5 reasons why we love cold water diving

The PADI blog has just published a nice little article entitled “5 reasons why we love cold water diving”. We thought it would be fun to add 5 of our favourite, and different reasons we like cold water diving…

1. Colour. If you think sub aquatic colour is reserved for tropical diving, and barrier reefs, you’d be mistaken. Take a dive in the waters off Northern Vancouver Island and try keeping your reg in your mouth as your jaw drops. Imagine a cliff face, covered in greens and pinks, as emerald waters and sun rays dance in midday light. We can drop you in at any one of a dozen sites and you’d be hard pressed to find a square inch that wasn’t colourful.
2. Summer. Cold water diving doesn’t mean grey skies, rain, and hypothermia. No sir. The Comox Valley actually has some of the best weather in Canada. Come summer time our cold water diving means 30 degree surface temperatures, t-shirts, summer BBQ’s, and long days – which means more diving! And when the scorching sun gets too much on the surface, simply slip beneath the waves into a cool world of brightly lit fishy friends. Cold water diving in the summer time for us means moving our boats to Comox Marina, and visiting a host of sites, such as the impressive 100 year old SS Capilano wreck, and many topside sightings of humpback whales and orcas.
3. Winter. Cold water diving comes into it’s element during the winter. But what about the cold? Forget it! You don’t let that stop you from skiing right? Wear the right clothes and thermal protection and you’re good to go. It’s as easy as snowboarding  or making a snowman! During the winter, cold water diving benefits from the cooler temperatures and the waters become much clearer. Pacific Pro Dive & Marine Adventures relocates it’s charter boat to Campbell River, where we offer some of the most stunning diving in the world, Jacques Cousteau himself agreed. If the walls of colour mentioned above aren’t enough for you, then maybe a life changing animal encounter with sea lions during the new year will satisfy your quest for a life of adventure. The 800-1000 pound marine mammals love our cold water, and during the early months of the year, they can become your new dive buddy. Now you don’t get that in the tropics!
4. Hot chocolate. Not the 1970’s soul band, but the warming, soothing taste only found in a cup of freshly made dive charter hot beverage. Nothing warms your cockles better during a surface interval than a hot cuppa chocolate whilst you stay snug and cozy in your undergarment. Cold water divers also like to take this time to be social, for we are indeed a group that likes to chat, swap stories, give advice, tips, and laughs. Sure you get that anywhere, but with cold water divers you’re with a bunch of dedicated and passionate divers that won’t let little things like snow and ice get in the way of a good dive plan. Hot chocolate time is a cold water diver’s opportunity to relax amongst like- minded friends.
5. Diversity. Cold water diving, especially here in British Columbia, has it all. *Deep breath*… shore dives, boat dives, drift dives, deep dives, freshwater dives, ice dives, wreck dives, wall dives, reef dives, pinnacle dives, macro dives, kelp forests, large fish dives, marine mammal dives, blue water dives, altitude dives, live aboard dives, resort dives, day dives, night dives…. Any more? Possibly, but you get the idea. The cold waters of British Columbia are full of rich nutrients that are carried to the far corners of our coastline, resulting in a carpet of life found all over our cold water paradise.

We can think of a dozen, no a hundred reasons why we love cold water diving. But we can’t think of one reason not to.

Find out for yourself, start today: 1-877-800-DIVE