Well, Eight Marker Buoy Dive Club members dove West Race at Race Rocks near Victoria, BC on a nice morning with 8-10 kts of north wind blowing when we got in...and 25kts with 6 foot seas when we got out!!

We were a little early for the slack when we got in on the west end, but it dropped off and we all had a good dive in somewhat murky viz. I hit 85' for a bit right at slack, but moved back up the wall to 70' for most of the dive. Tons of invertebrates, soft and hard coral in technicolor was the rule, not too many fish.

Upon surfacing, half the group drifted down the channel east, so 4 of us "hung" out in pretty big rollers and high wind for a while by the rocks. Rob saved my a**, telling me to swim forward, as I had drifted backwards too close to the rocks and almost go rolled onto it. The boat had a heck of a time getting all of us back on board, but we managed it. But what a rodeo.

There was no way to do a second dive. Normally placid Main Race was a maelstrom. So then we had to "beat" our way back to Victoria slowly working our way along shore and working the speed up and down with the waves pounding us. Everyone was pretty sore and cold when we got back.

Half of us were done for the day, but Rob & Kirby along with Karin and Doug did a dive off the breakwater in the lee and had good conditions.

On to Sydney tomorrow.