ROCKFISH DIVERS
  • Diving
    • Weekly Drop-in Dives >
      • Drop-in Registration
      • Recurring Drop in Diver
    • Shore Diving >
      • Saanich Inlet
      • Central Victoria
    • Dive Site Difficulty Ranking
  • Courses
    • Scuba & Other Training >
      • Discover Scuba
      • Open Water Course >
        • Open Water Course Registration
      • Scuba Review
      • Advanced Open Water
      • Rescue Diver
      • Emergency Response
    • Specialties >
      • Drysuit Specialty
      • Self Reliant Diver Specialty
      • Nitrox Specialty
      • Oxygen Provider
      • Search and Recovery
      • Equipment Specialty
      • Deep Specialty
      • Gas Blender Specialty
      • Night Specialty
      • Sidemount Diver Specialty
      • Peak Performance Buoyancy
      • Underwater Photography
      • Navigation Specialty
      • Project AWARE
    • Go Pro >
      • Divemaster
    • Course Registration
  • Equipment
    • 2023 Rental Sale
    • Used Equipment Sales
    • Buy
    • Rent
    • Repair & Service
  • Vacations
    • Galapagos
    • Travel Abroad Program
    • Victoria Visitors
  • About
    • Our Crew
    • Newsletter
    • Gallery
    • RESOURCES
  • Contact

Oh how we will miss you Sheena

22/8/2021

0 Comments

 
By Kenzie Rosene, Master Scuba Diver Trainer
Most of you have met the amazing Sheena, one of our instructors and shop staff. If you haven't met her, I'm sad to say you won't because today is her last day at Rockfish Divers. Sheena has been an amazing employee, coworker, and friend, and we are all going to miss her dearly. Sheena always comes to work with some sort of witty story that makes you laugh so hard your stomach hurts, and is always a blast to dive with. She has also done some amazing work keeping the shop running during these weird Covid19 times. 

Here's a few of my favourite Sheena moments thus far:
1. Play fighting with her underwater during Divemaster Training exercises. Yes, hair was pulled and rocks were tossed
2. Sitting in the rinse bin with her in our drysuits because we were too lazy to take them off to clean them
3. Her bringing me treats when I was in the shop on a slow day
4. Watching her calm scared divers down and helping them grow more confidence in themselves
5. The general banter that occurs when we are in each others presence that almost always ends in one, or both of us crying laughing.
6. Oh also that one she started her truck and the sound was so loud it scared me and I dropped my ice cream

Best of luck to you Sheena in your new adventures!! Come back soon for a visit!
​
Picture
0 Comments

Diary of A Dive Professional... Drop in dives

8/8/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
By Kenzie Rosene, Master Scuba Diver Instructor

So, you want to know what working a Drop In Dive looks like? Well look no further! I'll tell ya right now!

Okay first thing I do in the morning is wake up and brush my teeth. Just kidding, I'm not going to tell you my morning routine. But rest assured I do wake up and brush my teeth!

Drop In Dives begin when I arrive at the shop to greet the participants for the day. My job is to make sure I have checked everyone's certification cards, get paperwork signed, help the shop staff with gathering gear, and assess the level of nervousness in the divers. The Drop Ins are a great way to get more experience with scuba diving, as well as meet people with a wide range of dive expertise. We have people join that are brand new off their Open Water course, all the way to people who have been diving longer than I have been alive. That being said, part of my job is to pair people up to dive together based on comfort level and experience. So while you are mingling and checking over your gear, I am watching you. Insert evil laugh here. 

Once we have figured out the best site based on conditions and experience levels, I send out the divers to meet me at the dive site. As the Divemaster, I am usually the last one to leave the shop. I have to pack the safety gear, spare parts gear, and wait for anyone showing up a little bit late. When it is time to head to the dive site, there is almost always music played slightly too loud in the car, along with very out of tune singing. I say almost always because on occasion, I have a diver carpool with me and I'd rather not horrify them with a private concert. Once I am at the site, I go around with my participant roster and check on gear set ups/fix any issues I see. Then comes the briefings, both site specific and general safety. I throw in a couple dad jokes just to make those briefings EXTRA special. I know when a fatherly joke really hits home when I see the people cringe, pity laugh, and avoid eye contact with me. After that, I double check that everyone has a buddy and a dive plan, and then I can get set up too.

