Nova Scotia Info Wanted

[raviepoo]

I've done a search on Nova Scotia and have come up with very little. Have any of you Canadians gone diving there? Can you tell me what is good, bad, or indifferent about diving in Nova Scotia? Can anyone recommend a good dive op, or must dive sites?:confused:

[vlada]

see these links:

3 route (http://www.3routes.com/na/can/ns/)

directory (http://www.scubaspots.com/Listings.asp?Location=NovaScotia)

lunenburg dive shop (http://www.jodive.ns.ca/)

did not dive there personally but a good friend does it all the time - the "must see" is of course the HMCS SAguenay

Saguenay (http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Recreation/EastCoastDive/Saguenay.html)

[raviepoo]

Thanks for the info on the Saguenay.

I was kind of hoping I could get something from people who have had personal experience in Nova Scotia. Is your friend on this board?

[DivingGal]

raviepoo once bubbled...
Thanks for the info on the Saguenay.

I was kind of hoping I could get something from people who have had personal experience in Nova Scotia. Is your friend on this board?

There are a few members that are either from the province, or are recent moves...

I'll PM a couple I know so they don't miss this post :D

[Doppler]

raviepoo once bubbled...
Thanks for the info on the Saguenay.

I was kind of hoping I could get something from people who have had personal experience in Nova Scotia. Is your friend on this board?

Well, raviepoo... I have limited experience diving from that part of the east coast, but can't really add much to Vlada's post...

There are several deeper wrecks that you can get to from Halifax... not sure if you want shallow or trimix stuff.

Lots of shore dives... lots of shore dives. There's a book that you can pick up in local dive shops which is a guide to local hot shpots for critter diving from shore... can't recall the name but something like 50 great shore dives in NS. Are you going alone or will you have a buddy with you?

FYI when I was there, I dove with jos... now south shore I think... but I have also heard that Torpedo Rays out of Dartmouth are reasonable...

Doppler

[raviepoo]

I'm trying to gather info for a non-profit organization that is considering running a trip to Nova Scotia. Jos is the op they are thinking about using. Any feedback on them would be helpful.

The focus of the trip would be identifying marine life in the area. We would be staying withing recreational limits.

[Doppler]

raviepoo once bubbled...
I'm trying to gather info for a non-profit organization that is considering running a trip to Nova Scotia. Jos is the op they are thinking about using. Any feedback on them would be helpful.

The focus of the trip would be identifying marine life in the area. We would be staying withing recreational limits.

Raviepoo: Jo's is a good outfit -- did they change hands? Anyway, they took good care of us and had a very well set-up shop. There are many decent shops in the region... especially given your criteria. They used to run charters everyday in season.

The marine life spotting is good... not as great as Escoumins in Quebec, but that's a bit longer drive from NYC and less to do on the surface. That's one of the biggest advantages of being in NS... plenty of fun top-side. You will also find it worth while to visit some of the bigger wrecks because they're home to so many fish

Hope you have fun...

[diverkim]

features diving in Nova Scotia. If you know a PADI divemaster or instructor ask to check out the latest issue.:)

[PEIDiver]

I've dived at a couple of sites in the Cape Breton area of Nova Scotia. The wreck of the "Arrow" outside of Arichat was an excellent dive, one of the most memorable I've had. The "Arrow" was an oil tanker that went down in the early 70's after it hit Cerberos rock and split in two. We dove the stern. The deck was in I think 40 fsw and the keel sat in about 80 fsw. The other site was the wreck of a barge at Grand Narrows in the Bras d'Or Lakes, this was fairly shallow dive, I had some equipment problems and didn't have a very pleasurable experience, but others in the group enjoyed the dive.

Some info about diving in Atlantic Canada can be found here (http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Recreation/EastCoastDive/)

Hope this helps,
Steve.

[Diver Joe]

Greetings...

I just moved here (Ottawa) from NS...

Doppler was very accurate...lots and lots of shore dives....lots and lots of local clubs too....Not too many Charter Operators...Only 1 or 2 run out of Halifax...weekends only...

1 or 2 charters that run out of Lunnenburg for the Saguenay which is a retired/decommisioned Navy destroyer escort....I served on her for her last year of service....So diving on her is always a pleasure for me. ....Its usually a very good dive with some easy penetration of the bridge and a swim thru of the Helo Hanger.... Sometimes Vis can be down to 5ft or less....Most times is good with about 25ft...She lies with a lean to Stbd at near 100ft....in the dirt....staying on her decks you will be at about 85ft mostly.... Charters run Jun to Sep.

BTW...there is a local club"Ottawa Beavers" out of Burton's Dive Service...that has a trip down to Nova Scotia planned for this summer...for a weekend of diving on the Saguenay...They (Beavers) have a web site that you should find easily...Think its www.obsc.ca or something similiar.

Shops in Halifax Area...I highly recommend Torpedo Rays in Dartmouth....There are other good shops but Torpedo Rays got most of my business....They also run a great training program and have scheduled weekend dives....chartered and shore dives..
Try www.torpeadorays.com

Cape Breton Island has a couple of shops and some good wrecks as well...you can get info on them from any local shop in Hfx/Dartmouth.

You will find that diving is farly popular...the gear in the shops is generally much cheaper down east... Shore diving is most popular....but there are some Technical Types to be found...Also some Techies come in from down south and out west...from time to time...Check out this site...www.mossmanscubaventures.com
its a good site with a page or two dedicated to their Tech Diving trip to Nova Scotia...I believe they had so much fun...that they are going back again this summer....

Well...hope that's all of some help to you...please feel free to ask any other questions that you may have...

Enjoy the Trip

Yours Deeply

Diver Joe

[wes]

I've been out east a couple of times diving. Did the Arrow (oil tanker in two pieces) in Cape Breton and a multitude of shore dives in the Halifax area (seen loads of Lobster, jellyfish, etc...)

A dive I really enjoyed was the Isleworth...its a shore/boat dive with the site being about a 1/2km hike down a rocky hillside...did it with my doubles...can't say I enjoyed the hike. You gotta watch the entry tho, lots of surf and currents around the area. The shore entry is into a 'pool' exiting to the ocean through a small gap in the rocks, which sinks beneath the surface to form a kelp gateway with loads of sealife. The wreck is just twisted steel which goes down to about 110'. I'd recommend doing it with a local first, or by boat. I've heard seals frequent this wreck to investigate divers however seen none on this day.

The Saguenay in Lunenburg had to be my favourite tho. A couple of seals followed us down (tho they mostly stuck to the guys using Inspirations). This wreck was only sunk several years ago so not much life on it yet. The max depth was about 100' but I believe she's still sinking (sliding down a small slope)...so may be deeper now. On the surface minkey whales were swimming around the boat checking us out, and on the way back in got a few shots of the Bluenose II. I've heard vis can drop to zero tho so you gotta time the alge blooms.

Hope some of this helps,