Diving BC News - What's New For Diving in British Columbia
It is also a summary of major new additions to the CoolDives.com scuba diving in BC website. We will either provide links to other pages on this scuba BC site, or direct links to other sites and articles of interest.
January 10, 2012 - Vancouver Island dive charters, lessons, dive vacations and accommodation - and chef prepared meals! Cooldives is pleased to introduce GreenSea Diving, provider of everything you need to enjoy a fantastic diving BC charter or a scuba diving vacation almost anywhere on Vancouver Island:Vancouver Island Dive Charters: GreenSea Diving can take groups of up to 4 divers to all the best dive sites near Campbell River and Nanaimo, as well as all the sites out of Courtenay/Comox. They will also organize over-night diving BC trips to sites off Victoria and Port Hardy, or can use a larger boat for larger groups. Crown Isle Accommodation: A beautiful 2 bedroom, single level condo centrally located in the Comox Valley at the Crown Isle Golf Resort. Custom rental options available including dive lessons and charters and delicious chef prepared meals. BC Scuba Diving Vacation Packages: All-inclusive and customizable dive holiday packages including accommodation,dive boat charters or lessons, dive equipment, divemaster services, local transportation, and chef prepared lunches and dinners. Scuba Diving lessons on Vancouver Island: PADI certified dive lessons, from Open Water Certification all the way to the PADI Divemaster Course, all customized to meet your schedule and training requirements - and from a dive boat! Complete PADI Learn to Dive Package: Learn to dive and obtain your Open Water Certification in as little as 3 days, with all training, accommodation, local transportation to pool and boat dives, and gourmet lunches and chef prepared dinners. Get an extra bonus day of diving as well... December 18, 2011 - Nautilus Swell Gulf Island Liveaboard Dive Trips Vancouver Swell Liveaboard 4 day dive trips, departing from nearby Steveston, British Columbia, are back and CoolDives is proud to be a part of this dive exclusive!!After a fantastic inaugral dive season in 2011 with wonderful liveaboard trips to Alaska and Port Hardy, the owners of the Nautilus Explorer and Swell have launched these fantastic introductory liveaboard adventures to some of the most popular dive sites in the lower part of British Columbia. Imagine just loading and setting up your dive gear on the Inde, a 38 foot dive skiff just once, and then enjoying the next few days diving from this 90 foot luxury liveaboard dive boat. First class diving, first class crew and first class, fully restored and upgraded 100 year old westcoast tug boat - the Nautilus Swell. Contact Cooldives today for more details.
November 12, 2011 - Insure you have a great dive holiday - DAN travel insurance
For diving BC, diving Alaska, or diving anywhere for that matter, Cooldives recommends ensuring you have proper dive insurance and travel insurance.They are not the same thing. Dive insurance covers you for emergency evacuations during a dive trip, while travel insurance covers you for many other events that could occur before or during your dive trip, such as unexpected trip cancellations, other medical emergencies, lost luggage or dive gear, and more. At Cooldives, we recommend DAN travel insurance. DAN is known world-wide for promoting diver safety, and now they offer very competitive travel insurance for divers and non-divers alike. Get your DAN Travel Insurance free on-line quote today. Be Bold - Dive Cold, and dive safe! November 10, 2011 - Contests to Help Sink the Annapolis Annapolis Sinking Update - January, 2012 As the final inspection and sink date of the Annapolis nears, the ARSBC is offering several exciting contests for diving BC volunteers.... First - the Browning Pass Hideaway has generously donated a 3 Day / 2 Night grand prize trip for two to Port Hardy. Trip includes: - Comfy Cottage Accommodations and Hearty Home Style Meals - 4 Great Boat Dives Each Full Day with Tanks, Weights and Air Fills included - Nitrox and Rental Gear Available, also Tech and Re-Breather Friendly - Beach-Combing, Forest Hikes, Camp Fires, Sea Otters, Dolphin and Whale Watching too! See this Annapolis flyer for more details. and second, 4 lucky diving BC winners will be selected to: - Be aboard the Annapolis in the final week before sinking to witness the final preparations. - An opportunity to have your names placed on the ship as the 4 winning volunteers. - Join the ARSBC as the first volunteers to dive the ship before it is open to the public for diving. - Be the ARSBC guest at the project gala social event. - And one of the four winners will win a main prize which will be announced at the social event. See the attached ARSBC Annapolis flyer for more details. Volunteer today - dive the Annapolis soon! July 17, 2011 - Custom Dive Equipment Tags We found these great new dive equipment tags that make labeling and identifying your dive gear quick and easy.Brought to you by YourBagTag, the same dive industry leaders who also make: - Custom embroidered scuba tank and bcd labels as seen in the picture below - Custom embroidered dive mask straps - Custom dive luggage tags, and - Custom embroidered wetsuit zipper pulls These Canadian toonie-sized scuba equipment labels are around 3 cm (1.25 inches) in diameter and are made of fibre-reinforced plastic. They have your chosen graphic or photo on one side and three lines of custom text on the other - great for diving BC or anywhere.
