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Dive Review of Dynamike Dive Charters in
Canada/Quadra Island, BC

Dynamike Dive Charters, Sep, 2004,

by Ken Robertson, Alberta, Canada (Reviewer Reviewer 5 reports). Report 1383.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 5 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 1 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This was my second trip to Mike and Darlene Richmond's dive operation on Quadra Island, BC., and certainly will not be my last - this is a great dive operation. The lodge is about a 4 minute ride from the marina and is set back amongst the tall cedar trees, so it is a very quiet place to be once the divers pack it in for the night. A converted logger crew truck takes the divers to and from the marina. The accomodations are very comfortable, with the divers having their own spaceous walk-out floor at the lodge. There are 5 bedrooms which can handle 10 people, and a hot tub for 8. The food is just so good and plentiful - you will not go hungry there!

The dive boat is about 25 feet long and can comfortably take up to 12 divers. The dive ladders accomodate fins and Mike is always there to help anyone out of the water. Longest time to any of the dive sites we visited this trip was about 30 minutes. The boat also has on-board storage lockers so that divers can safely leave everything but their exposure suits on board if they chose.
Mike Richmond has a good selection of dive sites to chose from including walls, wrecks, and terraces, and current/drift dives. He has also been a strong voice in protecting the marine life in the area for a couple of decades now. Mike can adapt on the fly once he gets a feel for the experience levels of the divers. He has a quiet engaging manner with his guests and provides help to those of lessor experience in a nice easy going way.

The marine life is fascinating. Lots of interesting critters on the walls and in crevices. Numerous types of fish, with the biggest I saw being about 4 feet. I did not go much below 70 feet for any of my dives, so I likely missed the bigger fish. Only saw one octopus this time, and that was during the night dive. No wolf eels this time, although there were signs that they were about. There were some particlualy interesting areas where we would pass through areas completely covered in soft corals, anemoes, barnacles, crabs, feather worms, etc. and then hit an area with very little life on it other than urchins. The healthy areas seem to have expanded since my dives with Dynamike two years ago. We did the wreck of the HMCS Columbia and it looked even better for sea life than it did when I was on it in April. My favourites would be Copper Cliffs and Steep Island.

Chances are you will not see much in the way of advertsing about this place other than the website, as the majority of Dynamike's business is repeat customer. Bookings are typically 1-year ahead to get the time spot you want. Needless to say our 2005 time slot has been already reserved.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving All over the Caribeean, Boanire, Curacoa, Mexico (both coasts), Galapagos, Greece, Tahiti, Cook Islands, Fiji and Canada's West Coast.
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, cloudy, dry Seas calm
Water Temp 52-55°F / 11-13°C Wetsuit Thickness 0
Water Visibility 20-30 Ft/ 6-9 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Lots of freedom for experienced divers. Suggested "restrictions" for divers with lessor experience.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 1 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 1 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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