Victoria & Area Favorite Dive Spots

Good day to you all. Todays topic ..... Diving. It's always diving. I would like to share with you my favorite local dive spots: shore and boat dives. I have been asked by several visitors from abroad to name just a few that I like. Lets start off by just naming the sites as my web site will give you more detailed information on the sites themselves. In Sidney, we have the awesome beginner dive spot being Glass Beach /ReefBalls. Located just 150' from the back door of Liquid Heaven. We have approx. 750 reefBalls out front that have been placed in 10' to 35' of water over the last several years by many volunteers. Liquid Heavens' volunteers are today still placing the reefBalls one by one in exactly the location we desire them to go. We now have a ReefBall highway from the Bevan Peir to the 35' wreck and then to the Sidney Wharf. The marine life that it has attracted is very exciting as we see more life by the week. Ling Cod, perch, shrimp, eels, crabs of all sorts and sizes and many beautiful anenomeos. I dived here 25 years ago and have never seen it so wonderful. After you do your dive, enjoy the 3 headed shower in the parking area near the dive site to rinse off your dive gear. And hey, air fills for $5.

Just a hop skip and jump from Sidney we have the protected Saanich Inlet that offer many many dive sites within a few minutes walk from the parking areas. The sites that are most commonly used by divers are Moses Point, Deep Cove, Warrier point, Braemar, Dyer rocks (near Coles Bay), Henderson Point, Willis Point, Mackenzie Bight, The Lord Jim in Mill Bay just to name the most popular sites within 5 to 40 minutes a way from the store. These are all great beginner dive sites except maybe Willis point which drops off sharply into the depths and advanced experience is needed. Of course, anywhere you should dive, it should be with a buddy.

As far as boat dives, wow there are so many. First lets talk about the protected area of the Saanich Inlet. Some dive locations are Christmas point, the White Lady, McCurdy Point, the Cement plant, Marauders Wall, Senanus North, Senanus South, Sponges at Senanus, Dyer Rocks, Tozier, Patey Rock, Quibley Rock, Mackenzie Bight #3 and Whatcom Ledge.

As you move out of the Saanich Inlet you have Sansum Narrows, Cheery Point, Octopus Point, Burial Inlet and areas around Maple Bay are fantastic. If you head over towards Swartz Bay you have Arbutus Island, some nice diving around Peirs Island (which for your information use to be a type of prison/ concentration camp years ago).

Most dive stores can be of great importance to you for compass coordinates to areas of interest such as octopus dens or wolf eel caves. Most seasoned instructors from any store are always willing to share their special locations to all student divers that show an interest in diving new areas. As an instructor since 1989, I am still so excited to teach and dive in any chance I get. Liquid Heaven has a group every sunday that go out to new locations to scope out new areas of interest. The group is called sunday divers and they meet at Liquid Heaven every sunday at 9 am and depart for 2 to 3 dives. This group gets larger by the week and now has become quite a topic to write about. You can find them on facebook, like everything else. You should try make it one weekend and see for yourself if this is a group that would interest you. There are many groups throughout the Victoria area some through dive stores, some not. Their all good because they promote diving to the seasoned and beginners divers. I thank all the groups that are in existance in the Victoria region. As a diver, you want to find a store, a group or network of people that you will fit into to. Some like to wreck dive, some deep dive and some just like to explore different areas. Most people in the Victoria, Sidney area do not know that we have two world war 2 planes in our waters in close proximity to our store, a munitions dump as well and a few large natural wrecks that are rarely dived on. There is so much to explore here in Sidney, come on in and sign up for a course or weekend excursion..
More to come in the next few blogs...


"Dream Deep, Dive Inspired"
Padi Grandadi