Ten Mile Point, Victoria, Canada
Ten Mile Point offers some of the finest diving in and around Victoria
BC. Vertical cliffs, plumose anemones, octopuses, swimming scallops and
the occasional ling cod all await the diver. And visability is generally
good to excellent. Watch the currents as they can be strong. Enter the
water from the parking area at the northern end of White Rock Ave. You
are advised to check the tidal current forecast below for the best diving
times. Generally 1 hour before slack to 30 minutes after. Recent reports
have indicated that currents tend to turn about 1 hour earlier than predicted.
Novice divers may prefer to enter at Spring Bay, a short distance west
and accessible off of Tudor Ave. Spring Bay, with steps to the water,
is an easy dive but somewhat boring.
The tidal current information is courtesy of David Flater. The dive site
faces due north, so it is generally very calm except when winds are northerly.
I have changed the wind reporting station to an Environment Canada pylon
on Kelp Reefs in Haro Straits. It reports average wind speed, not gusts.
If the wind is greater than 20 km/hr from the N you may encounter
rough water. Do watch for the wakes from large ships. It can take
15 to 30 minutes for the waves to arrive at the Point after a ship has
passed and can catch the unwary diver entering or leaving the water by
surprise. Enjoy your dive.
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