Questions: conditions and good sites near Vancouver

I'm currently working in the states, on the east coast, and was certified about a week ago. I used to live in the Sechelt, Gibsons, Vancouver areas of BC and was an avid snorkeler. I've got the idea to do some dives when I go back to visit the family this summer, but I'm not too sure where to go. I remember some ships being sunk in the area in the 90s to create artificial reefs, and I do want to dive near Gibsons in some of my old snorkeling haunts. Those are about the only ideas I've got. Any suggestions of good dives sites?

Having never gone below 10' while snorkeling the area, I don't know what water tempatures are really like at depth. Any info on that, and what kind of wet/dry suits you are using would also be greatly appreciated.

Well - not long after posting this, I noticed the forum for Canuck divers and a thread that has helped answer some questions. Here's the link in case anyone else is interested: http://www.scubaboard.com/t33578-diving-vancouver,-bc.html

Sorry, I'm still finding my way around these forums. :icosm05:

Go dry..much better. Doesn't matter which type, a lot of shells up here, but neoprene still have a presence.

The Chaudiere (HMCS) is sunk up in your neck of the woods, more advanced due to currents, depth, and list of the boat. Skookumchuk narrows is a blast too, nice current. Both are boat dives, there are several good operators up there - I hear suncoast has a nice setup, never personally dived with them though.

Pender harbour also has a dive called "the Powerlines", Coopers Green is a nice site....find a Betty Pratt Johnson 101 or 99 dives at your local library and they'll all be listed.

Campbell river is also amazing, with good clarity. Vancouver has industrialization, so you'll find the visibility much better if you stick to the sunshine coast and island.

Hope this helps.
OPG

Van_Graham:

I'm currently working in the states, on the east coast, and was certified about a week ago. I used to live in the Sechelt, Gibsons, Vancouver areas of BC and was an avid snorkeler. I've got the idea to do some dives when I go back to visit the family this summer, but I'm not too sure where to go. I remember some ships being sunk in the area in the 90s to create artificial reefs, and I do want to dive near Gibsons in some of my old snorkeling haunts. Those are about the only ideas I've got. Any suggestions of good dives sites?

Having never gone below 10' while snorkeling the area, I don't know what water tempatures are really like at depth. Any info on that, and what kind of wet/dry suits you are using would also be greatly appreciated.

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If you're going to snorkle around Gibsons then the wreck you're thinking of is probably the Chaudiere. It's an old Navy ship that has been sunk on a slope from something like 50ft to 180ft. The wreck is laying on it's port side IIRC and the site is good for making multiple dives. It's laying in the Schelt Inlet and most of the dive operators there will take you to it. It's about 1/2 hour on a zodiac to get there. The best part about the Schelt inlet is that there are *no* bad spots to dive. You just jump off the zodiac and-old-where and it's a great dive. You could make hundreds of dives there and never get bored. This is one of my favorite places in the whole world to dive.

Water temps are around 8-10 degrees in the summer, a couple of degrees lower in the winder. Tidal flows are soft unless you get to the mouth of the inlet and a dry suit is really the only way to go.

R..

Go look up Cal and Ann at Porpoise Bay Outfitters in Sechelt. He is awesome. Knows the area like the back of his hand and runs a very safe operation. If you are diving on your own be very careful of Skookumchuck Narrows. It has a huge tidal surge and at times nearly 16 knot currents. Chaudiere is in a very protected cove. Depths are 70' to 140'. Not much life on the wreck nor is there the profusion of life that you will find in other areas around Vancouver Island. Diver0001 is right about jumping in anywhere in Sechelt Inlet and you will have a cool dive. Some excellent wall dives. From now on until spring the vis. should be excellent.

Go further north to Powell River for some great diving as well.

I would agree with Opinion Girl. Dive dry. It's the best way around here.

Tanks can be filled in Sechelt or Egmont. Not sure if you can HP fills in Egmont or for that matter Nitrox. In Sechelt it shouldn't be a problem.

Fantastic! Thank you all for the advise and recommendations. I'm not sure I'll get a chance to hit Vancouver Island for some diving this summer, but you'll certainly see me on the Sunshine Coast.

Cheers!

Van_Graham:

Fantastic! Thank you all for the advise and recommendations. I'm not sure I'll get a chance to hit Vancouver Island for some diving this summer, but you'll certainly see me on the Sunshine Coast.

Cheers!

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If you want artificial reefs near Vancouver, try Porteau Cove about halfway (just guessing) to Squamish. There are steel beams, concrete blocks, ugly strings of tires, a few small steel wrecks and a larger wooden minesweeper. There are lots of plumose anemones, lingcod, rockfish and octopus. Whytecliff park is probably the most popular (and crowded) of the sites around Vancouver. There are deep walls, seals, forests of plumose anemones, some sponges, etc, etc. There are lots of popular dives around this area. Because of the Fraser and Squamish rivers, visibility can look like milk from the surface, but usually clears up about 30 feet down. Last time I was there, visibility was about 40 feet in the middle of summer. I've seen viz of around 80 feet sometimes during winter. Give it a chance! As somebody else mentioned, try and find Betty Pratt-Johnston's 101 Dives. I think it's out of print and is a bit out-dated, but gives you directions and a place to start. There's another guide book about diving around Vancouver, but I can't remember the name right now.

V.G.:

Check out this website. It has some shore diving sites for the Sunshine Coast.

http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/index.htm

http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/Canada/Sunshine_Coast/index.htm

However, the only dives I've done on the Sunshine Coast is the Chaudiere and somewhere else in the Sechelt Inlet on the return trip. We just jumped in and it was a great dive.

Bill