Four divers gearing up for an excursion in local waters at Kin Park in Chemainus attract considerable interest from other people around the park.

The divers are used to it and happy to oblige by answering questions. Just watching them put on all the necessary equipment is a source of fascination to many onlookers.

B次元官网网址淲e get a lot of questions,B次元官网网址� said Philip Smith of Duncan. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 like B次元官网网址榟ow long can you stay down for?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

People also naturally want to know what the divers will be seeing. B次元官网网址淵ou never know what youB次元官网网址檙e going to see,B次元官网网址� said Smith. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 the beauty.B次元官网网址�

On this day, Kathleen Fenner of Chemainus and Doug Biffard, a retired marine biologist who lives in North Cowichan, are doing recreational diving. Smith and partner Nancy Bremner are renowned for their technical diving that involves more training to allow deeper depths and overhead environments such as caves; thus, a corresponding heavier load of equipment.

Chemainus is well-known as a great diving location, although if you donB次元官网网址檛 catch them going into the water or coming out, you donB次元官网网址檛 know theyB次元官网网址檙e there.

B次元官网网址淓ntering the water from Kin Beach boat launch you can access four wrecks, a reef and a healthy eel grass bed,B次元官网网址� noted Fenner, who frequents the waters on a regular basis with partner Gord Bell. BiffardB次元官网网址檚 wife Bev is also a diver and the members of the group enjoy getting together whenever they can to see familiar sights and the unexpected below the surface.

B次元官网网址淔or these shore dives you can get detailed directions or local guides,B次元官网网址� explained Fenner. B次元官网网址淣ancy and Phil can be contacted through Pacific Water Sports or the Facebook group Pacific Water Sports-Saturday Divers. They lead shore dives every Saturday at no cost. They have thousands of local dives, are Professional Association of Diving Instructors professionals and trained technical divers. They frequently dive the four wrecks referred to as Barge 1, 2, 3 and 4 and the reef, commonly called the Chemainus Wall.B次元官网网址�

It was more than 17 years ago now that thousands of people packed into Chemainus on Jan. 14, 2006 when B.C.B次元官网网址檚 first artificial reef from an aircraft was created through the efforts of Thetis IslandB次元官网网址檚 Peter Luckham with the sinking of a 737.

B次元官网网址淭his 737 aircraft is an advanced recreational boat dive,B次元官网网址� added Fenner. B次元官网网址淭he dive is done at a depth of 70 to 110 feet. The Boeing 737, named Xihwu Reef, sits on stands on the ocean floor. Tie onto mooring located at 48 degrees 56.46 by 123 degrees 43.080 and dive in. As you descend into the dark emerald green water, jellyfish of varying sizes and types will swim by and if youB次元官网网址檙e lucky you might see a school of forage fish. Suddenly out of the emerald green, the Xihwu Reef will greet you in all its greatness.B次元官网网址�

On this day, the four divers had a perfect day with clear conditions under the water for a dive to the barges and B次元官网网址渁ll four of us surfaced together,B次元官网网址� Fenner noted.

Fenner has written an interesting detailed piece on the diving scene in Chemainus for the benefit of tourists and information many locals might not know. You can read that in the 2023 Courier Visitor Guide.

As for the barges, B次元官网网址渋tB次元官网网址檚 how theyB次元官网网址檝e deteriorated, itB次元官网网址檚 made a wonderful dive site,B次元官网网址� said Fenner.

As for the plane reef, B次元官网网址淚 wouldnB次元官网网址檛 recommend for anybody if you arenB次元官网网址檛 fit and trained,B次元官网网址� she indicated.

You also need a boat to access the plane reef site because itB次元官网网址檚 too far from shore.

Fenner, 63, had lived all over B.C. before coming to Chemainus from Penticton in 2005. She met Bell at a dive site in 2011 and theyB次元官网网址檝e been together ever since.

Fenner had always wanted to dive but didnB次元官网网址檛 start until she was in her 30s.

B次元官网网址淢y kids were finally at an age I thought it was OK to do something with a risk factor,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 learned in the Okanagan, but there wasnB次元官网网址檛 much to see.B次元官网网址�

After being in Chemainus about a year, she was already living here to see the plane go down.

Bell got into diving because of his younger sister Bremner, now 61, and FennerB次元官网网址檚 sister-in-law.

Bremner grew up in Calgary and has been on the Island since the age of 16. She started diving 20 years ago and her daughter got her into it.

B次元官网网址淲e did our own class together,B次元官网网址� Bremner pointed out.

She now makes extensive diving adventures a frequent part of her life, including regular caving expeditions to Mexico with her partner, Smith. TheyB次元官网网址檒l be going there again in November.

Smith, 60, saw a lot of cave diving during his time in the United Kingdom and finally took up scuba diving in 2012.

B次元官网网址淚 always wanted to do it,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 stayed away from it. When I got to 50, I thought, B次元官网网址業B次元官网网址檓 going to do it.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Smith has his own YouTube channel that you can check out at The Dive Smith. Among his many videos is one of the Boeing 737 in Chemainus.

Biffard, 63, grew up in Kelowna and diving has always been a focal point since he first got together with wife Bev in the mid-1970s.

B次元官网网址淲e both learned how to dive in Okanagan Lake,B次元官网网址� he pointed out.

BiffardB次元官网网址檚 interest in diving came from an inspirational source. B次元官网网址淛acques Cousteau,B次元官网网址� he said.

Cousteau actually visited the Island in the 1970s and returned another time years later for what Biffard said he described as some of the best temperate diving to be found anywhere.

There were also many active diving clubs in the 1970s and B次元官网网址�80s, Biffard pointed out.

For all the members of this informal club of its own of family and friends, thereB次元官网网址檚 nothing quite like diving.

B次元官网网址淥nce youB次元官网网址檝e become an experienced diver, you calm down,B次元官网网址� said Biffard. B次元官网网址淔ish come down right beside you. ItB次元官网网址檚 an encounter with nature you canB次元官网网址檛 get on land at all.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 nice thereB次元官网网址檚 diverse sites to go to and thereB次元官网网址檚 diverse life and it changes all the time,B次元官网网址� summed up Fenner. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 almost like you become friends with some fish.B次元官网网址�

don.bodger@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
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