When my group and I hop in the water I of course make sure everyone is okay before we start the dive. From there, I lead my divers around the site, help them sort out any issues, and hopefully spot some wicked sea life. Once the dive is over and the safety stop is complete, it's time to hop out of the water, keep my kit set up, and go around with my dive roster again. Why is my kit set up still even though I'm done diving? Just in case someone in the water needs help. I can easily throw my gear on and get to them quick as a bunny. Once everyone has been checked out on my roster, people are free to go about their day. I always return back to the shop to return the safety gear, rinse my gear, and of course, tell the poor sucker stuck in the shop about all the amazing stuff they missed out on! Just kidding, but I do make sure I rub it in a little if I saw an octopus that day. 

After all is said and done, I go about my day as usual impatiently waiting for my next diving adventure.

Happy Diving!

Picture
1 Comment

August 01st, 2021

1/8/2021

0 Comments

 
By Kenzie Rosene, Master Scuba Diver Trainer

Well... The last 2 years have certainly been interesting.


Firstly, we just want to welcome you back to Rockfish Divers! It's been a while since we've seen you. How are you? Did you miss us like we missed you? Have you found a way to keep diving during the pandemic? Or did you resort to sitting in your Drysuit in your bathtub? *cough cough* Not that I've done that or anything...

Anyway, it's no shock to anyone that the global dive scene took a major hit during the pandemic. Many shops, including our own, shut down and thousands of dive professionals found themselves without jobs. We knew this was coming for us in Victoria, but we hoped we wouldn't need to close. In March of 2020 we voluntarily closed our doors to protect our staff and customers from any potential spread of the virus. We temporarily said goodbye to our regular patrons, and had to say goodbye to some of our amazing staff. I won't lie to you, Covid19 rocked our world in a bad way. In June of 2020 we were able to open our shop doors, but our normal activities were far from restored. It wasn't until October 2020 that we were able to start teaching Open Water courses again. This was also the month we gained a new instructor, Sheena (we love you Sheena!) In April of 2021 we had to stop teaching in the pool due to Covid19 restrictions tightening up, and we are currently awaiting the go ahead to start pool use again.

Alright I'm done with all the doom and gloom. On to the good stuff!

As soon as RFD opened the shop doors again we were met by all our regular patrons, as well as some eager new ones. In my 5 years of working at the shop I have never seen more of our students come back to continue their education. While our community has always been amazing, I also haven't felt this much support from Victoria's divers before. In the shop's absence, the divers surrounding RFD refused to let Covid19 take diving away from them, and continued to dive within their bubbles (ha, there's a pun there). The positivity radiating from the divers pushed us to keep going, and motivated us to make sure we supported everyone as much as they supported us. We changed our course options and policy's to meet the demand of the people, while also keeping virus transmission possibilities low.

So where are we now? We are back running our charters on the West Shore and Race Rocks, as well as running our new snorkeling/eco tour charters. We have begun teaching Drysuit orientations in the ocean, along with some Refresher courses. We are running more Specialty courses and continuing education courses than we have in a very long time. Our drop in dives are back, including an evening drop in, and we have a new snorkeling drop in on Tuesday nights. As for our Open Water courses, we are about to begin those very shortly!! All in all, we are never going to be the same Rockfish Divers we were two years ago, but we are a new version of ourselves. Dare I say... a better version?​

We know this battle with Covid19 is far from over, but we won't let it drag us down. We hope to see you soon, and thank you for sticking with us!

​
Picture
0 Comments

Ladies and Gentleman... Meet our latest divemaster

25/7/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Drumroll please....... Meet Alex!

Alex has been a long time friend and employee here at Rockfish Divers. You may have seen him working in the shop, on a charter, or assisting on a course. But what you may not know is that Alex has been working towards finishing his Divemaster certification for over a year. Alex has been an incredible asset to the team, and an absolute joy to mentor. 

From all of us at Rockfish Divers, we want to congratulate Alex on his massive accomplishment! Well done!!

Love Kenzie, Sheena, and Tyler

0 Comments

Giving Back

5/4/2019

2 Comments

 

It's time for us to give back

By: Tori Preddy, IDC Staff Instructor

When you think about how you want the world to view you, what do you think of? How do you want to be represented? When we ask ourselves that same question, many different thoughts surface. The three that keep coming up are safety, environmental awareness and community.
 
