Dive Reviews - Submitted By CoolDives Viewers
The information on this scuba diving information site is enhanced with the help of our viewers/subscribers. Please take the time after your dive or scuba diving vacation in British Columbia to post dive reviews of the dive site itself, the scuba diving store you dealt with, the dive charter operator, the hotel/resort/B&B/dive lodge you stayed at, etc. We want the good and the bad dive reviews. Complete and submit the blank dive reviews form below, and read the completed dive reviews further down. All information will be kept confidential and once the information has been verified as true and accurate, will be shared with others viewing this site.
This hard cover book has stunning full color underwater photos taken around the waters of Vancouver Island.
If you mention this CoolDives site when you order, the publisher will have the author personally autograph your diving in British Columbia copy. As we get chance, we will be submitting our own dive reviews as well, and will list them here.... Swordfish Island and Race Rocks Dive Site Review
Vancouver Whale Watching Adventures
Scuba Diving live-AboardsNautilus Swell Liveaboard ReviewName: Mark Leichnitz
State/Prov: British Columbia Country: Canada What are you reviewing?: Dive Reviews - Liveaboard Name(s): Nautilus Swell Rating: 5 Stars (Fantastic!!) Visibility: Varied 50 - 100 feet Details (please explain why): The Swell is a great dive boat for exploring the Port Hardy area widely. We generally anchored in a calm cove somewhere for a full day and night then moved on to another area with very different dive sites and dive plans. A big skiff capable of handling about 20 divers taxied the divers to individual dive sites. The variety of diving that can be experienced in six days is therefore wide and diverse, including wall dives in channels, reef dives along island coastlines, underwater pinnacles, etc. The ship is very well appointed, modern and gleaming with newness and freshness. On the main deck there is a lounge/dining room with two large triangular tables, a big flat screen tv and big windows. Along the port side there was a storage unit with stocked fridge and coffee station, constantly supplied with fruit and cookies. Under cover at the stern there are rattan loveseat-sized couches for lounging around and a drysuit storage rack where suits are hung up between dives to air dry. The rooms were equipped with a conventional 3 piece bathroom, single-sized bunk beds, skylight, a closet and two storage drawers. Powerful heating units are installed under the lower bunk. Roomy enough for one, but not enough room if you need to share it with a stranger. There was plenty of hot water and great water pressure in the shower and sink. The upper deck has a hot tub, covered camera work station with about 10 electrical outlets and an area where you can hang out. A BBQ is stored up there as well. The crew of four absolutely made the week perfect. The food was fresh, plentiful and of gourmet home cooking quality. The housekeeping and dining services were impeccable. We hardly had to lift a finger as everything was taken care of for us. Water was offered on the skiff prior to dives and hot chocolate with fresh baked cookies awaited our return on the stern deck after every dive, all served with first class style. A full meal was served shortly after every dive. The captain and divemaster were both highly experienced divers themselves, having each explored the area for 20 years or more. They knew the dive sites like the back of their hands and fully understood the tides and currents. There were three dives per day, with only one night dive during the week. We were fortunate that the Spring plankton had not yet bloomed, so the viz was never less than 50 feet, and sometimes 75 to 100 feet. I'll let my trip video (coming soon) speak to the incredible diversity, colour and quantity of underwater life. Friggin Awesome! Nautilus Explorer - British Columbia and AlaskaNote: The Nautilus Explorer was replaced by the Nautilus Swell (see above) in 2011Name: Steve Trainoff State/Prov: Goleta Country: California What are you reviewing?: Dive Reviews - Liveaboard Name(s): Nautilus Explorer Rating: 5 Stars (Fantastic!!) Visibility: Varied - see link to full review below Details (please explain why): We did a 10 day dive trip aboard the Nautilus Explorer, an absolutely superb diving vessel. The trip ran from Vancouver to Juneau. There was so much natural beauty that I took nearly 3500 photos! You name it, we saw it: breaching humpbacks, spooky wrecks, bears, bald eagles, bubble net feeding, icebergs, glaciers. This list goes on and on..... For Steve's detailed trip report and beautiful photos, see