Monday, November 18, 2013

Shark Tank, Florida Aquarium, Tampa, Florida N 27° 56.6', W 82° 26.5'
   Dive Number 168 Buddy
Aquarium Divemaster
Surface temp
24°C
Starting pressure
3000psi
Depth
20ft
Visibility
excellent
Time
40m
Water temp
21°C
Ending pressure
1700psi

Notes:

I thought it would be fun to do a dive in the Florida Aquarium shark tank, and also thought the kids would think I was brave if I did it, so we signed up (also signed up Neva and Hugh for a snorkel in the reef exhibit). We were greeted by one of the aquarium hosts and given a short introduction, and the kids and Cheryl were escorted to the outside of the tank (where they saw "Shark Tank" TV personality Lori Greiner filming a promo). The divemaster and I descended in a cage, stepped out and spent about three quarters of an hour with a few sand tiger sharks.

The kids didn't think this activity was particularly brave (Neva and Hugh both wanted to try it), but it was fun!

Friday, July 05, 2013

Glendora, Kingston ON N 44° 8.6', W 76° 38.1'
   Dive Number 167 Buddy
Jason
Surface temp
22°C
Starting pressure
3100psi
Depth
74ft
Visibility
good
Time
38m
Water temp
10°C
Ending pressure
900psi

Notes:

Anne graciously agreed to take and Jason and I out for another dive on Friday, and Nancy and her buddy Suzanne joined us for a calmer milder trip out to the Glendora. I found this morning's dive more entertaining than the night before. Intact hull, extended swimthroughs, and a magnificent propellor at the stern!

Usually I post that we finished the dive and I post a note about going out for food; this time, Jason and I drove to Montreal for supper at Au Pied de Cochon and a Lionel Loueke concert at Jazzfest Montreal!

Thursday, July 04, 2013

Maple Glen, Kingston ON N 44° 8.7' W 76° 37.2'
   Dive Number 166 Buddy
Jason
Surface temp
25°C
Starting pressure
3300psi
Depth
68ft
Visibility
good
Time
33m
Water temp
10°C
Ending pressure
1400psi
Notes

Jason and I made plans to dive together, so he arrived this afternoon and we head down to Collins Bay to join Anne of Kingston Dive Charters. Two other Dolphin divers, Ross and Lorna, joined us for four on the boat.

Jason and I remembered all our gear, but I neglected to get my belt on prior to donning my BCD, so I was quite hot by the time I got in the water. The 10 degree water on the wreck soon fixed that problem, and we took a quick tour of the timbers that had once been the Maple Glen. I was glad to get up into the warm, and follow the dive with a fine supper at Dianne's Fish Bar!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

The Rothesay, Brockville ON N 44° 42.0', W 75° 31.2'
   Dive Number 165 Buddy
Jason
Surface temp
6°C
Starting pressure
2850psi
Depth
27ft
Visibility
fair
Time
46m
Water temp
13°C
Ending pressure
1300psi

Notes:

For our second dive, Jason and I returned to the wreck of the Rothesay in Prescott which we last dove in the summer, with a surface temperature of 29°C and water temp of 20°C. Jason had a new housing for his GoPro, and was keen to see the pike that eluded him last visit (I previously thought this to be a muskellonge). Despite cool dressings and undressings in the wind and rain, we were treated to the usual good dive, with abundant large bass, the largest walleye I have ever seen, and we both got to see the resident pike, pictured here.

Afterwards, we returned to Kingston for hamburgers at Five Guys. Since this is almost certainly my last dive of the calendar year, it was a nice one to end on.


Monday, October 15, 2012

Round Lake, South Frontenac ON N 44° 24.9', W 76° 25.6'
   Dive Number 164 Buddy
Jason
Surface temp
14°C
Starting pressure
3000psi
Depth
44ft
Visibility
fair
Time
52m
Water temp
10°C
Ending pressure
1200psi

Notes:

Jason made the drive from Toronto for a fall dive today. We head over to round lake and braved the chilly water to go for a swim over our usual shoal, and were treated to views of plenty of sunfish, a few walleye, and what we think was a large Northern pike. Below the 40 foot thermocline, the ground was covered with some sort of red algae, and as we exited, we saw a little snapping turtle. Enjoy!


