Diver Deported in Canada, Beware

[piikki]

There has def been some changes with border crossing in general this year. Every trip (I think I've been over 4 or 5 times) it has taken me longer to sit in line on the Canadian side vs US side. This is unheard of. We always try to plan so that we come back so that we avoid the busiest times on the US side because that is the PAINFUL crossing.

Last summer the Canadian side was still: "Hi, Where ya going - Have a nice day" and passport back in 45 seconds with a smile. Now everybody actually asks the guns/fruits questions and might even go as far as "what's the name of your hotel, are you diving for pleasure or what is your instructor's name?" Seen people pointed for inspections. Things have changed.

 

[gNats]

Happened with us in August. Interesting that they don't pick it up as you cross the land border, just when the boat roster is submitted in advance.

I can explain why this is....

When I lived in SE Michigan (Metro Detroit), it was very popular with the boating crowd to head by boat across the Detroit River or Lake St. Clair to popular Canadian destinations, such as Windsor or Belle River.

When you cross by boat, you normally pull into a dock. The first thing the dock attendant does is escort the owner or responsible party of the boat ONLY to the nearest customs phone, located on the dock. The others MUST stay on the boat and may not step off the boat for any reasons.

The owner picks up the phone receiver and is immediately connected to customs. He / She provides the MC (registration #) of the boat, boat's call name, his/her full name. The Customs person will type this information into their computer and literally, pull up every single time that boat has cleared Canadian customs.

ALONG WITH THIS LIST is the name of the typical people always on the boat. The customs agent will actually say, "Is Natalie with you today?" or "Are you traveling with the two dogs?" :shocked2:

If there are others onboard, the owner must provide their full names, date of birth, citizenship, why they are ON THE BOAT.

This database goes back for years! I know of one boat owner that drydocked his boat 1 year, did not visit Canada for 3 years and on the 5th year did a weekend trip to Belle River and they could pull his info up.

If you haven't driven across the border, you may not realize this, but at the custom's booths in your cars, your name is never typed into a database. I believe they do check license plates, but, I'm not sure. I really don't think so based on the conversations I have had going through customs in my vehicle.

Also, your boat is not as portable as a car. So, they have TIME to run details on the persons on board the vehicle and can usually track the boat down at the docks. For example, If you pull into a Windsor marina on Friday, they want to know where you and the boat will be your entire stay. If you are heading to Belle River from Windsor, you have to declare it. If you don't, well, we never tried to find out how funny Canada would think it was.

So, yep. It makes sense that they catch up to someone more quickly and commonly who is onboard a boat, rather than someone driving in with a car.

 

[parzdiver]

gNats - I agree with most of what you say, but now when driving into Canada, they run your passport so any flags should be raised there. However, a 1980-something DUI or other non felony is no displayed, it is just high level information. Things have changed in the last few years, so I imagine getting in by boat is no longer as simple as picking up a customs phone.

Agreed is that they have time when you go out and come back on a boat to research you and figure out they want to kick you out. Funny thing, if the boat were to just stay in Canadian waters and dive Canandian wrecks, the river authorities would never get a list and you'd be just fine. They got your name and passport information at the border when you drive in, but they don't waste the time or effort. As long as no outstanding warrants show up, I think you are clear.

 

[flots am]

No, this is standard procedure for diving in this area. The border is down the middle of the river and there are wrecks on both sides. Most of the charter operators are in Canada and some of the more popular wrecks are on the US side.

There may be dive ops on both sides, but I wouldn't exactly call it "standard procedure".

When I want to dive US wrecks, I dive from the US side. When I want to dive Canadian wrecks, I dive from the Canadian side. It drives me crazy when I see people setting up a dive that requires four border crossings when none are actually necessary.

flots.

 

[DCBC]

The captain was highly pi**ed about this whole situation and said he has been talking to his politicians.

What does he expect eh? Drunken Americans coming into our country! We have enough drunken Canadians to deal with; we don't need more drunks in this country. Send us some Mexicans eh; at least they work hard for less money!

Divers are a bad lot. We know the only reason why you guys want to come to Canada is to drink our beer eh! If the captain wants to call his politicians, tell him to have them to mandate that more alcohol be put in your beer eh! Make beer like Labatt Blue Dry at 6.1%!!! Canadians go to the US as well eh. Do you think anybody worrys about how we feel about drinking watered down beer??? Talk about something to complain about eh! LOL

 

[ScubaSteve]

There may be dive ops on both sides, but I wouldn't exactly call it "standard procedure".

When I want to dive US wrecks, I dive from the US side. When I want to dive Canadian wrecks, I dive from the Canadian side. It drives me crazy when I see people setting up a dive that requires four border crossings when none are actually necessary.

flots.

Well border crossings are guaranteed....it is whether you do them in a car or "on a boat".

 

[flots am]

Well border crossings are guaranteed....it is whether you do them in a car or "on a boat".

No, they're not.

If I want to dive on the US side, I get a boat in the US and go to wrecks on the US side and never cross the border.

If I want to do Canadian wrecks, I drive to Canada, get a boat there, and dive the Canadian wrecks.

It's not that complicated.

flots.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

A truck driver friend just went through this. If you get a DUI in Canada and try to cross the border before you get it pardoned in Canada, it will show up on the US computers and you have to get it pardoned by the US. He said it is almost impossible to get a US pardon. But if you get it pardoned by Canada before you cross the border it won't show up on the US side.

 

[David_57]

I cross over to the American side from Rockport to dive the Keystorm and America with a Canadian charter have done it many times, check in with the US customs at Boldt Castle never a problem other than it can take up to an hour.

know of one person that travels with us who has a DUI about 20 plus years old again never a problem, got to love the American border guards.

 

[ScubaSteve]

No, they're not.

If I want to dive on the US side, I get a boat in the US and go to wrecks on the US side and never cross the border.

If I want to do Canadian wrecks, I drive to Canada, get a boat there, and dive the Canadian wrecks.

It's not that complicated.

flots.

So how do you get from Canada to the US or vice versa to catch a boat? Border crossings are guaranteed....it's just if you cross by car or boat (as was clearly stated in my previous post). It's not that complicated.