the Nautilus Explorer Review page. Cooldives is taking reservations for 2011-2013 seasons now. Read Steve's full review and then contact us to book now before it's too late for their 2011 season. Dive ReviewsDiving The Sunshine CoastWreck of the MalahatFirst Name: Scott City: Powell River State/Prov: British Columbia Country: Canada What are you reviewing?: Dive Site Name(s): Wreck of the Malahat Rating: 4 Stars (Great!) Details (please explain why): This site is the final resting place of the Malahat. She was a 5 masted wooden hulled auxiliary schooner with a colorful history, which was covered in an episode of "The Sea Hunters." This is a great site for photos and sea life viewing. Depth ranges from 30 feet at the bow (where there is an interpretive plaque from the Underwater Archeological Society of BC) to 80 feet at the stern. There is very little of the hull structure left intact, however there are some steel fuel/water tanks located near the stern. This wreck is home to ling cod, rock fish, greenlings, perch,sea lions, octopus, loads of different types of nudibranchs and even some rock scallops. Access is from Seconds Beach in Powell River near the mill. See the local dive shop for directions. We recommend Alpha Dive Services for information on diving the Malahat. Tuwanek PointName: Mario HCity: Surrey State/Prov: B.C. Country: Canada What are you reviewing?: Dive Site Name(s):Tuwanek Point (Sechelt, Sunshine Coast) Rating: 4 Stars (Great!) Visibility - How many feet?: 20-30 Details (please explain why): I went to Tuwanek on Jan31/09 with my buddy. It was my first dive outside the Vancouver area. It was a sunny day and it was actually quite warm. The surface current was evident but not too bad.The vis for the first 6-8 ft as we descended was a bit murky... but once we got down below that it just got better and better. We dove around looking for the WOLF EEL and the Octopus but didn't get to see them. The first dive was a bit short because I'm a bit of an air pig. Scott gave me some tips and they worked very well cuz after our SI in the sunshine we hit the water again and I had the best diveI've ever had!! We were looking for the Eel and Octo again and all of a suddenI realized I was surrounded by all sorts of fish...I literally felt like I was in one of those Fish Aquarium Screen Savers... We dove around by the Island near that little SHREK guy someone put there... It was AWESOME!! Best dive I've ever had for sure... If you haven't been I strongly recommend it and try to go withsomeone that knows their way around like I had.
Diving Vancouver IslandDiving Near Victoria - 10 Mile PointName: Lindsay E
City: Victoria State/Prov: B.C. Country: Canada What are you reviewing?: Dive Site Name(s): Ten Mile Point Rating: 5 Stars (Fantastic!!) Visibility - How many feet?: 10-15 ft. that day Details (please explain why): Ten mile point is an absolutely fantastic shore dive site. The colours of all the life are fantastic. This is a challenging dive, but you see more than on most charter boat dives.
Diving Near NanaimoName: Michelle B
City: Fort McMurray State/Prov: AB Country: Canada What are you reviewing?: Dive Sites in the Nanaimo area Name(s): Dodd Narrows, 737 in Chemainus, HMCS Cape Breton, HMCS Saskatchewan and Rivtow wrecks near Snake Island Rating: 5 Stars (Fantastic!!) Visibility - How many feet?: 30-40 feet Details (please explain why): I didn't think this year's trip to Nanaimo could outdo last year's, but in a slightly different way, it did. The 737 was very fun to dive, and in Dodd Narrows, we had a close encounter with a sea lion. It was the happiest I've ever seen my husband. We'll be diving Vancouver Island at least once a year.
Diving Near Hornby IslandName: Matt Arnold of GreenSea DivingCity: Comox State/Prov: BC Country: Canada What are you reviewing?: Boat Dive Site in the Hornby Island area Name(s): Wall at Heron Rocks Rating: 5 Stars (Fantastic!!) Visibility - How many feet?: 50-75 (January) Details (please explain why): Beautiful wall at the southern end of Hornby Island . Wall Starts at about 50fsw and continues down all the way to 150fsw with a few ledges along the way. You'll see Wolf eels and Octopus if you're lucky as well as the usual suspects like large Ling Cod, white Plumous Anemones, Rock Scallops, lots of rock fish, anemones, various star fish, giant red urchins, and loads of other color and marine life. It's a shear vertical wall with lots of nooks and crannies to explore and with good viz its a stunningly beautiful dive. On the surface you might even find sealions sunbathing on the exposed rock. Nice that it's only 5 minutes from a small marina and safety from the weather if it comes up too. Best wall I have ever dove in BC!
