Beachcomber Park - A Large Dive Site With Lots Of Exploration
Beachcomber is one of Nanoose Bay’s most underated shore dives, offering huge underwater terrain, multiple entry options, and access to both shallow and deep walls. It is not the most commonly visited site by local divers, mostly because the walk down to the beach is fairly steep and long. For those willing to make the trek, this is a rewarding dive with incredible structure and biodiversity.
This is a site where you can choose your own adventure. From beginner-friendly shallow features to deep vertical walls that plummet well past recreational limits, Beachcomber offers enough terrain to keep divers exploring for years.
Videos from Beachcomber Park
Recommended certifications and experience
Beachcomber is suitable for:
-
- Open Water divers exploring the shallow wall
- Advanced Open Water divers venturing to the stepped wall
- Experienced divers and tech divers exploring the deep wall
The steep trail makes this site physically demanding. Divers should be comfortable carrying gear safely to and from the beach. Air is suitable for the shallow structures, and 28–32% nitrox is helpful for longer bottom time on the 50–100+ ft contours.
Additional Notes
-
- Best dived on calm conditions and higher tides for safer entry and exit
- The trail is steep and has some rocky sections
- Bring good navigation skills as the site covers a large area
- This is a big dive and easy to spend multiple dives exploring different sections
Beachcomber Park Dive profile overview
Beachcomber offers layered terrain that builds in complexity as you head farther out:
Shallow Wall (50–60 ft)
A long, scenic wall with:
-
- Deep fissures and small overhangs
- Quillback, China, black rockfish
- Kelp greenlings and lingcod
- Abundant nudibranchs and invertebrates
- Occasional octopus and sea lions
A great warm-up or a full dive on its own.
Broken Rock & Contour Line (40–55 ft)
Continue along the contour and you’ll hit rolling sandstone shelves, scattered boulder piles, and structure that hides:
-
- Wolf eels
- Octopus
- Schools of juvenile rockfish
Stepped Wall (70–90 ft)
The terrain transitions into rounded bedrock with natural steps, small ledges, and dramatic scenery. This area is well suited for Advanced Open Water divers.
The Deep Wall (130+ ft)
About 6-14 minutes from shore (depending on entry, tide, and pace), the bottom drops away into a massive vertical wall.
-
- Bottom not visible at 130 ft
- Yellowtail, black, and yelloweye rockfish
- Large lingcod
- Tiger rockfish
- Wolf eels and octopus in deeper cracks
This is an advanced to technical-level dive and should be planned accordingly. Nitrox is helpful for the stepped wall, but the deep wall requires careful gas planning and experience.
Marine Life Highlights
Across the site you can expect:
-
- Giant Pacific octopus
- Wolf eels
- Quillback, China, black, and yelloweye rockfish
- Tiger rockfish
- Kelp greenlings
- Lingcod
- Seasonal sea lions
- Rich invertebrate life including nudibranchs, anemones, and sponges
What to expect on your Beachcomber dive
Beachcomber has three practical entry points, each offering a slightly different dive:
1. Left Bay Entry (most popular and easiest)
This is the gentlest shore entry and the quickest way to reach the first wall.
-
-
- Swim straight out through an eelgrass bed, then stay slightly right.
- At around 30–35 feet, turn right along the contour.
- In 4–5 minutes, you'll hit the shallow wall at roughly 50–60 feet.
-
This wall is full of life, with crevices, overhangs, boulders, and dense invertebrate growth. It’s a great dive for experienced Open Water and Advanced divers.
2. Point Entry (more rugged, best at high tide)
A bit trickier on entry but puts you closer to the deep wall.
-
-
- Swim straight out from the point
- Expect more exposure to current
- Much shorter swim to reach the deeper structure
-
This is the go-to entry for divers planning to head directly to the 200+ foot wall.
3. Right-Hand Beach (easy entry, longest swim)
Very comfortable access but:
-
-
- Requires a long surface or underwater swim around the point
- Alternatively you can follow the right-hand shoreline and connect all the way to Cottam Point
-
A good option for divers wanting a relaxed start.
