where to dive

[sparky30]

merkin once bubbled...
1-piece 7mm wetsuit with 2mm socks and gloves but without hood - I guess I could rent some stuff for appendages (!). This is for spring diving here (the gloves are just for wrecks).

Imagine - I was in West Palm a few weeks back with 79F water temperatures - there were several people without any thermal protection, except for their beer bellys!

I think you will definitely need a hood. and some nice warm gloves. The good news is with the exchange rate here they are pretty cheap and you can rent them too. As an added trick you might want to bring a thermos of warm water.. poor that into your wetsuit before you go in to "pre warm" it Its supposed to work wonders. I've never tried it. I've gone diving in a 5/3 wetsuit in 49deg water.. It was a bit cool and it was only a 20 minute dive but definitely doable.

 

[Groundhog246]

sparky30 once bubbled...


As an added trick you might want to bring a thermos of warm water.. pour that into your wetsuit before you go in to "pre warm" it Its supposed to work wonders. I've never tried it.

I can definitely recommend this technique. Not so much filling the wetsuit, but filling your boots and gloves. You want lukewarm water though, not hot. Filling a mid size cooler works well (not so full that it spills), as you can place your hands and feet in the cooler after the dive, if they're cold.

 

[Bubble Boy]

if they're cold

What do you mean "if".... should it not read "when" LOLut:

 

[DivingGal]

sparky30 once bubbled...
I think you will definitely need a hood. and some nice warm gloves. The good news is with the exchange rate here they are pretty cheap and you can rent them too. As an added trick you might want to bring a thermos of warm water.. poor that into your wetsuit before you go in to "pre warm" it Its supposed to work wonders. I've never tried it. I've gone diving in a 5/3 wetsuit in 49deg water.. It was a bit cool and it was only a 20 minute dive but definitely doable.

The water at Tobermory will be cold at that time of the year. Kingston will be in the high 40s to low 50s.

I use the hot water technique to warm up hood and gloves. I bring a cooler full of hot water and put the hood and gloves in it while I suit up (yup I'm a quazi wimp -- I have a dry suit, but I do this if I am diving wet too). If I use water to "warm up" my wet suit -- it's luke warm. Hot can burn you -- I've seen it happen at dive sites.

As for Kingston charters - drop a line to our own Divedude (Big Jim's charters) he can tell you when he, and most of the other charters in Kingston start running.

Keep the gang posted -- you may get company! Just think a bunch of NDI Canucks, and an American diving..... fun time!

 

[sparky30]

I have a nice DUI drysuit but not dry gloves.. still diving with wet hands. I'll have to try the cooler technique. Sounds like it will keep me toasty... So do you just throw the hood and gloves in luke warm water? Any other tips? I am going for my first new years day dive this year (well.. next year actually).
Big Jim mentioned that the Vicky Marie will be back in the water in May. Very cool. I am really looking forward to another Kingston trip. My LDS already has at least one trip set up in Sept. Hopefully they'll do more.. I thought they were kidding when they told me diving is addictive.

 

[DivingGal]

sparky30 once bubbled...
I have a nice DUI drysuit but not dry gloves.. still diving with wet hands. I'll have to try the cooler technique. Sounds like it will keep me toasty... So do you just throw the hood and gloves in luke warm water? Any other tips? I am going for my first new years day dive this year (well.. next year actually).
Big Jim mentioned that the Vicky Marie will be back in the water in May. Very cool. I am really looking forward to another Kingston trip. My LDS already has at least one trip set up in Sept. Hopefully they'll do more.. I thought they were kidding when they told me diving is addictive.

hot water in the cooler for the hood and gloves. Unless it's really cold, I tend not to warm them up for the 1st dive, but if it's really cold, or if I'm going in for a 2nd dive, they go into the water, and I close the lid until I'm ready to dive.

BTW it's a great way to help prevent non-cold rate regs from doing their free-flowing at the surface. I had to dunk two sets from students the last time I was out with an OW class. After setting up their tanks on the second day, they turned them on, and poof free-flow. we turned off the tanks, put the regs in the cooler, then didn't turn them on again until we were in the water.

Hehehe -- WARNING, WARNING diving is addictive. I've already got my annual September charter booked with Jim.

 

[sparky30]

DivingGal once bubbled...

Hehehe -- WARNING, WARNING diving is addictive. I've already got my annual September charter booked with Jim.

He he he.. You are right.. I spent my savings account on dive gear this year.. And it didn't even hurt.. LOL
When are you going in Sept? My LDS is booked with Jim on the 13/14 I think.. He's awesome. I also want to go back to Brockville.. Lots of fun stuff there.. I need to dive the Keystorm again. Last time I was there we had to cut out dive short (only 7 minutes bottom time) 'cause the weather was too nasty and we used too much air just getting in the water and getting down
The night dive on the Gaskin was cool.. Saw the 'mutant eel from hell'.. The thing was huge.. Startled me a bit But I wasn't scared.. honest I wasn't.. LOL

 

[weight_for_me]

...he just had his eyes lazered and maybe he can't see so well...and you know what happens when advanced age creeps up on you. Lets just humour him OK?

Randy...

 

[DivingGal]

sparky30 once bubbled...


He he he.. You are right.. I spent my savings account on dive gear this year.. And it didn't even hurt.. LOL
When are you going in Sept? My LDS is booked with Jim on the 13/14 I think.. He's awesome. I also want to go back to Brockville.. Lots of fun stuff there.. I need to dive the Keystorm again. Last time I was there we had to cut out dive short (only 7 minutes bottom time) 'cause the weather was too nasty and we used too much air just getting in the water and getting down
The night dive on the Gaskin was cool.. Saw the 'mutant eel from hell'.. The thing was huge.. Startled me a bit But I wasn't scared.. honest I wasn't.. LOL

I have the weekend of Sep 20/21 booked with Big Jim's.... I reserve some space for my dive pals up here in the Ottawa neighbourhood.... but I open the remaining spots to my pals here on the board.

Who do you use in Brockville?

 

[Butch103]

I missed the dates in the first post..:bonk: :bonk: .....water should be a lot softer than it is right now .