D.O.G.s or Huskies..?

The weather's definitely getting colder - and the water temperature in the Lake too. But, that's when the viz starts to clear and the diving crowd starts to thin out. This morning - to celebrate Todd's 300th dive appropriately - three of us ventured forth to Howe Island to plumb the 'hidden' depths of the South Channel. Despite the lower water levels of this time of year, before the bottom started rising back to Wolfe Island in mid channel, we achieved 119'. It was a cool dive on at least two levels. First of all, the water temperature was down to 43℉ (6℃) at the bottom and, secondly, it just an excellent, relaxed experience. Congratulations, Todd, on your 300th lifetime dive.

DOGs on the prowl..

Here's a link to a few minutes of video fun on the KGH wreck yesterday. If you have friends who wonder why you dive - and what you see, show them this...

Another Vanderklooster takes to the water..

Todd's daughter, Brooklynn, is pictured by a proud dad during the concluding Open Water dives of her Junior Open Water certification last week in Kingston. Looks like the attraction to water must be genetic after all... Well done, Brooklynn !

First of many to come..

Many congratulations to Alex this week, who is the first Open Water student of the year to gain full certification in local waters with the Club. His four dives never saw water temperatures higher than 48℉, but that didn't seem to daunt him in the slightest.

Deadman - live turtle...

During just over an hour's meanderings around Deadman Bay today I had the interesting experience of being approached by an inquisitive turtle. It was one of the painted variety - about 6-8 inches long in the shell - and clearly curious about the creature slowly approaching it. It took a direct path towards my mask and I had to gently fend it off by lifting it under the shell and away. it continued on its way to the surface for a breather quite unfazed. The water in the Bay, despite heavy and persistent rain yesterday was very clear - and quite warm - about 48℉ (9℃). During the dive a little bit of capital was banked with the Yacht Club by retrieving a couple of objects that had been lost over the side during lift-in this weekend.

Out with the old, in with the new...

Club members could have been forgiven for thinking that reports of a new compressor were entirely groundless, given the time it has taken to obtain and install it. But, yesterday, the machine arrived and was installed. It has many significant advantages over its predecessor, although the heart remains a reliable Bauer compressor of proven pedigree and design. Besides a greater output, which will reduce fill times, the machine has auto start and stop functions, an automatic drain (no more bending, twisting and messing with stop cocks), and a carbon monoxide monitor. Instruction will be given on the installation in due course. The new fill panel is more complex than the old one and the danger of diverting air at 4500 psi to vessels that cannot contain it is much higher. The Club should be very pleased with the support of the Base that made the acquisition of this compressor possible. With new suits and other gear arriving shortly, we have a great season to look forward to.

Club Members learn about Archaeology..

Several members of the Club were amongst 21 divers who gathered, under the auspices of Preserve Our Wrecks, to learn about Nautical Archaeology today. The two-day course will teach basic survey techniques and acquaint the students with legal issues relating to the discipline and other essential topics. Exercises today included detective work on artifacts to try and establish their origins and ancestry, and the circumstances of the vessel to which they related, and instruction in survey skills culminating in an underwater session in the pool.

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...

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...

Easter Egg Hunt at the Highway 15 Quarry..

Bright sunshine and a cold north wind fought one another for control today as several divers enjoyed an Easter Egg Hunt (underwater) organized by Kelly, Dan and Chris - to all of whom many thanks for their work. The conditions in the quarry - 45℉ (7℃) and about 40 feet of visibility made for a fun swim in depths up to 37 feet (11m). It was great to see divers from Canadian Sport Divers in Belleville along for the dive. A selection of prizes rewarded the lucky participants - although some eggs went undiscovered...

The intention of the organizers is to add a variety of items to the bottom to make the site more attractive to divers. There's also a plan to introduce a toilet. Information about the facility and arrangements to dive it can be found on the blog set up to publicize the quarry. Kevin's excellent picture shows Jim enjoying a 'ride' on one of many abandoned bicycles to be found in the quarry. The second picture is of a 'cat' placed by the organizers for divers' amusement.

KGH Wreck guideline intact and in great shape...

The first dive of the 2009 season was made on the wreck at Murney tower today. To the delight of the divers, the guideline is perfectly intact and in great shape. There were a few lazy Bass on the wreck, but they took little interest in us. A couple of small Perch were also seen towards the shallows. The visibility was about 30 feet and the water temperature 37℉ (2℃). The whole dive was a blast - especially after being frustrated yesterday by high seas and strong, southerly winds...

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.

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.

Another day, another dive...

So, another year, another dive under the weightbelt...

Today was a little special. It marked my first thousand dives since certification. It was an elegant coincidence to have it fall on New Year's Day and I'm very grateful to those who shared the waters of Lake Ontario with me on a very cold, if pleasantly sunny day. The venue wasn't really important, but for the record, we visited the wreck off Murney Tower.