We always strive to be as safe as possible in all our practices, and that tends to shine through in all our work. But what about environmental awareness and community? We realized that we need to work harder on these two topics.
As many of you may have noticed, this year we have started to focus more on community. We want to build up an epic dive community, where everyone can feel safe and comfortable spending time underwater. This means we need to get to know our dive buddies better. Therefore we've been hosting monthly pub nights to get together and enjoy each other's company while swapping dive stories and ideas.
Picture
But what about the rest of the community? We are still a part of a much bigger community, where not everyone dives. This community has allowed us to host many special events over the years, as well as support us in our efforts to grow. How do we help the Victoria community? Well for starters, we've started a food drive! All donations will go to the Mustard Seed, a non-profit that helps fight hunger in Greater Victoria. Every donation is appreciated, but as an incentive, anyone who donates five or more items will receive a free Rockfish Divers travel mug!
Picture
Finally the environment. We strongly believe in the statement made by Sylvia Earle, "No ocean, no life. No blue, no green." Because of this we want to make sure we care for our oceans. As divers we should be ambassadors for them, as we're the ones down there. We get to see first hand what the world is doing to our waters. We constantly see all the garbage, pollution and over fishing that goes on. So why aren't we doing anything? Well, we're starting.
Picture
We're starting off with the simple stuff that we should have done long ago. First, we're encouraging our suppliers to limit their plastics in packaging. We've also introduced paper bags, on the occasion you need something to carry all your new gear in. We now also have a public can and bottle recycling bin. 
All this stuff is great, but what about dealing with the stuff humans have already done to the environment? Well, that's where we need you. We've pledged to run at least three underwater clean ups per year. Our first one will be in honor of Earth Day, and will be held on April 20th. Our next will be in June, for World Ocean Day, and our last (for the year) will be in September for World Clean Up Day.

Underwater clean ups are a great way for everyone to give back, as well as ensure our dive sites remain pristine for years to come. On April 20th, for our first clean up of the year, we will be cleaning Ogden Point. There is loads of fishing line and hooks there that harm marine life, and create an entanglement hazard for divers, so we want to clear it up!

We will provide mesh bags for all, as well as dispose of all the rubbish brought up. As a treat for those who help out, there will be a raffle with some great prizes from PADI, Huish Outdoors, and more! There will also be a selection of baked goods and drinks for post dive "energy".  We hope to see you all there.
Picture
This year we want to change the way we dive. We want to bring community and environment back into the picture for everyone. We hope our changes will bring us all closer, and give us all better experiences underwater.
2 Comments

New cover on Inde!

1/11/2018

1 Comment

 
1 Comment

Just desserts after illness kept me out of the water for a long time

13/5/2018

1 Comment

 

Just desserts after illness kept me out of the water for a long time...
By Alisa S. Preston, Director and Master Instructor

Last fall...October 29, 2017 to be exact....had been my last dive. It was at Race Rocks, it was short and sweet - gliding over anemone gardens and constantly shadowed by a very large and friendly sea lion, and it ended early because I just felt 'off'. Very quickly upon returning to the surface I descended into a fever and the depths of a flu that kept me bed ridden for the next 4 weeks. Based on my doctors concern that I might never dive again, several months of respiratory treatment ensued, but my return to diving was further thwarted by a torn elbow extensor tendon and complicated dental work. One might imagine that after more than 6 months without being underwater only helps build up the excitement of returning to the sea. Alas, the longer I was out of the water, that excitement turned to dread that my scuba diving days might truly be over; a fear that I just couldn't shake. This led to all sorts of excuses from not being able to go because of the weather, that the vis was terrible, to being too busy getting my hair done (true story) despite being medically cleared to dive. 
PictureOrange Peel Nudibranch
Last week my husband and dive buddy finally had enough, and after an intervention of sorts I succumbed, agreed that I didn't have an excuse, and agreed to go diving.   We made plans for the West Shore this weekend for an easy dive to get back into the water. Despite my happy facade for the sake of the others on the dive boat, I joked with a hint of truth about whether I remembered how to dive let alone maintain my buoyancy, whether I would suck back my air too quickly, or most importantly, whether I could descend at all and be able to breath without bringing on a coughing fit. I needed a sign to snap me out from my self doubt, and I'm thankful one came to us out of the blue (or green based on our local waters).

