Water temperature

[JeffG]

Jeff, what are you calling depth? I didn't know the lakes would be that cold. I know I have seen people talk about a lake (I think it was twin lakes) and there is a thermal at 60' and the temperature plummets. What have you seen in other lakes, like the ones around Jasper (the names elude me right now)?

Twin Lakes - in the middle of summer will have the top portion of the water column in the low 60's...by the time you get to 20ft, the temp drops to mid 40's. Below 40 after about 50ft.

Lake Minniwanka (in Banff) - temp is ~45F through the entire water column.

Lake Annette is the warmest Jasper lake. It usually is in the low 50's (its shallow. Take a shovel to get past 50ft)

Lake Beauvert (Jasper again) is spring fed and is cold. mid 40's to 40 at 60ft.

 

[DCBC]

20 degrees? That doesn't sound right. 52 degrees F is warm for Vancouver which would make the East coast right at the freezing point. At least I hope that isn't right, because I'll be visiting the Halifax area this August and, well, brrr.

Current ocean temperature today is 33.1 degrees F. It will go down to about 30 in May. May/June is the coldest with November generally the warmest.

I ran a dive charter boat out of Vancouver; the water temperature was between 50 and 55 in the Gulf Islands. 20 degrees warmer is pretty accurate.

The definition of cold water really varies. When I moved to Vancouver, I hung-up my dry suit because I like getting wet and the water was relatively warm (from what I was use to). There is a world of difference between 30's and 50's. Long decompression dives are a different matter.

EDIT - The temperatures noted are surface temperatures.

 

[StuartT]

43 f to 50 f year round has been my experience pretty much anywhere on the west coast with only 1 dive at 39 f due to a fresh water stream at the entry (it was 46 at depth in Jan). (Tuwanek)

 

[cram]

Current ocean temperature today is 33.1 degrees F. It will go down to about 30 in May. May/June is the coldest with November generally the warmest.

Wow, I had no idea. Somehow I thought things didn't get that cold until a lot farther north. Guess I better bring out some warmer undergarments if I plan to dive there this August.

 

[MarkH]

I guess this has gotten off-topic, but I've been diving in Halifax a few times. In October it was over 15 degrees, but in January it was zero with ice on the surface. On the topic of freezing, I've never heard of anyone's reg (piston or diaphragm) freezing up in saltwater on the West coast, but maybe I don't meet enough people.

 

[MarkH]

Also, when I was diving in Halifax that winter, the sea water froze stiff on my drysuit when I left the water and it was difficult to spit in my mask and rinse it because the layer of seawater kept freezing in my mask. Despite all that, my old US Divers Conshelf 14 reg didn't have any problems with freezing up.

 

[nadwidny]

On the topic of freezing, I've never heard of anyone's reg (piston or diaphragm) freezing up in saltwater on the West coast, but maybe I don't meet enough people.

It's not that. It just doesn't happen.

The only reg I ever saw freeze up in salt water was a Sherwood Blizzard. It was on the Deliverance wreck off Halifax in mid summer. I think that water temps were mid 30's. Turns out the 1st stage had some water accumulation in it (wasn't supposed to happen with the Sherwood 1sts but it did, a lot, with these 1st stages) which was probably the prime factor in the freezing.

 

[nadwidny]

Also, when I was diving in Halifax that winter, the sea water froze stiff on my drysuit when I left the water and it was difficult to spit in my mask and rinse it because the layer of seawater kept freezing in my mask. Despite all that, my old US Divers Conshelf 14 reg didn't have any problems with freezing up.

I had a dive like that out there. Except I was in a wetsuit. When I got out it was all I could do to drop my gear on the ground and then sit in my car (in full wetsuit) with the heater going until I had feeling below the knees.

I bought my first drysuit a couple of days later.

 

[DaleC]

I dove Minnie in the summer with water temps of 50F (74') and 48F (84') and snorkelled in southern Alaska with only slightly colder water temps to those of Southern BC (we share the same ocean currents). In general I have experienced far colder water temps in lakes, even in the lower mainland, summer or winter compared to that in oceans.

Wayne, now I know why the Newfies drink so much Screech. They need it for antifreeze!