Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
with tidal-water licenses, prices vary according to your age and place of residence. Brit-
ish Columbia residents pay $36 for a freshwater adult license, good for one year. All other
Canadians pay $20 for a one-day license, $36 for an eight-day license, or $55 for a one-
year. Nonresident Canadians pay $20, $50, and $80, respectively. For more information,
contact the
Ministry of Environment
(
www.fishing.gov.bc.ca
)
and download the
British
Columbia Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis.
Scuba diving might not be the best-known recreational activity in the Vancouver area, but
some of the world's most varied and spectacular cold-water diving lies off the coast in
the Strait of Georgia (the legendary Jacques Cousteau once rated the strait second only to
the Red Sea). Unfortunately, a plankton bloom reduces visibility considerably through the
warmer months, so the best time of year for diving is winter, when the water is at its most
frigid. Most winter divers slip into a six-millimeter wetsuit or a drysuit; these can be ren-
ted from most dive shops. During winter visibility is incredible (up to 40 meters/130 feet),
especiallyoffshore.Hundredsofcolorfulmarinespeciesliveinnearbywaters,andwrecks
littertheseabed.AtPorteauBeach,northofHorseshoeBay,wreckshaveevenbeenplaced
just offshore for beach divers to enjoy. The most popular dive sites along the Strait of Ge-
orgia are along the Sunshine Coast, accessible by ferry from Horseshoe Bay.
One of the most accessible dive sites around Vancouver is
Porteau Cove,
along the
east shore of Howe Sound. It is best known among the diving fraternity for its artificial
reef of four sunken wrecks but also offers good swimming and fishing. It costs $5 per day
to park at the cove, and once inside the gate you'll find boat-launching and scuba-diving
facilities, an ecology information center, picnic tables, and a waterfront campground for
tents and RVs ($28 per night).
A quick flip through the Vancouver Yellow Pages lets you know that scuba diving is
alive and well north of the 49th parallel. The city's many scuba shops have everything
you need, and they are excellent sources of information on all the best local spots. They
can also usually tell you who is chartering what and when. Coming highly recommen-
ded is
Rowand's Reef Scuba Shop
(1512 Duranleau St., Granville Island, 604/669-3483,
www.rowandsreef.com
, 10am-6pm daily), a full-service dive shop offering rentals, sales,
organized diving trips, and PADI dive-certification courses throughout the year. The local
Diver
magazine (
www.divermag.com
) is an excellent source of information; its scuba dir-
ectory lists retail stores, resorts, charter boats, and other services.
