For those of you who what to actually want to do this here are a couple of
Canadian travel tips:

1. If you have anything on "the record" right down to a speeding ticket
prepare to enter a nice, bare white room to get "debriefed" by the friendly
Canadian Customs officers. To ease this situation makes sure that you say
that the reason for your visit is "to spend lots of American Dollars" then
they will generally let you in anyway. When leaving the country prepare to
have a repeat of this friendly "welcome wagon" performance except it may
last 4 or 5 hours and your auto may get confiscated if they find anything
even the slightest funny about it, say a recent paint job, expired county
sticker, or anything else of that nature. To ease this situation make sure
you mention that "Boy did I spend a large amount of American Dollars in your
beautiful country."

2. Once in the country make it clear to everybody you deal with that you
have plenty of American dollars to spend and that you are specifically in
Canada to spend this money. This way you won't get cursed at, spat upon or
worse to by the locals.

3. Count your change when you get it back, scrutinise your bills for various
"unexpected" taxes or fees. But if you find an error and they actually give
you your money back, make sure your leave the place as soon as possible and
NEVER go back. As a matter of fact it's a good idea to always park around
the corner so they don't see what kind of car you are driving. If they do
you may find you will have problems getting back into the US of A, if you
know what I mean.

4. Don't bother asking directions from anyone, not even a policeman. But if
you have to ask follow the direction exactly the opposite as they were given
if you want any hope at all of finding what you are looking for. It
sometimes helps if you make it clear that you want to spend American Dollars
at the location you are looking for, but only if the person you are asking
is related to or is owed money by the place you are trying to find.

But most of all, have a great time and bring plenty of good American
Dollars. And enjoy the smile and friendly nod you get as you are handing
cash to a Canadian as it will be the only one you get.

   Jim

 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Learn About Trimix at http://www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/

> From: Steve Schultz <se2schul@st*.ma*.uw*.ca*>
> Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 22:38:39 -0400 (EDT)
> To: "Duane Liptak Jr." <d.liptak.jr@wo*.at*.ne*>
> Cc: techdiver@aquanaut.com, Jim Cobb <cobber@ci*.co*>, Thom Hadfield
> <thom.hadfield@ho*.co*>
> Subject: Re: On high current diving
> 
> 
> 
> This is what you crazy Americans need to do :-)
> 
> 1) Take out a map of North America
> 2) Locate a country called Canada (it's the little country just North of
> the USA ;-) )
> 3) Look for about 5 big blue blobs and a long thick blue line on the map.
> They are right on the Canada-US border.
> 
> You have now found the Great Lakes and St Lawrence Seaway.
> 
> You have big, deep, cold lakes with tons of wrecks.  These lakes get very
> bad storms on them, hence the wrecks.  It is tough diving, but different
> than ocean diving.  Not tougher.  Not easier.  Different.
> 
> The St Lawrence is a monster river with wrecks 250' deep.  I've heard that
> it goes down to ~500', but I really don't know.
> 
> I've also done the St Clair River when I had a GF that lived there.   I
> didn't dive it during the *good* season.  I did my dives in March-Apr.
> The vis was 4 ft, the dives were shallow, I couldn't see much of any of
> the wrecks, none of the locals were diving, and there was a ripping
> current.  It wasn't a 10 kn current (or whatever someone suggested).  I'd
> really like to do the dives again with a little more vis.
> 
> Steve (the occasional ocean diver)
> 
> 
> On Wed, 1 Aug 2001, Duane Liptak Jr. wrote:
> 
>> Thom & Cobber,
>> 
>> While I acknowledge the sea-trials of boat diving, I'm having trouble
>> feeling "manly appreciation" for ocean OR lake divers.  Try driving to the
>> middle of nowhere on dirt roads, throwing a canoe in a mud choked stream,
>> and then proceeding to fill it with 104's, stages, and deco bottles.   Hope
>> rednecks don't strip truck.  Paddle and/or drag (mostly drag(through
>> thigh-deep mud)) said canoe for 2 hours upstream to spring run.  Drag canoe
>> up log-jammed spring run.  Arrive at spring basin (using the term loosely).
>> Finally get to paddle (100 ft).  Watch very carefully for "floating logs
>> that move".  Don drysuits while being eaten alive by west nile carrying
>> mosquitos and downing malaria medication.   Don condom cath in record time
>> to avoid having a "skeeter on yer peter".   Don bottles and fins while
>> standing in knee deep muck.  (Fins slide on easier though)  Grope around in
>> 4' vis for cave entrance.  Find colder water and 10' vis.  Yahoo.  Tie into
>> main line laid circa 1975.  Swim for-frigging-ever.  Wonder why floor is
>> covered with thousands of square feet of orange marshmallow fluff looking
>> stuff. Swear to boost FHe for next dive to see if this is a hallucination.
>> Contemplate updating tetanus booster as soon as dive is over.   Find going
>> tunnel, dump reel.  Vis had increased to 40 ft on way in.  Vis is now zero
>> on the way out due to ceiling perc because we are the first idiots to bother
>> coming here since the dawn of time.  Survey by Braille.  Deco out in 4' vis
>> basin.  Get bumped by 4' long catfish, have heart attack thinking it is an
>> alligator.  Wait 1/2 hour for bubbles to dissipate.  Load canoe, weakened by
>> blood loss.  (Damn mosquitos were waiting for us)  Drag/paddle back.  Fight
>> off rednecks at truck who insist dive partner has "a real perrty mouth".
>> Begin preparations for dive 2 and hope Tally clears soon, as the banjo music
>> fades in the distance.
>> The above events are a true (mostly) account (exaggeration) of a typical
>> (as far as you know) dive in Xxxxxx county, XX (can't tell).  The names of
>> the rednecks have been changed to protect the inbred.
>> 
>> Keeping it light,
>> Duane  ;-)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ...
>> 
>> --
>> Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
>> Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
>> 
> 
> 


--
Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]