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British Columbia Scuba Diving

British Columbia Top Scuba Diving Locations

134 Dive Sites

Rating	Dive Site	Level	Reviews
	Albert Head Lagoon	Novice	0
	Ansell Point	Intermediate	0
	Arachne Reef	Novice	0
	Arbutus Island	Novice	0
	Baines Bay	Novice	0
	Batchelor Cove	Novice	0
	Bear Cove	Novice	0
	Beechey Head	Novice	0
	Belcarra Bay	Novice	0
	Bird Islet - South Reef	Novice	0
	Bold Bluff Point	Novice	0
	Bonnie Bay	Novice	0
	Bowyer Island - East Wall	Novice	0
	Bowyer Island - North Pinnacle	Novice	0
	Bowyer Island - Shotgun	Intermediate	0

British Columbia is an immensely popular tourist destination. People come from around the world to visit this historic area and revel in the natural beauty of Canada's western province. British Columbia has everything a nature lover could wish for; from large, wide-open beaches to soaring mountains, and now many divers believe that British Columbia is home to some of the best cold water diving in the world.

British Columbia Diving

The diving area that British Columbia is famous for begins in the United States off the shores of Washington and stretches all the way to Alaska. The Emerald Sea off of British Columbia's banks has clear green tinted water and colorful cold-water marine life of all varieties. It gives divers the chance to explore rugged sites full of cliffs and walls, as well as gentle coves with little to no current. Wherever you choose to dive in British Columbia, you will be enjoying what might be the world's best cold-water diving experience.

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The best region for experiencing British Columbia diving is Vancouver Island. Located in the southern part of British Columbia, Vancouver Island has two main diving areas: the Northern Island and the Southern Island. It is quite common to find killer whales and sea lions in the waters of the Northern Island. These waters are the colder of the two, but there is much more sea life off the Northern Island, and much of it is not in contact with humans very often. The Southern Island has warmer waters, with a colorful menagerie of undersea life, as well as a large population of sea lions. Both areas are homes to many shipwrecks, which is why the area is sometimes called the Graveyard of the Pacific.

Of all of the sites on Vancouver Island, the best dive site is Dodd Narrows. This site has strong currents, so you must reach it by boat, and finding a calm area from which to start your dive can be a challenge. Once you are in the water, however, it is well worth the effort!

Dodd Narrows is not a large dive site, and only goes to just over a hundred feet in depth, but the channel is home to some of the most colorful cold-water invertebrates you can find. You will enjoy the sheer vertical edges of the side of the Narrows near Mudge Island, which is a great place to start your dive. Enjoy diving amongst orange cup coral, sea stars, anemone, and many species of fish.

British Columbia diving is cold water diving, so be prepared with the right equipment. That being said, the water is not cold enough to prevent winter diving. It is the same temperature as the waters of northern California dive sites. Summer water temperatures vary between 54 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit, and winter temperatures are in the upper 40s. Visibility is much clearer in the winter.

Diving in British Columbia, particularly in the Vancouver Island area, is a great way to experience the lesser known beauty of cold water diving. Diving is available year round, and the fact that the area is home to multiple shipwrecks makes it one of the most popular cold-water dive sites in the world!

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