The vis was poor, my new dental fillings tingled a bit, and the current was more than expected. While there was lots of colour from telia anemones, orange peel nudibranchs, cup corals and sea cucumbers, I was still distracted with the thoughts of worry going through my mind. But then amongst the boulders at Secretary Island off Sooke, BC, we came across just the sign I needed to re-ignite the passion for being underwater.

There was an octopus ballooned into a strange ball with what seemed like far too many legs. At first this creature had slowed its breathing in hopes of not being detected; it was like a stereogram where your eyes needed to relax and focus on what was truly happening. Then after a while, it started moving about in search of a den and we could see that we had stumbled across the final blow in a fight to the finish between two large male octopuses. The survivor was settling in to enjoy the victor's feast and had cloaked itself around it's competition, leaving only a dangling hectocotylus arm to confirm that the dual had been male versus male. (You can actually see the hectocotylus arm, or the private parts of a male octopus, of both creatures in the video above, and a close up of the losing octopus below. The distinguishing feature is no suckers at the end of the arm).
Picture
Hectocutylus Arm of the defeated octopus.
While I know we were extremely lucky to witness the end of such a battle rarely seen by divers, this just reminded me how thankful I am for being able to dive, and to never give up on doing what I love for as long as I can. You just never know what you might find! 

Just remember though, if you have been sick or injured and this has taken you out of the water for a while, before jumping back in it is highly recommended you see a doctor first. Being impatient and not looking after yourself is not worth the risk. But when you are healthy and ready to dive, find a buddy that you are comfortable with and choose an environment that let's you ease back into the flow of diving. I can't promise that you'll start off again with two octopuses hugging it out, but you just never know.

Thanks to the very supportive dive group and surface crew: Kat, Sam, Paul, Jenn, Mike, Neil and Cassandra for making my return to the ocean such an incredible day!   And special thanks to Tyler for helping me remember what I had been missing.
#RaceRocksEcologicalReserve #Scuba #ScubaDiving #BacktoDiving 
#RockfishDivers #ScubaDiving #DiveCharters #Community #Education 
#ProtectTheEnvironment #VictoriaBC #BritishColumbia #BestBCDiving #PNW 
#GiantPacificOctopus #OrangePeelNudibranch #TeliaAnemone #TreaureChestFound #SafeDiving #WestShore ​#SecretaryIsland #HopeSpot #ColdWaterDiving #SookeBC #EmeraldSea #HectocotylusArm #ScubaNerd
1 Comment

Rockfish Divers - Scuba Family

22/2/2018

0 Comments

 

Rockfish Divers - Scuba Family
By Alisa S. Preston, Director and Master Instructor

PictureSam enjoying a dive in Saanich Inlet
l would like to begin this post with a toast to Sam, who has been a significant presence in the Rockfish Divers store for the last several months.   He joined us in August, and has met every person who walked in with an unwaivering, friendly smile, and we have had consistent, oustanding feedback about his customer service as he did his best to make everyone feel welcome while learning the ropes of running a dive store and furthering his diving education.   Sam has always been eager to learn more, and has had an exceptionally positive attitude about everything even in times of trial.   Sam is such a genuinely nice guy to everyone, and for me personally he has been someone who always managed to make my day a little brighter because he truly cares and wants to hear how things are going - albeit a boring day in the office, or the most incredible dive experience from that morning.   He always listens with dedicated enthusiasm at whatever you have to share or anything you want to ask about, and steps up to lend a hand (such as jumping in to empty the truck full of tanks after a busy dive charter).

We are sad to share that Sam's last day with Rockfish will be Saturday, February 24th, after which he will be heading off to enjoy the next few months of snow and a fabulous summer in the BC interior before starting courses at BCIT in Vancouver where he'll be studying marketing management in the fall. We wish him the absolutely best, and of course look forward to him returning to visit and say hi and dive  in the future.   

This leads me into the topic of our scuba family, and the value we place in our team at Rockfish Divers.   While we put much emphasis on the safety, skills and experience of our staff, the greatest gift that we get is a sense of family that only comes from having a strong team.   The ability to work together, respect each other, laugh, have fun with and support one another is something that upholds the pillars of our Rockfish dive community and expands out to our customers, friends and family.   It is something that Sam has played a role in, and we look forward to current and new staff continuing the legacy of the Rockfish Scuba Family.

