Lock 21 Ingleside

The weather was to be lightning, rain, and cloudy. This likely would not have stopped us, but to the contrary it was a beautiful sunny day!  A cost of $5.25 is required to enter the Long Sault Parkway.  With the quantity of bridges on it I can’t blame them.  Quite a scenic drive looking at the water, wildlife, and bridges.  As long as you’re not late to meet your friends for a dive…  I can not brag about the water vis though.  Ten foot was about the max.  Anything more was a green blurry haze.  The site was busy with mostly Quebec divers, but we did meet a threesome from Ottawa.

Lock 21 is on Macdonell island and is part of the lost villages.  The site was flooded on July 1 1958 for the creation of the Cornwall hydroelectric dam.  Other nearby dive sites include The Mille Roches Powerplant, Eastcliffe Hall, Belly Dumper and Barges.  Many interesting stories can be read on the lost villages website..

http://www.lostvillages.ca/

Gearing up, the one important item i didn’t bring the first dive was my snorkel.  If your carrying lots of air then a snorkel may be optional, but if using an aluminum 80 the swim out to the buoy may use up a couple hundred PSI you’d rather have for the dive.  Follow the rope that can be found attached to the big rock just off the shore. Much easier than swimming out… which we did the first time!

 (Fannie sitting on “the” rock)

This dive i find very easy.  Once you know where all the ropes are, and you know where to follow the concrete walkways it can be pretty simple.  The current is always a factor that makes it difficult if you ever want to swim against it though.  At roughly 60′ to the bottom of the lock this is not a deep dive, but it gets listed as an advanced dive because of the current.  Once at the buoy, you follow the downward sloping rope.  This will lead you to the concrete walkway above the weir. The rope ends here.  The first dive we followed along the hand rail to the lock, but the second dive once we got to the end of the rope we continued down to the bottom of the weir.  I’m sure the weir looks very cool.  I didn’t really see it on account of the vis.

The current can be seen in the sediment.  The railing is at roughly 30′.  After swimming past the weir the walls of the lock are the next endeavor.  One of my favorite parts of the dive is to follow the wall straight down 15-20′ to near the bottom of the lock.

 

When you get in the lock it’s time to relax.  Let the current do the work!  I haven’t found much to see down there other than the wooden bottom.  The walls of the lock often create a shadow that makes it dark.  After drifting 5 min give or take with the current, the wooden bottom noticeably disappears.  Which means it’s time get behind the lock, ascend to the railing, and pull yourself against the current back to the beginning of the lock!!!

To do this you must be strong, and still have lots of air.  Fannie and I pulled ourselves about halfway before dropping back into the lock.  I have yet to check out the upper half of the other side of the lock.  Which has some building fountains.  For the shore side of the lock that’s the extent of the dive.  After drifting past the end of the lock you veer to the left and start looking for a rope.  We found it perhaps 20′ away from the lock after making that left turn.  Once you find the rope follow it to the RIGHT!  Away from the lock.  Fannie and I were scratching our heads on the first dive when we got to the end of the rope.  It’s a gradual incline when it starts.

After a 3min safety stop you emerge onshore almost where you started.  Unless you meet a Quebecer at the safely stop that is happy to take your picture!

For the record… My octo was partially free-flowing, so I was using it instead of my primary reg. It is not Fannie’s octo!

I love this shore dive.  Its fun and easy, but can be made challenging if one chooses.