Ice Diving location Ideas

[Dive Source]

I know there isn't any ice yet ( I think) but I was wondering if anyone could offer some ideas or suggestions on good locations in Ontario within a reasonable driving distance of Toronto to ice dive and/or run a course.

The ideal location would offer more than mud to see and be fairly accessible so you didn't have to slog all the gear too far.

Kirkfield Quarry and the Morrison are good but alternatives would be welcome.

Thanks...

 

[Warren_L]

I know that S2K runs their dives up at Big Bay Point near Barrie. That wouldn't be too far from you.

 

[d33ps1x]

Used to be one of the top environmental hotspots in Canada until everyone got paid off to shut up about it. ut:

I imagine a century of shipbuilding would leave some interesting things on the bottom even after the dredging of the 90's

Ices over nicely too.

 

[Dive Source]

d33ps1x once bubbled...
Used to be one of the top environmental hotspots in Canada until everyone got paid off to shut up about it. ut:

Umm... does that mean we need hasmat gear?

I like the idea as we could combine Skiing with it

 

[Boogie711]

but easy access and close to Toronto - Gulliver's Quarry.

Only about 25 feet of depth, but easy shore access... it has a couple platforms, some hoops and stuff down there. It's about 20 minutes north of Hamilton, just off Hwy 6.

 

[wetvet]

Not sure if this is what you are interested in, since it isn't real accessable from T.O., but I am hopin to twist the arms of some of my weenie buddies this winter and go do the Sweepstakes in Little Tub Harbor in Toby. The bay is secluded, and will hopefully freeze well, and since the wreck is in <30 ft, and is such a hassle to get to during the summer (or fall or spring :banging: ), I thought it would be fun to chop a hole over it.

Wetvet

 

[Dive Source]

Actually the sweepstakes was somewhere we had thought of but didn't know the details about diving there in the winter.

Has anybody else done it in the winter?

 

[nalfein]

Hey guys... my wife was out on the Sweeps a few winters ago for an ice dive. Apparently it was a bit sketchy, it doesn't freeze all that well, and of course the bay stays somewhat unfrozen not that far away. She recommends giving G+S in Toby a shout before going up, they'll have the scoop on it. Hope this helps.

dive safe...

chris

 

[Marvintpa]

Brian, we did the Sweepstakes under the ice a couple of years back. We were confronted by a nearby land owner who (correctly) pointed out that our path of access was over private property. We attempted to convince the individual that since there was three feet of snow there was no possible way we were harming the land burried deep underneath.

Getting gear to the site was something of an ordeal over the five foot high wall of plowed snow beside the road and through the deep snow (it's farther from the road than anyone remembered since it's never accessed that way). Then there's the matter of FINDING the wreck. This is particularly critical when using harnesses and lines since if you cut it too far away (like we did) a 100' line won't reach the wreck. There are also several slight entanglement hazzards from the lines used for the marker buoys (which are not sunk entirely) and a couple of timbers which stick up several feet from the silt.

Most of the pics on this site are of the Sweeps under the ice.
http://www.geocities.com/marvintpaa/sweepstakes.html

 

[Tom R]

Last year GLUE club members (Cave Trained) did the Kinghorn under the ice, I think that there is alot of shallower and more accessable wrecks that one do with the same amount of effort. How about making a day trip to the Mayflower in Lake Kamaniskeg which is near Barry's Bay. 20 ft of water on a little dove wreck may make it a great adventure.

Tom