A few of my lasting memories of Sam: 
  1. Seeing Sam's excitement after his first cold water dive where he was actually warm.   His smile was nothing short of contagious.
  2. Sam asking if he could have a hug after an exceptionally challenging day, which actually left me so touched that I went home in tears afterwards.   Despite these challenges, Sam managed to carry himself through the day with such poise that he earned a lifetime of respect from me.
  3. Wiping off the print of his forehead from the sliding door of our staff Christmas Party venue, after Sam had inadvertently walked right into the glass, which resulted in a resounding "boing" sound.

Good luck Sam - you will be missed!
Thank you to all of those who are part of our extended Rockfish Divers Scuba Family and stay tuned for more fun in 2018!

#RockfishScubaFamily #RockfishDivers #RockfishTeam #ScubaFamily #RockfishCommunity #RockfishFamily

0 Comments

5 Year Anniversary, 12 Days of Rockfishmas, New Loyalty Program and much more....

29/11/2017

1 Comment

 

5 Year Anniversary, 12 Days of Rockfishmas, New Loyalty Program and much more....

By Alisa S. Preston, Director and Master Instructor

PictureStill having fun after 5 years as Rockfish Divers! Photo credit: Ron DeVries
While the business has actually been in operation for 15 years, it was 5 years ago today when Tyler and I shook hands, closed our eyes, and leaped into the icy cold December waters of Saanich Inlet as the new owners of Rockfish Divers. So much has happened in what appears to be such a short time, but in some ways we can hardly remember what our lives were like before Rockfish. However, the pace of our existence has been more akin to a roller coaster ride with all sorts of exciting ups and down, and it just keeps getting better. In small family businesses, continuing to be in operation after 3 years is a small miracle given the challenges of finances, relationships, economic stability, and unknown risks. Making it to 5 years is pretty special. What we are especially proud of is the values we outlined in our very first business plan are very much the core behind our continuing business today:

Community
  • We wanted to create a diving culture that was inclusive and safe for everyone. with events both above and below the surface that appealed to divers, snorkelers, and ocean enthusiasts from all walks of life. 
Education
  • We not only wanted to train high calibre divers at all levels, but we wanted to instill passion in our students based on offering training programs that go beyond skills.   This includes a foundation in the local ecosystems that we are diving in and the impact we as divers can have.
Protecting the Environment
  • The underwater world off British Columbia is more prolific and diverse than almost anywhere else in the world, and it is a diver's paradise.  We are the ambassadors for the ocean, and every thing we can do to hold off the threats that exist today (over fishing, pollution, ocean warming) makes a difference.

Our goal of integrating education opportunities, equipment availability both for rent and purchase, and offering lots of opportunities for fun and rewarding experiences was achieved early, and has been continuing to build ever since.   However, we couldn't have done this without the incredibly supportive Rockfish Divers community that we are very thankful to have.   This segues into our latest announcement!

We are very excited to kick off this year's "12 Days of Rockfishmas" with a new initiative that gives back to our customers.   For every dollar spent at Rockfish, 5% of the pre-tax value will be added to our new "Charter Bucks" loyalty program (used equipment purchases and dive travel external to Rockfish excluded).   These funds can be applied at any time towards the diving or snorkeling charters available through Rockfish Divers, or towards dive equipment rentals (based on availability).   With our enhanced charter program, and new Rockfish Divers Charter Membership, this is the gift that continues to give back over and over.

​However, our staff at Rockfish all agree that "Charter Bucks" is a really lame name!   Please help us choose a better name for our new loyalty program.   You can submit your suggestions through the entry page below for your chance at a special door prize to be announced at the end of Rockfishmas 2017 along with the chosen revised name for this program.

From Tyler, myself (Alisa) and all of us at Rockfish Divers, Merry Fishmas and thank you for your continuing support.

#RockfishDivers #Rockfishmas #ScubaDiving #DiveCharters #LocayltyProgram #CharterBucks #Community #Education #ProtectTheEnvironment #DiveCharterMembership #VictoriaBC #BritishColumbia #BestBCDiving


    What should we call our new Rockfish Loyalty Program Name?

    Please note that Rockfish Divers will only use the information submitted for the purposes of selecting a new name for our Loyalty program and contacting the person who submits the best suggestion and wins the door prize that will be announced on December 12, 2017 after closing.   If an improved name is not determined, all entries will be put into a blind draw.
Submit
1 Comment

Top Ten Dive Sites in the Greater Victoria Area

23/11/2017

2 Comments

 

Top Ten Dive Sites in the Greater Victoria Area

By Tyler R. Preston, PADI Course Director

I've held off writing this kind of blog for many years as I always knew the West Shore had great diving and without experience in that area, it would not be an accurate representation of the diving off Greater Victoria.  

