Ice dive in Saanich Inlet

[MarkH]

Today's dive was definitely a first for me. I added the info/photos from the dive in Tod Inlet (part of Saanich Inlet) to the bottom of the following page:http://victoriadiving.awardspace.com/toddinlet.html

 

[nadwidny]

I've done quite a few dives in that area over the years. The ice cover just blows me away. I never thought I would see something like that.

 

[Hyper-limits]

Hey Mark that pretty cool. I never seen that much ice around the inlet before.

Al

 

[jeckyll]

Very cool.

 

[MarkH]

Hey Mark that pretty cool. I never seen that much ice around the inlet before.

Al

A lady that was walking her dog down the trail said that Tod Inlet freezes over every year. I've never seen it, but I guess conditions have to be just right. I saw no sign of a wreck by the way and I swam all the way to the "skinny" part of Tod Inlet where it gets shallow. One of the "Sea Gypsies" living on one of the anchored rafts said that he's been living here for over 20 years and he's pretty sure there's no wreck here. He said there used to be one, but it was hauled away. Maybe he ment the one that used to be on the beach which is gone now. This guy was trying to row his boat from shore to his raft and he was using his oar to smash the ice in front of his boat so he could row a few feet, before having to break it again. He was there when I started my dive and when I was done, he still hadn't made it. He yelled over asking If I'd seen his barbeque. I told him I've seen a few on the bottom. He said "yep! those are mine."

 

[Les]

haha funny. did he want you to salvage any of them? being a gypsy and all. great pics.

 

[MarkH]

haha funny. did he want you to salvage any of them?

No. And I didn't feel like it anyway. At least he didn't threaten to call the police because I was solo diving... under the ice... without a flag like they would in some places.

 

[Les]

watch out for the scuba police!!

 

[TSandM]

And we were bemoaning the ice in the harbor at Nanaimo -- At least where we were diving, there wasn't any!

 

[MarkH]

And we were bemoaning the ice in the harbor at Nanaimo -- At least where we were diving, there wasn't any!

In Tod Inlet there is usually a layer of fresh water on the surface and it's well protected from wind so it doesn't get stirred up. Add the low temp of -10 (Celsius) that morning and I can understand why it froze over...... but Nanaimo harbour? I never would have guessed that.