Scuba diving at the Prescott docks along the Saint Lawrence river is a popular spot as it is frequented by diving schools for the open water certification courses.
It can seem to be a bit chaotic for beginners as there is a lot of activity occurring out in the river during the summer but once you dip down under the surface, everything fades away into near silence. The shipping lanes and recreational boats are a good distance off and you can hear some buzzing but it’s nowhere near as loud as it can be up top. To get into the water from the docks, there are three different ways:
[checklist icon=”asterisk” iconcolor=”#ffffff” circle=”yes”]- A ladder that extends 5 feet underwater
- A boat ramp
- Jumping off the dock
Once in the water, the Prescott Docks has a scuba playground with a line that 
leads to some stairs, a few anchors and a sailboat. It takes about 20 minutes to do the circuit and you end up back at the seawall when you are done. This was my first open water experience and I have to say that it really stands out in my head as I remember that I had a bit of anxiety. I was bobbing in the water with my classmates, completely geared out and trying to listen to him give us instructions as the sounds of watercraft and water were coming at us. As I mentioned above, once we put on our masks and regulators, and dropped beneath the waves, the sound faded away to a slight buzz and it was extremely peaceful. We then began our certification process and I’m happy to say that everyone passed with ease. I haven’t been back to this location since my initial certification but I do plan on going back in the next few years to see how if it has changed.