Need Help With A Project On Camping And Diving?

[lerpy]

I incorporate camping where I can with diving. Bought a little pop up trailer that I will take with my to Florida and places around home to dive. Biggest thing is having somewhere to hang gear to dry that is covered in case you are dealing with rain.

I think part of this should be people giving suggestions of good camping spots that are close to diving. For me, ( and the OP as you are in Montreal) I can think of a few. For shore dives, the Cornwall area, Lock 21, lost villages is great, you can camp right at the entrance for Lock 21 in the St Lawrence parks. There are several campgrounds in the Thousand Islands, and of course there is the National Park that is part of Tobermory.

In Florida I have stayed a couple of times at O'leano State park in High Springs. Really nice park, 18US$ a night with hook ups.

 

[ZzzKing]

if you have paracord, ratchet straps, zip ties, and duct tape, you can fix almost any problem that comes up.

This applies to pretty much anything that comes up in life...

 

[gcarter]

I incorporate camping where I can with diving. Bought a little pop up trailer that I will take with my to Florida and places around home to dive. Biggest thing is having somewhere to hang gear to dry that is covered in case you are dealing with rain.

I think part of this should be people giving suggestions of good camping spots that are close to diving. For me, ( and the OP as you are in Montreal) I can think of a few. For shore dives, the Cornwall area, Lock 21, lost villages is great, you can camp right at the entrance for Lock 21 in the St Lawrence parks. There are several campgrounds in the Thousand Islands, and of course there is the National Park that is part of Tobermory.

In Florida I have stayed a couple of times at O'leano State park in High Springs. Really nice park, 18US$ a night with hook ups.

I have camped and dived at Tobermory and Ivy Lea. In 2013 we spent 2 weeks camping and diving at Cape Ann / Gloucester Mass. We used out rubbermaid tubs as rinse tanks and used a mix of strung rope and a portable clothes rack to hang and dry. We didn't worry about bringing in wet suits and the like at night and had no issues.

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

Looks awesome! I've seen a few guys use th 25 for smaller cars, I've got the 50 but I drive a Kia Soul (tons of back room) and a 91 f150 so I could fit it. I actually used a drill bit to pre drill two holes (one on each side of where I wanted theslot) then I used a jigsaw to connect between the two, then I used a file to smooth it out. this could probably be done much simpler but I custom build vintage motorcycles so like I always say, "If you have the tools use them". I'm so glad I could help, if you have anymore questions feel free to ask and if you find yourself in Tennessee lets go dive.

 

[Fogest]

Looks awesome! I've seen a few guys use th 25 for smaller cars, I've got the 50 but I drive a Kia Soul (tons of back room) and a 91 f150 so I could fit it. I actually used a drill bit to pre drill two holes (one on each side of where I wanted theslot) then I used a jigsaw to connect between the two, then I used a file to smooth it out. this could probably be done much simpler but I custom build vintage motorcycles so like I always say, "If you have the tools use them". I'm so glad I could help, if you have anymore questions feel free to ask and if you find yourself in Tennessee lets go dive.

I have a Kia Rio. If I would have got the hatchback version I would have had more room, but when I got the car in 2014 I had not even got the idea to get into scuba diving yet. Otherwise I would have got a more suitable car. I have all of those tools you mentioned avaliable to me to use, so that is not a problem . I'll work on making these holes. It looks very useful.

For a shore dive, do you just get everything on and then leave the extra tank and bin in the car? Or do you leave it out? I think I'd be afraid of someone taking the tank or whole thing while I'm diving, but maybe that is a worry for nothing.

 

[DebbyDiver]

What a great topic! We did a two week trip late November many years ago, camping and diving a dozen of the Florida springs and my advice is to make sure you have a way to get warm and stay warm, whether a catalytic heater, or an electric heater with an extension cord (and a campsite with electricity). The springs are cold, the air was cold, and I just never warmed up that whole two weeks except for the one night that we finally said let's get a hotel room! The other advice in this thread is spot on.

 

[DebbyDiver]

I almost forgot, bring a warm comfy cap to wear while you're sleeping. No matter how warm your bed and blankets may be, your head is still out there in the cold air.

So far as summer camping, I've seen people purchase small window unit air conditioners and use them in a tent. Seems brilliant because you need a good night's sleep to dive proficiently.

 

[Scuba Christine]

The packing list is great. We camp a lot at dive sites, the most important thing for me is to make sure I will be warm enough to sleep -- even in the summer it gets cool here. So an air mattress (and inflator), warm hat, warm socks and warm PJs, and a decent sleeping bag are mandatory. If I can bring the dog, I don't need as much since he keeps the tent warm.

Best fancy camping gear I ever bought was a small Jetboil camp stove with the French press attachment. It's worth the $ to be able to make your coffee fast in the A.M. and between dives without needing to fire up the stove to boil water. I liked the small version so much that I've bought a bigger pot for cooking too. Compact & Portable Cooking Systems | Jetboil

 

[WarrenZ]

How's this for an idea. Camper in the front dive gear in the back.

IMG_20140809_180823.jpg

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

I have a Kia Rio. If I would have got the hatchback version I would have had more room, but when I got the car in 2014 I had not even got the idea to get into scuba diving yet. Otherwise I would have got a more suitable car. I have all of those tools you mentioned avaliable to me to use, so that is not a problem . I'll work on making these holes. It looks very useful.

For a shore dive, do you just get everything on and then leave the extra tank and bin in the car? Or do you leave it out? I think I'd be afraid of someone taking the tank or whole thing while I'm diving, but maybe that is a worry for nothing.

I bought my Soul in January of 2014 and registered for OW in February so I got lucky lol. My wife doesn't dive so if its a shore dive she usually stays right beside my gear so thats nice. If She didnt go with me I'd gear up at the car and leave everything in the car. At least leave the tank. I live in Tennessee so I don't shore dive much 95% of my diving is in local quarries and rivers so I unload everything and never have problems.

When it comes to camping though it is the best you can keep everything together and locked up.

Side note, my 50 gallon (not sure about the 25 but it should work) has a super durable lid, I actually stand on top of mine when donning my wetsuit or taking it off to avoid getting sand or debris all over it.