Throughout the northeast, this is the best time of year to
be freshwater diving. The water’s still warm. The life is still active. And most of the boaters and jet skiers have moved on.
I wouldn’t want to spend too much time diving fresh – there’s
just not enough diversity. But as a change of pace, it’s wonderful. The water’s soft, the fish curious, the wrecks easy, and the post-dive clean-up's a snap.
It’ll only last a short time, though. Soon, the water
will chill, the turtles will bury themselves, and the fish will go torpid. Then
the turnover – the colder water near the surface will drop to the bottom, and for
a week or so afterward, viz will suck. And then it’s just a matter of time
before we’ll be using chainsaws to cut through the ice.
So, my advice: for the next month or so, take advantage.