Quickly identify your dive gear from all the others at dive resorts and on dive charter boats, or have lost or dropped items returned to you when found. May 8, 2011 - Nautilus Swell Trip Reports - Dive Beyond Your Dreams in British Columbia and Alaska The Nautilus Swell just began their 'First-Class' luxury liveaboard dive vacations around Vancouver Island, British Columbia and Alaska and the glowing liveaboard dive reviews are coming in.With an amazing diving BC and Alaska liveaboard boat, amazing crew and service, amazing dive sites and amazing scenery, this trip is, well, amazing. Read about the Nautilus Swell and book your scuba diving BC trip to British Columbia or Alaska today with Cooldives before it is too late. There are still a few bunks available for 2011 and 2012 and 2013 are already starting to fill up. And then try their sister ship too, the Nautilus Explorer, for amazing warm water diving vacations to Guadalupe Island, Socorro, San Benitos Island, Baja California, Clipperton Atoll, and the beautiful Sea of Cortez. I can hardly wait! April 25, 2011 - Colourful marine life abounds for scuba divers off B.C.'s Pacific coast
Diving BC got another great plug with this diving in British Columbia article by Dene Moore of the Canadian Press.
While still unknown by many people, both locally and around the world, more and more people are slowly discovering the excitement of exploring the Emerald Sea with the help of British Columbia's dive shop and charter operators. Remember to plan your dive and dive your plan - dive safe! Thanks to Scott Stevenson (8arm.com), Lee Newman and Mark Leichnitz for providing their fantastic photographs and input. Photo on left provided for the article by Scott Stevenson / 8arm.com Cool Water - Amazing Dives. Scuba diving vacations in British Columbia, Canada. March 31, 2011 - Sea Dragon Seen Near Nanaimo That's right - the Sea Dragon dive charter boat that has been hosting divers from all over the world near Vancouver in Howe Sound can now be seen in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
With the 2011 addition of the Sea Dragon Charter boat as a popular Nanaimo dive charter operator, divers are eager to sign up for some of Nanaimo's very popular boat dives. This dive boat takes 10 divers comfortably, and we can either get you on individually as part of a daily charter or we can have them book the whole dive boat for your group. With plenty of nearby wrecks, artificial reefs, drift dives, and wall dives, Nanaimo is a very popular scuba diving hub for diving on Vancouver Island. Contact Cooldives.com today for best diving in Nanaimo and in British Columbia.
March 8, 2011 - Bronze British Columbia Marine Art
Another famous well-known British Columbia marine artist has been added to our section on BC Wildlife and Marine Artists.Simon Morris, well known for our famous Saltery Bay, British Columbia Mermaid statue that is visited by many divers each year, is well known in the diving BC world for his beautiful bronze marine sculptures. His bronze cast sculptures of mermaids, marine animals, dive figures, and custom bronze statue/sculpture commissions have been added to art collections around the world. This bronze sculpture of a bull Orca whale is our favorite, with many divers wanting to see and experience Orca whales during their scuba diving vacation in British Columbia. Stay tuned for more information about his next major contribution to the world-wide dive industry - The Guardian of the Reefs Project. March 4, 2011 - Sunshine Coast Scuba Safari and Private Dive Lessons
Diving BC and the Sunshine Coast just got easier with Sunshine Coast Dive Packages.