Diving Near Campbell RiverName: John D
City: Campbell River State/Prov: BC Country: Canada What are you reviewing?: Dive Site Name(s): HMCS Columbia Rating: 4 Stars (Great!) Visibility - How many feet?: 40 Feet, in summer, 100 ft in winter. Details (please explain why): This ship wreck is just a short boat ride from Campbell River, and sits upright on a small angle. The top tower sits at about 60 feet, with the bottom of the ship sitting around the 120 foot mark at high tide. Lots of fish, and a wonderful dive. Standing on those big guns at 70 feet is a wonderful experience. I explored deep into the ship on surface supply, so unless you are a qualified wreck diver, stay out of the ship! The dive is a great dive, even if you don't enter the ship's many openings.
Five Fathoms Dive Site (near Port Hardy)Name: Patrick DState/Prov: Quebec Country: Canada What are you reviewing?: Dive Site Reviews Name(s): Five Fathoms Rating: 3 Stars (Pretty good) Visibility: 40 feet Details (please explain why): On this dive site, you have good opportunities to see Giant Pacific Octopus. Look for piles of shells and you'll probably find an octopus. The Husser Dive Site Reviews (near Port Hardy)Name: Patrick D
State/Prov: Quebec Country: Canada What are you reviewing?: Dive Site Name(s): The Husser Rating: 4 Stars (Great!) Visibility: 40 feet Details (please explain why): This dive site is a wall that you can follow at around 50 to 70 feet. It has a good diversity of marine life, and if you look close enough, you'll find a big beautiful orange and white Fringed Nudibranch of about 10 inches long!
Seven Trees Island Dive Site (near Port Hardy)Name: Patrick DState/Prov: Quebec Country: Canada What are you reviewing?: Dive Site Name(s): Seven Trees Island Rating: 5 Stars (Fantastic!!) Visibility: 70 feet Details (please explain why): This dive site, along the Browning Passage, is Fantastic! It offers a lot of diversity and has carpets full of white sea anemone, nudibranch, crabs (all sorts) and many types of Rockfishes.
Dive Retailersnone reported yetDive Charter/Lodge OperatorsBrentwood Bay Resort and Spa (near Victoria, BC)Name: PaulCity: Surrey State/Prov: BC What are you reviewing?: Hotel/B&B/Scuba Diving Lodge Name(s): Brentwood Bay Lodge and Spa Rating: 5 Stars (Fantastic!!) Details (please explain why): What a beautiful resort and a great waterfront location! It is a little tucked away, but once you are there it is like being in another luxurious, relaxing world. Perfect for romantic getaways, business meetings, spa get-aways with a group of girlfriends, and of course, scuba diving in beautiful Saanich Inlet. The lobby, the on-site restaurant, pub, spa, and all the otheramenities including the pool and pool with the fantastic views are beautiful, and the spacious rooms have a special 'zen' feel as you enter and enjoy the beautiful water view from every room. We spent two days there and enjoyed every minute. Thanks for posting the Cooldives Winter special offer - it was a beautiful weekend! We're already planning our next dive weekend at this luxury spa resort! Abyssal Dive Lodge (Near Campbell River)Name: Bill
City: Chicago State/Prov: Illinois What are you reviewing?: Hotel/B&B/Scuba Diving Lodge Name(s): Abyssal Dive Lodge near Campbell River on Vancouver Island Rating: 5 Stars (Fantastic!!) Visibility - How many feet?: Varied on tides - avg 40 to 60 feet Details (please explain why): Adequate, clean & comfortable accomodations. Great food and plenty of it. Mostly local fare (ling cod, venison, salmon,etc.) Earl (owner / operator) was a gracious host and ran a great operation. He knew the dive sights, gave great advice, and used tides to our advantage. Location of lodge was in excellent proximity to dive boat and most sights were only a 10 to 15 minute ride. I can't wait to go back! Browning Pass HideAwayName: ValerieState/Prov: WA Country: United States What are you reviewing?: Dive Charter Operator Name(s): Browning Pass Hideaway Rating: 4 Stars (Great!) Details (please explain why): Fantastic diving, as good or better than any warm water destination. Walls so full of life that you can not touch a finger down for fear of touching something. Color, color and more color. Topside attractions include humpback whales, seals, bald eagle, deer at the water's edge. And, most dive sites are literally minutes away, which makes