Free Charters Rock..

There's nothing quite like a free charter to bring a smile to divers' faces. That might account for the broad grins on the faces of several Club members who were amongst the 14 divers generously treated to a free trip to the Munson by Kingston Dive Charters just for being members of Preserve Our Wrecks, Kingston. The trip took place on Sunday, June 6th and was judged a great success by all concerned, even if there was a bit more current on the wreck than most are accustomed to experiencing.

Many thanks to Harold and Anne for providing this opportunity to dive one of our fair City's signature wrecks - and to all those who came along. Their presence alone was testament to their support for local wreck preservation and maritime heritage awareness.

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.

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...

'Ducking' and Diving...

Dodgy title refers to the fact that this morning the opportunity was presented to accompany Harold, POW's Mooring Director, and Tom Rutledge on a working visit to the Annie Falconer, which lies close to the False Ducks Island. A bumpy passage out and back was a small price to pay for a textbook dive on one of our signature wrecks. With a bottom temperature of 55F (13C) and visibility in excess of 60 feet (20m), there was plenty of time at the max depth of 78 feet (24m) to complete the replacement of a temporary mooring line, tour the site and find an abandoned mooring block just off the wreck to the NNE. Tom took some great shots, which are accessible on Ontario Diving Forum. BTW - for those who are wondering - Harold doesn't wear his drysuit constantly - just about 80% of the time....

POW gets it done...

Worth mentioning that, early as it is, those of you who may have access to boats - or have started to think about an early charter outing - have a great selection of offshore wrecks accessible now. Some great work by a variety of operators and divers has resulted in about 14 of Kingston's most popular wrecks having their lines raised and marker buoys placed already. They include the ever popular Wolfe Islander, Aloha, Munson and City of Sheboygan. A full list is available on the Preserve Our Wrecks homepage. The work has been a lot of fun for those involved. There's also been some great underwater photography taken. Check out Tom Rutledge's pictures on Ontario Diving.