Maybe moving to BC

[AndyNZ]

Looks like I'll be moving to BC (99% likely to be Vancouver) - maybe even as soon as 2009.

Couple of questions:

1. Any good wreck dives within a couple of hours of Vancouver, particularly anything in the 35-55m depth range?

2. What's the most likely water temperatures in summer and winter in that depth range?

3. What would I expect to pay for a trimix fill, say 21/35, in a set of twin 12 litre tanks?


Thanks in advance!

 

[Skookumchuck]

Canada hasn't fully embraced the metric system. Our road signs are in kilometers but our cars have both kilometers and miles on the odometer. Commercial blueprints are metric but residential are imperial. We drive to dive sites in kilometers but dive in feet. Lots of excellent wrecks within a couple of hours of Vancouver within sport diving limits. Temperatures summer and winter below 40 feet (12 meters?) hover around 46 f. I don't dive nitrox and have no idea how many litres are in an aluminum 80 but its widely available and affordable.

 

[BMW]

1. Any good wreck dives within a couple of hours of Vancouver, particularly anything in the 35-55m depth range?

Plenty! Check out the BC Artificial Reef Society website ARSBC for lots of info. The charter operators are also an excellent resource. For example diving bc canada scuba dive charters diver Vancouver Island Nanaimo British Columbia

Don't forget to try the Boeing 737 as well

2. What's the most likely water temperatures in summer and winter in that depth range?

Summer the water gets into the mid 50's, maybe even 57-58F. In winter the usual temp is 43F, but I have measured as low as 38F

3. What would I expect to pay for a trimix fill, say 21/35, in a set of twin 12 litre tanks?

No idea but I hear trimix is hideously expensive. Air fills are roughly $8 and nitrox fills are around $10 - $12. Most shops have punch cards and/or annual passes that might bring the cost down a bit.

 

[AndyNZ]

Thanks for the replies - I know only too well the mixed units in Canada (the other half is Canadian, and we have regular trips over) and I've gotta say, it's a bit confusing!!

I'm not looking forward to that cold water.... mid 50's in summer?! Ouch. That's just a little bit colder than our winter temperature down here.

Fills seem reasonably priced - is nitrox partial pressure blended (needing O2 clean tanks), or are there shops that will do continuous blending/membrane fills etc?

Trimix can't be as expensive as it is here (at least, I hope not!) - a 12L tank is about the same as a 95 cu ft I guess.... my twins would cost me around $300 to fill at the moment.

BC Artificial Reef Society site is great - you've even got some of our local (New Zealand) wrecks on there!!

 

[TheWetRookie]

Skookumchuck, can you put that in plain english please, you are confusing me...lol

 

[James Bond boat entry]

Kia Ora,

I did my DSAT Gas Blender course about a year ago with a local Trimix diver, I remember him mentioning a figure of $250.00, volume unknow. Gas cost is the reason I only did the DSAT Tec Deep recently...in the Caribbean.

Trimix can't be as expensive as it is here (at least, I hope not!) - a 12L tank is about the same as a 95 cu ft I guess.... my twins would cost me around $300 to fill at the moment.

BC Artificial Reef Society site is great - you've even got some of our local (New Zealand) wrecks on there!!

 

[Hyper-limits]

Trimix can't be as expensive as it is here (at least, I hope not!) - a 12L tank is about the same as a 95 cu ft I guess.... my twins would cost me around $300 to fill at the moment.

Trimix is cheaper than down under, 80 cents to $1 per cuft was the price last year.
It may have gone up but I can't tell. Something about diving a RB, those $20 fills for 3 dives are hard to take.

Cheers

Al

 

[AndyNZ]

Trimix is cheaper than down under, 80 cents to $1 per cuft was the price last year.

It doesn't seem that much different.... price here is about 4c a litre for the Helium, which works out around $1.20 for a cu ft. But that's in $NZ, which is about CDN$0.95.

It may have gone up but I can't tell. Something about diving a RB, those $20 fills for 3 dives are hard to take.

I'll have to stick to deep air, then.... until I buy my unit next year. Have already told the other half that buying a RB is a condition for moving. I don't really feel like doing long run times, doing deco on cold gas in cold water.

 

[Hyper-limits]

.... until I buy my unit next year. Have already told the other half that buying a RB is a condition for moving. I don't really feel like doing long run times, doing deco on cold gas in cold water.

Well I think that you will get used to the cold water, it will take time but you will. An RB will keep you warmer but after an hour you will still get cold. With my unit I do dive between 60 and 120 minutes. Two hours runtime is a very long dive in our water, even with a RB it is a challenge, I prefer 70-80 minutes max. Good luck with the move.
By the way the IMHO the diving is way better on the Vancouver Island, most of the wrecks are all around Nanaimo and Victoria.

Cheers

Al