This cache is located in a depth of about 9 metres of water. You will need to SCUBA to find and log this cache, or have some mad snorkelling and freediving skills. The cache is a 5.7 litre Rubbermaid container permanently attached to a submerged cinder block.
The cache is water-filled and is designed to be opened under water. You cannot detach the cache and bring it to the surface! The log is a largish dive slate and can be signed with a regular pencil. We've included a pencil, but with it being wood it won't last very long, so bring your own pencil! Any regular pencil will do, as long as you don't mind it getting wet.
The cache is located at the given coordinates. We used a surface buoy to determine the coordinates so they should be reasonably accurate. Obviously you can't use your GPS under water, so you can either use the GPS at the surface to determine ground zero and then descend straight down, possibly using a surface buoy to help you with that. Or you can follow the instructions given below.
The Welland Scuba Park is located in a section of the Old Welland Canal that's not used for commercial ship traffic any more. The Old Welland Canal is now used for recreational activities, such as boating, fishing or swimming. This particular section has been designated by the city of Welland as a Scuba Park, and local dive clubs continue to develop it into an attraction for scuba divers. Attractions include several sunken cars, a fair sized boat, a platform for training purposes, a "submarine" (which really is a large revamped gas tank) and several smaller items, such as traffic signs, halloween masks, a Santa Claus, etc.
The bottom is silty, there's a bit of fish life and a small bit of vegetation (mostly along the sides). There's a minimal current that helps keep the water somewhat clear, relatively speaking. Large amounts of rainfall can bring in lots of murky water though, bringing the visibility down to virtually zero. In other times, it seems to be mostly divers who disturb the silt and affect visibility. In low season (starting around September or October) visibility can be 10 metres or more, while in high season (starting around May or June) it might be 3-5 metres on a good day, or less on bad days. Note that those are only rough estimates and reality can vary wildly either way. In spring, visibility can be affected by melting snow runoff as well as the seasonal algae blooms.
Water temperatures will be around 10°C in May and can be 15-18°C in October. During high summer temperatures can reach 20-25°C, but visibility tends to be a bit worse then.
Bright orange guidelines connect all the attractions. Certain points of interest might be buoyed, but that tends to change over time. When this cache was placed, the boat was marked with a white buoy, while other times we've seen the training platform buoyed and nothing else. In low season, nothing might be buoyed at all. In any case, any buoy is likely gonna get you close to one of the guidelines, otherwise just descend off the ramp and look around for a bit. The guideline is hard to miss and will be very close to you.
Instructions as per July 2016: From the entry point at the given parking coordinates, descend and head straight out. Recommended point of entry is either the dock if present, or just to the right of the ramp. Avoid the ramp itself as it tends to be slippery. Head straight out along the slope down until it levels out. Continue straight until you hit the guideline. Turn right and follow the guideline until you get to the boat. The guideline makes a left turn there, which you follow (now heading east). After a few more kicks, you will see the "submarine" to your right. Turn right off the guideline there and follow the length of the submarine. Continue out straight behind the submarine (heading south) and you will bump into the cache after a few more kicks (situated slightly to the left).
Access to the Scuba Park is free and there's plenty of free parking available at the given waypoint (which is also your entry point). The City of Welland has developed this park into a "destination park" in recent months and years, with a fully fledged boat rental program (open Victoria Day to Labour Day), new washrooms and change rooms, new dock, etc. All this means is that it can get quite busy in the park in the summer, both on land and on the water, with paddle boats, kayaks, occasionally even row boats and motor boats, people fishing from the dock or from the shore, etc. As such, the City of Welland is now asking all divers to bring and use a dive float/flag. It's also advisable to bring a cutting tool. The best chances to have a quiet park is during off-season, or very early in the mornings.
Dive safe and remember to bring a buddy.
Warning: As there was a fatal accident here in early 2021, this is an extra reminder to know your limits and not to exceed your training. Winter diving is of special concern as surface ice can turn open water into an overhead environment, which requires extra care, special equipment, and additional certification and experience to be able to dive safely. Do not attempt dives that are outside of your experiene or certification level.
Here's a video that shows how this cache was placed (SPOILER!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGrAQPiOd6E