Things to do / Travel Guide
Scuba diving in the western New York and south-central Ontario region is excellent. In fact, diving experts claim that the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario contain some of the best freshwater diving in the world. The scuba-diving season generally opens around Memorial Day, and closes on or around Labor Day. Diving companies can be found at Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Canandaigua, Depew, and Auburn. The companies offer equipment sales and rentals, and the knowledgeable diving staffs supply day dives at all skill-levels. Most single dives cost anywhere from $35.00-$50.00, rental equipment not included.
Scuba-diving trips are best in the clearest and cleanest of the eleven Finger Lakes: Skaneateles. This Native American word should be pronounced “Skinny-atlas.” In the lake, divers will spot a sunken mail boat, walls of shells and a rocky bottom, schools of 100-or-more perch or bass, and an interesting foray into the logging history of the area. At the western edge of Skaneateles, a supply of logs was once lost and they now lie, like a box of spilled matchsticks, about 60 to 70 feet deep.
Scuba diving excursions are available on nearly all of the 11 Finger Lakes. Seneca Lake, the deepest of the Finger Lakes, is the sight of a navy research center, and also of several sunken barges for your exploratory pleasure. For drift dives try Niagara River. It's extremely fast-flowing, and known for its rare, hidden artifacts. There's wreck-diving in Lake Erie, also. For a unique aquarium diving experience swimming with and among those fascinating sea lions, head to the Niagara Aquarium in Niagara Falls, NY. The dive costs about $100 per person and includes a year-long membership to the aquarium.
For scuba diving near Toronto, go to one of the city's various scuba diving shops or clubs. The Etobicoke Underwater Club is a non-profit organization that offers a wide variety of diving trips in and around the Toronto area. Beginners and experts are encouraged to attend many of these excursions. Excellent ship-wreck and technical dives of 160-170 feet are also available on Lake Ontario.
For an interesting dive in the Toronto Harbor, go see the Sligo, a three-masted barge rebuilt as a schooner in 1874 and sunk in 1918. Evening dives here usually cost about $25, and divers must obtain an authorized, signed waiver issued by the Toronto Port Authority. The Etobicoke Underwater Club is a good place to start for info.
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