Hello from nova scotia, canada

[Sawdust82]

Greetings. Ive been finding this forum quite often while researching online, so i figured it was time to sign up...

Got my start in Jamaica a few years ago, with an advanced open water certification with padi. Have made about 16 dives there since then.

Currently im working on putting some gear together to dive here in ns, mostly interested in scallop diving at the moment. Looking forward to learning from you folks!

 

[underH2Oman]

Welcome to Scubaboard. My only recommendation for your dive plan is to remember a small frying pan and some garlic butter. Fresh scallop would keep me diving daily but living in Ontario that is not an option.

 

[drrich2]

Welcome. As you're probably aware, the switch from tropical to cold water diving, with a lot more exposure protection, is substantial. You done any cold water diving yet?

Richard.

 

[TMHeimer]

Welcome. We're both about an hour from Halifax in different directions. Let me know if you're in the Hfx./Dartmouth area and we could meet at Torpedo Rays Scuba in Dartmouth and buddy for a deep shore dive at St. Margaret's Bay. Someone at the shop may have some advice re scallop areas. There is only one place up the Eastern Shore that I know of and there's just enough for me once a year.......
Let me know if you do any diving in Fundy. That is something I may want to try some day, though it's a long drive from here.

 

[Sawdust82]

Oh man, scallops are one of my very favorite things. I actually have a guy lined up with a boat who says he knows where to get them, but says some are "just a bit too deep for snorkelling". Which to him means 10-15' of water at low tide ha ha.

I havent done any cold water diving yet, just in jamaica. Im working on putting together a mutt set of gear to get started. I have a good 7mm 2-piece wetsuit, and most everything else except for regs, bcd, computer and tanks. This is one time where being 6'5" and 250lbs isnt really a good thing lol.

 

[Sawdust82]

Welcome. We're both about an hour from Halifax in different directions. Let me know if you're in the Hfx./Dartmouth area and we could meet at Torpedo Rays Scuba in Dartmouth and buddy for a deep shore dive at St. Margaret's Bay. Someone at the shop may have some advice re scallop areas. There is only one place up the Eastern Shore that I know of and there's just enough for me once a year.......
Let me know if you do any diving in Fundy. That is something I may want to try some day, though it's a long drive from here.

Thanks very much for the offer, i may have to take you up on that one day. Im sure i could badger you all afternoon and learn all kinds of stuff

 

[drrich2]

The reality of what you're planning to do may be different from my conjecture, so please accept this in the spirit of helpfulness it is intended. It sounds like you have close to 20 life-time dives, including training dives, have no cold water dive experience, and have a guy lined up to take you somewhere with scallops, but they're too deep (I'm guessing he doesn't dive?), and you don't mention anybody else going. So, I'm guessing there's at least a chance you're thinking about getting the gear together and taking a crack at this solo.

I like solo diving. But it's often recommended one have a good deal more experience and training before embarking on it. Perhaps that's not what you intend and I don't mean any disrespect. In the SDI Solo course, it's recommended solo divers avoid 'pinnacle' dives - basically limit-stretchers, where you dive in substantially different conditions than you're used to (e.g.: deeper, more current, much lower viz., etc...).

If that's not what you've got in mind, my apologies. If it is, I recommend getting a good number of cold water dives in with buddies/mentors to build your knowledge and skill base and get a better sense of what you don't know yet. The pressure gradient changes more rapidly in shallower water, and there are risks of panic, rapid ascent, arterial gas embolism, pneumothorax, etc...

How cold is the water expected to be? Do you have hood, gloves and thick boots to go with the 7 mm 2-piece wetsuit?

Richard.

 

[Sawdust82]

Ive got a buddy or two ill be able to talk into going diving with me, but i will likely be diving solo (shallow) for scallops fairly quickly. As i said, the friend with the boat was talking about 15' of water, or less, just too deep for him to snorkel (hes not a strong swimmer to begin with). High vis, nearly no current at slack low tide, probably warm enough in this area that i could pull it off in shorts and a t shirt, but im going to use it as an opportunity to get weights etc. dialled in a bit with the extra neoprene. Yep on the boots, gloves, and hood.

I definitely wouldnt call anything i have been pondering for the next couple years to be pushing the envelope. For what its worth (and i know its not the same thing), ive been a front line firefighter with our local department for 4 years now, and have a fair bit of experience with their scba's as well as confined spaces and zero vis training with them.

Dont worry, im not gonna go bail into the bay of fundy next week by myself or anything

 

[TMHeimer]

drrich2 makes some good points. I do mostly 15-30' solo diving, but didn't start doing that until I had 75 dives, but mainly because my only regular buddy moved. It is basically "glorified snorkeling" as I like to put it, but of course with the concerns drrich2 points out. I am unfamiliar with diving in Fundy as I said, though I swam in it a lot of years ago when I lived in Saint John. Have no idea about how the tides affect diving. You probably are aware of the water temps. At least on the Atlantic side you get this:
Low mid winter near freezing, usually about 35F (+2-3C)
Aug./Sept. peak: 60+F (16C), with extreme to 70F (22C)
Weather gets warm in May, but ocean doesn't- maybe 40F+(+5-7C), and a few degrees warmer by June.
Late Oct. and after, weather gets cool/cold but ocean stays pretty good, even still 50 (10) or above into Dec.
Good idea since you're diving wet to get a pair of "lobster claw" mitts (thumb separate, but 4 fingers together). I would guess T-Rays would sell you a used pair. I have yet to have cold hands with them even here in winter. The rest of me not so great, but toasty hands.

 

[Sawdust82]

I appreciate the pointers guys. As i said i have a couple friends i can likely talk into going scallop hunting with me, and im also looking into getting a boat of my own to hopefully give me more reason to get out on the water more often. The gf isnt interested in diving, but shes all for boats and camping...