Dive Review of Porpoise Bay Charters/Strong Water Retreat in
Canada/British Columbia

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Porpoise Bay Charters/Strong Water Retreat, Aug, 2013, by Paul Selden, MI, US ( Contributor 16 reports with 2 Helpful votes). Report 7183.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	The chief attraction for us (me a diver and my wife a non-diver) to Egmont BC was a combination of unique diving opportunities for me, the chance to hike in a safe environment for my non-diving wife, and the novelty of staying in a yurt overlooking the beautiful, fiord-like scenery on the “Sunshine” Coast of British Columbia. This part of Canada has the advantage of being cool, but not cold, when the Midwest is sweltering and steamy. Plus, we were able to leave from Michigan in the morning and arrived in time for a late dinner (via Vancouver, two brief ferry rides, and a fair amount of scenic driving). Noteworthy diving experiences while timing the slack tides, were many. I dove to 142 feet while exploring the cloud sponges of Agamemnon, visited the wreck of the destroyer HMCS Chaudiere, and felt the tugs of the sometimes deadly, whirlpool-filled Skookumchuck (Sechelt) Rapids while exploring the shallower, sheltered bay at Skookum Reef. Although this is drysuit territory, surprisingly, the water temps were not much different from our local lakes. To satisfy my hobby of underwater photography, I found a fair representation of sea life often found in the Pacific Northwest (e.g., nudibranch, anemone, crab, rockfish, kelp). More unusual sightings included diving on near vertical walls of pink granite at Jaggy Crack, where each new face seemed to be covered with tens of thousands of different species of urchin, and the pale yellow and white cloud sponges that only inhabited depths below 90 feet or so. Both settings created a feeling of unworldliness that I rarely get these days while diving. Accommodations on Kal Helyar’s enclosed 36 foot Raider Super Punt were neatly arranged, with room for up to 14 divers. Between the fun and friendly “Depth Chargers” dive club members from Puget Sound and the local divers who occasionally dove, I always had an experienced dive buddy. Kal let us dive our own profiles and managed to hide his impatience pretty well when I was nudging the limits of his suggested bottom times from his well-filled 80’s. His gear drying room was cleverly arranged to capture the heat from his compressor, so undergarments were always dry at the beginning of the day. Kal and his wife Ann Beardsell usually open their Strong Water Retreat on the weekends, but he figured things out so that we could arrive on a Thursday and stay until the following Wednesday, in a package that included all dives and meals (BYOB). Our round, tent-like yurt was very roomy and clean. It sported two queen beds, a sofa, dresser, with table, chairs and plenty of outlets with electricity 24x7 for my camera gear. An easy to open skylight added to the feeling of being outdoors. The smaller yurts housing the separate washroom and shower areas were nearby, and did not pose a problem either with privacy or availability. Prices were extremely reasonable.
Websites	Porpoise Bay Charters
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Bonaire, Florida, Vancouver Island, California, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Galapagos, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Utila, Roatan, Andros, Belize, Playa del Carmen, Ceynotes-Akumal, Dominica, Holbox
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	currents
Water Temp	51-59°F / 11-15°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	10-50 Ft/ 3-15 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Owner strongly suggested reasonable time limits based on need to hit periods of slack tide during multiple dives per day. Kal is an accomplished technical diver with extensive local knowledge; he offered excellent advice and briefings.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish	N/A
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Ample space to set up cameras and charge batteries.

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Dive Review of Porpoise Bay Charters/Strong Water Retreat in Canada/British Columbia

Porpoise Bay Charters/Strong Water Retreat, Aug, 2013,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Porpoise Bay Charters/Strong Water Retreat in
Canada/British Columbia