This is a reasonably popular shore dive in the Ladysmith area. It's in the Northern part of Evening Cove right next to Coffin Point. I came here on Dec. 13, 2009. From the parking area, there's a short trail past an outhouse to some picnic tables and a white, crushed-shell beach. I swam out on the surface towards the left side of the bay (Coffin Point). When I reached the steep sandstone shore on the left side of the bay, I swam out South, past a small exposed reef towards where the chart shows the steeper, deeper area. The bottom was a slope of sand, small rocks and shells. Moon jellies and the occasional seastar were the only hints of marine life. I swam down to 65 feet deep, but I didn't see the reefs and walls that divers come here to see. I started to swim East, parallel to the point, hoping to find rock, but there was just the gloomy, mucky slope. I swam back up shallower and I found the reef at about 40 feet deep. Visibility was 20-30 feet. I followed it out farther and it went deeper. There were small walls, ledges and piles of larger rocks at the base of the reef (60 feet deep). I didn't see much growing on the rock. It was mostly bare except for white barnacles. I saw a few small feather stars, an orange plumose anemone and several sunflower stars. There was one pile of sunflower stars eating an octopus. There weren't swarms of fish, but I saw several rockfish (brown and copper), a lingcod, a kelp greenling and a school of perch. I swam out for half of my air before turning around. I hear that the reef eventually gets deeper, but a single tank wasn't enough to get me there.
This would be a easy, semi-interesting dive for local divers, but I don't think I'll bother driving up to dive here again. It was worth it to see a new place though. It reminded me of Saanich Inlet (especially Setchell Point), but with less marine life.
