Diving in British Columbia is some of the finest in the world. From the shores of Vancouver, North to the Sunshine coast, and then to the inlets of Vancouver Island, there are phenomenal opportunities to view sea life and explore the underwater terrain. Local operators offer their guidance, expertise and advice; rely on their knowledge and understanding of their region. Explore the variety of dive locations and dive safely!

British Columbia

Nanaimo

Canada

This dive site is sensitive to current. It has an interesting rock structure, with homes for a few wolf eels. I'd rate this dive between standard and good.

This is strictly a boat dive. And either use a local charter or Google Earth to locate this dive site.

Gabriola

Break Water Island

Portier Pass

This dive site is quite nice as far as the entry goes, and there are out-houses here. This is a nice beach with picnic tables as well.
Swim along the left side of the beach out to the point, and beyond.

This dive site could almost be considered two dive sites. By accessing the water here by Elliot's Beach Park at the end of Elliot Way you can also access the rock structure that is just past the end of the point to the south east of the beach. Use Google Earth to locate this site, which is near Ladysmith in British Columbia.

Elliot's Beach Park is also known as Elliot Way Beach.

Elliot's Beach Park

The HMCS Cape Breton (ARE 100) was built in 1944-45 in British Columbia by the Burrard Drydock Company and served in the United Kingdom's Royal Navy as Flamborough Head. In 1951 she returned to Canada under the ownership of the Royal Canadian Navy, renamed Cape Breton and re-assigned as a training vessel at Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 1958 she sailed for Esquimalt, B.C. and was converted to an escort maintenance vessel. Cape Breton was re-enrolled on November 16, 1959 and served as a repair ship at least until February 10, 1964 when she was paid off into reserve.

The HMCS Cape Breton was a 411 ft. escort maintenance ship and sunk October 20, 2001 in 145' ft.of water. The largest diver prepared artificial reef on the coast, its crows nest can be reached at 40 ft., top of funnel 50 ft., captains quarters 85 ft., for and aft decks at 100 ft. and the engine room reached at a depth of 140 ft.

Specifications (from Wikipedia):
* Commissined: 1944; 1952
* Paid off: 1952; 1964
* Displacement: 8580 tons
* Length: 441 feet
* Width: 57 feet
* Draught: 20 feet
* Top Speed: 11 knots
* Crew: 270
* Armament: none

HMCS Cape Breton was sunk and now lays near Snake Island in Nanaimo harbour.

Three Tie up floats, Sits Bow Pointing North.

HMCS Cape Breton is also known as ARE 100.

HMCS Cape Breton

HMCS Saskatchewan was a Mackenzie-class Destroyer
Escort of 366-feet (111 metres), 2900 tons.
Sunk in 1997.

off Snake Island, near Nanaimo

HMCS Saskatchewan is also known as DDE 262, DDE-262.

HMCS Saskatchewan

Snake island is a Bird Sanctuary, and home to approx 200 Harbour Seals. Great snorkeling & scuba.

Snake Island is located 3 kilometers from Departure Bay in Nanaimo, approx a 10 minute by boat ride.


Snake Island

"By virtue of her being only 37 feet high, the artificial reef will be able to offer divers the opportunity to do penetration dives shallower than 70 feet. This makes for an ideal diving training environment. With the main deck at over 80 feet in most cases and the bulk of the artificial reef below that. Such depths are sometimes intimidating for divers, and shorten the time a diver is able to spend underwater. The 737 airframe, with its wide-open inside space, numerous existing windows, and extra access holes cut for divers, offers a well lit, expansive reef to explore at an advantageous depth. It is an excellent and safe place to learn wreck basic diving skills." Source: pacificwebsites.com

Awesome dive!

Near Comox, on Vancouver Island. Just north west of Chemainus.

Xihwu (Key-Quot) is also known as Chemainus Boeing737 reef.

Xihwu (Key-Quot)



If coming from the Ferry Terminal make a left onto Brechin Road just as you leave the Departure Bay Ferry Terminal area. Follow it up to the lights, staying on the right side of the road. When you get to the lights you will be making a  right onto Estevan Road - which almost immediately becomes Departure Bay road. Follow Departure Bay Road and after you pass the beach at the bottom of the hill, make a left onto Hammond Bay Road. Follow this for a few kilometers then make a right onto Morningside Drive and drive past the school, and you will see the sign for Neck Point. You will need to park in the lower parking lot. The main one shown on the web page: www.Robots4Farms.com 
If you know someone in town, then there is a key to the parking area closer to the dive site.

Neck Point is also known as Neck Point, Nanaimo.

Neck Point

The water quality varies here quite a bit. So, this location may only be good some of the time, partly because it is shallow here. If the conditions are not good above 50 feet, then you should dive Neck Point or Dolphin Beach.

If you're starting out from the ferry terminal you need to get on to and follow Hammond Bay Road, and assuming your coming from the south, make a right onto Entwhistle Road and follow it until you can make a right onto Fillinger Crescent. Keep an eye out for the bear statue and the actual address is 5040 Fillinger Crescent. You should see the bears their holding the street address at the entrance of this old boat launch. Plenty of parking at this dive location. The waters here are fairly shallow and most of your diving will probably be above 50 feet [16 metres].

Rocky Point

Seymour Bay is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Canada, British Columbia, Lower Mainland which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Seymour Bay

This is quite an easy dive. It featues rock reefs, docks, a large field of old glass bottles.  Sealife consists of giant pacific octopi, ruby octopi, rock cod, rock crab, kelp crab.  Visibility can be poor in the summer months, but it also comes with an abundance of bioluminescent plankton, which makes for outstanding night dives. A rope can be used for navigation to the main rock reef, anc can be found by surfac swimming out to the end of the Government Dock, descending to the bottom, make a left and you should find it within 15 ft.



Break Water Island

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Break Water Island