We can't recommend Sewell's Marina enough. They really took care of us on a highly packed traffic…read moreday in Vancouver. We were scheduled for a shuttle pick up from our hotel at 12:30 pm, but due to a marathon most streets in Vancouver were blocked to traffic. We were stuck on Granville Island and had no way to get back to our hotel in time. A call to Sewell's, and they sent a cab to pick us up at their expense and got us to our boat tour on time! The Sea Safari tour was outstanding. We got outfitted in our survival suits and they also provided gloves, hats, and eye protection if you need them. All you need to bring is your camera and you sit back and enjoy a two hour high speed boat tour of Howe Sound. We saw seals, sea lions, multiple bald eagles and a large variety of other birds. The guides are knowledgeable and really made sure we were comfortable and had a good time. This was our last activity on our vacation and it was an excellent way to round out our trip.

Okay, I'm not a tour kind of guy, and usually I avoid any organized behavior on a holiday. However,…read morethe British Columbia coast is simply magnificent, and how bad can two hours on a boat be on a gorgeous day in July? Well, Sewell's "Sea Safari" surpassed any of my pre conceptions, and I had a simply fantastic experience. The loquacious Bruce picked us up at our hotel, and we were entertained on our 25 minute ride from downtown to Horseshoe Bay. After donning the ridiculous looking survival suits and laughing at ourselves, we hopped on to the inflatable zodiac for our journey into Howe Sound. The two hours flew by as we marveled at the incredible scenery. The Vancouver area has been truly blessed. At times our guide and captain did doughnuts with the zodiac, and we all screamed with delight. Nature lovers will enjoy seeing rare birds and seals along the way. I'm not much of a nature boy, but the soaring mountains, coves and cliffs, were astonishing to view from the water. The people on our boat were worldly and fun to be with, helping to make the experience comforting. We had a great time, and I recommend this tour wholeheartedly.

I've only started getting back into diving again this year, which meant that it was time to slowly…read morebegin the process of acquiring my own gear (like most sports things, it's not cheap!) My first visit out to Sea to Sky Scuba came when I arrived at the store one day in search of under layers to help stay warmer in a wetsuit as I am not a fan of being cold. Travis, the owner, was super helpful in helping me find what I need, but is also really cool and has a great sense of humour. As a bonus, his two very cuddly dogs often hang out at the shop. I probably spent at least an hour chatting and trying on stuff, but not once did I feel pressured into buying anything at all. The store is definitely small compared to most of the other dive shops I've been to, but the whole place is very well organized with no clutter at all. Due to the space limitations, stock can be a bit limited in terms of sizes and whatnot, but they are happy to bring anything from a particular brand they carry's catalogue in on special order. With West Van not being my area, it is a bit out of the way, but I definitely have no problem making the trip out just for the service and expertise. I wouldn't mind taking a Scuba course with them if only I lived closer by. They organize free local dives every Sunday where you just pay for gear rental if needed, which sound pretty awesome, though I think I will wait until I get my PADI Advanced Open Water first and the weather warms up a bit.

Great dive shop on the North Shore. The owner and staff are all very friendly and quick to help.read more

Instructors for the dive lessons were good, but the retail staff in the store were not helpful,…read moresold me the wrong product, and didn't really know what they were doing.

Super friendly and chill dive shop. I haven't dove in close to 10 years so went in and talked to…read morethem about refresher courses, good options there. Also talked to Phillip regarding free diving who is a great wealth of information on this topic.

Of all the dive stores is the Greater Vancouver, this is one of the two that we use the most (the…read moreother one being much closer to home). The reason is the EXCELLENT customer service. We deal primarily with George and, if we have had any problems (eg a camera malfunctioning or a travel bag's wheels breaking) he has taken the item back immediately. Often they will replace the item or offer a store credit even before checking with the manufacturer if the return is ok. For this reason, we return again and again to purchase more equipment. They have a good selection of everything: wetsuits, drysuits with undergarments, and some novelty sale items from time to time including wetsuits or lightweight neon tropical BCDs. Their regular selection is standard-priced. They sell Mares rather than Scubapro and we bought some new fins, Volo Power, which are lightweight and easy to use at the suggestion of George, and have been pleased with them. Good selection of accessories as well. Dive and Sea also offers instruction, with open-water dives at Whytecliff in West Van, EFR training etc. Although the staff will make suggestions, I have never felt here as if I'm getting a "hard sell". It's a comfortable store and we always look forward to going there, even just to have a look around. (Dive stores are like candy stores, hard to leave without buying something!) To get to this place, you must be heading North on McBride as it's impossible to make a left turn heading south.

