As many divers are aware, we host Lock 23 dives every Wednesday evening during the summer, and because we know the routes so well, we welcome divers of all levels of experience to join us. Each week I write a review of the dive, drawing attention to issues that come up. It provides a great …
Author: SJSchnurr
July 8 Dive at Lock 23
Larry and I dove the lock this week - as a fairweather river diver, I've been waiting patiently for at least 15C/60F before venturing in. This week the locks sat at about 18C/65F, comfortable in a 7mm wetsuit, hood for me (but Larry went without), and light gloves (we wear brightly coloured garden gloves). The …
June 12 Dive at Lock 23
This evening, 3 senior divers went in to assess Lock 23 for me... with the following news. Water temp 13C/56F. They wore 7mm wetsuits and were a bit chilled at the end (they're all pretty big guys). Total dive time 45 minutes - relatively speedy. Current strong, but not as bad as expected. Depth at …
June 2 Conditions at Lock 23
Spring is slowly moving forward. Water temperature today is 13C/56F, a slow start. Last year I was in the water (in my wet suit) on June 10: temp was 15C/59F. It might yet get there. The river is high. Higher than it's been for a while. Here is my photo gauge - from now on …
May 2019 Conditions at Lock 23
It's early May. Still chilly water averaging 8C/46F. Hardy dry-suiters have been in but I like to wait until the river hits 15C/60F (or close). Weeds are at their lowest point of the year - not much of a factor until at least mid-June, so chilly or not, it's an excellent time to see a …
More Weight is Better in Current: Ummmm… Nope.
Reprinted from 11 July 2018 - weekly dive debriefing. Those of you who have been diving with me over the years know that one of my least favourite statements is, "It's better to be heavy than worry about weight... and especially in current". Nope... wrong. It's worse. Heavy divers work too hard, can't maneuver properly, …
Continue reading More Weight is Better in Current: Ummmm… Nope.
Hydroelectric Plant Sluice Gates: 2018
Whoa! The extraordinary river flow of 2017 caused some pretty drastic long-term changes to the HydroElectric Plant route. Perhaps the most obvious is the change in the sluice gates. This is what they used to look like: But this is what they look like today! It appears I need to resketch my sketch! The boards …
Dive Conditions late June 2018
I can comfortably say that Lock 23 conditions have returned to their pre-2017 state - we're going to forget that last year even happened and get out there and enjoy! For those of you who ventured out last summer, you'll remember that extreme flooding downstream from Lake Ontario wreaked havoc on both shoreline properties and …
Tanker “Chem Norma” Aground on Lock 23
Quite the start to the 2018 dive season! Larry and I were awakened in the wee hours of a recent clear night by the sound of a long, loud foghorn, followed by the frantic grinding of an engine in reverse. We looked out into the night but could see nothing amiss. In the morning the …
Dive Conditions Update
Along with anyone living in southern Ontario and Quebec this spring, we've been watching carefully the weather reports and specifically rainfall statistics... and we've been driving up and down the shorelines to inspect areas we know. There has been flooding and damage to many, many riverside properties. Lake Ontario levels remain higher than at any …
