Winter Diving Activities

Local dive season is over but you still have the itch to go diving?

Here are a few ideas to keep up with your diving until diving season is with us again.

Take a refresher - A confined water refresher is a great way to get back into diving after a long break (1-5 years since your last dive). Usually about 2 hours long, it takes place at the MacEwan pool. The refresher will not only review your basic open water skills but also help you improve them. Skills focus on dive safety, hand signals, equipment set up, mask cleaning, regulator recovery, out of air emergencies, finning, buoyancy and more.

Pool fun - We may not have open water this time of year but it doesn't mean we can't get our gear wet. Pool time is available regularly at MacEwan pool with The Dive Outfitters. This is a great opportunity to test new gear like a maks, fins, BCD, or regulators. Or maybe to learn the settings on your underwater camera or refine your dive skills.

Join the dive club - The Alberta Underwater Council hosts local dive events from May-October. In the winter months, they organize pool practice on various Saturday evenings at the Kinsmen Dive Tank. Check their website for the most up-to-date information including current dates/times and possible pool location changes.

Video Night - Held at The Dive Outfitters store from December to March. We watch videos or slideshow photos of various dive destinations and past group trips. Most of the presentations are done by local underwater videographers and photographers. This helps new and old divers learn about different styles of diving and destinations. Also great way to network and meet other local divers and potential future dive buddies! Cost is FREE, we encourage everyone to bring a donation for the Food Bank.

Take a Specialty Dive Course - Not all dive courses involve open water diving. Several can be completed over the winter so you will be ready when you next go on a dive Trip. Nitrox, Equipment Specialist, Advanced Buoyancy control and Ice Diving are all course that are available this winter. In addition some courses can be started in the pool and class and open water portion can be completed in the spring/summer such as Drysuit Diver Diver.