Diving the Forest in Toby

[Tamas]

I would like to call upon those of you that dove the Forest City up in Toby and ask you to share your experience.

I will be heading up to Toby to dive the wreck on the 11/12th weekend and just wanted to get some ins-outs before I plunge in.

According to the documentation, she sits in 60-150' of aqua, stating that the best/nicest parts are in the 130-150' mark. Is that so? Or is the water level fluctuating like in the other bodies of water in On.
How much more is there to see above that mark?
Is she really as dark and cold as everyone makes her out to be?
When you dove it, did you dive on air on a lower mix of Nitrox? According to my trusty table, at the 1.6 limit you can do a 29% mix? Or 27% at 1.4?! What did you dive it on and what would you recommend?

I am looking forward to it, have dove the depth before on air, but I'd like to play as long as I can and thus would like the Nitrox mix.

So please share away and let's hear your stories.

 

[Tamas]

Anyone? Where are all the vocal people now?

 

[Tom R]

trolling trolling trolling get those trolls a trolling

 

[Tamas]

trolling trolling trolling get those trolls a trolling

Huh? I am actually being serious and asking for input here Tom.

 

[Wayne A]

I
Is she really as dark and cold as everyone makes her out to be?

No - that's just the stories you hear from the geniuses who dive the stern on air.

 

[diver_paula]

Tamas,

It's been quite some time since I've dove The Forest City. I do know it's split in a couple parts and you need to get on the correct part to see anything but long boards. & yes, most of the good stuff to see is at, or near max. recreational limits. & I can't respond on current lake levels.

How many days / dives do you plan to do?

Paula

 

[Tamas]

Tamas,

It's been quite some time since I've dove The Forest City. I do know it's split in a couple parts and you need to get on the correct part to see anything but long boards. & yes, most of the good stuff to see is at, or near max. recreational limits. & I can't respond on current lake levels.

How many days / dives do you plan to do?

Paula

Thanks Paula,

Well we are planning on diving her the 11th for now and on the 25 as well and more dates if she proves to be more exploreable then those 2 days allow. Shall be fun from what I can gather, but almost everyone you talk to or read their comments they vary significantly. It seems that she is more of a mystery then a fact. Hence the idea of wanting some decent answers/comments here - to try to make sense of it all.

 

[vlada]

Did you check Marvintpa's page on her? Quite a bit of info and pics there

http://www.scubaq.ca/ontarioscubadiving/forest.htm

I dove her once of air, against my better judgement and, frankly, was so narked and cold that i do not remember much other then the burning desire to get the hell out of there and go above the termocline. Next time i would have a choice of doing the Forest City on air or not dive, i'd stay on a boat.

 

[Stoo]

I dove her once of air, against my better judgement and, frankly, was so narked and cold that i do not remember much other then the burning desire to get the hell out of there...

Hey Tamas...

I just read your post... here is what I can tell you about the FC. It does start with a smashed up bow at about 60'. There was a tag line from the mooring last season, and I expect it's still there. The wreck lies on a very steep angle, bottoming out at 155' on a sand bottom. I don't know anything about your diving level, so please don't be offended if I insult your intelligence, but IMHO, it's this steep angle that freaks people out. Bouyancy control is critical. But it's a great dive. My best guess is that I have about 100+ dives on it and it's one of my favourites... if you are prepared, and well equipped.

This time of year, reg freeze-up is real concern unless you have proper regs, especially if you're going to the bottom. I would consider a redundant air supply necessary.

As you note, the most interesting parts of the ship are in the 130 - 150' range. The machinery and boilers are at 130', with the aft deck and stern rail below. A section of the rail was torn off somehow a couple of years ago and lies on the sand off the stern. There is a small deck hatch which drops into a small cabin in the stern deck, but silt is nasty in there. Probably best to stick your head in for a peak. Theres also a head on the poop deck. The hull is plit and there are two major sections that run parallel to one another. I generally work y way straight to the bottom, then zig-zag back up.

I dive the wreck on air. With the depth, the nitrox mix is hardly worth it. I don't dive with a pO2 above 1.4. Some guys dive it with mix but I don't.

Complaints of narcosis at this depth are sometimes confused with stark terror I think ;-) It can be dark, and it'll be cold. More to the point, this time of year, there won't be any warmth during your stops either. Rather than coming back on the tag line, I'd suggest you work your way up the hull onto the rocks and putz around there while you off-gas... it's a short surface swim to the boat...

Watch the cold though... if you're in a wetsuit, prepare for some serious suffering.

On the upside, see my post of tonight about a dive on the Arabia yesterday!

Stoo

 

[Tamas]

Well we dove it last weekend. She was nice, cold (34-36f at depth) indeed but nice. Ended up doing it on a 25mix at a 1.4ata. Not narced at all, just cold.

She is nice but pretty beaten up, but still lot's to see. Wasn't able to spend much time at depth (a mere 9 minutes at 130'-148') just enough to look at all the gizmos, since the rest of our team dove her on air and single 80's, so we didn't want to leave them....just in case. But will definitely have to venture back soon for some more bottom time and better exploration.

Freezing regs were not a problem....rather frozen fingers (and other body parts most of us are still looking for).

Can't wait for the return.