Isn't this funny, here we are talking about Toby and today my ACUC (Awful Cold Underwater Canada) instructor card shows up in the mail ( I alway renew but haven't had a card in years...)
Tobermory Shore Dives
- Thread starter Mikey0929
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empressdiver
Contributor
The only access to the Sweepstakes is by charter boat - there is no marked public access to the water at the end of Big Tub Harbour. If there were, this would be a nice, easy shore dive. As it is, the charter operators are the big beneficiaries.
Its also unfortunate that there is no public access to the shoreline on the north side of Big Bay Point Drive. The underwater terrain there is very impressive with underwater cliffs and huge undercuts produced by the open water wave action. The vis is also very good there.
The entry and exit points at the Lighthouse are somewhat difficult. You don't want to slip on the rocks while your in full gear. I think for the park fees they charge Parks Canada should construct a flat concrete ledge and a step or two at the two main shore access points.
The entry and exit point to dive the anchor is also risky for slipping and falling. Again, Parks Canada should put in some concrete steps and a deck.
Parks Canada did a good job with the deck constructed at the Tugs. The big problem there is parking close enough to haul your gear to the deck. A diver should be very careful walking from the deck in the water to where its deep enough to float and put on fins. The rocks are very slippery there. The best wreck is the farthest one to the right as you enter the water. The other two are like lumber scrap yards.
Its also unfortunate that there is no public access to the shoreline on the north side of Big Bay Point Drive. The underwater terrain there is very impressive with underwater cliffs and huge undercuts produced by the open water wave action. The vis is also very good there.
The entry and exit points at the Lighthouse are somewhat difficult. You don't want to slip on the rocks while your in full gear. I think for the park fees they charge Parks Canada should construct a flat concrete ledge and a step or two at the two main shore access points.
The entry and exit point to dive the anchor is also risky for slipping and falling. Again, Parks Canada should put in some concrete steps and a deck.
Parks Canada did a good job with the deck constructed at the Tugs. The big problem there is parking close enough to haul your gear to the deck. A diver should be very careful walking from the deck in the water to where its deep enough to float and put on fins. The rocks are very slippery there. The best wreck is the farthest one to the right as you enter the water. The other two are like lumber scrap yards.
abitton
Contributor
Congrats!!
Stoo
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Not to take away from the more recent work done by PC, but a group of us did the original work on her in 1980. Tamdive lent us 2000# liftbags and power tools. At that time, the hull was separating and the deck was about to collapse. We placed some 4x4 supports under the deck and used the liftbags to raise the entire deck. We bored holes through the hull and inserted those 1" threaded rods and as we tightened the bolts on either end, the hull was pulled back together. Once it was in place, we lowered the deck back into it's original place. The hardest part was tightening the bolts since we did this by hand so we could avoid any damage caused by power wrenches.SubMariner:
The plan originated with Dan Beemer (who owned the Bruce Isles at the time) and Stan MacClellan, who was the Superintendant of the "new" marine park there. I was managing the dive lodge on Big Tub at the time. The OUC was involved, but ultimately supplied little more than the logsheets. The rods were donated by a company in Toronto, but I can't remember it's name... We completed all of the work in two long days as I recall. Peter Dean loaned us the WA Spears as a dive platform. I think there was only four of us diving, so we had lots of room!
I haven't been on the Sweeps in years, but I think Parks Canada basically blocked off the hatches to prevent penetration... kind of a chastity belt for the wreck. This was not done for safety reasons, but to protect the wreck from the corrosive effects of bubbles under the deck.
I have some pics taken at the time.... maybe I'll post them if I can find them.
A few us tried to convince the Park to do the same thing to the Arabia a few years ago, but their policy is to allow natural decay of heritage sites. I suspect they were concerned about the risk of doing this sort of work at depth. No doubt it would have complicated things...
Mikey0929:
Though they are in shallow water in big tub harbour, I believe the land all around it is private so you would have to obtain permission to do it as a shore dive - if you can, then yes for sure it can be done this way. However, if not, then you'd have to go by boat.
Mikey0929:
That's what I was afraid of. I know another shop that no longer uses G&S because they had done the same thing to them and they had booked the whole boat. I only have 3 divers for our trip the last week of August and I'm hoping we don't get bumped as well. It's not a very good way to run a business. The Joseph Simon isn't the only boat they have although it's the best boat they have. I'm wondering why they don't send the Mamie out--that's the boat my husband had always dove from. We used to teach an entry called the "Tobermory Twist" in our classes that was specifically to demonstrate the procedure for exiting that boat.
Ber :lilbunny:
I've taken a open water classes out on the Mamie before, and it's a nice boat. Doesn't have the lift like the Simon, but there's lots of space inside and it doesn't rock too much in rougher water.
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