We sometimes say the most dangerous part of diving is going to or returning from the dive site. We are more at risk of having a car accident than a diving accident. A popular female cave instructor was T-boned by a vehicle pulling out of Eagle's Nest, one of the deepest caves in Florida, for example.
While commutes have their dangers, just like diving, they can also be an enjoyable part of the diving experience as a whole. As an instructor, the commute to work always gave me a chance to visualize class and plan how I would teach that day. I preferred to drive by myself and focus on class and the scenery. Sometimes the drive to the dive site is better than the diving itself. When I was teaching in California, the drive to Malibu was definitely far prettier than the endless sand ripples and sand dollars we saw underwater.
One of my favorite commutes is driving from Alexandria Bay, New York, to Brockville, Ontario, in the 1000 Islands to go wreck diving. Two friends of mine ran charter services out of St. Lawrence Park. They offered 6 P.M. trips for $25 CDN with a one-hour run-time. A typical day for me would be to take students wreck diving on the U.S. side of the St. Lawrence River in the morning, then head to Canada for a 6 P.M. fun dive.
The drive would start in Alexandria Bay with views of Boldt Castle and take us over five spans of bridges that would provide the "poor man's aerial tour" of the 1000 Islands. Once across the border, instead of driving on King's Highway 401, I'd take the Thousand Islands Parkway along the river that provided spectacular views of the water.
If it was early enough, I would suggest stopping just past customs to climb the 400-foot 1000 Islands Tower for more amazing views.
One popular tourist site is Singer Castle on Dark Island where the America wreck is located. A drill barge exploded killing all on board in the 1930s and rests upside down in 80 feet of water. We would often dive the most iconic shipwreck in the river, the Keystorm, then head to the castle where divers could enjoy a one-hour guided tour before we cast off from the dock at the castle and motored just 300 yards to the wreck.
You can see the north side of the castle from the Thousand Islands Parkway when you reach Mallorytown Landing. Here, I would leave the parkway and head north on County Road 5 past woods and fields and over the 401 into the small hamlet of Mallorytown to County Road 2.
If Santa owned a dive shop it would be Dive Tech Training Centre. Dan Humble has just about everything including a mini-sub. We'd usually gas up the cylinders at Dan's, my students would impulse buy tech equipment, then it would be off to enjoy the woods and horse farms along County Road 2 until reaching the town of Brockvillle. A convenient store sold Nestle Coffee Crisp chocolate milk not available in the USA. We'd grab a couple each and maybe some Rollo flavor, then head through the bustling streets of Brockville past the Keystorm Pub (a favorite hang out for live music and brew) to Helen Cooper's Dive Brockville Adventure Center on Water Street to check-in for a dive, then we'd head back the way we came to St. Lawrence Park to get on the boat.
After making a wreck dive or a drift dive (often combined), we'd stop at Helen's to gas up the cylinders then walk 20 minutes through the Brockville Railway Tunnel to visit Tim Horton's for coffee. The 1/2 kilometer walk through the light and sound show of Canada's first railway tunnel is certainly an interesting end to a dive day. We'd walk back, coffee in hand, until we decided where to go to eat. Usually Chinese, Thai, or the Keystorm Pub.
The return trip was worth the view of the river in the moonlight.
On days off teaching, I'd drive to Canada to make a morning shore dive in Centeen Park, on the Rothesay, or the Conestoga. After diving, I'd head down to Ivy Lea to hike trails that take you to incredible vistas of the river. I'd often do that with my girlfriend at the time. Then, she'd bubble watch while I did a boat dive at 6 P.M. and we'd head to Gananoque to visit quaint shops reminiscent of an English town and have dinner.
Of course, the boat rides to and from the sites are worth the price of admission alone.
What is your favorite drive or other commute to a dive site?
While commutes have their dangers, just like diving, they can also be an enjoyable part of the diving experience as a whole. As an instructor, the commute to work always gave me a chance to visualize class and plan how I would teach that day. I preferred to drive by myself and focus on class and the scenery. Sometimes the drive to the dive site is better than the diving itself. When I was teaching in California, the drive to Malibu was definitely far prettier than the endless sand ripples and sand dollars we saw underwater.
One of my favorite commutes is driving from Alexandria Bay, New York, to Brockville, Ontario, in the 1000 Islands to go wreck diving. Two friends of mine ran charter services out of St. Lawrence Park. They offered 6 P.M. trips for $25 CDN with a one-hour run-time. A typical day for me would be to take students wreck diving on the U.S. side of the St. Lawrence River in the morning, then head to Canada for a 6 P.M. fun dive.
The drive would start in Alexandria Bay with views of Boldt Castle and take us over five spans of bridges that would provide the "poor man's aerial tour" of the 1000 Islands. Once across the border, instead of driving on King's Highway 401, I'd take the Thousand Islands Parkway along the river that provided spectacular views of the water.
If it was early enough, I would suggest stopping just past customs to climb the 400-foot 1000 Islands Tower for more amazing views.
One popular tourist site is Singer Castle on Dark Island where the America wreck is located. A drill barge exploded killing all on board in the 1930s and rests upside down in 80 feet of water. We would often dive the most iconic shipwreck in the river, the Keystorm, then head to the castle where divers could enjoy a one-hour guided tour before we cast off from the dock at the castle and motored just 300 yards to the wreck.
You can see the north side of the castle from the Thousand Islands Parkway when you reach Mallorytown Landing. Here, I would leave the parkway and head north on County Road 5 past woods and fields and over the 401 into the small hamlet of Mallorytown to County Road 2.
If Santa owned a dive shop it would be Dive Tech Training Centre. Dan Humble has just about everything including a mini-sub. We'd usually gas up the cylinders at Dan's, my students would impulse buy tech equipment, then it would be off to enjoy the woods and horse farms along County Road 2 until reaching the town of Brockvillle. A convenient store sold Nestle Coffee Crisp chocolate milk not available in the USA. We'd grab a couple each and maybe some Rollo flavor, then head through the bustling streets of Brockville past the Keystorm Pub (a favorite hang out for live music and brew) to Helen Cooper's Dive Brockville Adventure Center on Water Street to check-in for a dive, then we'd head back the way we came to St. Lawrence Park to get on the boat.
After making a wreck dive or a drift dive (often combined), we'd stop at Helen's to gas up the cylinders then walk 20 minutes through the Brockville Railway Tunnel to visit Tim Horton's for coffee. The 1/2 kilometer walk through the light and sound show of Canada's first railway tunnel is certainly an interesting end to a dive day. We'd walk back, coffee in hand, until we decided where to go to eat. Usually Chinese, Thai, or the Keystorm Pub.
The return trip was worth the view of the river in the moonlight.
On days off teaching, I'd drive to Canada to make a morning shore dive in Centeen Park, on the Rothesay, or the Conestoga. After diving, I'd head down to Ivy Lea to hike trails that take you to incredible vistas of the river. I'd often do that with my girlfriend at the time. Then, she'd bubble watch while I did a boat dive at 6 P.M. and we'd head to Gananoque to visit quaint shops reminiscent of an English town and have dinner.
Of course, the boat rides to and from the sites are worth the price of admission alone.
What is your favorite drive or other commute to a dive site?