We recently visited Dive and Sea, to look it to purchasing our own gear. We met George, well I…read moredon't think I will ever buy dive equipment anywhere else. He was friendly, knowledgeable, so informative. He would never sell you anything you didn't need. He set us up with some great gear to travel with. Never did we ever feel pressured to buy. He listens your diving experiences and recommends appropriate equipment. Don't buy anywhere else, they are the best.

As someone who often visits a handful of shops around Vancouver, I can confidently say that IDC is…read more- without a doubt - one of the best run shops in town thanks to Royse's decades of experience in the business. Their shop is extremely well-kept, clean, inviting, and always well-stocked full of both common recreational gear as well as an awesome selection of advanced/tech gear. It's been just over a decade since I was certified through IDC and to this day, they've been my primary go-to shop for new gear (because you can just never stop buying dive gear), and they'll continue to be my primary go-to recommendation for years to come for anyone looking to get their Open Water certification and beyond. If you're considering giving scuba diving a shot (even if its for an upcoming trip to warmer waters), seriously, give IDC a call and you'll be glad you went through a professional local shop that does a thorough job in tougher cold water conditions to get you prepared for anything!

Hard to find Tribolube-71. IDC had it in stock and shipped within 2 hours. Can't do better than…read morethat. Thanks

In short: Professional and Awesome. Thank you so much to the whole staff, especially Inge and Jim…read morefor their dive instruction. The longer version: I had to do my PADI cert twice due to administration issues overseas. Comparing my previous experience to Dive Locker, the Dive Locker is way more helpful and professional. They guide you through every step of the process, and it feels like a well-oiled machine. I can't imagine a better way to get your cert (even though the ocean here is really cold). By the end of the program, even students that were struggling had a strong grasp on how to dive. There's no judgement at all. I didn't think I'd enjoy coldwater diving as much as I did, but on my final dive I got to see things underwater I never knew existed here; Giant anemones, massive star fish and tons of cool fish. If you can get through the training and stand the cold, it's definitely worth getting your cert with Dive Locker.

I did business with Vancouver Diving. The service was excellent. I have sent several emails…read morerequesting information. Paul and Riley responded quickly and were patient with me. I recommand it.