Our affiliated Sunshine Coast PADI certified divemaster/dive instructor can not only help Sunshine Coast divers obtain the following scuba diving certifications with private lessons: - Open Water Diver Certification - Advanced Diver Certification - Enriched Air Certification, or - Drysuit Certification he can also lead divers on an organized scuba safari. Safely explore some of the best dive sites on the Sunshine Coast with a local expert. Accommodation packages also available. February 19, 2011 - Diving BC Safety with the Nautilus Lifeline Diver GPS Radio With the launch of the Nautilus Lifeline Diver GPS Radio in July of 2011, dive safety in British Columbia and around the world will be changed forever. Don't be left behind!! Cooldives.com is proud to be a dealer of The new Nautilus LifeLine, a compact, waterproof sleek radio GPS unit designed and built for divers that is depth rated to 425 feet. You can use it as a full featured marine VHF radio to chat with your dive buddies or group, or you can ask for help on CH16 from ANY boat around you within an 12.5 km (8 mile radius whether it is the largest cruise ship in the world, a passing tug, ferry or yacht or the smallest fishing boat. This diver GPS radio is a full featured GPS that even allows you to geocache and later download your dive sites. And most important of all, it is built with DSC compatibility allowing you to broadcast an alarm and your GPS position to every vessel in range that is equipped with a modern VHF marine radio. A position indicating light will flash on the VHF radio as the data packet is sent, an alarm will go off on the boat's radio and will autoswitch to channel 16 and your GPS coordinates and brief distress message will be displayed on their radios. With the Nautilus Lifeline and for only $299.00 USD - plus $10 freight you won't be left behind!? February 18, 2011 - Mamro Liveaboard Scuba Diving Vacations in British Columbia
The Mamro liveaboard dive boat is for serious divers who wish to experience some of the best cold water diving anywhere in the world.
Perfect for small groups of up to 6 divers who are more concerned about the amazing diving, the owners of the Mamro will ensure your all-inclusive liveaboard British Columbia dive trip is a memorable one. Because of the spectacular dive areas that the Mamro visits, such as the Gulf Islands, Broughton Archipelago, North Coast, Sunshine Coast and the Browning Pass/Port Hardy area, many professional divers and photographers book their dive trip on the Mamro liveaboard year after year. The food is good, there is plenty of it, the diving is fantastic and there is plenty of that too. Spaces fill up fast though with only 6 divers at a time so book your spot today!
November 14, 2010 - Race Rocks and Swordfish Island Dive Review Now is a great time for scuba diving BC!
Recently, I had a great trip with Pinnacle Dive Charters and Pacific Marine Imaging over in Victoria, British Columbia. We dove the colorful swim-through at Swordfish Island first, with conditions being calm and viz around 40 feet. We then crossed over to dive with dozens of Sea Lions near the Race Rocks Light Station. The dives were planned perfectly at slack, the Sea Lions were amazing to watch as they darted just inches away from us and followed us for around 30 minutes, and everything went perfectly. Both dives were terrific - click to read my Race Rocks and Swordfish Island dive review. My dive buddy for the day, Scott Stevenson from Pacific Marine Imaging, is a professional underwater photographer, and provided us with some great photos for our dive review - check them out! October 1, 2010 - Nautilus Swell Coming to British Columbia and Alaska The Swell is coming to British Columbia.
The luxurious 90 foot live-aboard vessel, the Nautilus Swell, sistership to the world famous Nautilus Explorer, is taking reservations now for the 2011 Port Hardy and Alaska scuba diving liveaboard dive holidays. Diving BC and Alaska has never been better! With the same level of luxury and service, and with amazing scenery above and below the water, now is the time to book your space. Individual and group bookings can be arranged via the Cooldives.com reservation and information request form. Book now - don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity! September 30, 2010 - Nanaimo Dive Charter Operator Recommendation Our favorite Nanaimo Dive Charter Operator is also one of the newest dive boat operators in the Nanaimo area - Just Dive in Adventures.
