OFWF Gathering -- October 25th in Brockville

[diverlady]

Scuba Duffer once bubbled...


Wow - we obviously have a different definition of "warm"!!

My wife and I are definitely up for it! Can someone give me a few more details. I would like to hear about the dives - depth and conditions. Also, where should I book a hotel - Brockville?? Where do you usually go for dinner so we can book a room close by? And we are going with the 25th for the dives?

Cheers

Check out http://www.scubaq.ca/ontarioscubadiving/brockville.htm

This website shows some of the wrecks in the area we will probably hit. They show some pics and give depth and recommended experience level. There will be a current. Water temps now in the St. Lawrence are probably around 70F+ (I'll know for sure tomorrow!!) but I don't know what it will be by the end of October.

DivingGal was going to check on somewhere for a get-together to happen and report back which hotels are nearby.

Diverlady

 

[diver gadget]

Just booked at the Days Inn in Brockville for 58 bucks a night. Pretty good.

 

[diverlady]

diver gadget once bubbled...
Just booked at the Days Inn in Brockville for 58 bucks a night. Pretty good.

Just found the same hotel for $51.44. I don't know if that includes taxes. Probably not.
www.hotels.ca

Diverlady

 

[Scuba Duffer]

Well I looked up some of the wrecks. The Daryaw in particluar seems fairly advanced. My wife and I are both AOW cert'd, but we still don't "feel" like advanced divers. We haven't done much diving since January (we tend to stay out of the cold water other than some fun dives in Lake Simcoe to try and keep the skills up) and to date we only 28 logged dives. We have dove under some pretty extreme conditions (The Spiegel Grove in FLA) and have done drift diving in Cozumel and West Palm Beach. I am a bit concerned that the some are rated "advanced". anyone else with limited experience dive those sites? How did you find them? Maybe I'll wait to see which wrecks are chosen before commiting!

 

[diver gadget]

I

Well I looked up some of the wrecks. The Daryaw in particluar seems fairly advanced. My wife and I are both AOW cert'd, but we still don't "feel" like advanced divers. We haven't done much diving since January (we tend to stay out of the cold water other than some fun dives in Lake Simcoe to try and keep the skills up) and to date we only 28 logged dives. We have dove under some pretty extreme conditions (The Spiegel Grove in FLA) and have done drift diving in Cozumel and West Palm Beach. I am a bit concerned that the some are rated "advanced". anyone else with limited experience dive those sites? How did you find them? Maybe I'll wait to see which wrecks are chosen before commiting!

I have been on all of the wrecks that I think we are talking about diving. The great thing about brockville is the no thermalcline and the great vis. The bad thing is the curent. If you have been to Coz you know about the drift dive. Just here there the boat will be tied off.

I don't think any of the wrecks that we will be doing are that difficult. That said I have 450 dives under my belt. The big thing as with any new dive site is to listen to the dive master or boat captain and they will give you a good idea about what is down there.

 

[diverlady]

Well, the Lilly Parsons isn't too deep and neither is the Gaskin but there will be current. We'll probably do a combo of dive sites just to accomdate everyone.

Diverlady

 

[diver gadget]

I guess the other thing I could mention is the last time I did the Daryaw I got underneath it and was not fealing right and called the dive. I had just replaced the neck seal on my drysuit, I overheated on the surface, went down and the bit of strugle in the curent caused me to just not feel right. I called the dive 5 min in.

 

[Scuba Duffer]

So how strong is the current? Can you swim against it? I assume you go down the descent line, hang on to the wreck, and then come back up holding the line?

I did my AOW cert on the Spiegel Grove in Key Largo - if you let go of the line or the wreck at any point, you were not coming back! Your buddy would have to let go and surface with you - a few miles down stream from the boat!! I remember doing my safety stop and feeling like a flag blowing in the wind while we held on to the line.

One other question - will a 7mm do or will it be dry suits by that time of year?

 

[diverlady]

Scuba Duffer once bubbled...
So how strong is the current? Can you swim against it? I assume you go down the descent line, hang on to the wreck, and then come back up holding the line?

I did my AOW cert on the Spiegel Grove in Key Largo - if you let go of the line or the wreck at any point, you were not coming back! Your buddy would have to let go and surface with you - a few miles down stream from the boat!! I remember doing my safety stop and feeling like a flag blowing in the wind while we held on to the line.

One other question - will a 7mm do or will it be dry suits by that time of year?

Well, I'll do my best to answer in DivingGal's absence.

I've never been diving on the SG so I can't compare it but based on your description of the current there, you will not be in current that heavy here. I don't ever recall the "flapping in the wind" feeling on any dives here (well maybe a teeny bit on the Lilly but it's really a fun dive). If you stay on the protected side of the wreck you will probably not feel the current at all (depending on the wreck) and can swim normally. On the current-exposed side you'll probably want to hang on but you can probably swim back if you accidentally let go. I've never had any trouble on these wrecks.
We will be going up and down the line.

Wetsuit or drysuit?? Now that's the $64,000 question!! (note: I don't actually have $64,000 for anyone who answers this question) I'm hoping the water will still be warm enough for my wetsuit.

Diverlady

 

[taz22]

Scuba Duffer once bubbled...
Well I looked up some of the wrecks. The Daryaw in particluar seems fairly advanced. My wife and I are both AOW cert'd, but we still don't "feel" like advanced divers. We haven't done much diving since January (we tend to stay out of the cold water other than some fun dives in Lake Simcoe to try and keep the skills up) and to date we only 28 logged dives. We have dove under some pretty extreme conditions (The Spiegel Grove in FLA) and have done drift diving in Cozumel and West Palm Beach. I am a bit concerned that the some are rated "advanced". anyone else with limited experience dive those sites? How did you find them? Maybe I'll wait to see which wrecks are chosen before commiting!

I would rate the daryaw as the most advanced dive of them all. the Muskie can be a challenge too if the current is really strong.

As to water temp, my dive log on the Gaskin from last year on Oct 31, 2002 shows a water temp of 48F. Wore my 7mm wetsuit with a 3mm hooded vest