|
|
Lake Minnewanka |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Reviewer |
Site Condition |
||
| Name: | Bryan Heit | Entry: | 
2.00
|
| Email: | Click Here | Bottom: |
2.00
|
| City: | Calgary | Reef: |
2.00
|
| State: | Alberta | Animal: | 
1.00
|
| Country: | Canada | Plant: |
1.00
|
| Diving: | 8 years | Facilities: | 
4.00
|
| Dives: | 80 | Solitude: | 
3.00
|
| Roads: | 
5.00
|
||
|
Evaluation |
*Average: | 
2.04 |
|
| Probably the best dive site in Alberta. For newbies the multiple dive sites, and submerged buildings, makes this a lot more interesting then the other local sites. For more advanced divers, Lake Minnewanka offers some of the provinces only deep water dives. Not a whole lot of life to see here, aside from the odd skittish lake trout. But the submerged buildings make it interesting none-the-less. Best dived in early spring or early winter (i.e. before runoff, or immediately before the freeze). It's also a popular place for ice divers throughout winter. During these "peak" seasons (i.e. when normal people stay home) vis can be up to 15m/50'. After runoff vis can drop to just a foot or so. Risks are minimal - the dam and associated foundations are all inside of a protected area where boats are not allowed. However, the bridge, cliffs and town sites are located in places where power boats can go, so fly a flag (not that any one here knows what they mean). Lastly, this is a mountain lake. Wet suit divers will have limited bottom time before they start to freeze, and the cold has been known to drive the odd dry suit diver our of the water. Finally, the lake is at 5000' altitude, so you need to use an altitude table or altitude compatible computer. | |||
|
Enjoyment Level |
|||
| Snorkel: |
1.00
|
||
| Beginner: |
4.00
|
||
| Intermediate: |
4.00
|
||
| Advanced: |
4.00
|
||
| Night diving: |
3.00
|
||
|
Seasonal Information |
|||
| Season: | Spring | ||
| Year: | 1994 | ||
| Visibility: |
2.00 |
||
| Current: |
5.00
|
||
| Surf: |
5.00 |
||
