Anyone Lake dive in Alberta?

[fireken]

Which lakes are most recommended? Is there anything to see, or does everyone else, like me, just do it to get wet between warm water trips. I would love to fly to the coast for the weekend instead and be able to see something worth diving for but it costs about $900 return with a seat sale just to get to the coast. So for now I will settle for driving to Jasper for the weekend unless someone has a better idea.

 

[sunnyboy]

900 return? !!!!! What airline - solid gold transit? I have to fly between Van. Island and either Calgary or Edmonton several times a year. Seat sales always get me about $130 each way. Even with the taxes and gas surcharges, it's still always about $300 round trip from Nanaimo airport.

As for lakes, depends where you are. Minnewanka is always good from about mid-July onwards. Vis gets better right up until freeze-over sometime in December. Vis after spring thaw is always horrible (1" or so for May, June, sometimes July).

If you are near Edmonton, there's lots of nice lakes in Jasper. Funny thing - Jasper is about the same drive time from Edmonton as Minnewanka.

Jasper has Patricia, where the ice barge is located. Very cool dive. Minnewanka has a submerged hydro dam, bridge pilings and several other artifacts.

If you are in S. AB then Waterton is a great dive. There's not much left of the Gertrude, a side-wheeler that ran the lake for years. Mostly just some timbers now.

-S

 

[fireken]

I am in Grande Prairie so I have to fly to either Edm or Calgary before going west, and it is actually approx 450 per person but my wife loves diving as much as I do, which is really handy as I always have a buddy, but the cost then doubles, therefore the 900.

 

[sunnyboy]

I am in Grande Prairie so I have to fly to either Edm or Calgary before going west, and it is actually approx 450 per person but my wife loves diving as much as I do, which is really handy as I always have a buddy, but the cost then doubles, therefore the 900.

Eeeek!

So it really is "solid gold airlines"? (they get you coming and going). The Edmonton divers would know of any good lake diving in your area. I heard there's some diving on the way to Athabasca, and I know several divers who go to Cold Lake and the larger northern lakes, but I don't know what the diving is like up there.

Coast is definitely more doable than Waterton, from where you are!

Of course, that's why I moved out here from Calgary in 2006.

Cheers,

-S

 

[JeffG]

In Jasper, I have dove: Patrica, Annette, Edith, Horseshoe and Lac Beavert.

With Horseshoe and Patrica being the best dives, but they are also have the hardest logistics.

Twin lakes is an 1hr south of Edmonton.

I am not aware of anything around Grande Prairie ...but that doesn't mean that one doesn't exist.

 

[nadwidny]

I heard there's some diving on the way to Athabasca,

That would probably be Forfar. Much like Twin except less to see (if that's possible)

 

[Warthaug]

I'm not too familier with your area of Alberta, but in the south Waterton park and Lake Minnewanka are probably the most often dived. Here's a link that lists a range of sites; its a pretty good reference, and AFAIK, is the most up-to-date list on the net...

Scuba Diving in Alberta

Bryan