Special thanks are due to my buddy, Dianne, who not only braved the frigid waters once again, but also provided a wonderful cake and some mulled wine with which to celebrate the occasion.

Surf's Up...

When you have your heart set on a dive sometimes it just doesn't matter what the weather's doing. Jim had a yen to dive the KGH wreck this morning, so despite heavy seas and a really strong wind, off we went. As we'd expected, besides driving a very gentle current along, conditions below the surface, after yet another surf entry, were surprisingly good. It was a more than worthwhile trip, because the line was getting quite dirty, and right out on the last 100' or so, it was actually silted over, which might have confused a diver unfamiliar with the site.

Visibility, while only about 20' in the shallows, improved significantly to something like 40-50' at the wreck. The water seemed warmer than of late at about 36℉ (2℃). Several large, lazy Bass were present amongst the timbers of the wreck - and they seemed curious about their visitors - or perhaps just hungry.

Our exit was quite exciting. A squall was passing through just as we arrived back on shore. It's distinctly different to be bodysurfed about 6' at a time as you approach your exit, which was conducted on hands and knees..! Ah, the joys of Winter diving.

Because it's there....

What do you say when people ask you, slightly incredulously, why on Earth are you diving at this time of year? Well, the answer quite simply is, because we can. A passerby suggested this morning that it's just a matter of 'getting wet'; and they were quite right. Some of us just enjoy the challenge of Winter diving. There's also the possibility of enjoying a unique encounter. Not that we did today, but that's irrelevant. Coping with surf entries and exits is enjoyable in itself. Most people have heard the old saw, "Train Hard, Fight Easy'. Well, in a diving context, 'practice regularly to dive safely' might be substituted. The statistics are very clear. The majority of incidents involve divers who don't have the opportunity to practice regularly.

My enjoyment is only slightly eroded by a persistent - and so far untraceable - leak in my drysuit. It's not enough to force me out of the water while it benefits from professional inspection and repair by the manufacturer, but it's certainly irritating. A fact which my dive buddies, who hear me grumble about it, will readily attest to. Oh well, I think I'll make it a New Year's resolution to send it away and address the problem. But how will I survive in its absence?

I should record my appreciation of the sacrifice others are making to be my dive buddies while I satisfy my strange obsession... I really do feel very grateful to them.

Cracking good dive...!

There's a brief time of year between ice free and frozen when the Lake can be entered with a minimum of effort by cracking light icing at the margins. Today was one of those rare days. With a brisk wind piling drift ice up on the breakwaters and making shore entry challenging, the decision was made to enter at KGH and swim out into the Lake. There were no great issues and navigation proved reasonably easy; the area around the outer breakwater is quite familiar. Visibility wasn't great, probably about 20 feet at best, but the dive was worthwhile.


Besides the car that lies south of the wall, a bicycle was found and a shoal of Lake Shad spotted close to the rocks. The water temperature was as close to freezing as it gets before it gets a little firmer.

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.

Diving's snow problem for us...

They said we were crazy - and they may well have been correct. Diving in a snowstorm, when the air temperature's down to -13℃ (9℉) is probably pushing the dive envelope, but when there's work to be done, why not? Adam, Jim and I braved the entry challenges (and more particularly, the exit ones) to get more data on the Pump House Pipeline today. Adam again 'scootered' out to the distant crib and took some more details of the pipeline structure and fittings; Jim and I concentrated on obtaining detailed measurements of one of the conical (perhaps better described as bell-shaped) connections.

Visibility was excellent - probably about 50'. The first few, snow-chilled feet of water were very close to the freezing point, but below that layer, the water remains a 'comfortable' 37℉ (4℃). Going back to exit challenges, consider this... Adam had to re-immerse himself briefly to create the conditions to unzip his drysuit. Everything wet froze almost instantly in the wind and low temperature land side. Jim was obliged to drive home in his suit, having failed to get out its frigid confines....

Happy Birthday, Adam !

With a birthday in late December, you're not always guaranteed the conditions for a dive that satisfies; well not in Kingston, anyway. But today, Adam, Jim and I had a great dive in near perfect conditions. Adam, rigged for solo diving, took his scooter out all the way to the end of the Pump House Pipeline - some 2,400'. Jim and I swam out together to the first crib (about 1350') - counting the pipeline joints along the way. For both parties, it was an interesting experience testing our line of approach by probing for a pipeline some 6-8" down in the mud after a certain point. But it was all very worthwhile. Our understanding - and the feedback we're able to give the historians and engineers chronicling Kingston's early freshwater delivery system - is growing all the time.

For the records - air temperature today -2℃ (28℉) and the water temperature 37℉ (3℃). Visibility, as the water settles after recent storms, about 40' and improving.