The Mighty Fraser

[Sintax604]

So, I live in Richmond, surrounded by water and yet, I have to cross 3 bridges to get to the closest dive site. Sooooooooooo unimpressed.

Anyway, just curious is anyone has ever dove the Fraser River. Search and rescue divers perhaps? I'm just wondering exactly how dirty/silty it is and if there is actually ANYTHING to be seen in there. I know the current is nuts and I have no intention of actually attempting a dive, I'm just curious...

There IS a very calm inlet that I like to kayak in... it is used for storage of big log booms and there's always tons of seals around. It's located between McDonald Beach and Iona Beach (check it out on google maps). I'm concerned about all the overhead logs but otherwise it might actually be worth checking out. Thoughts?

 

[Skookumchuck]

I also live beside the big muddy, though further upstream than you. Diving the Fraser would be akin to playing Russian roulette in my opinion. The best visibility, in February, would be a couple of feet but the rest of the year it would be measured in inches. The currents are very unpredictable, sometimes my favorite sturgeon water flows upstream! Add to that sweepers, logs just barely submerged, and miles of fishing line, much of it braided dacron specificaly designed to resist abrasian and cutting and I think you'll see why the only people that dive the Fraser are R.C.M.P. dive team members.

 

[MarkH]

I read an article in a dive magazine (I forget which one, but it was way back when you could read about more than Bonaire) about a dive in the Fraser upstream from New West. There was some kind of wreck, but yes, bad vis, strong currents. I used to swim in the Fraser (Richmond) and surf in the current on driftwood logs when I was a kid and I'm still fine (twitch...twitch).

 

[askdjasd]

Count me out, Scott.

Move to vancouver.. Richmond is about to sink anyways.