Monthly Archives: June 2009

DSCF9771

DSCF9725

Whether it’s wake to wake or wipe out, wakeboarding offers up some seriously awesome summer adventures. The emerald lakes of Whistler are perfect for cooling off on a hot day. While you can swim, fish and canoe on Nita, Alpha, Lost and Alta Lakes, Green Lake is the only one on which boats are permitted. Since this is the town where every other board sport is well represented, it’s no surprise that you can also wakeboard in Whistler. Ironically, glacier-fed Green Lake is also the coldest of the bunch, so you’ll want to wear a dry suit.

If you’re lucky enough to own a top of the line wake boat (it’ll only set you back about $100,000) then by all means, hit the lake. For the rest of us, it’s time to charter a boat. There are two wake schools to choose from in Whistler. We went with Whistler Wake. The other company is Wake the Lake. Both companies have brand new super tech wake boats and offer up a driver, dry suits and boards galore. You can expect to pay between $100-$200 an hour for the boat based on time of year, number of people and size of the boat.

P1010428

If you’ve never been wakeboarding, the only advice I can give you is grab the rope handle from around the outside of your legs as opposed to between them. Other than that, just stay in the seated position as the boat takes off and then gradually let the force pull you up as you turn the board. Once you’re up, it’s pretty easy, so just ride the wake and rip it up.

P1010493

Once you’ve mastered getting up on a wakeboard, I’d highly recommend wakesurfing; no bindings necessary. You use a shorter rope and the goal is to get into the side wake of the boat, pull yourself up until the rope is slack – and then let it go. Ideally, you’ll be riding the never-ending wave and looking like a rock star.

For a town in the mountains, it’s the closest you’ll get to real surf for a few hundred miles so you might as well hop into a pimped out wake boat, pump up your favourite tunes and rock the wake – or at least attempt to.

Do you…Scuba?

June 27, 2009

Health & Wellness, Lifestyle, Travel & Adventure

Leave a Comment

Neck Point Diving, originally uploaded by Mista Fitz.

There’s a scene in the movie, “Along Came Polly” in which Ben Stiller and his new bride are in some tropical location and this crazy naked French dude comes up to them on the beach and says: “So, tell me true. Are you guys for scuba?” For some reason, that always plays in my head every time I go scuba diving. And, this weekend was no exception.

A patch of white Plumose Anemone reminds me of cauliflowers as I glide through the frigid Pacific sea off Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver, BC. Next, we pass a Sunflower Star, the fastest moving starfish in the world. A few lingcod are chilling out on a rock, while a strange looking white lined Dirona sea slug sways in the current. This 3D ocean world full of alien marine creatures unfolds all around me as I take on my first cold water dive ever.

I received my open water scuba diving certification in the tropical waters of Koh Tao, Thailand, where coral, bright fish and even whale sharks are abundant. But, right in our backyard of British Columbia, Canada lies some of the world’s best diving.

I decided to get my dry suit specialty certification because it’s clearly the best equipment for our cold waters. Growing up in BC, I’ve always wondered what lurked deep in our ocean depths, and this weekend, I finally got to see for myself.

The folks at the International Diving Centre on Arbutus Street in Vancouver were great. Diving in a dry suit definitely has its ups and downs as you inflate and deflate with air, feeling a little bit like the Michelin Man at times. But, we quickly got the hang of it and were on our way to a whole new diving experience.

The benefits of a dry suit are that you can layer your clothing underneath the suit, and stay dry throughout the dive, keeping you way warmer than a wet suit.

The IDC runs fun dives throughout the summer. Shore dives are free, while boat dives cost $90. If you don’t own equipment, you can rent it for 25% off. Check their website for a schedule of dives with their very own Scuba Steve and courses.

During my three days of diving with these guys, I learned that Port Hardy on Vancouver Island is one of the hot spots for diving – er I mean cold spots. Now, I’m determined to visit this magical underwater world come hell or high water.

Don’t let the cold water turn you off exploring our oceans. Take your open water course and discover a whole new world full of quirky and mysterious creatures.

A weekend in Tuff: the staycation expands

June 24, 2009

Health & Wellness, Lifestyle, Travel & Adventure

Leave a Comment

Jump, originally uploaded by amber turnau.

Tofino, or “Tuff” as the locals call it, is the perfect place to hang for a staycation long weekend. Whether your a surfer or not, you’ll enjoy its vast of expanse of beaches, laid back vibe and fresh ocean air. And ohhhh man, especially the fresh crab. Tofino is especially popular amongst Whistler folk, who adapt well to the ocean lifestyle. Hell, I even saw a Voleurz sticker in Cox Bay parking lot. That Whistler-based ski/snowboard film company sure gets around.

Located on the West Coast of Vancouver Island in Pacific Rim National Park, Tofino is a favourite surf vacation spot for mainlanders and tourists, and even Vancouver Island dwellers themselves.

From Whistler, we headed south to Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal and hopped the 6:30am ferry across to Departure Bay in Nanaimo. Three hours later, we were setting up camp in Bella Pacifica Campground.

I’ve camped at a lot of different sites in Tofino, but this is definitely one of the prime locations as it’s only a two minute walk to the MacKenzie Beach. While not a surf beach, it’s the perfect place to have an evening Frisbee session, a Bacci game, or just hang out and watch the sun set. The village of Tofino is only a five minute drive from this campsite, while the surf beaches of Cox Bay, Chesterman’s and Long Beach are all less than 10 minutes away.

DSCF9608

If you’re looking for a more relaxing getaway, you can find fairly reasonable rates at local B&Bs, hotels, hostels and lodges. Larger groups can even rent an entire house for a fairly reasonable price. That being said, we decided to “rough it”.

Remember, there ARE bears on Vancouver Island. In fact, one happy little black bear decided to scope out our site while we were setting up. We all freaked out and ran inside the car, waiting for him to take off.

DSCF9572

Thankfully, the weather changes so quickly on the coast that the weather forecast calling for a rainy weekend was wrong. We had nothing but blue skies and sunshine all weekend long. With onshore winds, the surf was a bit choppy, but it was still fun to get out and play.

If you don’t have your own gear, there are tons of surf rental shops in Tofino, so just do your research. Our friends usually hit up Long Beach Surf Shop as they seem to have the best multi-day wetsuit/board combo package.

Surfing is a year-round activity in Tofino and the biggest waves come in the winter. But, if you’re not into surfing, there are plenty more activities to enjoy. Tofino is home to whale watching tours, flightseeing tours by float plane, a variety of hikes, bike trails and fishing excursions, among other activities. “Storm watching” is also a popular activity in the fall and winter months. Who wouldn’t want to cozy up in front of their beachfront window with a tea and watch the storms rage outside?

Regardless of how you’ve spent your weekend, a great way to end it is to grab some fresh crab from the docks. We’ve been continuing that tradition for years and it’s always one of the highlights of the trip.

There are a few places that sell fresh crab, including the Co-op grocery store but we go to the place that’s down the big hill from Long Beach Surf Shop. For about $60 you can buy 4 whole crabs. To cook them, you’ll need to have a big metal pot and fill it about 3/4 full with water. Once the water is boiling, put the crabs into the pot and let them cook until the shells turn bright orange. Melt some butter with garlic, and eat like you’ve never eaten before. Fresh, delicious and satisfying.

DSCF9655