Barb Roy

Barb Roy — an inspiration to us all

January 08, 2018 - 22:52
Barb Roy on her way to dive Nootka Sound

By Rosemary E. Lunn and Gunild Symes

Barb was an avid technical and wreck diver, underwater photographer and instructor, having learned to dive in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1979. She was PADI Master Instructor and held instructor ratings with DAN, IANTD and NAUI. She became a NAUI Wreck and Archaeology Instructor to explore wrecks and an IANTD Trimix diver to photograph giant gorgonian sea fans at 200 feet.

Diving Coastal British Columbia

May 18, 2017 - 14:09
The story is found: 
on page 29

Referred to as the Salish Sea by local aboriginal people, the coastal inland waters stretching from Puget Sound to Johnstone Strait provide a vast and diverse area for scuba divers to explore. Not only are these temperate, nutrient-rich waters teeming with colorful marine critters of all sizes, visitors can enjoy underwater activities like photography, shipwrecks, deep walls and drift diving.

British Columbia (BC), located just above the US state of Washington, on the northwestern coast of North America, provides all of this and more, along with countless topside activities like fishing, skiing, hiking and great wildlife viewing.

Locations

British Columbia's Wreck Trek

October 22, 2015 - 18:53
The story is found: 
on page 9

A reluctant winter clung to an early March morning while flakes of snow silently fell on eight fully suited divers as our open-skiff slowly motored across glassy-calm water to the first dive site. No one spoke a word.

I couldn’t help but notice the beauty of nature all around. Even through a light veil of surface fog, dark evergreens towered atop rocky shorelines of nearby islands, now bathed in the soft hues of dawn.

Locations
Parks & Trails

Annapolis finally sunk

April 06, 2015 - 14:55
Posted in section:
Wrecks & Archaeology

The ship was purchased from the federal government of Canada through Crown Assets Distribution in 2008 with the intent of making this the first artificial reef in the Greater Vancouver area.

Leading up to the sinking, the Annapolis has been meticulously cleaned of hazardous and pollutant materials in compliance with federal regulations and an estimated 250 tons of materials (almost everything but the steel hull and aluminum super structure) has been recycled.

Canada
British Columbia
Artifical Reefs

Underwater Nanaimo

April 01, 2015 - 15:30
The story is found: 
on page 65

I am often asked, “Where is the best place to photograph underwater critters in British Columbia?” Well, there is certainly no simple answer to this question and I usually end up replying something like this; “Unless there is a plankton bloom, bad weather or visibility is poor, there are no bad places to dive in BC, therefore you can see critters on every dive!”

This is especially true around Nanaimo, a popular hub destination on Vancouver Island that is easy to get to and can be frequented by divers on a year-round basis.

Destination reports

British Columbia: Diving Canada's Freshwater Interior

March 28, 2015 - 20:15
The story is found: 
on page 45

Although British Columbia’s (BC) coastal area offers numerous shipwrecks, colorful walls and reefs full of life, there are also a considerable amount of freshwater lakes and rivers to explore within what is known as BC’s Interior Region of Canada. Actually, you might be surprised at what you will find to do and see above and below the water.

On many occasions I have joined friends and dive groups to check out some of the more popular Interior destinations, but I was amazed to find many more sites were also available. Most of the locations are listed on dozens of different websites, including a few informative You Tube videos.

Vancouvers first major artificial reef - HMCS Annapolis

January 07, 2015 - 16:59
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Since 1989, the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC) has sunk more ships to create marine habitat than any other non-profit group in the world. Today we are announcing that we are moving forward with plans to sink the former HMCS Annapolis, a 366 foot (110 meter) helicopter-carrying destroyer-escort to create an artificial reef in Halkett Bay Marine Provincial Park on Gambier Island, British Columbia. This involves two steps:

Pavillion Lake

January 06, 2015 - 18:50
The story is found: 
on page 83

I first learned about this unusual lake, nestled in Marble Canyon Provincial Park of British Columbia (BC), Canada, when some friends living in Kamloops asked me to join them for a dive at a local, clear freshwater lake. Since it was only a few hours from Vancouver, I decided to take them up on their offer and headed for the interior parts of BC.

I have always wanted to explore this area and was thrilled even more when they told me of the strange coral-type of life living in the lake.

Unique Divesite

Ron Akeson (1957-2014) - Mission Well Done

June 30, 2014 - 12:35
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The story is found: 
on page 38

I don’t think a week ever went by where I didn’t hear Ron tell someone at his Bellingham dive store, “My motto in life follows the saying: growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.” If you ever had the pleasure of knowing or meeting Ron Akeson, you probably understood how he viewed life, because he truly believed in trying to squeeze in every little bit of living into each and every day!

A cascade of grief seemed to grip the local dive community in a domino effect as more and more heard of his passing. Multitudes continue to call in, shocked to hear their mentor, past dive instructor and friend would no longer be around.

Washington State's Hood Canal

February 17, 2014 - 17:30
0 comments
The story is found: 
on page 60

Over ten years have past since my last dive in Hood Canal. I’m not sure why, probably because I’ve been so focused on exploring the pristine waters of British Columbia that the extra effort of driving so far south has always deterred me. But when Adventures Down Under, a dive shop in Bellingham, invited me to join their group for a Hood Canal dive charter, I was too curious to say anything but yes.

But for this trip our group of seven met up with Don Coleman, owner and operator of Pacific Adventure at the Pleasant Harbor Marina on the west side of Hood Canal, off Highway 101. It was a typical chilly January day where air temperatures may have climbed to a balmy 30°F (-1°C).

Locations

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