This trip report is a little old, but I thought the cold water diving contingent on the board would like it.
Sharkbait
Dive report from Seymour Inlet Lodge, Port Hardy British Columbia, July 21 to July 24.
In the four days we were there I made ten dives and my wife made nine. The water temperature was 48 degrees with visibility running around 50 to 60 feet. Our average dive depth was around 80 feet with one at 97 feet. Every dive is different, on some of the dives the interesting area will be at 95 feet and deeper and on some going below 45 feet was a waste of air.
The dive sites ranges from the outer Slingsby Channel into Nakwakto Rapids. We dove various sites from walls to current swept channels and rock pinnacles. Its amazing how fast you start to understand currents when you are looking for a back eddy in a five knot current. On several of the dives it felt like we were diving in a washing machine. The currents ran every direction imaginable, and this was at slack current. I cant imagine what they would be like at full exchange.
This is our third trip up there and I am still amazed at the amount of life on the dives. The critters ranged from carpets of Tunicates to Puget Sound King Crabs that measured (yes, I measured them) nine inches across the carapace.
Diving in Nakwakto Rapids itself is always a real thrill. Turret Rock boasts the only place in the world for subtidal Gooseneck Barnacles, technically called Leaf Barnacles. There are fields of them at Turret Rock, not just a few clumps, but fields of them. However, because of the severe current that flows around Turret Rock (10 knots) a diver doesnt much time on the barnacles. In fact the dive briefing is very specific: "You have 5 minutes to swim to the barnacles, spend no more than 10 minutes on them, then head for the back eddy on Turret Rock." If you screw up you will be blown out of the channel and will have a lovely tour of Seymour Inlet as you wait for the boat to pick you up. We followed the dive instructions and we still had to fight a three knot current to get into the back eddy.
The lodge was as comfortable as always, the food was good and we were able to totally relax. All-in-all an excellent trip. I spent every safety stop looking for the elusive Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker, but the critter still evades me.
Sharkbait
Dive report from Seymour Inlet Lodge, Port Hardy British Columbia, July 21 to July 24.
In the four days we were there I made ten dives and my wife made nine. The water temperature was 48 degrees with visibility running around 50 to 60 feet. Our average dive depth was around 80 feet with one at 97 feet. Every dive is different, on some of the dives the interesting area will be at 95 feet and deeper and on some going below 45 feet was a waste of air.
The dive sites ranges from the outer Slingsby Channel into Nakwakto Rapids. We dove various sites from walls to current swept channels and rock pinnacles. Its amazing how fast you start to understand currents when you are looking for a back eddy in a five knot current. On several of the dives it felt like we were diving in a washing machine. The currents ran every direction imaginable, and this was at slack current. I cant imagine what they would be like at full exchange.
This is our third trip up there and I am still amazed at the amount of life on the dives. The critters ranged from carpets of Tunicates to Puget Sound King Crabs that measured (yes, I measured them) nine inches across the carapace.
Diving in Nakwakto Rapids itself is always a real thrill. Turret Rock boasts the only place in the world for subtidal Gooseneck Barnacles, technically called Leaf Barnacles. There are fields of them at Turret Rock, not just a few clumps, but fields of them. However, because of the severe current that flows around Turret Rock (10 knots) a diver doesnt much time on the barnacles. In fact the dive briefing is very specific: "You have 5 minutes to swim to the barnacles, spend no more than 10 minutes on them, then head for the back eddy on Turret Rock." If you screw up you will be blown out of the channel and will have a lovely tour of Seymour Inlet as you wait for the boat to pick you up. We followed the dive instructions and we still had to fight a three knot current to get into the back eddy.
The lodge was as comfortable as always, the food was good and we were able to totally relax. All-in-all an excellent trip. I spent every safety stop looking for the elusive Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker, but the critter still evades me.
