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Juan de Fuca trail on Vancouver Island BC

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kellenlp

Member
Mar 29, 2019
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Does anyone have experience spearfishing off Vancouver island BC. I’m backpacking the Juan de Fuca trail with some friends this June and I wanted to see where I may be able to enter the water and shoot a little if it’s legal and worth it. All advice is really helpful!
 
I never spearfished off of Juan de Fuca trail. Shoreline look interesting, promising I would say. Advanced swim it will be for sure, with current and ocean swell. I usually spearfish off of gulf Islands. Thetis, Denman, Hornby, Quadra, Alert Bay, Texada, Saltery Bay, Saltspring etc. Currents is one major concern, some spots it is ripping so much basically you cant outswim it. But at least there is no swell, even in strong winds there is 2 feet waves max. Post here how did it go, ok?
 
Thanks for the info! Right now I'm still prepping for the trip but will let you know how it goes. It'll be in the middle of a backpacking trip so I'm working to condense my gear for walking. Building out a weight belt I can fill with sand and using a handheld scale so I don't have to carry weights around. If I get that working then this will look a lot more realistic.
 
wow. this will be hardcore, more than mountain goat hunting. Man you are tough. So, I guess long blade fins are out of question. You still need wetsuit. I used to use 3/2 mm cheap Speedo wetsuit from Canadina Tire for spearfishing in Summer, and 2mm gloves and socks. It gives me a good hour of comfortable swim and requires minimal ballasting. Might be your only option. Keep us posted, make pictures.
 
That's really good news! I was thinking I had to haul my 7mm suit with me along the trail. My 3/2 is way less bulky and the fins will just get strapped on my back. Not too bad. I'll keep people posted and thanks for the heads up about the currents!
 
That's really good news! I was thinking I had to haul my 7mm suit with me along the trail. My 3/2 is way less bulky and the fins will just get strapped on my back. Not too bad. I'll keep people posted and thanks for the heads up about the currents!
You may find you get a little chilly in a thin wetsuit on the west coast I use a 6 mm suit out there, but You have to compromise right? Carrying all that gear for that far is a huge undertaking, it’s pretty exposed stretch of coast surf etc and all the things Andrew mentioned, be careful. You will find greenling ling and rockfish, all my diving has been north of where you are heading but there is at least one protected reef in port San Juan near where the trail ends, you might be able to supplement your food supply with your catch if you take your gear, but maybe not too, good luck, let us know how it worked out.
 
You may find you get a little chilly in a thin wetsuit on the west coast I use a 6 mm suit out there, but You have to compromise right? Carrying all that gear for that far is a huge undertaking, it’s pretty exposed stretch of coast surf etc and all the things Andrew mentioned, be careful. You will find greenling ling and rockfish, all my diving has been north of where you are heading but there is at least one protected reef in port San Juan near where the trail ends, you might be able to supplement your food supply with your catch if you take your gear, but maybe not too, good luck, let us know how it worked out.


Yeah I was thinking it may be a bit cold as well. I´ve only ever been diving in NorCal with a 7mm. And it´s very much an experiment. If it´s looking like it´s not entirely worth the energy spent or a little unsafe, I´ll probably stay out. I appreciate all of the advice!
 
Sorry for the late reply! There was actually a bunch of construction on the trail so we had to shift our hike to Washington State and inland. Now I'm obsessed with getting back and will post if I'm able to get out there at some point.
 
Sorry for the late reply! There was actually a bunch of construction on the trail so we had to shift our hike to Washington State and inland. Now I'm obsessed with getting back and will post if I'm able to get out there at some point.
Juan De Fuca runs past Sombrio Beach, I was once camping there and was impressed to see a guy with a pole spear had caught a huge greenling just of the rocks at the far end of the beach there. He said you can get nice lingcod there too in the weeds
 
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