"Coolest" Winter Diving Experience?

[Vtdiver2]

Ok I am refusing to discuss my drysuit any further until it actually arrives :frown: *pout* so I thought I'd open a new can of worms:

Please share your coolest winter diving experience.

Maybe you saw some cool critters or got to do something that you couldn't in the summer with all the crowds around. Maybe it was bloody cold and your mask froze:11: Maybe you just went diving on a beautiful winter day This is the first year that I've gone diving after September so I want to know what I have to look foward to.

New Years Eve 2002, 8 of us (3, including myself in wetsuits) drove down to the King St Marina in Burlington VT, on Lake Champlain and geared up around 11:30pm. We entered the water around 11:45 and stayed down for 13 minutes. We surfaced in time to float on the surface and watch the fireworks at midnight. We high-fived and splashed each other, wishing each other Happy New Year. Then, once the fireworks subsided, we dropped down again and finished the dive, getting out of the water around 12:20am. We had our last dive of 2002 and first dive of 2003, all in one dive.
We are talking of doing it again this year, as it was so much fun.
C-Dawg

 

[ScubaSarus]

We did a night dive after Xmas in Mystic on the Mystic river. I swore to secrecy not to reveal Bills secret spot. The plan was to go in the river down the channel and explore around the big whaling ships in the seaport. I was first to enter water temp 36-38. I sank up to my knees in soft mud freed myself and waited for the group and advised them to get their fins on and come out on their stomachs. We entered the river and followed the channel to the whaling ships. Vis was great and we found old bottles and some other neat stuff. People on the shore kinda freeked abit when they saw our lights in the middle of the river. As I was making my exit thru knee deep stinky mud I was laughning very hard and repeating "I will not reveal Bill and Joe's secrete spot because I wouldn't want anyone else to have to wade thru knee deep mud".

You can almost dive anyplace in the winter.

 

[Soggy]

I just had a great winter diving experience today on the "Holmes" Wreck...

The seas were as flat as I have ever seen them...positively glassy. Vis on the bottom was dark, but ~20 ft. The surface conditions are finally starting to get that aqua color.

 

[dbg40]

once upon a time, a long time ago, A buddy and me went ice diving in a local lake 1/4" wetsuits (they were in inches in those days, not mm's) Veeeery cold. got back out, grabbed our crap and sprinted for the car, (not mine) to find idiot Phil, lost the
%#@*! keys!!! When we were near death, or so it seemed, One of the local cops came by by accident to save me. At this point, I really did'nt care if Phil was saved, or not. Next time, I was'nt with Phil, and I drove!

Couple of years later, same lake, I did a late evening dive, just before dark. A homeowner let us park in his driveway, and use his launch, (no ice yet) When we went in he was working in his yard. After the dive, we popped up a little way off shore, to find the old fellow had completely decorated his home, and covered the trees with lights. It was really a beautiful sight, and quite a surprise!