Sometimes it's difficult to make Top Ten lists like this; doing a dive with 100' of vis and having a giant pacific octopus join you out of its den can skew  personal experience.  Should the next person come along in 5' of vis with little more than a sandy bottom, they may have a completely different dive.  My personal opinion is that you need to do a dive many times so you can take the overall sum of all of your experiences in order to properly assess the site.  

Take the following with a grain of salt: some divers like wrecks, some like walls, some like the challenge of tech diving.   Your opinion may differ from the next divers'........ this is the dive industry after all.

#10
Ogden Point Breakwater
Ogden Point is an excellent shore dive.  Given the diversity of life, accessibility and proximity to Victoria it is definitely worthy of being in the top ten Victoria dive sites.  I'm personally not fond of the walk out to dive flag 4 or 5, but if you are after a quick, easy and diverse site, Ogden point is a great choice.  
Picture
10th best dive site - Ogden Point, Victoria, BC.
Picture
Picture

​#9
Nudibranch Wall
Nestled in Sansum Narrows, I'm guessing few have been diving here before.  Although a bit of an environmental nightmare left over from commercial fishing in the past, the wall is exceptional given that you can dive it virtually any time despite current tables.  Nudibranchs and a dense array of fish and anemones cover this very steep wall, but the most interesting part is the huge nets draped along the wall.  As mentioned it is horrifying to think about the quantity of life that was likely once caught under these massive nets.   However, they bring a really eery and cool feel to the site. 
Picture
9th best dive site - Nudibranch Wall, Victoria, BC
Picture

​#8
Great Race (Race Rocks)
Sea lions, sea lions, sea lions!  If you're after big interactive life, Great Race should be on your list!  Although you will still see lots of other cool life, this dive is non-stop sea lions.  Nothing quite like staring a sea bear in the eyes, while others are right behind you likely making faces.
Picture
8th best dive - Great Race, Race Rocks, BC
Picture

#7
Swordfish Island 
The big draw to Swordfish is the swim through, which is a cavern of sorts.   Swimming through the tunnel is truly amazing.  There are few sites locally that have the color diversity found in the Swordfish swim through.   It doesn't hurt that the wall along the island is also great - often visited by sea lions, huge Puget sound king crabs, octopus and wolf eels.   There is no wonder Swordfish is a great dive to accompany a Race Rocks charter.
Picture
7th best dive - Swordfish Island, Victoria, BC
Picture

​#6
HMCS McKenzie
At 366' long, the McKenzie is massive, has a serious cool factor, and is packed with life.  It's subjected to a lot of current so you need to be cautious on when you plan your dives, but the wreck has a lot of life - anemones, big cabezon, tube worms, barnacles and much more.  It would be higher on my list, but the current and highly variable vis drop it a notch or 2 for me.


Picture
6th best dive - HMCS McKenzie, Victoria, BC
Picture

#5
Senanus Island Glass Sponges
The sponges hold an mysterious allure for most divers.  Found at over 100'/30m of depth, the sponges are homes to crab, squat lobsters, and lots of jeuvenile rockfish in a dark eery setting.  The inlet often has exceptional visibility and tends to be even better down at the sponges.  Nothing quite like seeing a big white sponge the size of a smart car appear out of the darkness.
Picture
5th best dive - Senanus Island Sponges, Victoria, BC
Picture

​#4
Burial Islet
Nestled in the middle of Sansum Narrows, Burial Islet is a macro haven.  This high current area is like diving over rolling hills covered in freshly fallen snow given the coverage of so many white short plumose anemones.   Although not a lot of seals or sea lions, the density of smaller critters is impressive. 
Picture
4th best dive - Burial Island, Victoria, BC
Picture

#3
Ten Mile Point
Ten Mile Point is the best shore dive I have done anywhere.  Although you don't see a lot of big life (except octopus and the odd wolf eel...oh yeah, and the big cabezons), the macro life here is exceptional. Warbonnets, grunt sculpins, anemones, scallops and so much more in only a square foot or .25m.  The locals love Ten Mile, and will hit the water at any time of day or night to catch a good slack.   It's no wonder you find lots of divers at the nearest local pub comparing photos on the quarter moon each month.   
Picture
3rd best dive - Ten Mile Point, Victoria, BC
Picture

