Howe Sound / Nanaimo Boat Dive Sites

KneeDeep · Post by **KneeDeep** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 11:40 pm

Hey all,
Have 10 paid boat dives (2x tanks each) with Sea Dragon Charters I need to plan out. Minus the wrecks, what are some must do dive sites up north?

Have done many shore dives around the Nanaimo (and Victoria) area, but no boat dives. Any sites worth doing or is going out on Howe Sound have better diving? I can use them at either of SDC locations.

Open to suggestions.

YellowEye · Post by **YellowEye** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 9:43 am

Ooh, you're going to have fun!

My favorite dive at nanaimo is snake island wall. Very sheer wall, with cool underhangs.
Clark rock is another one I've done a bunch -- woolies, octos
Gabriela passage is utterly cool if they'll take you that far. Lots of colors and cloud sponges.
I hear Dodd's narrows is awesome, but it is very current sensitive and I haven't gotten to do it yet.

There's probably enough fun to do 10 at nanaimo!

GearHead · Post by **GearHead** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 1:25 pm

I don't have my log book with me, but I remember some of the places that YellowEye mentioned, Snake Is wall and Clark rock in particular. I also recall one or two sites just outside of Dodd's Narrows. (And the narrows itself is an awesome drift dive when the timing is right.)

The Sea Dragon crew will be able to recommend sites based on your preferences. They worked well with a group I was with back in September.

KneeDeep · Post by **KneeDeep** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 9:53 pm

Pulling from Sea Dragon Dive Charter's web site, looks like they go to these places. Will do a little more diving and book reading to find other sites.

What is the wrech that is slated to be brought up to this area? Timeline? Remember reading about it, as San Diego was also a location that was considered.

Topline based in Howe Sound, near Vancouver.
THE CANYONS (Boyer Island South)
PAM ROCKS
CHRISTIE ISLET
THE PINNACLE
BIRD ISLET
PASSAGE ISLAND REEF

Sea Dragon based in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island
Clarke Rock
Dodd Narrows
Gabriola Bluffs
Gabriola Passage (extra option)
HMCS Saskatchewan (artificial reef / wreck)
HMCS Cape Breton (artificial reef / wreck)
Jessie Island
Orlebar Point
Rivetow Lion (artificial reef / wreck)
Snake Island (wall and seal dives)

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 8:15 am

KneeDeep wrote:
What is the wrech that is slated to be brought up to this area? Timeline? Remember reading about it, as San Diego was also a location that was considered.

You are thinking of the Annapolis, scheduled to be sunk in Howe Sound sometime between now and the second coming of the Kraken. Don't plan your trip around that its subject to a bankruptcy and endless litigation. Who's know when it'll actually sink and even once it is sunk it'll be boring as all hell for a couple years.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 8:23 am

KneeDeep wrote:
Topline based in Howe Sound, near Vancouver.
THE CANYONS (Boyer Island South)
PAM ROCKS
CHRISTIE ISLET
THE PINNACLE
BIRD ISLET
PASSAGE ISLAND REEF

Sea Dragon based in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island
Clarke Rock
Dodd Narrows
Gabriola Bluffs
Gabriola Passage (extra option)
HMCS Saskatchewan (artificial reef / wreck)
HMCS Cape Breton (artificial reef / wreck)
Jessie Island
Orlebar Point
Rivetow Lion (artificial reef / wreck)
Snake Island (wall and seal dives)

I'm not sure what you are trying to plan out? Are you hiring the whole boat and getting to pick the locations? Or are you trying to plan out 10 individual trips on open boats?

By and large they don't set the locations in stone ahead of time and go to the better sites if the weather permits. The Rivetow (for instance) is not really a destination dive, more like a backup site when the weather is bad. Likewise a trip to the Cape Breton and Saskatchewan might just end up doing 2 dives on the Cape Breton if that's what the group aboard decides at the time. Finding 10 open boat days might be a challenge, that's a lot of trips with them.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 10:51 am

Nanaimo boat dives I'v'e done ... in order of my favorites ...

Saskatchewan/Cape Breton - you can spend two or three dives on each wreck and not cover the whole ship
Snake Island Wall - can go deep or shallow ... the deep dive has an interesting overhang ... in the shallows, going inside to swim with the harbor seals is a treat
Dodd's Narrows - not doable except on low exchanges and with real good timing
Jesse Island - interesting structure, tons of huge dendronitis nudibranchs
Clarke Rock - not very interesting, but it does have wolf eels

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Northwest Dive Club