May 22, 2023

Cover Photo: Kayla inspecting mooring buoy

With the environmental challenges that the team will encounter on the OLIVER MOWAT, practice is critical to success!
Just as mountain climbers will scale several small peaks before attempting a major climb, scuba divers must climatize to the frigid waters. Plus, practice essential dive skills and emergency procedures. With my team spread out across Ontario we have been individually preparing by completing multiple dives in our regions.
Personally, for my climatization dives I found a solution that lets me have my cake and eat it too.
With my passion for shipwrecks one of my roles is serving on the Board of the Toronto Chapter of Save Ontario Shipwrecks. Two weeks ago, I spent the day on Lake Ontario installing moorings on the three historic shipwrecks located in Humber Bay. This involves making a free descent to the bottom and then attaching a lift bag to the mooring ropes laying on the bottom. Then the lift bag is filled with air to send it rocketing to the surface, where the boat crew will attach a large floating buoy to it. These are then left in place for the season so that divers do not have to drop an anchor which can potentially damage the wreck and have a safe line to descend to and from the wreck.