everything close and easily accessible. All meals are included at the Hideaway, and if you go hungry, it's your own fault. John DeBoeck's meals are mouth-watering and filling, and the post-prandial time is taken up with conversation of diving, natural history, and history of the area. You won't find a better guide for this area; John knows these waters like the back of his hand. The Hideaway is just that, a rustic escape from the city with a quiet that is almost deafening in it's intensity. If you want complete peace and spectacular, world class diving, this is the place to come to. Name: Erin State/Prov: WA Country: United States What are you reviewing?: Dive Charter Operator Name(s): Browning Pass HideAway Rating: 5 Stars (Fantastic!!) Details (please explain why): John deBoeck's Hideaway is the most superb resort I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. Mind you, the resort is floating!!! Along with the warm meals, three dives a day, and hot showers comes great company. John is so knowledgeable about the dive sites, currents and wildlife there is no reason to bring a book. Although, if you wanted to relax all you would have to do is take a kayak over to the shore and enjoy the many bald eagles as they come and go. This Hideaway is by far better than any tropical vacation I haveever been on. I strongly recommend taking a visit!!
"Though rustic, (it's kind of like visiting your uncle John's hunting cabin way back in the woods!), the diving in the Port Hardy area is simply superb and some of the best you will ever find worldwide. In our last issue of Advanced Diver Magazine, I have a 7-page article on diving in Nootka Sound, which is ANOTHER wonderful place that you need to REALLY consider for your web site!" Best regards! John Rawlings Chief Staff Writer/Photographer Advanced Diver Magazine www.advanceddivermagazine.com
Name: Emilia City: Burnaby State/Prov: BC What are you reviewing?: Dive Instructor & Accommodation Name(s): Jon Dewsberry/The Scuba Shack - instructor/owner/operator Rating: 5 Stars (Fantastic!!) Visibility - How many feet?: 25-50 throughout certification Details (please explain why): I looked into a lot of different options when I finally decided I wanted to attempt to learn how to scuba dive ... looked into a lot of pricing and date availability. I called and visited dive shops in the Lower Mainland along with quite the extensive online research ... During my Google-craze I found out that some of the best diving in the world is on the Sunshine Coast so I expanded my search parameters to look for diving instructors there. Because of my work schedule, I ended up needing to look at semi-private or private courses. The Scuba Shack offered private courses and worked around my availability entirely. We did the theory and pool sessions locally then the ocean dives up in Tuwanek. Everything was provided - everything - all we ever had to do was just show up with our homework completed. Some of the other shops required to have your own "personal gear" or rentals were available. Dive Shops offered me the ability to rent a dry suit or use the wet suit included in the cost - TheScubaShack uses dry suits. In the end it actually worked out to be about the same cost getting private lessons as it would have cost in a group environment having the pay for the rentals. High end computers, BCDs, and regulators (mainly Mares) were especially appreciated. I later used a rented regulator once from a dive shop - never again. I found it such a struggle to breath that I had to end the dive in less than 10 minutes. I have since gone diving in Whytecliff ... with all the current, numerous steep stairs and poor visibility, I realize I never would have gone past my Open Water had that been my first diving experience. Instead I was completely surrounded by dozens of different fish and saw giant Lingcod, an Octopus, and a curious seal. I now have added Dry Suit, Advanced, Enriched Air (all through TheScubaShack.ca) - and am considering working towards becoming an instructor myself! For me, using TheScubaShack for my introduction to diving was the best decision I ever could have made. Hotelsnone reported yetB&B'snone reported yetReturn to Best Scuba Diving Vacations in British Columbia.
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Dive Reviews:
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