Nanaimo

Nanaimo is the wreck capital of British Columbia. With four artificial reefs all within easy reach. You really could not want for more. In addition to the wrecks, Nanaimo offers several fantastic drift dives.

Favorite Dive Sites

Xihwu (737)

The Xihwu (pronounced key quot) artificial reef is a decommissioned Boeing 737-200 airframe, the only dive site of its kind in the world. "Xihwu" is the Hul qumi num word for Red Sea Urchin. The plane serves as a unique artificial reef dive. Penetration is easy as the plane has been opened up for entry. The front cabin is mostly in tact and the nose of the plane has been adorned with a large first nation mask.

Dodd Narrows

Dodd Narrows is a narrow tidal stream only 180 feet wide and can see tides of 8 to 9 knots at depths from 65 to 85 feet. This creates an ideal habitat for an awe-inspiring assortment of marine life. We do this dive at slack or near slack the current will still be running about one knot and typically make a two way trip through the narrows to be picked up about where we start.

Gabriola Pass

Gabriola Pass is a beautiful, current swept pass off Gabriola Island. The lucky diver may encounter magnificent marine creatures, including the brilliant orange-red Puget Sound King Crab or one of the many multi-coloured nudibranchs. Many fish inhabit the local waters and coming nose-to-nose with a large Ling Cod is sure to provide lasting memories.

HMCS Cape Breton

The HMCS Cape Breton was sunk off Snake Island very close to the Saskatchewan on October 20th, 2001. This makes her the second largest diver prepared reef in the world. The Cape Breton went down with an awesome pyrotechnic display in 3minutes while thousands of onlookers watched.

HMCS Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan was sunk on June 14, 1997. She lies upright in approximately 130 feet of water with the radar platform accessible at 45 feet. She is a 366-foot Ex Mackenzie Class Destroyer Escort. There is little or no tidal current on this wreck and the marine growth since her sinking is amazing. This is a diver prepared wreck and is very wide open. Over 55,000 divers have seen her.

Rivtow Lion

The Rivtow Lion is a 157-foot long North Sea Rescue Tug. This 561-ton vessel was built to tow convoy ships damaged by German U-boats in WWII. The Nanaimo Dive Association (NDA) acquired the ship in early 2002, and following the remainder of the clean-up operation, have sunk her in Departure Bay, Nanaimo as a shallow water artificial reef, ideal for novice wreck diver training and sport diving all year round.

Preferred Accomodation

Painted Turtle Guesthouse

Our preferred accommodation in Nanaimo is at the Painted Turtle Guesthouse. The Painted Turtle is located in the heart of the arts district close to jazz clubs and blues bars. There are many restaurants near by to choose from. Rooms are quad share. Single or double rooms are available for an additional charge.

Preferred Dive Operator

Divers Choice Charters

We work with Divers Choice Charters a fantastic dive charter operation located in Nanaimo. The Shawn Tanis is a well appointed 50 foot yacht and is very stable with a beam. She has a head and shower for passenger convenience. She is very comfortable with all interior areas heated. We do surface intervals onboard and a hot homemade lunch is always included!