Jack's Last Dive...

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..

First Stab at Fairfield Park..

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℉.

Wildlife on the Wolfe...

The opportunity arose today to get out to the Wolfe Islander and enjoy the extraordinary wildlife that abounds there at this time of year. Disappointingly (perhaps the dive traffic is proving to be a little intimidating) there were only fleeting glimpses of the Freshwater Drum that have been haunting the after portions of the wreck recently. There were, however, abundant shoals of Bluegill Sunfish. I think that the video tells the story quite well...

Paperwork...

Courtesy of a grant of sports afternoon, Alex and Cody completed their first open water dives today. Mike accompanied them to refresh his dive skills. Visibility was pretty poor at about 15-20 feet. This was to be expected after the torrential rains of last evening. It didn't affect enjoyment of the two dives - or the wildlife encountered. A pair of adult Bass are currently shepherding their babies in the shallows near the entry point, and a Freshwater Drum and other fish, besides the Gobies were seen during the swims.

Worth noting that these divers are the first in the Club to migrate to the new Electronic Recreational Diver Planner (Multi-Level), a device now used by 85% of PADI students across Canada to complete their dive planning.

The water temperature was a pleasant 66℉ (19℃).

Night visit to the KGH wreck...

Despite light drizzle and an overcast sky, Kevin, Jim and I ventured into the water this evening for a gentle tour of the wreck off Murney Tower. This was Jim's first visit and a night dive was the only one he was going to fit into a busy schedule this weekend. There was a light current flowing downstream, which made the transit slightly longer than usual. There wasn't a great deal of fish life either. A large Drum was seen in the weeds on our return and a couple of catfish were lurking in the dark. Jim seized the opportunity to try out a new reel from Whatworks. It performed flawlessly - even with drygloves in use. Water temperature, with a thermocline at 55 feet again, was just 64℉ (18℃). Curiously enough, this was the air temperature too.

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...

Morton's Wharf and St Lawrence..

Dianne, Chris and I spent just under an hour in the water this afternoon enjoying a leisurely examination of the remains of Morton's Wharf and the nearby remnants of HMS St Lawrence. Conditions were reasonable, though the visibility is shrinking quickly thanks to great clouds of algae. There are huge clumps of the bright green algae accumulating on the bottom. Today, I'd judge the usable range of vision to be about 35 feet.

The water remains stubbornly cold - 42F (6C). Nevertheless, fish life is beginning to reappear in greater numbers. A few large Bass were present near the remains of the Wharf - and at least one Freshwater Drum (first seen this year) was also cruising the area.