With their very fast 25 foot Zodiac style boat, they are able to quickly get groups of up to 6 divers to popular Nanaimo dive sites such as Dodd Narrows, HMCS Saskatchewan, HMCS Cape Breton, Rivtow Lion, and many other local dive sites. For great diving BC, daily charters are available through this Cooldives site for the summer dive months of June through October, and other year-round weekday or weekend dive charters are available upon request. They also offer snorkel with seal adventure trips and scenic eco-tours. See our Nanaimo Dive Charters page for more details and to check pricing and availability. April 30, 2010 - Swordfish Island - Another Popular Victoria Dive Site The Swordfish Island dive site is another popular diving BC boat dive near Victoria, BC, on the Southern tip of Vancouver Island.
Swordfish has a 50 foot long swim-through full of marine life and is located just off Vancouver Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, around 2-1/2 nautical miles southeast of Beacher Bay and 6 nautical miles southwest of Pedder Bay It can be a nice second dive after exploring the terrific but current-dependent Race Rocks, or other popular nearby dive sites. Have you tried some Victoria Swordfish yet?! March 27, 2010 - Divers Love the Whiskey Point Resort on Quadra Island Divers love the Whiskey Point Resort on Quadra Island, just minutes away from Campbell River.
They love the terrific nearby diving, the diver-friendly attitude at the resort, and the prices for accommodation and diving are very reasonable. They love having a drying room for their gear, they love the hottub, and they love the harbour views. For single divers wanting to join a charter, or for your whole dive group, check out the Whiskey Point Resort and contact CoolDives for pricing and availability. February 23, 2010 - Tofino - Home to Best Surfing in North America and Great Scuba Diving Not only is Tofino, on Vancouver Island British Columbia, a great place to scuba dive, Outside magazine, an American outdoor recreation magazine, has just named Tofino, B.C., "the best surf town in North America" as a part of its 2010 Editors' Choice Awards.
Come scuba diving BC or snorkeling in Tofino, and catch a wave or two while you're here!? January 22, 2010 - Vancouver Dive Charter Boat - The Sea Dragon We are pleased to list our preferred Vancouver dive charter operator -Sea Dragon Charters.
These guys have been offering diving BC charters in the Howe Sound area near Vancouver for many years, and offer very good service, a great (warm and comfortable) dive boat, and a very experienced and friendly crew. While many people love shore diving BC at some of our dive sites near Vancouver, getting out in a warm, heated dive boat year-round in Howe Sound is the way we like to dive!
December 24, 2009 - Snorkeling in British Columbia In addition to having some of the world's best scuba diving, Diving BC also has some very nice snorkel sites for those who would rather be on the surface.
We are compiling a list of everyone's favorite places to snorkel in British Columbia, so send us your preferred spot and maybe some pictures and we'll add you to our site. We'll list favorite snorkel sites, along with preferred snorkel charter operators and places to stay in the area, and we'll even help get your snorkel trip booked. It's like swimming in a salt-water aquarium - except the water is a little cooler! January 17, 2009 - First Newsletter Launched We finally have our first Diving in BC newsletter created and an easy-to-complete on-line subscription form working.
Please sign up (see below the tabs on the left of your screen) to see our first Diving BC news letter or to receive copies of future backissues. To view backissues, go to CoolDives Newsletters We plan to issue these diving BC information newsletters at least quarterly, or whenever there is enough new information to make them worthwhile. We will not bombard you with a ton of useless information, and you can easily opt out any time you wish - just good diving BC information. Please note: If you filled out the previous form, you must unfortunately complete the new opt-in form for security reasons. Thanks for your continued support of Diving BC.  Click for more Diving BC News...
|
And of course, they are waterproof and scratch resistant, which makes them an ideal way to label your BCD, wetsuit, drysuit, regulator, camera gear, flashlights, weight pouches, dive bags, luggage – pretty much any dive gear that has a way to fasten the dive equipment gear with the supplied zip tie (or another method) using the predrilled hole in the tag.