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Dive Review of see below in
Canada/Vancouver Island

see below, Aug, 2004,

by Fiona Rattray, Ont, Canada . Report 1832.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 3 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 3 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 2 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments Last summer, my niece took a high-school earth sciences course through Ocean Educations out of Victoria, BC; she got her advanced open water certification as well as studying marine biology for three weeks. After her ourse was over, I met up with her and we dived Vancouver Island. I dived in a dry suit, and my niece dived in a 7 ml wetsuit.
First stop was Great Ocean Adventures, in Victoria, BC. The shore diving included Henderson Point and then Ogden Point Breakwater, a kilometer of granite seawall sticking out into the Pacific; lots of macro critters. The dive shop was helpful and easy to deal with when booking the dives before the trip.
Next, we headed up to Nanaimo, BC and dived with Ocean Explorers Diving; their boat went out to HMCS Saskatchewan, a destroyer sunk as an artificial reef. Big cabezons, tons of plumose anemonies, rockfish and lion's-mane jellies. The second dive was to Snake Island, with a seal basking area and lots of ledges with critters. We ened the dive snorkelling with the seals. These two dives were great, and the captain gave an entertaining and informative pre-dive briefing.
We went further north to Quadra Island, home of Abyssal Dive Charters. Big current diving; I've never seen so much life even in tropical waters. Orcas sighted on the ferry back.
Lastly, we dived with Relax Zen Dive Inn, near Duncan, BC. This was service at its best, a small operation serving delicious local food, with Zen-inspired accommodations and fantastic shore and boat diving. The highlight was a boat trip to Saanich Inlet to dive Senanus Island and the fragile cloud sponges at 100 feet. Unfortunatly, these good people are not in the dive travel business at present.
This was my first Vancouver Island trip, and certainly not my last.
Last word from my niece: get a dry suit and dive here every year!

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving [Unspecified]
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy, dry Seas calm, choppy, currents, noCurrents
Water Temp 50-0°F / 10--18°C Wetsuit Thickness 0
Water Visibility 0-0 Ft/ 0-0 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions [Unspecified]
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

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

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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