CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF BUSINESS!
Spectacular Life
Local Area Knowledge & Expertise
Excellent Visibility
Come join us at Abyssal Diving Charters for a diving experience you will never forget and one that keeps scuba divers coming back for more year after year. Dive into the spectacular Vancouver Island waters that surround Campbell River, which is known for its excellent visibility plus colourful and bountiful life. Earl Lowe’s knowledge of the area, his captain skills, and his ability to place people in the water at just the right time on a current or drift dive is amazing and second to none. This area of British Columbia is also known as a photographer’s Mecca.
In a reader survey, Rodale’s Scuba Diving once rated British Columbia as the top dive destination in North America three years in a row. British Columbia continually tops most categories for its abundant sea life and best diving value:
Top macro life
Top fish life
Top underwater photography
Healthiest marine environment
Top advanced diving and
Top wall diving
Top value
The area earned second-place honours in visibility and places to dive with big animals. BC ranked third for its wreck diving.
Northwest Dive News and Canadian Diver magazines also rate the area very highly in the total diving experience in the Pacific North West. Jacques Cousteau and National Geographic Magazine have rated the area as the second best scuba diving in the world surpassed only by the Red Sea.
Let's go diving!
Quadra Island
Discovery Passage's many world-class dive sites have been luring scuba divers here since the early '80s when commercial divers would show visiting recreational divers the water's secrets. Since then, numerous articles in dive magazines and good old word of mouth have turned Campbell River and neighbouring Quadra Island into true diving destinations.
What's the secret?
Strong tidal currents. They provide food for the abundant, unique marine life that simply can't survive anywhere else. Visibility in this high-current eco-system rarely drops below 30 feet due to constant upwellings of clear water. Summertime plankton blooms only occur in the top 30-40 feet and are quickly diluted by these upwellings. This 30 foot-plus visibility is excellent for British Columbia in the summer, and in spring, fall, and winter the water is beautifully clear. Combine this with protected inside waters, mild weather, and you have the perfect spot for a British Columbia diving adventure.
YOUR HOST
Earl Lowe has been operating diving charters out of Campbell River since 1995. In 2000 Earl became the #1 dive charter operator in Campbell River when he expanded his business by taking over Abyssal Dive Charters.
Earl is a retired IANTD nitrox instructor and gas blender, PADI diving instructor, WCB commercial diver, Level 3 first aid instructor, St. John Ambulance first aid instructor, and BC Ambulance attendant.
Earl also has over 20 years of experience as a professional chef and butcher.
Abyssal Dive Charters has hosted scuba divers from every corner of the world. Whether it is a regular weekend getaway or a once-in-a-lifetime trip, we are committed to making your stay as memorable as possible.
We're happy to arrange other activities on Quadra Island or in Campbell River such as wildlife adventure tours, guided fishing charters, salmon snorkel tours.
GETTING HERE
We are located at Dock H2, Discovery Harbor Marina - 1374 Island Hwy, Campbell River BC
Driving
Check the BC Ferry Schedule for the ferry from either Horseshoe Bay or Tsawassen to Nanaimo (roughly 1.5 hours), then drive up the new Island Highway to Campbell River (driving time is less than 2 hours)
Bus Service
From Vancouver to Nanaimo - Greyhound Canada
From Nanaimo to Campbell River - Greyhound Canada
Flying
Destination Campbell River Regional Airport (CYBL)
Abyssal dive boats are located at Discovery Harbour Marina, slip H2.