Thanks for all the replies to my original post. (even the slightly off topic ones!)

Interesting to hear from all you PADI divers, as I am a PADI OWSI, (started as a BSAC diver, got to Dive Leader then trained at good old Gildenburgh Water as Rescue Diver, Medic First Aid, Divemaster and finally OWSI).

Never had the opportunity to dive in 'warm water' conditions, but have dived in Sunny Cornwall in August when you could see the seabed from the boat at 25metres and in Lyme Bay in Dec when you couldn't see your buddy (let alone your hand in front of your face!) when you were both on the shot line at 10metres!

One long held ambition is to dive under the ice somewhere amazing, would be grateful for any posts about ice diving in Canada!?

Lake Minniwanka sounds fairly interesting, if a little like diving at 'Stoney', (anyone who has learned to dive in the UK will know what I am talking about here!) what depth is the site and how do you access it? i.e. by boat or shore dive from the lake-side? Please post if you know!

Please continue to post if you would like to share any other diving related stories.

regards to all,
corn2can

I'm glad I could be of assistance.

On topic now... scuba diving has always fascinated and scared the crap out of me. Maybe one day... anyway yesterday while out on a walk, I was reminded of a dive place local to me (Victoria, BC):

http://www.divevictoria.com/

I know further up Vancouver Island, in the Georgia Strait, there are a lot of artificial reefs created by the sinking of ships and 747s. I watched one of the sinkings and though I wondered about the immediate impact of the explosion on the marine creatures apparently that reef and the others are now thriving with creatures... which reminds me... creatures.... octopi longer than 20ft long are found off the coast here.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...09622962894202

'ere y'are!

http://www.adventuresinscuba.com/index.html

There's apparently loads of diving in Southern Alberta. Who knew?

In terms of Ice Diving, one thing that the diving peeps do over here is to play Hockey underwater in Winter, using the lake ice as the rink

Never fancied that myself, I'm not one for much penetration

It would have to be pretty damn amazing for me to consider getting my kit off in -29!!!!

As my OH says, I did indeed ice dive once here in Toronto. Not so sure on the location now, but it was basically a small lake, only about 25ft or so deep and silty!!!. I was the last pair to go down with one of the instructors (by chance) and the viz was nil, 0, nada, non existant, thanks to all the other pairings before me. Still not fazed by the lack of viz we went to look for our targets for the dive, general trash...cars, smoke stacks etc etc. Due to the shallow depth my buoyancy was hard to maintain, plus the fact I lost my buddy and then ascended whilst trying to dump air
So I found myself belly up pressed against the ice, thinking how am I ever gonna find my buddy now, so I did the sensible thing and pulled myself back along my life line, to the hole we had cut in the ice.....end of!!

Although, it was an experiance, being under the ice, it hasnt fazed me, but I would be first in line next time, after all its blooming freezing on the surface and quite nice in the water

I am a certified Dive Mater with NAUI and did my Ice Diving course and all my other courses thru http://www.aquariusscuba.com.
Although not having dived for about 5 years now, coincidently since we left Canada and went back to Blighty and have now returned back to Canada, I do intend to resume my diving next year. I had knee surgery this year which stopped my return. Its great fun and I love it.

Oh and just for the record Raine, that T-Shirt was bought at Divers Den in Tobamory

and not Devils Den as in Florida.....
http://underwaterflorida.homestead.com/devilsden.html

Not that youre ever wrong or anything

I'm in trouble now....

Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever.

Was that a let off