Conestoga - St Lawrence, as clear as it gets

[Pinecube]

Yeah I’m surprised they don’t have a car at the end. That drift dive is long (2km?) if memory serves right. It’s been years since I dive it though so don’t quote me. I wouldn’t want to walk all the way back.

Not quite that long, probably only 500-600m since they hopped in at the parking lot. Maybe it's Lock 23 you're thinking of?

 

[gcarter]

Not quite that long, probably only 500-600m since they hopped in at the parking lot. Maybe it's Lock 23 you're thinking of?

Lock 23 is 1KM dock to dock. Jumping in upstream and including the tin plate factory will give you a longer walk.

Edit: Actually I am lying. Just checked Google, 650m from the ramp at the public dock to the dock at the beach using the path.

 

[gcarter]

Because you have to walk east to the Legion, up to Highway 2 then west back to Galop Canal Road, it is actually 3 km to walk back... with all your gear. If the canal is frozen and you can walk straight back, it is more like 600m from the exit point back to the entry point.

Some people swim across the inner canal and walk up the north shore during the summer rather than drop a vehicle or do the long walk.

 

[scubadiver888]

Some people swim across the inner canal and walk up the north shore during the summer rather than drop a vehicle or do the long walk.

My club is going to the Morrisburg pig roast this summer. We usually do the Conestoga on Sunday. If I'm the DM, I'll look into swimming across the inner canal. That sounds like a good option.

 

[Pinecube]

My club is going to the Morrisburg pig roast this summer. We usually do the Conestoga on Sunday. If I'm the DM, I'll look into swimming across the inner canal. That sounds like a good option.

I've done it before, I'll park at the Connie then surface swim across to land to get to the start of the drift. Just make sure you swim all the way across the canal to the dock where the houses are first, then cut across. Otherwise you'll get sucked back out into the river. Typically I'll only do that surface swim on days that have less boats (rain/overcast). I've also done it on scuba after the drift, it takes a bit of air but following that same path (dock first, then swim across) helps keep you out of the strong part of the current.

 

[gcarter]

My club is going to the Morrisburg pig roast this summer. We usually do the Conestoga on Sunday. If I'm the DM, I'll look into swimming across the inner canal. That sounds like a good option.

I have not done it myself, but so long as you do it below the cut out to the main river there should be no real current to contend with.

 

[Felipe S]

My club is going to the Morrisburg pig roast this summer. We usually do the Conestoga on Sunday. If I'm the DM, I'll look into swimming across the inner canal. That sounds like a good option.

Google Maps

When doing group dives the way we took after surfacing was
Get on road, walk SW to the canal opening
Get in the water inside the canal, descend to bottom
Swim across to cottages
Swim SW until first collapsed bridge, you can see the concrete under water, swim over that
Now we are in the other canal
You can swim all the way up to the bridge and climb the steps
Or swim just a little until you can climb and walk

 

[Jill Heinerth]

Great job on the video!

 

[mddolson]

Brings back great memories reading this thread. I first dove the Conestoga, Rothsay & Lilley Parsons in the mid 70's when I moved to the Brockville/Prescott area. That was pre-zebra mussel , & visibility was 15- 20 feet on a good day

 

[electric_diver]

Awesome. I have never seen that kind of visibility on that dive.

I've seen close to that good. It was late October.