Did someone say Orca ? WHAT A CHANCE OF A LIFETIME THAT…read moreWAS. An opportunity came up with some friends to go snorkeling and swim with Mobulas and Orcas in the open ocean of the Sea of Cortez. After doing some diligent homework, the trip was set up with the, Nautilus Gallant Lady based on safety and the generous accommodations amongst their staff and crew on board. Never seeing an Orca ever in my life, I wasn't sure what to expect. Spotting them was a 50/50 chance during our 7 night and 8 day expedition. Knowing that going in, there was a possibility we might not see them and accepted that. I was really hoping that we were able to see them. Looking for them in such a vast open ocean can be looking for a needle in a haystack. I remained optimistic. After 2 wonderful days of swimming with Mobulas for hours, watching Humpbacks, Sea Turtles, Fin Whales, pods of dolphins, dolphins every day, dolphins every where, even a pod of several hundreds of dolphins, Bio Luminescense, not to mention the gazillion stars above the Lady and so much more. On day #3 we were fortunate enough to be greeted by the Orcas. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Was this really happening? Yes, yes it was! Although I feel very comfortable in the water, I was nervous on my first jump. I'm not going to lie, my first jump sent a feeling of vulnerability throughout my body. That feeling was valid because feeling nervous comes from the unknown. Until you do it for the first time, then you will want to do it again and again. Then there is no turning back. I guarantee it. I was like, "OMG! I am in the middle of the freaking ocean with an Orca and her baby."  Seeing a baby swimming with their mother in clear open water was out of this world. Juan and Celina are very safe and extremely respectful of the Orcas space. We spent hours observing them. About 6 hours in fact. Watching the babies tail slap, breech and spy hop. We watched them feed each other sea turtles while the babies still continued to splash the water with their little tails. We watched them well into the sunset with the most ultimate ideal conditions. It couldn't of been more perfect. The next day, on day #4, we woke up at daylight and headed out on the zodiac. Again, at 9am, they showed up and observed them for 11 hours this time. For 2 consecutive days straight, we had Orcas. This was the same pod of 6 from the previous day. 4 adult females with 2 babies. Not only did we watched them for 11 hours, we yet again, watched them well into the sunset. What set aside day #3 and day #4 was, day #4 we watched them hunt a dolphin. Watched them hunt, watched how they all worked together, watched the whole event from the start to the end. All of this took place about 50 yards at most in front of the Gallant Lady. As some guests wanted to hop right in the zodiac and "Go....Go...Go." Juan and Celina said, " no guys, we need to let them eat just like you ate your lunch. We need to remain respectful." I found that to be highly respectful as these wild animals have their own lives too. The crew on the Nautilus Gallant Lady, all work really well together as a team. Their communication amongst themselves is great. Safety is ALWAYS the #1 priority. I love how there are 2 female crew members and liked the extra estrogen on board. The boat is very clean and sanitized. Trust me, I was paying very close attention to that. The food is exquisite. Truly out if this world. Poncho works very hard in the kitchen. The portions are larger than what I am used to. The flavor is, "poppin". Everything is made fresh. You will not go hungry. Especially with Silvia's daily fresh made cookies. This trip has above and beyond exceeded my expectations. When I book my next Liveaboard, it will definitely be with Nautilus. I will truly miss everyone because everyone feels like family now.

My 4 days 3 nights San Ignacio Lagoon Grey Whale trip with them has been nothing but…read moredisappointment. First of all, the crews did provide good customer service, the food was tasty and the luxury tent indeed was luxurious. However, my trip was nothing like what they advertised. On the website, it says "whale swimming right up to your boat ..."and "we never ever chase or crowd the whales." The whales want nothing to do with human. We were chasing them and they kept swimming away from us. On our first and second day, it was just 2 boats. But on the third day, there were 8 boats crowding a mama whale and a baby whale. Overall, if you are expecting a whale interaction trip like I did. You are not going to get it unless you are very lucky. If you are expecting a whale watching trip then go for it. But you can do whale watching for a day trip in a lot of places in the world for about $100 USD. Do you really want to pay them $3000 USD ?!

Came in for freediving wet suit and equipment. Staff were very knowledgeable and helpful. Explained…read morehow to properly care for the equipment. Took time to assist in trying on sizes in the trial suits to find the proper fit (stick to the smaller size, if you are in between or unsure). Overall, great experience and good products.

We had an amazing welcome in the store. My husband an I were looking for different wetsuits and new…read morespearguns. The staff was very professional, dynamic and know their products! We found everything we needed. Will come back.

Widgeon Valley National Wildlife Area is located at Pit Lake in Pit Meadows. The only way to…read moreaccess the wildlife area is by paddle boat (Kayak or Canoe) as no motor boat accesss is permitted. To access Widgeon Slough you must drive to Pit Lake at Grant Narrows Regional Park. You then Paddle across the Narrows and into Widgeon Slough. Like Pit Lake, Widgeon Slough is Tidal and can cause real problems for people if they paddle in at high tide. Places that you could pass through before may have only 2 inches of water or none at all! This place is amazing though. There is almost dead silence wile in the slough. There is only the sound of birds, your paddle and maybe the odd plane above. There are a lot of water ways to explore in the Slough but one place to get to is the Widgeon Camp ground. It is Paddle access only but has 2 outhouses and multiple tent pads. No fires are permitted here at all and you can get huge fines if caught. From Widgen Camp you have arrived in Pinecone Burke Provincial Park and have a whole new place to explore.