Where shall we go for supper?

Monday, September 03, 2012

Round Lake, South Frontenac ON N 44° 24.9', W 76° 25.6'
   Dive Number 163 Buddy
Jason
Surface temp
24°C
Starting pressure
3200psi
Depth
33ft
Visibility
good
Time
56m
Water temp
14°C
Ending pressure
1400psi

Notes:

With the morning available to us, Jason and I went over to Round Lake with Chandra for a dip in Round Lake. We overcame technical difficulties [his wetsuit, my tank attachment, his BCD purge valve], but when we finally got underwater it was worth it. We saw the carcass of a medium sized snapping turtle, several dinner-sized bass, and the usual curious sunfish. I found a good rock for watching and Jason took a few pictures of me and the fish taking each other in. Everyone returned home safely and we finished an enjoyable visit together!



Saturday, September 01, 2012

Cornwall, Kingston ON N 44° 08.2', W 76° 37.2'
   Dive Number 162 Buddy
Jason
Surface temp
25°C
Starting pressure
3100psi
Depth
70ft
Visibility
good
Time
53m
Water temp
20°C
Ending pressure
700psi

Notes:

Our second dive of the afternoon was the Cornwall. It has two great paddlewheels, two big boilers, a few intact portholes, and a little garden-ornament captain.

We also saw a dead eel - about 80 cm by my reckoning. We both surpassed our no deco time, and spent about ten minutes on the line for a decompression stop on the way up. We returned home, picked up Chandra, and rounded out the day with supper at Casa Domenico for supper. Success!

Glendora, Kingston ON N 44° 8.6', W 76° 38.1'
   Dive Number 161 Buddy
Jason
Surface temp
25°C
Starting pressure
3200psi
Depth
72ft
Visibility
good
Time
47m
Water temp
23°C
Ending pressure
700psi

Notes:

Jason and Chandra came to the weekend, and when we booked a couple dives with Northern Tech for Saturday, we had the good fortune to find that Adam Rushton was our captain! We were joined by another advanced diver and his buddy, an open water diver with about ten dives experience. Although the wrecks we chose weren't deep, they were enjoyable, and we enjoyed longer bottom times!

Our first wreck was the Glenora, which I hadn't been on in some time. We had warm temperatures, and a thermacline about 40 centimetres off the bottom, too low to cause any discomfort! Good views of the props and lots of swim-throughs. Here's a picture of a Goby with Jason swimming in the background.

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Round Lake, South Frontenac ON N 44° 24.9', W 76° 25.6'
   Dive Number 160 Buddy
Jason
Surface temp
25°C
Starting pressure
3000psi
Depth
27ft
Visibility
good
Time
43m
Water temp
17°C
Ending pressure
1700psi

Notes:

I arrived home from work in time for Jason and I to log a dive in Round Lake before he had to return to Toronto, and before my parents arrived. We donned our gear and were pleased to swim down with hundreds of curious [but not too curious] sunfish. I had brought a little deli meat hoping to feed them, but they were not so brave as to eat out of my hand. While underwater, there was another burst of rain, and returning to shore, we swam through a thick dark cloud on the way out. The rain cleared as we undressed and returned home.


Tuesday, July 31, 2012

The Rothesay, Brockville ON N 44° 42.0', W 75° 31.2'
   Dive Number 159 Buddy
Jason
Surface temp
29°C
Starting pressure
3300psi
Depth
29ft
Visibility
poor
Time
50m
Water temp
20°C
Ending pressure
1800psi

Notes:
Jason drove from Toronto to meet me after work and we drove together to the site of the Rothesay, where we realized I had no computer, no weight belt, and also the rain started as we parked at the dive site. to minimize my weight needed, I dove without noeprene, and not to be discouraged, we entered the water, and followed the line out to the wreck. From the wreck, we saw lightning flashing overhead, and we were rewarded with several large bass, [including a mottled one I think was a shoal bass], and a large muskie that Jason was better able to appreciate on the GoPro video of the dive than during our fifty minutes underwater.