Diving in Vancouver - Part I
Posted By Christopher Chin on 16 August 2005
Armed with Landon’s map and a couple of tanks from IDC, I took a scenic drive up to Whytecliff Park, Canada’s very first Marine Protected Area. The park is a popular destination for divers and topsiders alike, so parking can be at a premium on the weekends past mid-morning. I found that it’s most convenient to park near the concession stand, as the two paths to the water lie on either side of that building. Additionally, parking near the concession stand also puts you pretty much in front of a large lawn and a picnic table perfectly convenient for setting up gear.
Once at the park, I met up with and befriended a group from Ocean Quest, a PADI 5 star Instructor Development Center and full service technical shop located in Burnaby. Ocean Quest also has an Oxygen booster, allowing them to provide any custom blend to high pressure tanks.
After signing the appropriate waivers, Kellie and Ashley welcomed me into the group along with those they were leading, and we all gathered to plan our dive.
There are three basic dives at Whytecliff Park: “Left”, “Right”, and “The Cut”. The Cut requires a bit more of a swim, and is considered an advanced dive because of the possible depths and currents, but it is well worth it if conditions are favorable and you and your buddy are experienced with wall diving. Going “right” often brings people to the mouth of the cut, so you still get a taste of the wall’s topography and biodiversity.
Facing the concession stand (and the water), the path to the left is a “gentle” 15-20% grade and runs about 200-300 feet down to the beach. The path on the right is shorter, but also a little steeper, and includes some stairs at the bottom. The path on the right has the added bonus of a freshwater rinse station, but neither path is a joy on a warm summer day with a drysuit.
- Bookmark with :
- what are these?
