The GB Church Dive Site at Sidney, B.C.

Come dive the GB Church - another best dive site on Vancouver Island.

OK, so you've dove in Victoria, done the Victoria site seeing, and now you're ready for more exciting dives on Vancouver Island - and there are tons of great dives to experience.

Book a three day luxury dive package at the Brentwood Bay Luxury PADI Dive Resort and you are set for an awesome dive holiday.

This luxury spa and lodge is recognized as British Columbia's finest diving lodge and the diving in Saanich Inlet is provided by Rockfish Diving for the GB Church.

It is a wreck dive so you should be an intermediate to advanced diver and should book with the area's finest dive operator - Rockfish Divers. Call the owner, Elly, for more details.

So, north of Victoria, on Highway 17 near Victoria International Airport and Swartz Bay, the BC Ferry Terminal bringing cars between Vancouver Island and the lower mainland, is the quaint, seaside town of Sidney, British Columbia.

It is near Sidney where the non-profit organization, the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia, sank their first carefully prepared wreck to serve as a safe haven for marine life and scuba divers.

The GB Church is a 53 meter (175 foot) coastal freighter located on the border of the Princess Margaret Provincial Marine Park that was sunk in 1991.

The mast is at 5 meters (15 feet) and the keel of the former WW II supply ship lies at about 27 meters (90 feet) where the average visibility is around 12 meters (35 feet).

This dive site is teeming with colorful marine life, and should only be penetrated by certified and experienced wreck divers.

One viewer, Mark Hiebert, has a beautiful webpage about the G.B. Church artificial wreck dive site.

If you don't have this training, ask Elly at Rockfish Diving about including it in your dive package.

In addition to tons of colorful marine life, you can see Giant Pacific octopus and wolf eels. There are also some great cloud sponge sites at nearby dive locations in the Saanich Inlet.

Important Note

Before diving anywhere,talk with an experienced local dive shop in the area you wish to dive.

When possible, dive with a group, and always dive with a buddy.

And please return here to complete a dive site review after your dive.

Return to Best Scuba Diving Vacations in British Columbia.