My Top Summer Diving Destinations in Canada

As a university student juggling classes, tennis coaching, and just life in general, summer is when I hit reset. And for me, nothing clears my mind quite like slipping beneath the surface and exploring the underwater world. Being a PADI-certified diver in Canada means you’ve got to embrace the cold… but trust me, the payoff is so worth it. Whether you're looking for wrecks, walls, kelp forests, or just that surreal weightless calm, Canada has some epic summer dive spots.

Here are a few of my favourite places to dive once the water (and the weather) starts to warm up.

1. Tobermory, Ontario – The Freshwater Dive Capital

If you’re anywhere near Ontario and you dive, you have to make the pilgrimage to Tobermory. Tucked at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula, it’s packed with shipwrecks just waiting to be explored. The visibility in Georgian Bay can be 30+ metres on a good day, which is insane for freshwater. My personal favourite? The Sweepstakes—a 19th-century schooner sitting eerily intact in shallow water. Perfect for beginners, photographers, and history nerds alike.

The town itself is chill, there’s great hiking in Bruce Peninsula National Park, and the post-dive poutine hits different.

2. Nanaimo, British Columbia – Cold Water, Wild Life

The west coast is a whole different dive world. I did a trip to Vancouver Island last summer, and I still think about the dives around Nanaimo. The big draw is Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia’s wrecks like the HMCS Saskatchewan—a 366-foot destroyer sitting at about 30 metres. It's covered in life: anemones, lingcod, wolf eels if you're lucky.

The kelp forests are otherworldly. Drifting through those towering green strands with curious seals popping in to check you out? Unreal.

3. Les Escoumins, Quebec – A Wall Dive You Won’t Forget

If you speak a little French and don’t mind a long drive, Les Escoumins on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River is a hidden gem. This place is known for its dramatic wall dive right off shore. You descend over a shelf and then—boom—you're hovering over a sheer vertical drop, watching jellyfish and colorful sea stars cling to the rocks.

It’s cold (bring your thick wetsuit or drysuit), but super rewarding. Plus, the marine life in the St. Lawrence is unique—expect to see tons of critters you won’t find in typical tropical dives.

4. Deer Island, New Brunswick – Currents and Critters

Bay of Fundy, anyone? Deer Island is a bit more advanced because of the tidal currents, but it’s a fantastic place to spot seals, lobsters, and the occasional mola mola (yes, really). The currents bring in nutrient-rich water, which means the marine life is booming here in summer.

There’s this incredible feeling of being right in the middle of a natural rhythm—it’s humbling, and kind of addictive.

Canada doesn’t always pop up on diving bucket lists, but it absolutely should. Yeah, it’s colder than the tropics, and you’ll probably have to haul a bit more gear. But the wrecks, the wildlife, and the raw, untouched vibe of our waters? Totally unmatched.

So if you’re thinking of where to dive this summer, don’t look too far. There’s a whole underwater world right here at home, just waiting to be discovered.

Catch you underwater!