Channel Islands, California
Livaboard Diving Excursions

California's Channel Islands are one of the last untouched, undeveloped areas of the world. The Islands are comprised of eight islands off the coast of Southern California, extending for about 160 miles from Point Conception to San Diego, the most famous and well-populated island being Santa Catalina Island.

Five of the Islands fall within the boundaries of Channel Islands National Park including San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Barbara Island. San Miguel has the distinction of supporting five species of seals and sea lions, more than anywhere else in the North Pacific. The Channel Islands are truly an experience in untouched natural beauty; incorporating hundreds of miles of unspoiled island coastlines and species of wildlife found nowhere else on earth. Each individual island has its own charm, lore, wildlife and geography.When cruising the waters around the Channel Islands, you'll behold the natural beauty of rugged peaks and precipitous cliffs, sea water spraying to the heavens from naturally formed island blowholes and see island shores teeming with breeding colonies of sea birds, seals and sea lions.

Diving in the kelp forests around the Channel Islands is a unique experience. Similar to tropical waters, the waters are clear with lavish flora and fauna representing every hue imaginable, but unlike tropical diving giant kelp offers another dimension to your dive. Diving in kelp is similar to a walk in a lush forest of trees with these plants growing to heights of more than 120 feet. Giant kelp helps support an aquatic ecosystem that provides domicile for over more than 800 species of marine life.

A Channel Islands trip offers you the opportunity to discover a variety of underwater landscapes. Water visibility in these waters can range from 40 to 100 feet and on rare occasions sometimes even up to 150 feet. There are untold opportunities for viewing and photographing a panorama of underwater vistas. Unlike the coral reefs of tropical waters, the reefs in the Channel Islands are comprised of varied types of rock structures. Like coral reefs, the cracks and crevices provide ideal living quarters for many species. The rocks are overlaid with brightly colored bouquets of anemones, starfish, and garlands of hydrocoral, sponges, and sea fans. Moray eels, octopus, abalone, rock scallops, California spiny lobsters, and a host of others inhabit rock fissures and crevices. Divers may chance upon giant black sea bass weighing in at 500 pounds, or a halibut, lingcod, vermilion rockfish, calico bass and more. Migrating gray whales, blue whales, hump back whales, schools of dolphins, seals and sea lions are familiar sightings in the Channel Islands during crossings. Bring plenty of film on these trips.

2 Day Livaboard Boat Charter $295

Includes:

• Accommodatoin on board
• All meals on board
• Unlimited diving
• Unlimited air fills

Does not include:

• Transportation to and from Santa Barbara
• Diving Equipment Rental

Trip Dates:
2003 Schedule not available yet

---

Hood Canal, Washington
Diving Excursions

Although named Hood Canal, it is not really a canal at all. Hood Canal is a long, narrow, fjord extending nearly 100 miles along the base Olympic Mountains, through the Olympic National Park. It is a unique area where snow capped mountains meet a clear blue sea. Only a little over an hour from Seattle, the few communities along Hood Canal are a generation apart. Once a thriving, logging industry boomed along the west shore of Hood Canal. Now the area consits of National Park lands and vast stretches of uncluttered, forested coastline. It gets even more amazing when you step off that shore and descend into the clean waters of the canal. Because there is little to no development along the shore of the canal, there is little runnoff and the visibility is usually very good. 50 to 80 foot visibility is fairly normal and 100 plus is not unusual. Because of the great length of the canal, tidal currents are diminished and the currents Northwest divers have come to expect, do not exist. Another benefit of the long stretch from the ocean into hood Canal is that it does not get a full exchange of water as often as Puget Sound and so the water gets substantially warmer in the summer and autumn. Water temperatures pushing 70 degrees have been recorded. If you are looking for a unique, northwest diving experience, come to Hood canal.

