Curious About Cold-Water Diving? Here’s What to Expect
Vancouver is home to a great community of experienced divers that know these waters well. But for a lot of people, diving probably started as a vacation activity, most likely in a tropical place. And once they’re back in Vancouver, diving might not have crossed their mind — it’s cold, it’s not tropical, and they’re not on vacation.
Once you find out Vancouver offers some amazing diving opportunities, your next question will probably be — what is diving in cold water actually like?
It takes some extra preparation and a few new skills, but the payoff is huge: incredible marine life, striking underwater landscapes, and a tight-knit diving community that dives year-round.
If you’re already convinced and looking for a place to start, check out our Drysuit Certification Course!
How Cold-Water Diving Differs from Warm-Water Diving
The most obvious difference is temperature. Cold-water diving means additional exposure protection — a drysuit or 7 mm wetsuit, with gloves and a hood. That added bulk changes how you move and manage your gear, so expect to take things slower while you get comfortable.
Exposure gear affects movement too. With less dexterity and mobility from gloves and thick neoprene, it’s important to slow down, focus on controlled movements, and build confidence on shallow dives before heading deeper. It’s not that you’ll be able to do less underwater, but there is a learning curve. With experience, you’ll develop techniques and habits that make it all feel perfectly natural.
Adapting to Vancouver’s Cold-Water Diving Conditions
BC waters offer divers what’s sometimes called the “Emerald Sea,” named for its unmistakable green colouring underwater. It takes on an almost ethereal quality, caused by the particulates in our waters. This has the side effect of making visibility more limited — don’t expect crystal-clear, unlimited vis.
On the plus side, this brings you closer to the details, as you put more emphasis on awareness of your surroundings, sharpening both your buddy communication and observation skills. And you don’t want to miss those details: colourful nudibranchs, camouflaged octopus, wolf eels in their dens, and rockfish hiding in kelp. There is so much to see once you learn to move slowly and look closely.
Many of us have been joined underwater by curious sea lions or even a giant Pacific octopus wrapping its arms around our shoulders. Those moments bring you closer to our incredible local marine wildlife and remind you just how special diving here can be.
Start Your Cold-Water Diving Journey
Another consideration that may not be obvious at first is that cold-water diving is more physically demanding than diving in the tropics. On top of wearing thicker, heavier gear, your body works hard to stay warm underwater — burning up to 600 calories an hour.
Still, the rewards are worth it. Whether you’re a local who’s curious to learn about diving close to home, or you’re looking for an exciting new winter activity to explore, scuba diving in Vancouver is accessible, safe, and perfectly warm with the right gear.
If you’re ready to give it a try, the best way to start is with a drysuit course or guided dive at local sites. Diving Sports offers both, along with equipment rentals, training, and regular dive trips around Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
