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.

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.

Ice is nice...

When you're ice qualified and Spring is clearly on the way, you seize every chance to get wet where some of the water's still solid. Today's destination, once again, was Brule Road, where we took a large reel out to its full extent exploring some of the usual sights. For the second time, close to the entrance hole, a large bullfrog was defying hibernation to examine our activities. A Small shoal of Striped Bass was also very active. Conditions couldn't have been better, with clear, blue skies, flat calm and an air temperature of 2C (36F). The water was 40F (4C) and visibility better than 50 feet.

Snow business diving in this weather...

Showing no respect for the blowing snow, Adam and I ventured under the ice at Brule Road today to practice line drills and explore the quarry. You'll appreciate that this wasn't a careless venture. In fact, we spent more than an hour in discussion of the 'what ifs' before we even suited up and we both carried redundant air supplies.

There were some really neat aspects of the dive. For example, we inserted an ice screw into the underside of the ice (no one can interfere with it there!) and every thread of the screw was visible penetrating the crystal clear medium. We also surprised two very dozy - and really rather large - Bass on the bottom near the cabin cruiser. One of them was so torpid that it resisted the urge to swim away until we were literally within inches of it.

The visibility under the ice was amazing - and despite overcast skies and snow cover on the surface - there was a lot of light. Following strict gas management rules, we completed the dive in 38 minutes. For the sake of the record, the air temperature was -1C (30F) and the water 38F (3C).

Four New Ice Divers...

The 2008 Ice DIving Course was brought to an end this afternoon. Congratulations to Nancy, Dianne, Otto-Carl and Gerhard on their new certifications. And thank you to everyone (and there were many) who provided assistance. This most labour-intensive of all our training offerings demands a great deal from everyone involved. This year the demands on the instructor were considerable too. It's greatly to our chief instructor's credit that he battled an infection all weekend to keep the course on track.

Pictures have been posted on our Club Flickr site. A brief video with highlights of the weekend's activities can be seen on You Tube.

For the record keepers, and to save you reading the comment below, we saw water temps of about 40F (4C) and air temperatures between freezing and -8C (18F). There has to be a suspicion that the quarry is spring fed. That water temperature defies any other explanation. The weather was changeable, with blowing snow one minute and bright sunshine the next.

And if you like a little bit of scurrilous gossip - ask anyone who was there about the chainsaw and the jeep...

Ice-capades...

The first day of the annual ice course is behind us. It can be counted a great success. All four students got dive time and 'enjoyed' the challenges posed by their instructor. The entry point was perfectly placed, with the cabin cruiser sitting just off to one side of it and other attractions within range of the dive tethers. There is no doubt that the day's success owed a great deal to the small band of volunteers who assisted with transporting the equipment, setting up the tent and dive site and acting as dive tenders, cooks and more. Pictures and video will be posted on the conclusion of the course, but the sample shown here gives a feel for the day...

Ice Course Initial Session Completed..

The four divers taking this year's ice diving course completed their first session last night. A thorough review of the various procedures involved and an examination of equipment was followed up with time in the pool rehearsing the various skills that are unique to the discipline. Several volunteers were on hand to assist with the administration and to keep things ticking along. By the end of the session, everyone had a pretty clear idea of what the coming weekend's activities will entail. The divers had also, importantly, identified many of the challenges that ice diving will present. Minor gear revisions and thoughts about how to address skill issues will be the focus of attention before we hit the quarry on Saturday morning.

If anyone is thinking of visiting the site over the weekend, the best times to do so would probably be early afternoon on Saturday or shortly before lunchtime on Sunday.

Brewer's bylines...

Another dive at Brewer's today. The site is no more exciting than it has been so far this season. A swift current continues to flow under the bridge and swirl around the bowl. The dive was spent in two circuits - with each marked by a period of rock clinging and bottom inspection before allowing the flow to sweep us round to the entry / exit point past the thicket of lumber and debris that lies in the shallower, Eastern portion of the site.

Water temperature; 34F (2C). Air temperature; 39F (4C) under cloudy skies.

Ice Course Preparations...

Adam and I spent a couple of hours this morning examining options for the location to host this year's ice diving course. Members will by now have seen his e-mail on the subject. The likelihood is that the course will be held at Brule Road, where the picture shown above was taken today. Conditions seemed excellent and the quarry offers several interesting objects for inspection, including the cabin cruiser which could be clearly seen through an exploratory ice hole this morning.

Seek and ye shall find...

Today's dive at Brewer's Mills enjoyed wonderful conditions topsides and the stiff current underwater becomes more manageable with each experience. The site was bathed in bright winter sunshine and the channel was playing host to numerous geese and a muskrat when we arrived. Our activities soon dispersed them. Preparation and entry were quickly accomplished and the first of several minor finds was made as we put our fins on. Chris is pictured retrieving the lid of a thermos vessel. Early in the dive a watch was recovered and several rounds of pistol ammunition were uncovered close to the bridge. There was also a fleeting sighting of a crayfish. The thermometer registered 33F (1C) in the water and -4C (24F) landside.

Closed until further notice....?

Anyone harbouring ambitions to shore dive Lake Ontario is likely to be disappointed for the next little while. The picture was taken during a quick survey of popular sites this morning. This leaves determined divers with the choice of ice diving (if appropriately trained and where the conditions permit - perhaps Brule Rd) or visiting sites on the Rideau, such as Brewer's Mills, which is open.

Spin Cycle Selected...

