Where To Dive In BC If Only 3 Days?

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If we still cannot travel internationally this year due to COVID, I'm thinking of staying within Canada and going to BC to dive this fall. However, I would have only about 3 days available to dive so if my top priorities are to dive with decent experiences with seals/sea lions followed by wolf eels, where would the best places in BC to dive given this relatively short trip?

Hi cleung,

I second all sites previously mentioned.

I strongly suggest contacting local shops closest to where you will be staying, let them know what your qualifications are and where your interests lie.

Also when making your inquiries, ask about current visibility at your chosen location. The later you get into the fall, the better chances are that you will have better visibility, doesn't always work that way but most of the time it does.

Also, for short duration trips, keep in mind lost time due to ferry trips, if you're staying on the mainland, and planning on diving in Victoria, or vice-versa.

Our best BC/Pacific Ocean diving is always in the winter months, better visibility being the primary reason why.

If you own a dry-suit, I suggest bringing it.

Rose.
 
Hi cleung,

I second all sites previously mentioned.

I strongly suggest contacting local shops closest to where you will be staying, let them know what your qualifications are and where your interests lie.

Also when making your inquiries, ask about current visibility at your chosen location. The later you get into the fall, the better chances are that you will have better visibility, doesn't always work that way but most of the time it does.

Also, for short duration trips, keep in mind lost time due to ferry trips, if you're staying on the mainland, and planning on diving in Victoria, or vice-versa.

Our best BC/Pacific Ocean diving is always in the winter months, better visibility being the primary reason why.

If you own a dry-suit, I suggest bringing it.

Rose.


Thanks. I'll stay on the island for the duration of the dive days and yes I understand it's dry suit diving which is what I usually do anyway here in Ontario. For anyone who has dived Race Rocks, how does the currents there compare to those at Wolf and Darwin Islands down in the Galapagos for those who have dived down there too?
 
Thanks. I'll stay on the island for the duration of the dive days and yes I understand it's dry suit diving which is what I usually do anyway here in Ontario. For anyone who has dived Race Rocks, how does the currents there compare to those at Wolf and Darwin Islands down in the Galapagos for those who have dived down there too?
Just dove Race today......nice to have several Orcas lead us to the site......
Anyways.....not familiar with the Galapagos but for race, diving on slack is a must.....some small engine boats get stuck there......

We hit the end of slack and had a 1.5/2 knot current for our safety stop...

You simply can’t see far enough to dive safely in that current.....

So....during slack it’s an amazing dive,
 
I suggest you stay in Ontario until this Covid pandemic is under control. Lots of good diving in Ontario.
 
Just dove Race today......nice to have several Orcas lead us to the site......
Anyways.....not familiar with the Galapagos but for race, diving on slack is a must.....some small engine boats get stuck there......

We hit the end of slack and had a 1.5/2 knot current for our safety stop...

You simply can’t see far enough to dive safely in that current.....

So....during slack it’s an amazing dive,

Typical Galapagos is negative entry because currents too strong at surface to hang around. Once at bottom, we pretty well have to cling onto rocks or we'll get swept away from each other then ascents and safety stops are drift. Would this be comparable to Race Rocks?
 
I suggest you stay in Ontario until this Covid pandemic is under control. Lots of good diving in Ontario.

Lots of diving here in Ontario this summer but pretty awful visibility.
 
Typical Galapagos is negative entry because currents too strong at surface to hang around. Once at bottom, we pretty well have to cling onto rocks or we'll get swept away from each other then ascents and safety stops are drift. Would this be comparable to Race Rocks?
Race Rocks is best dived on slack tide. It can be a drift dive but doesn't have to be
 
Race Rocks is best dived on slack tide. It can be a drift dive but doesn't have to be

The videos I've seen on Race Rocks maybe were all shot during slack tide as the currents actually don't look too bad during those dives at least. How long does this slack window last?
 
The last time I dove BC was in 2007 to see cloud sponges at 110' in the Saanich Inlet on the back side of Victoria. I only had a day to dive as it was a family trip. Had to get back for tea at the Empress Hotel that afternoon. How many folks have gone from wearing a drysuit to a kilt in the same day. :) Awesome dive! Before that I dove two days from shore in Powell River with the late Jim Willoughby in 1981. Again. awsome dives! So, plenty of places in BC to get in a few dives on a short trip. My 2psi.
 
The videos I've seen on Race Rocks maybe were all shot during slack tide as the currents actually don't look too bad during those dives at least. How long does this slack window last?
It varies from day to day. I have only dived there a couple of times but as I recall we had at least 45 minutes of calm water. You can see here from the chart what your current times look like. Current table for Race Passage, British Columbia
I would ask again that you postpone your trip for a while. The Island has enjoyed a very low covid infection rate which just recently spiked due to tourists coming from all over Canada to enjoy our August long weekend. Now we have to pay the price, and with kids being forced back to school my daughter in law is on the front lines as a kindergarten teacher. Please be respectful. We are are friendly bunch here on Vancouver Island but you may not get the warm welcome we are famous for at the moment.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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