My dive work has gone in different directions for the past few weeks, but I’m still here!

What better time to get back into posting than to talk about that Beryl thing!

I had to cancel our regular Wednesday evening club dive. Alerted by news of potentially torrential rains as the end of Beryl neared southern Ontario, I was glued to the weather radar. Rain at Lock 23 started in earnest at about 11 am and… never… stopped. Constant drenching rain that was still going on when I went to bed… and when I woke up today. It was not particularly cold and there wasn’t much wind until suppertime. Then it was enough to push the waves upstream and churn up the water near shore. Thunder rumbled all around but never got too close. I certainly didn’t think it was a safe time for divers to be in the river.

Today has had heavy clouds all day with drizzly rain but almost no wind. Spots of sunlight showed up late this afternoon.

As for weekend dive conditions? My own experience is that it doesn’t really matter what gets thrown at us weatherwise; the condition of the dive site doesn’t change a lot after things have settled down. Over the past 3 or 4 weeks, water temperature has steadily climbed to 70F/21C, spring particulate matter on the drift has lessened, and visibility has slowly improved (not great but certainly better). Weather this weekend is to be hot and mainly sunny. I don’t think divers will find any Beryl changes at the site.

I’ve been on Lock 23 in the midst of heavy winds and waves, and yes, it makes a huge difference to churning water and current speed, especially at upper gate areas and the tops of the walls. But it quickly settles back to the norm when the storm moves on. I think this is what you’ll see this weekend.

Hope you can get down for a dive – bring a picnic!