Neck Point – Nanaimo, British Columbia

Access: Shore dive.

Location: Neck Point Park is accessed off of Hammond Bay Road in Nanaimo.

What you’ll find: This site is very popular with scuba divers so if you go there you will likely see some bubble blowers. The park itself is lovely and supports a large variety of vegetation. The park is named after the shape of the peninsula that projects out in Georgia Strait. The projection is such that it extends out almost as far as the Five Finger Islands, which are easily seen from the ferry. The peninsula creates a sheltered dive setting from either the North West or South East, which are the prevailing directions of the wind. In the summer the winds are usually from the North West, while in the winter the winds are typically South East, so by hiding behind the point one can avoid much of the weather. The point itself is rock that gradually resolves into sand at varying depths. The marine life is quite good with representations of much of the marine life that the Strait of Georgia has to offer. The point affords diving for any level of skill. One may dive in the shelter of the bay in 3 to 10 meters of water or follow the rocky point down to the sand bellow in 20-30 meters.

This is a good spot to dive except when the blooms are on in the summer, when the visibility can make it hard to see your hand in front of your face.

Submitted by Doug Morgan