FQAS visitor permit

[Jim Lapenta]

Thanks for all the helpful posts.

I contacted Parks Canada who operate the CDMM (Centre de Découverte du Milieu Marin) at Les Escoumins and received the following response:

Good day,

Thank you for your interest in Parks Canada.

You can purchase the temporary diving permit of 30 days at the CDMM at the base for diving. You need to prove that you have done a minimum of two dives in cold water with a cowl and mitts (proved in your diving book). If you don't have this requirement, you can dive with a mandataire at this
same location and then you will be able to get the temporary permit. The cost of this permit is 5$.

Don't hesitate to re-enter in contact with us for any other information.

Have a nice day,

Charming and helpful. I think we will enjoy diving here. We are all cold water, drysuit divers so we should be in our own element. I love Scuba Board for great info.

So you need to show pics of you dressed as Batman and diving? Boy that is a weird requirement!

 

[bacchus80]

bacchus80, what was the water temperature?

warmest we saw was 35, typically low 30's, a couple of dives registered under 30 at depth :cool2:

My wife and I generally get cold easily, but we were still doing 45 minute dives (drysuit, warm undies, dry gloves).

 

[Didje]

warmest we saw was 35, typically low 30's, a couple of dives registered under 30 at depth :cool2:

My wife and I generally get cold easily, but we were still doing 45 minute dives (drysuit, warm undies, dry gloves).

I guess I can forget about diving it in a 7+7mm wetsuit

 

[code50]

7+7 is definitely doable, I've dove Sept-Iles and Godbout which are further to the north in a 7+7, did get a little cold on the second dive. Also did Forillon with the wetsuit, it's definitely doable, but with a drysuit it will be more comfortable. If you're in the Escoumin region, you should take a day and go to Godbout. A guy there organizes dive trips to see the Groenland shark. Don't know if it's started this year though.

Edit: by the way, Didje, love your pic!

 

[Atom]

I guess I can forget about diving it in a 7+7mm wetsuit

It's doable, especially in the summer where you can warm-up between dives.

We went in November, air temperature was between -1 and -6 if I recall properly, water temperature was around 2. I was really happy we had our drysuits for the surface intervals, we'd really had been freezing our butts in wetsuits, I don't think we could have managed 4 dives per day. The really nice thing was that we had the site completely to ourselves.... argh talking about it just makes me want to go back...

Love the Habs flag! ; )

 

[bacchus80]

I know people that have done it in wetsuits, and we saw a couple of divers there dive wet, so it's doable. Depends on how cold you normally get...

 

[Didje]

Love the Habs flag! ; )

Edit: by the way, Didje, love your pic!

Thanks guys! We sure had a blast shooting that pic! We even had a small plastic Stanley Cup with us. We shot them when they were playing Philly.

I know people that have done it in wetsuits, and we saw a couple of divers there dive wet, so it's doable. Depends on how cold you normally get...

I have quite a strong tolerance to cold water, but my wife... not so much. I dove the Conestoga in my 7+7 wetsuit in March. Water was 32 F...

 

[phaust]

Back from "les escoumins" this weekend.

overall vis was 20feet
water temp : surface 51F, 75 feet was 36F

done night diving " wow wow and RE-wow" it's a must

all my dives have been done to " le paradis marin" campground. 8$ each person for the day, easy access to water, can wash you equipment on the site.

cannot fill air there.

a quebec diving shop have a place to stay if you want, they fill air and are very nice people, if you want information and number just give me a PM.

FQAS is a real joke. never been asked for the card and diving for 3 years at this place and other place in quebec city.