Theme: Cold Water Diving in the Salish Sea

If you’ve gone diving in the tropics and enjoyed it, then maybe it’s time you faced the challenge of cold water diving. The Pacific Ocean between Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Vancouver on mainland British Columbia, Canada, and Seattle in Washington, USA is called by its First Nations name Salish Sea. I live in Victoria, and in 2013 I enrolled in the PADI Open Water scuba diving certification course at Frank White’s Dive Center. The water temperature doesn’t vary much throughout the year. In the summer it may get to 12 degrees celsius and in the winter down to 7 degrees. The visibility in the winter is very good. Vancouver Island is considered one of the best places to dive in the world. We don’t have coral reefs but instead have rock reefs.

Because the water is always cold you need either a heavy wet suit or a drysuit. To rent a drysuit you have to be certified to use one. It’s what I use.

During April’s A to Z Blogging Challenge I will be covering different aspects and topics related to cold water scuba diving around Victoria. So if you happen to be visiting one of the three main cities in this area you could go diving. You can take the drysuit course, and then either join an organized group dive or hire a divemaster to take you. You’ll need your PADI or other certification card as well as knowing how many dives you’ve been on.

When I go I like to take along my small camera in its waterproof case. There is a diverse amount of sea life to see here including the giant octopus and giant plumose anemone.

I hope you enjoy reading about ocean exploration and the photos I will be posting.