Portsmouth Harbour Wrecks..

For all those who have not had the opportunity to visit the wreck fragments that lie just off the Breakwater at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, here's a little video pulled together in October. To view it click here.

It comes as a complete surprise to most Kingstonians that these links to the City's maritime history are literally yards from shore.

Anchor cleaning quite revealing..

A dive at Portsmouth today presented the opportunity to clean up the newer of the two anchors that lie offshore. Accumulations of mussels and corrosion were vigorously removed, revealing the well-known swastika - and on the other fluke - the name of a maker. That name is still a little unclear, but the location of manufacture can now clearly be identified as Sunderland, a major ship-building port in NE England. So, did the Germans have merchant ships built in England before the war? Or, is the swastika a good-luck symbol? The jury's still out. If you're in the water at Portsmouth soon, go look at the maker's name and see if you can make it out clearly. It certainly ends with Co Ltd, so that supports the English origins.

Ben braves the chilly waters...

Ben - who began his scuba training back in the Winter - made his first foray into the Lake yesterday. His confident look was an accurate predictor of sound performance on the first dive aimed at getting accustomed to the conditions. He saw the wreck fragments at Portsmouth, a large Carp and the anchors that lie just offshore. He had good company in the water. Todd, Dan, Josée, Gaétan, and visitor Kyle were all enjoying the almost Spring-like conditions. Most of them in sporty new DUI suits. Good day for the Club - and a good indication of the activity levels to be expected in the weeks ahead.

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℃).

Archaeology is fun...

Well, that's my take on the picture shown above. Gaetan and Marc-Etienne weren't the only Club members this weekend to enjoy completing the Nautical Archaeology Course commenced in May, but they certainly seemed to enjoy it. It was wonderful to hear a steady stream of discussion and commentary in French from their area too. Paul and Sandrena, for whom one highlight was trying out a backplate and wing combination, also enjoyed themselves and benefited from the experience. Another Club member, Marg Barker, was the tutor - whom we're very lucky to have supporting local activities. The conditions were almost perfect - and nobody complained when we were obliged by light rain to adjourn to the Portsmouth Tavern right at the end of the day. Thank you to everyone who supported this event - and congratulations to all the newly certified avocational archaeologists.

New students make the grade...

The Club gained several more certified divers at the weekend. Congratulations to all concerned. The pictures, taken after all training was completed, show them enjoying the sights and experiences offered by Brule Road. Added to exposure to rather more challenging conditions at Portsmouth Harbour and the Kingston Psych Hospital, the weekend's package was a very successful one. For those members who are still a little intimidated by temperatures in the Lake, it's well worth mentioning that the Quarry is 12℉ warmer - at 62℉ (17℃).