Happy2 travel

Hi Guys... I know you can help. My family likes hiking, scenery, and most of all warm water with great beaches. Of course, we want all this with few people (Eden!!) Can you suggest any of the Islands in B.C? <BR>Thanks Bunches!!

Robyn

My suggestion would be Hornby Island... one of the more northern Gulf Islands, if it's even considered a Gulf Island! It can only be accessed off the east coast of Vancouver Island. <BR><BR>http://www.hornbyisland.com/

Carl Z

Sicne I'm in such a giving mood this eve I'll spill some beans(!)<BR><BR>http://www.prcn.org/retreat/ <BR><BR>I've only seen Shelter Point from the water/air-a casualty of being a Sportfiasherman-but it sure look purrty!

Cindy

I guess you should be aware that the water around the Gulf Islands isn't actually very warm. It is the Pacific, yes, and some days it's certainly warm enough to swim, but it's far enough north that I wouldn't expect super-warm temperatures. Just a caution!

Nancy

While researching our BC trip, came across a couple areas that might be what you are looking for - Desolation Sound and Discovery Islands. Read that Desolation Sound has spots with white sandy beaches and water as warm as in Mexico. No personal recommendations but sounded interesting. Can also rent an entire island if you really want Eden -<BR>http://www.seakayaking-bc.com/seakay...nt_island.html

cindy

Nancy - where did you get the info that the water in the Desolation Sound area is warm? I know people who live in Powell River, and the info you provided surprised me. I checked several websites for the area, and none of them say that the water is particularly warm. One of them states explicitly: the water temperature year-round is between 6-8 degrees celsius - about 44 degrees fahrenheit - and they advise divers that wetsuits are a necessity. It is absolutely gorgeous up there, and the beaches are lovely, but the water - at least from what I understand - is nowhere near as warm as Mexico.

Nancy

Did a Google search on Desolation Sound warm water and came up with several links. As I stated, I don't have firsthand knowledge, perhaps someone else has been. One site indicated water was 75 F plus in summer. A few links are:<BR><BR>http://www.seakayaking-bc.com/seakayaking/desolation_sound.html<BR><BR>http://www.prcn.org/prvb/vbdes.html<BR><BR>http://www.desolationsoundyachtcharters.com/2area.htm

cindy

Quite right, Nancy - I checked your links and that's exactly what they said! It still seems funny to me, though. I'm going to ask my friends in Powell River - one of them is a professional fisherman/guide and would probably have an opinion. Now I'm really curious.

cindy

Okay, folks, I know nobody except me even cares any more about this question, but I have the answer! We're both right. The water in Desolation Sound is indeed around the 44-degree mark year-round. However, on the beaches, of which there are many, and particularly on those beaches where the water doesn't get deep for quite a distance, the sun in the summer warms the water considerably. So for swimming, on the big beaches, the water is indeed very, very warm. But where it's deep enough to dive, it's considerably colder. This is obviously a common-sense answer but it managed to elude me and drive me nuts! Sounds like a good place for your holiday, Happy2travel. Let us know what it was like.

Robyn

Sounds a lot like the phenomenon around Centennial Beach, in Tsawwassen, BC. The water's very shallow for hundreds of feet. When the tide's down you can walk for miles. But when the tide's up and the summer sun has been shining on the water... it's incredibly warm, it almost feels like a bath. Or Mexico. But I don't remember the Pacific being THAT warm while in Mexico.

Happy2travel

You guys are a hoot!! I will check into your ideas and will keep you posted. There is no better web forum than this.<BR><BR>Cheers!!

RobertBurnsOB

I live in San Diego, California. 75 degree water is much warmer than we had anytime this unusually cold summer and isn't common much here during a normal summer. Water in the 80's is warm. Cape Breton gets 70 degree water and, so, I'm not surprised that sheltered, shallow water of your gulf gets even warmer.

krp329

It's not just the sun shining on the shallow water - when you have sandy beaches, the kind where you can walk for miles at low tide, the sand bars get very warm and then heat up the water when it comes in over the sand.

PEI, on Canada's east coast, has some very warm beaches, for just this reason. They advertise as "warmest waters north of the Carolinas".