interested in confirming their understanding of the original plans and reports. Today's work focused on measuring the intervals at which the iron pipe (with a 2' diameter) used connecting flanges. Interestingly, the flanges are not uniform; two distinct types were seen. The second type, which appears on every third connection, it seemed, has a conical section and is much thicker than the other, more common joint. It was also a revelation to discover that the pipe's shore-side end is completely disconnected - and open. Other interesting sightings - a large Carp and several Bass. The visibility - thanks to the fairly tempestuous waters driven by a strong, southerly wind - was only about 30' and the water temperature 41℉ (5℃).

Navy Bay ...

Six of us made it into Navy Bay for a dive this morning. Conditions were good, though what seemed like very promising visibility from the dockside turned out to be just 20' or so in the water. A lot of silt and weed in the water are combining currently to reduce light and range of vision.

However, that didn't prevent most of us seeing a couple of very large Carp and at least one buddy pair spotting (and briefly pursuing) a Muskie. The sunken piers are hosting large numbers of Bluegills and some decent Bass. I also spooked a catfish in the shallows by the exit ramp

Perhaps the most interesting sighting of the day occurred before we got into the water. Spotting a large Snapping Turtle snorting at the surface, I was able to show everyone the beast as it swam back down to the weedy depths. Its shell was probably as big as a dinner plate.

An air temperature of 68F (20C) was almost matched by the bottom temperature of the water, which was recorded as 60F (16C).

Day trip to the Islander...

A long-planned expedition to Alexandria Bay and the wreck of the Islander unfolded successfully today. Five of us, Dianne, Nancy, Theresa, Chris and I made our way over the bridges and enjoyed about 50 minutes in the 60 feet or so of water that surrounds the wreck. Visibility was moderately disappointing at about 25 feet, with a lot of drifting particulates. But the water temperature was peachy - 56F (13C) at 60 feet.

There was an interesting opportunity to watch a Tech 1 course working on the wreck - stage bottles, lines and reels very much in evidence.

Algae Busting in Navy Bay..

Six Club members made a late afternoon dive in Navy Bay - just because they could really...

Four of them already had dives under their belts today; Mike and Dominique on the charter described earlier, and Scott and Kim at the Quarry. Joined by Malcolm and Theresa, they enjoyed about 38 minutes exploring the structures just South of the RMC jetty.

Visibility was an issue, probably no better than 25 feet, but the water was 'warm' at 48F (9C). The algae was drifting in clouds, driven by a little bit of surface disturbance and some chop. But this didn't prevent the group seeing a few very large Carp, a shoal of Perch in the shallows by the boat ramp and a Turtle.

Training Day..

Today's dive schedule was shaped around an opportunity to complete the certification dives for one of our RMC members, Ryan. His Summer plans don't start for a week or so and the weather was perfect for some diving. In all, we managed three of the four dives. The first two took place at Portsmouth - always a good venue for introducing students to Open Water. Besides the usual pleasure of showing someone the anchors, wrecks and STOP sign for the first time, a large Carp's appearance made for a memorable couple of outings.

The third dive - after a disappointment over access to the Marine Museum (another topic) - was at the KPH. This one also went well. Tomorrow, we head for the quarry.

Water temperature, 43F (6C). Visibility about 40 feet, despite clouds of loose algae and carpets of the stuff on the shallow bottom areas. Some sections of the lines are almost completely hidden.

Something for everyone..

Today's wonderful conditions obviously stimulated interest in diving. We had six divers in the water at Brule Road. Malcolm successfully completed his Open Water Course - congratulations! Chris and Dianne enjoyed exploration of the quarry and Steve and Dominique worked on surface marker deployment drills and other skills.

The Sun was illuminating the water beautifully. A large Carp was spotted hiding amongst the boulders and a small shoal of Bluegills was also observed. The water temperature in the quarry is notably higher than in the Lake. We recorded 41F (5C) today at the bottom (and quite a bit warmer at the surface). With an air temperature of 15C (59F) conditions were clement.

Thanks to everyone who turned out to dive - the Summer starts here...