? Best time of year for Vancouver Island

[torontoscubagirl]

Hey there fellow Canucks !

I've only ever done tropical diving but I hear there is some amazing diving out on Vancouver Island. The Cousteau society said is it something like only #2 to the Red Sea for Biodiversity.

When would be the best time of year to go?
Where would you go and where would youstay?
and finally
How much does the diving and accomodations cost?

Thank so much !!

 

[torontoscubagirl]

Oops... one more question. Would you do a drysuit or can you get away with a thick wetsuit ?

 

[DivingsInMyBlood]

i hear alot of people go dry, depends if you get cold or not wearing a 7mm.

 

[Darnold9999]

If you are thinking about multiple dive days then a drysuit is the only way to go.

Lots of choices for resort type diving Quadra Island - dynaMike www.divedynamike.com or Abysall Diving www.abyssal.com, Barkley Sound - Rendevous Diving www.rendezvousdiving.com are three I have tried, have heard God's Pocket www.godspocket.com is great. You could stay in Victoria or Naniamo or Port Hardy and dive locally. There are others, but that would be a start.

Best time of year is tough. Visibility goes down in the summer and up in the winter. However the weather around here in the winter on the water can be troublesome. I would say early spring and fall would be my choices, as you have a chance of good weather and the vis is still pretty good. Lots to see in the late spring and summer, but the vis can be really bad and getting geared up in a drysuit in the hot sun is no fun at all. Mid winter is good diving, but weather could cancel your diving.

 

[MarkH]

I'd say for the Strait of Georgia and some of the protected inlets/fijords, winter can have the best visibility, but in the Strait of Juan De Fuca (Victoria area), summer is usually much better for visibility. I'm not sure about the Northern end of the island (Port Hardy), but I'd suspect visibility might be better in late summer than winter (near open ocean/exposed). If I was going on a road trip around the whole island, I would choose August/September. Then the visibility is usually more than reasonable wherever you go and the weather on the surface is nice.

 

[cjfox]

I like February on into early spring, the weather can be unpredicatable, but there are usually a few sunny warm days, and the viz is usually good. That being said, your options for things to do in the surface interval are much better in the summer. I have seen excellent viz in Barkley sound and North Island over the summer months.
I know lots of wet suit divers here, but for multiple dives and days, I dive dry.

 

[haha49]

i liked the winter the platon dies off and you can see a bit more.. the temp of the water isnt much of a diffrence in winter and in summer.. i dive wet but i usaly just do 2 dives and i dont get out of the wetsuit.. when you do then you get cold i find that i can get to hot in a wetsuit.. but i retain heat well..