I haven't been diving at Neck Point in many years. The steep path from the parking lot leading over a hill to the water discourages shore divers here. When I used to dive here, I would sign out a key from the Nanaimo parks office, which allows you to drive farther into the park and park closer to the water. Unfortunately this was too simple and since people were allowed to sign out the key, people were signing out the key. In order to correct this, the last time I tried to sign out the key several years ago, they said you now have to fill out an online application form well in advance. Since I'm old and it involves the internet, I've been unable to find this form so the key has remained safe where it belongs in a drawer. Lately I've been meaning to try diving here again despite the long hike. The last few weekends, the forecasts were showing strong winds blowing into the exposed point. This weekend, the forecast was showing the same, but I decided to drive up for a dive anyway. This was on March 9, 2024. Sure enough, it was very windy and there were fairly big waves crashing into the point (the surface photos were taken later in the afternoon when the wind had died down quite a bit). I decided to take the trail that runs along the coastline instead of the big hill trail that cuts through the park. This coastal trail was longer, but not as steep. It was about as far as hiking to the second bend at the Ogden Point breakwater, but more hilly of course. Because of the waves, I had to enter on the sheltered side of the point.
Anyway, that was the trail. It's not something that I'd do in the heat of the Summer while wearing a drysuit and over 100 lbs of dive gear, but on a cool, windy day in March it was doable. I swam out on the surface to the far side of the rock islets off the point. Visibility was a nice 20-30' in the shallows (probably less on the stirred-up side of the point).
On the far side of the islets, I descended down past the sargassum (Japanese wireweed) in the shallows to the base of the slope at about 60' deep. This slope is made up of rocky rubble in places and other parts are more solid rock walls. In the 30-40' depths, there are some walls covered with small plumose anemones. Visibility out here was about as good as it gets (50-80'). I saw a sealion in the distance, but as soon as it saw me, it quickly turned around and charged away, which is pretty unusual.
This used to be my favorite shore dive in Nanaimo proper. I still think it's a nice dive, but the long hike reduces its appeal a bit. It's also relatively-shallow (my maximum depth was 71') so there isn't the classic Strait of Georgia deeper marine life like boot sponges and fields of feather stars. Since I proved to myself that the hike isn't fatal, I'll probably be back more often.
