Oak Leaf Park (Es-hw Sme~nts) — Nanoose Bay Shore Dive
Oak Leaf Park in Nanoose Bay is one of the most reliable and well-loved shore diving spots on Central Vancouver Island. Known for its easy access, multiple dive routes, and year-round conditions, it’s a favourite among local divers looking for variety in a single location. The site has something for every experience level, from shallow sandy basins to deep technical terrain.
Most dives here revolve around four main features: the Big Bay, the main wall, the deep wall, and the pinnacle, with each section offering its own marine life and challenges. Oak Leaf is diveable in most conditions outside of major storms, which makes it a go-to site when visibility or weather shuts down other locations.
Videos of Oak Leaf Park
Recommended certifications and experience
Oak Leaf Park offers routes for all levels, but some areas require additional training or experience.
Most divers should meet the following guidelines:
For the Big Bay and Main Wall:
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- Open Water Diver or equivalent
- Comfortable shore entry skills
- Suitable for diving on air or nitrox 28–32%
For the Deep Wall or technical profiles:
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- Advanced Open Water recommended
- Deep Diver or equivalent experience
- Technical training for depths beyond recreational limits
- Excellent buoyancy and gas planning
Optional but helpful:
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- Night Diver (for Big Bay night dives)
- Nitrox certification (for extended bottom time and safer profiles)
Tide & Safety Notes
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- Best dived at higher slack tide
- Low tide exposes ankle-twisting rocks on entry/exit
- Strong current possible on large exchanges
- Give wide berth to summer fishing activity
- Use good navigation skills if exploring multiple features
- Deep wall should only be attempted by trained divers
Oak Leaf Dive profile overview
A wide, flexible site with multiple depth options. Your route will depend on tide direction, desired features, and conditions.
Key highlights include:
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- Seasonal lumpsuckers in the Big Bay (December to February)
- Frequent octopus sightings (GPO and ruby octopus)
- Rockfish, lingcod, perch, stubby squid, and grunt sculpins
- Cloud sponges and boot sponges on the deep wall
- Chimaera sightings (also know as spotted ratfish)
- The occasional six-gill shark
- Large sandstone shelves and boulder fields
- Good night diving with easy navigation
- Surfacing hazards during fishing season
Visibility varies widely. Winter often offers the best clarity, while spring herring spawns and summer algae blooms can reduce visibility to almost nothing. As with most local sites, you can sometimes descend below the murk layer for clearer water.
What to expect when diving Oak Leaf Park
Oak Leaf Park offers a broad, rugged shoreline that opens into a diverse underwater landscape. Depending on tide levels, the entry can be straightforward or a bit slippery, so most divers aim for a higher slack tide to make the shoreline safer and more manageable.
Once underwater, you’ll find several distinct dive routes:
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- The Big Bay (far left entry): A shallow, sandy basin with max depths of 30–40 feet. This is the area most divers choose for night dives. Winter brings seasonal highlights like Pacific spiny lumpsuckers (December through February), stubby squid, ruby octopus, and chimera.
- The Main Wall (in between middle and right entry): Suitable for open water divers, this section features a gently sloping wall with kelp, rockfish, and resident octopus.
- The Deep Wall (straight out the middle): Extending into technical depths, this section draws advanced and rebreather divers. Expect yelloweye rockfish, cloud sponges, large boot sponges, and the occasional six-gill shark.
- The Pinnacle (out the middle to the deep wall and far left): A small underwater mountain isolate from the main wall and reef structures. It holds rockfish, perch, plumose, boot sponges, and invertebrates. This area is often a favourite for scooter divers as it's a pretty big swim along the deep wall to the far left.
Currents are tide-dependent. When the tide is flooding, most divers enter from the right side of the beach and drift left. When the tide is ebbing, switching sides lets the current work in your favour.
During summer months, the point becomes a popular salmon fishing area, so divers should give anglers space and avoid surfacing beneath lines.
Oak Leaf Scuba Diving Site Directions
Oak Leaf Community Park (Es-hw Sme~nts) in Nanoose Bay is one of the region’s most reliable and well-loved shore diving locations.
At the park you’ll find:
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- Ample parking
- A clean pit toilet
- Easy access to the beach
If the parking lot is full you can park in the cul-de-sac, it just means a slightly longer walk and another little hill to climb with all of your gear. If you have a cart to haul gear, this is a good site to bring it!
Start Your Adventure
Ready to plan some dives at Oak Leaf Park? Reach out to secure your gear or a guide if needed!