Weekend Excursions $175
These are 2 day trips with unlimited diving. All diving is done from the shore, but in many places that shore drops instantly to depths measured in hundreds of feet. All trips include transportation from Seattle/Tacoma and back, 1 nights accommodation and if you do not have your own, tanks & weights. 2 air fills per day are also included. Unlimited diving is available, but each diver will be responsible for their own air for any dives beyond the first two. Trips do not include meals or diving equipment rental.

Trip Dates:
Currently no trips are scheduled. If you are going to be in the Seattle area and would like to dive Hood Canal, contact us and we will do our best to arrange something for you.

---

Vancouver Island, British Colombia, Canada
Diving Excursions

Wall diving, wreck diving, reef diving, drift diving, whales, dolphins, wolf eel, Giant octopus, fish, fish and more fish. Well, what can I say, British Colombia offers world class diving. For 2 years in a row BC has been rated by the readers of Rodales Magazine to be the "Best Dive Destination" in North America! It was also rated #1 in 6 other categories, including "Best Value, Best Advanced Diving, Best Wall Diving and Healthiest Marine Life". It is rapidly becoming the dive destination of choice among Cold water divers. We welcome you to join us on one of our trips to Vancouver Island and see for yourself.

Weekend Excursion: $195 per diver
Includes:

• 2 days diving ( 4 dives minimum)
• At least 1 day will be spent diving the wrecks, Saskatchewan & Cape Breton
• Tanks & weights
• 1 Nights accommodation at Nanaimo's Best Western Dorchester Inn

  (The Dorchester is in the heart of downtown overlooking the inner harbor. Easy walking distance to restaurants and clubs for an evening out.) Discount on meals at the hotel restaurant

Does not include:

• Transportation to or from Vancouver Island. (We will carpool from Seattle)
• Ferry fee from mainland to Vancouver Island ($9 Canadian each way, $18 total)
• Meals, although we do get a discount at the hotel
• Diving Equipment Rental beyond tank and weights
• Accommodation in Seattle for those of you coming in from elsewhere

  (If coming in from outside Seattle you should plan to fly in Friday evening and stay near the airport. If you are not renting a car and would like to carpool with us, we can pick you up from your hotel in the morning. We will return to Seattle Sunday evening and you should plan to stay overnight and fly out Monday. We will finish diving about noon Sunday so you would be able to fly out by mid day Monday)

Trip Dates:
2003 Schedule not available yet

---

Loreto, Baja, Mexico
National Marine Park
Diving Excursions

There is so much to see in Loreto National Marine Park Islands, that you could easily spend a month diving every day and never do the same sight twice. Within the confines of the park, there are 44 dive sites, and if we include sites as far as Las Animas, there over 90 dive sites. The majority of the dive sites are relatively shallow, from the surface to 60 feet(20 meters) ideal for the novice diver and long bottom times. However, for the diver wanting to explore deeper sites, there are some spectacular vertical walls covered with sea fans and ledges, and sea mounts rising from great depths to as shallow as 50 feet.

The majority of the sea life found around Loreto is present throughout the year, however, some species are mostly found during certain months. During the summer months of July and August, it is not unusual to dive with giant mantas whale sharks. There is also a high likelihood of seeing Hammerhead sharks, dolphins, turtles and sea lions. Throughout the year there is a permanent presence of more than 200 species of tropical fish.

Water temperature in July and August will range from 88 to 90 degrees!!!! The drysuit stays home :)
This Marine Park has only recently been opened to diving. Come along now and see it while it is still in a pristine state.

5 Nights, 4 Days of Diving $475 per diver
Includes:

• Airport transfers
• Entrance Fees to Loreto National Marine Park
• 5 nights accommodation, based on double occupancy
• Breakfast all days
• 4 days of diving
• Tanks & weights
• Lunch on the boat on dive days
• Unlimited use of mountain bikes in Loreto
• A LOAD OF FUN

Does not include:

• Transportation to and from Loreto, Mexico
• Lunches or Dinners (does include breakfast and lunch on the boat on dive days)
• Diving Equipment Rental beyond tank and weights

Trip Dates:
2003 Schedule not available yet