Cold Water Paradise: Diving Browning Passage, BC [4K Video]
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Darnold9999
Contributor
We can also get some pretty nasty storms in the late fall early winter. November December ish. Had to cancel a trip to Browning Pass for hurricane force winds a few years ago in early November, and that is not uncommon. Not an issue for locals, but it would be disappointing if I had travelled some distance to get here. You can almost always find diving on the inner straight around Campbell River and Nanaimo however. My preference for Browning Pass is late September into October and possibly November, I would avoid June through August anywhere around the Island as the vis can be abysmal. Vancouver Island is a big island. Victoria at the southern tip of Vancouver Island is 300 miles from Port Hardy near the northern tip so lot of options, but they are not near to each other.
I didn't realize how big the Island was until now. In some parts of the world, it is almost the size of a whole country.
So, diving there is from the end of September through October. What about springtime? What are the best months to dive there in the spring?
So, diving there is from the end of September through October. What about springtime? What are the best months to dive there in the spring?
I was there in late March-early April this year. A “goldie locks” trip. Excepional vis, sunshine almost every day, minimal wind, only seven divers on the boat
But. . . the previous week they left a day early because of a big storm, and the week following my trip departure was delayed a day, again a big storm
FWIW This was my seventh trip to GP
But. . . the previous week they left a day early because of a big storm, and the week following my trip departure was delayed a day, again a big storm
FWIW This was my seventh trip to GP
Darnold9999
Contributor
April May are most likely OK, but you can get sandwiched between storms (which tend to be less severe than fall) and poor vis. The better the weather the quicker the algae bloom comes. You also get runoff from spring rain which reduces the vis on the inner coast. Rain does not have much impact on Browning Pass as the water there is flushed pretty regularly from the open Pacific.
OP
scubabc
Registered
I have been to Port Hardy in April, May (twice), September, and October (twice), viz has been exceptional each time aside from one trip in late May (last year) where viz was only about 3 feet. It did open up a little below 80 feet of depth. I'll stick to the early spring (April) or fall (September).
wgw04024
Contributor
A couple of questions. What kind of depths do they dive at there, and what kind of bottom temps? TIA!
OP
scubabc
Registered
Good questions... So depth can vary depending on the site but typically 50-80 feet and you're seeing lots of cool stuff. Some sites you need to be a bit deeper if you want to see corals and such (100 feet+) other sites a bit shallower. Bottom temps are pretty much 8 degrees Celsius. You will want to be comfortable diving in strong current. Slack dives are nice but not always a possibility.