#2
Secretary Island
As you push out towards open ocean, the sea life changes.  The density of life on this island is impressive, but the diversity is even better.  The west wall at Secretary is still my favorite especially with good visibility.  You almost always get a visit from sea lions, and you can dive on or off slack! Strawberry anemones, pacific sea nettles, orange peel nudibranchs and much more can be seen here.
Picture
2nd best dive site - Secretary Island, Victoria, BC
Picture

#1
West Race (Race Rocks)
West Race is truly a world class dive site.  I can only think of a few dives on the planet I would consider to be better than West Race.  Lots of sea lions (but not so many that it is distracting), octopus, wolf eels, basket stars, strawberry anemones, Puget sound king crabs and more anemones than you can imagine.  The diversity and density of critters make this dive amazing, but when you throw in several sea lion visits on a single dive - in my opinion, it is the best dive off Greater Victoria, in the top five (5) in British Columbia, and the top ten (10) in the world!  
Picture
West Race Rocks, Best dive in Victoria, BC
Picture


Honorable mentions:


Beechy Head - I haven't done this site enough to experience its potential.  It is very subjected to current, but as I was blowing across at a knot or so, the wall was packed with life - the 6 or 7 pacific sea nettles didn't hurt either (I avoided the sting, but they were incredible to see)!

McCurdy Point - a Saanich Inlet favorite, especially when the vis is poor in the inlet.   For some reason, McCurdy always seems to have the best visibility when everywhere else is like soup.   The boot sponges along this wall are very impressive.

Moon jelly dive - the Saanich Inlet near the mouth of Tod Inlet hosts millions of moon jellies in the summer into late fall.  Accessible by shore or boat, diving with countless moon jellies is always good fun.

Lunch at Portland Island - There is nothing like stopping for lunch and a pee break after diving in the Southern Gulf Islands, especially sites including the GB Church, Arbutus Island or Schute reef.  I love pulling up on the beach and picking fresh apples for a snack in late summer, and driving home as the sun sets with spectacular colours.   

My list is never complete!  Really, we could make this the top 20, or even 50, but you have to cap it somewhere.   More extensive lists would definitely include:
  • North Race (Race Rocks),
  • Arachne Reef (Southern Gulf Islands),
  • Church Islands (West Shore)
​....wherever the next exploratory dive takes us!   Stay tuned for future top ten lists that have a specific focus, such as top ten topography dives, top ten macro dives, and so on.

#RockfishDivers #DiveCharters #Scuba #HopeSpot #SaanichInlet #SouthernGulfIslands #WestShore #RaceRocks #SeaLions #MacroLife #Ocean #Charters #Diving #GreaterVictoria #VancouverIsland #BritishColumbia

2 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    ​Rockfish Divers is focused on community and educating divers on safety and environmental issues that impact the aquatic ecosystem.   If you have an idea for a topic you would like us to feature, please submit it through the link below and stay tuned.

    Archives

    August 2021
    July 2021
    April 2019
    November 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    June 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Diving
    • Weekly Drop-in Dives >
      • Drop-in Registration
      • Recurring Drop in Diver
    • Shore Diving >
      • Saanich Inlet
      • Central Victoria
    • Dive Site Difficulty Ranking
  • Courses
    • Scuba & Other Training >
      • Discover Scuba
      • Open Water Course >
        • Open Water Course Registration
      • Scuba Review
      • Advanced Open Water
      • Rescue Diver
      • Emergency Response
    • Specialties >
      • Drysuit Specialty
      • Self Reliant Diver Specialty
      • Nitrox Specialty
      • Oxygen Provider
      • Search and Recovery
      • Equipment Specialty
      • Deep Specialty
      • Gas Blender Specialty
      • Night Specialty
      • Sidemount Diver Specialty
      • Peak Performance Buoyancy
      • Underwater Photography
      • Navigation Specialty
      • Project AWARE
    • Go Pro >
      • Divemaster
    • Course Registration
  • Equipment
    • 2023 Rental Sale
    • Used Equipment Sales
    • Buy
    • Rent
    • Repair & Service
  • Vacations
    • Galapagos
    • Travel Abroad Program
    • Victoria Visitors
  • About
    • Our Crew
    • Newsletter
    • Gallery
    • RESOURCES
  • Contact