Since options to dive in the Lake became a little restricted, the opportunity was taken today to go and revive acquaintance with Upper Brewer's Mills. As the accompanying video illustrates, conditions were less than ideal. For whatever reason (and it's hard to see where the flow is coming from) there was a healthy current flowing down the channel. This led to the adoption of the tried and tested 'spin cycle' dive experience. Entry was made in the usual place and an immediate descent to the bottom of the bowl allowed a few minutes to have a look around before allowing the current to take us, counter-clockwise, around the shallow margins and back to the entry point. Rinse and repeat three times for a total of just over 30 minutes in water at 34F (2C). The air temperature was -4C (24F) and only one, rather frozen-looking Perch was spotted throughout the dive. Novices are advised to avoid this dive site when a noticeable current is running. It is possible to be carried out of the circular current flow and swept downstream.

Frozen Frolics...

I guess it's the temporary thaw that inspired 6 of us to venture into the still freezing waters again this weekend. We essentially repeated the dive enjoyed on New Year's Day, meeting and dressing at the Club and then getting into Navy Bay at RMC's St Lawrence Pier. There was one significant difference; today we all spent at least 48 minutes in the water. leaving some divers really cold...! However, the opportunity presented itself to capture some video of our chief instructor demonstrating Backward Finning. This is the subject of the accompanying video clip. For record keepers, the water temperature (on the lowest reading shown) was 33F (1C) and the air temperature 4C (39F). A light Southerly wind generated small waves and reduced visibility to about 25'.

Happy New (Dive) Year...

Despite a pretty heavy snowfall overnight, which persisted right up to the time divers gathered at the Club, we put 6 divers in the water today for the New Year's Day dive. It's probably no coincidence that all of them were in drysuits. Navy Bay was chosen as a nearby, easily-accessible venue. The dive proved to be a gentle tour of the area beyond the ramp and pier, with ample time to look for little 'treasures'. Find of the day was a little stoneware bottle that had contained blacking. It was found by Chris Haslip and it's in beautiful condition. Adam, whose presence was a rare delight these days (his business makes heavy demands on his time), could only compete in the finds department by returning a dinghy rudder to dry land. Time in the water was just about 34 minutes. The water temperature was 34F (2C) and the air temperature - on a relatively calm day (NE wind) - was -2C (28F).

The Ice Man Diveth...

Steve and I worked off some Christmas excess with a gentle dive on the dinghy off the point of the Kingston Yacht Club. The dive plan called for us to measure up the thing and see whether we could gain sufficient information, in the way of markings and the like, to identify it. Well, the measurements were pretty straightforward: She's 4.44m long and 1.32 in the beam. The markings were more challenging. A little bit of light cleaning revealed a serial number pressed into the transom, but it was impossible to make it out clearly. The clean-up also revealed a little more of the blue markings on the transom, but again, not enough to make any detail out. Oh well, another trip will be called for, I guess. We spotted a large Pike in the water on the return swim, but it was intent on keeping a safe distance from us. The only other excitement was pushing aside the few chunks of drift ice at the entry point - that's a first for this end of the 2007 season! For the record; water temperature 35F (2C) and the air temperature exactly the same...

Yacht Club Orientation...

Today presented a golden opportunity to re-visit the 'landmarks' that distinguish diving around the breakwater of the Kingston Yacht Club. The first picture, taken very professionally by Kevin Leblanc, shows the car wreck just South of the Club. The second, also taken by Kevin, is the hull of a racing dinghy just off the South-East corner of the site. Besides these inanimate objects, a large number of sizeable Bass were present near the rocks. Air temperature a chilly -4C (25F) and the water temperature 35F (2C).

West Street Boat Ramp

It was a nice winter day so we decided to go to the West Street boat ramp for a dive. The nice thing about having everything snow covered is that there is no bare ice, consequently the traction is good. Mike did a great job navigating but I have forgotten the bearings already. The waters were calm, 36 deg F and visibility was about 35 feet. There wasn’t any surface ice in the area. Those of us with leaky suits were cold by the end of the 35 min dive.

There wasn’t much underwater life, some bass and minnows; but there were about 100 duck’s that we chased off the boat ramp as we entered. There is a lot of stuff down there to see now that the visibility is better. In low visibility there just seems to be less. If it is not visible it doesn’t exist. Now I know that there are two underwater-cars in the area. How long have they been there?

Sunday Club Report - March 25th

Another good dive for the Sunday Club. This time attracting four divers; Adam, Kevin, Jeremie and myself. The venue - no surprises here - was Upper Brewer's again. For the benefit of those who were less familiar with the site, we headed upstream initially and visited the dam. Adam and I amused ourselves by heading right into the turbulent stream emerging from the overflow and discovered an interesting ledge under the bank.

Tiring of the upstream side, which is very shallow, we all allowed the gentle current to sweep us back under the bridge and into the 'bowl'. By this stage, we'd become two pairs. Adam and I continued South, checking out the old sawmill site and doing a little bit of rummaging. At this stage, after seeing many Crayfish, I spotted a dozing Turtle.

Everyone enjoyed a decent diving experience and I forced Adam to the exit just before 80 minutes had elapsed. Next time, I'll pump my tank right up and let him stay a little longer. Water temperature 38F (3C) and air temperature a pleasant 6C (43F). Occasional sunshine definitely improved the day - and I can report that the Martins have arrived at the stream, swooping and wheeling over the water. We were also treated to a little tattoo from a woodpecker, which attacked the power pole right by the vehicles. Ah - Spring !