TLDR: Good 3-day trip, Brockville Adventure Centre is a great dive op, good dive sites, although viz and conditions were less than ideal.
I went with 15 other members of the Big Apple Divers for a 3-day dive trip to dive wrecks in the Thousand Islands area of the St. Lawrence River. We stayed in Brockville, Ontario Canada. This was my first trip to the area. I had been told that the viz and diving were great. Unfortunately, our viz was only 10-20'. The weather was cold (days 1 & 3 were 55-60F with rain on day 1, day 2 was 45-50F). I dove in my 7mm wetsuit and was fine in the water, but was cold during the surface intervals. All of us who wore wetsuits wished we brought our drysuits, as those diving dry were much more comfortable.
DIVE SHOP: Brockville Adventure Centre in Brockville. Their dive charter business is called Abucs Scuba. They were very accommodating, including opening early and staying late for fills.
DIVE BOATS:
Knot a River Queen (days 1 & 3): 42' pontoon boat. Max is supposed to be 12 divers but we had 16 and made it work (but it was cramped). Has shade over diver area and head. Has O2, first aid kit, but no AED.
Emily C: (day 2): 40' Riverqueen pontoon boat (is a converted houseboat). Max is supposed to be 12 divers but we had 16 and made it work (but it was cramped). Has enclosed area for divers (which was great due to the cold weather) plus a head. Has O2, first aid kit, but no AED.
DIVING:
Day 1: Met at 9am at the St. Lawrence Park in Brockville. Did 4 dives on the Canadian side (Muscallonge Tug, Gaskin, Daryaw, Lillie Parsons). The crew grilled burgers for us between dives 2 and 3.
Day 2: Met at 9am in Rockport, Ontario for dives on the American side. We had to go through American customs, which was very easy. We did 4 dives (Vickery, Keystorm, America, and Kinghorn). Again the crew grilled burgers for us for lunch. Because the last dive (on the Kinghorn) didn't start until 6.47p and the viz was so poor, it was basically a night dive, which was fun.
Day 3: Met at 9am at the St. Lawrence Park in Brockville. Did 2 dives on the Canadian side (Lillie Parsons and Gaskin).
I went with 15 other members of the Big Apple Divers for a 3-day dive trip to dive wrecks in the Thousand Islands area of the St. Lawrence River. We stayed in Brockville, Ontario Canada. This was my first trip to the area. I had been told that the viz and diving were great. Unfortunately, our viz was only 10-20'. The weather was cold (days 1 & 3 were 55-60F with rain on day 1, day 2 was 45-50F). I dove in my 7mm wetsuit and was fine in the water, but was cold during the surface intervals. All of us who wore wetsuits wished we brought our drysuits, as those diving dry were much more comfortable.
DIVE SHOP: Brockville Adventure Centre in Brockville. Their dive charter business is called Abucs Scuba. They were very accommodating, including opening early and staying late for fills.
DIVE BOATS:
Knot a River Queen (days 1 & 3): 42' pontoon boat. Max is supposed to be 12 divers but we had 16 and made it work (but it was cramped). Has shade over diver area and head. Has O2, first aid kit, but no AED.
Emily C: (day 2): 40' Riverqueen pontoon boat (is a converted houseboat). Max is supposed to be 12 divers but we had 16 and made it work (but it was cramped). Has enclosed area for divers (which was great due to the cold weather) plus a head. Has O2, first aid kit, but no AED.
DIVING:
Day 1: Met at 9am at the St. Lawrence Park in Brockville. Did 4 dives on the Canadian side (Muscallonge Tug, Gaskin, Daryaw, Lillie Parsons). The crew grilled burgers for us between dives 2 and 3.
Day 2: Met at 9am in Rockport, Ontario for dives on the American side. We had to go through American customs, which was very easy. We did 4 dives (Vickery, Keystorm, America, and Kinghorn). Again the crew grilled burgers for us for lunch. Because the last dive (on the Kinghorn) didn't start until 6.47p and the viz was so poor, it was basically a night dive, which was fun.
Day 3: Met at 9am at the St. Lawrence Park in Brockville. Did 2 dives on the Canadian side (Lillie Parsons and Gaskin).
