Thousand Island vs Tobermory

[mrscotch]

I would like to spend 5 days in late June or July diving either Thousand Islands or Tobermory and can't decide which one to go to. I'm coming from Long Island, NY, so Tobermory is about twice the distance, but I'm still willing to make the trip if it's worth it. Aside from the quality of diving, having other things to do in the afternoon/evening would be a plus. Also, which dive operator would you recommend? I need somebody rebreather friendly and capable of O2 fills. It seems like a lot of the operators in these areas have recently gone out of business.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Dogbowl]

@Stoo is the resident expert on Tobermory. I’m sure he’ll be along shortly.

 

[Stoo]

Hey MrScotch... So I dive both of these areas regularly. I am clearly biased towards Tobermory, but let me give you my best unbiased opinion...

Thousand Islands
* warm water.. wetsuit in July might do it
* some nice wrecks, from old schooners to modern lakers (tech depths - Jodrey)
* strong currents
* a couple of charter operators (I recommend Thousand Island Pleasure Diving - Wayne Green)
- summer water is murky and a bit stinky
- massive zebra mussel issues
- border crossings as some wrecks are one one side, some on the other

Tobermory
* gorgeous clear water
* nice wrecks - mainly older sailing vessels, plus purpose sunk Niagara
* beautiful topside scenery
* light zebra mussel coverage
* nice beaches and perfect water on the Huron side
- one dive operator as of today, but capacity remains the same (Divers Den - Kelly)
- cold water... dry suit for sure for deeper wrecks

Topside... well different.. Thousand islands is a busy area... boat traffic, but lots of options for eating etc. While the village of Tobermory itself gets busy, it's located at the end of the Bruce Peninsula which is a UNEXSO Heritage Site, so lots of hiking options etc.

Accommodation may be an issue in July in Tobermory, so I wouldn't leave it too late to book. (If you are a smaller group, my place is for rent potentially). Tobermory has a couple of nice pubs and some decent restaurants.

Both areas have their charm, but I find the diving way better in Tobermory. If you look at my website (see below) there are tons of pics from he area)

By all means, hit me up if you need any more information~

 

[Belmont]

I have not been to Tobermory but did a few hundred dives in the Thousand-Islands. Nice wrecks, beach entrance in Brockville and Rockport with reachable wrecks, Ivy Lea campground with very nice underwater scenery under the bridge. Alexandria Bay and dive charters to other wrecks on the US side, all in short driving distance. There is a Bed and Breakfast in Ivy Lea that has a fill station, check Tekdiv dot com.

 

[Littlerayray]

If you go to 1k islands I believe Dive Tech Training Centre - Home Page is rebreather friendly lots of b&b's to choose from in Brookville gananoque area
Here is a website on shipwrecks and other things you may be interested in
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sour...FjAAegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw3JQI-VUnLbkn5fhdJ9gl3s
The charter company my dive club uses for the 1k islands is Helen c they have boats in Brookville and Rockport
Here is her website Dive Brockville Adventure Center
Let me know what you think there's also some cool diving near Cornwall shiplocks and powerhouse well happy diving let us know where you choose

 

[electric_diver]

Stoo

You forgot that most Tobermory sites are lifeless deserts whereas 1000's island sites are swarming with fish in the summer. IMO there are only two nice wrecks in Toby: Arabia and Forest City. The others are smashed lumberyards. The Niagara II was so sanitized its boring.

mrscotch

If you choose the 1000 islands, you can also do some interesting lake dives in Kingston Ontario which will only be a 30 to 45 minute drive away. If you drive east for an hour, you can also do some old Locks (21, 22, 23) and a powerhouse that were flooded in the 1950s when the big Cornwall power dam was built. There are lots of scooter options if you have one.

Tobermory is worth going to once every 5 to 10 years. The 1000 islands is worth going to annually.

 

[Dogbowl]

Stoo

You forgot that most Tobermory sites are lifeless deserts whereas 1000's island sites are swarming with fish in the summer. IMO there are only two nice wrecks in Toby: Arabia and Forest City. The others are smashed lumberyards. The Niagara II was so sanitized its boring.

mrscotch

If you choose the 1000 islands, you can also do some interesting lake dives in Kingston Ontario which will only be a 30 to 45 minute drive away. If you drive east for an hour, you can also do some old Locks (21, 22, 23) and a powerhouse that were flooded in the 1950s when the big Cornwall power dam was built. There are lots of scooter options if you have one.

Tobermory is worth going to once every 5 to 10 years. The 1000 islands is worth going to annually.

That is definitely a different perspective comparing the 2 sites. Gives me some food for thought!

 

[Littlerayray]

I dive lock 21 10+ times a year it's a hoot I love doing what we call the torpedo run in Iroquois and finish the dive on the Conestoga ask me about the torpedo run it's as cool as it sounds

 

[mddolson]

I'm from the 1000 Islands. & have been to Toby many times. STOO & I did our NAUI ITC's in Tobermory ( I won't say when ) You can't go wrong with either. Summer in 100O Islands is definitely warmer. Echo Dive Tech in Mallorytown for O2 fills. re-Charter in 1000 Islands : I like ABUCS, Brockville/Rockport but they cater more to a sport crowd.

 

[cleung]

For those who are more into marine life (what limited amount there is), would it be fairly right to say that in general, the St Lawrence would have a bit more compared to Tobermory? I've dived both Brockville and Tobermory - thought I saw more fish in Brockville.