Weather threw us a curve ball before we even stepped on a boat. That’s just God’s Pocket reminding you who’s in charge.
God’s Pocket has been on the list since we started getting comfortable in cold water. My boss went maybe 20 years ago, back when the Nautilus MV Sea Venture was still operating in the area (now operate in Mexico), and he still talks about the anemone walls and the biodiversity. That kind of word-of-mouth has a long shelf life.
We booked through Eight Diving in Seattle — we’d rented doubles gear and tanks from them before and were impressed by Myra and Melissa’s professionalism. We planned the trip as a dive + road trip combo, since it’s a 10-hour drive plus a 2-hour ferry at minimum, and we’d never been to Vancouver Island. This post is about the diving part of it.
At a glance
>> Read more: the broader cold-water PNW diving context — conditions, marine life, and why it’s worth it on “Cold, Miserable, but Lively: Cold Water Diving in the Pacific Northwest”
>> Read more: official website of God’s Pocket Resort
>> Up next: the Vancouver Island road trip that bookended this dive trip — ferry logistics, stops worth making, and what to expect on the drive up
Getting There: Where the highway ends and the adventure begins (Port Hardy slogan)
Getting to God’s Pocket Resort itself is a journey. For us, we drove from Portland, OR, but the closest airport is Vancouver (YVR). Starting from Vancouver, BC, it takes about 40 min drive to the BC Ferries to take the ferry to Nanaimo (2 hr crossing). The Drive from Nanaimo to Port Hardy is about 4 hrs.We budgeted two nights on the road. Most divers we met had spent the night before somewhere on Vancouver Island.
Pickup at 4pm on the first day at Quarterdeck Marina: 6555 Hardy Bay Road, Port Hardy, BC V0N 2P0. The deck is quite obvious and you shall see other divers. There is paid parking on site; sometimes other guests have free passes to share.
Drop off around 9am on the last day at the same spot. Most Seattle divers just directly drove on to the ferry to go home (2pm / 3pm ferry).
An Extra Night in Port Hardy
We arrived in Port Hardy after two days of driving in sunshine. We settled in at Café Guido — clearly the diver pre-game spot, since we overheard the next table debating fish ID. Three minutes from the marina, it started pouring. After parking, we started chatting with anyone sporting dive stickers or a truck bed full of gear — the unofficial diver ID system.
Between the worsening weather forecast, a storm system rolling in, and a sick water taxi driver, it became clear God’s Pocket couldn’t sail over to pick us up. First time I’ve walked into a hotel and just swiped my card without a reservation (second time, maybe — the memory is fuzzy).
The next morning at 7am, we all met back at the marina. Bryan was able to make the crossing. We assembled gear on deck during the ride so we wouldn’t lose dive time on Day 1.
As a diver, you learn to respect what the weather gives you. That doesn’t make the hotel bill sting any less.
Pro Tip
Budget for a contingency night in Port Hardy. Weather-related delays are not uncommon for remote island pickups.
In the rain in front of Port Hardy Marina at scheduled pick-up timeLogistics — 4/5
Booking: Smooth via WeTravel platform. Tip: pay via bank transfer to avoid credit card processing fee.
Pickup: A bit of coordination was needed on our trip— weather, a sick water taxi driver, and some last-minute logistics. Don’t be shy about introducing yourself to the other divers early and asking questions. The community self-organizes well.
Schedule: Pickup Day 1 at 4pm; dropoff Day 6 at 9am, both at Quarterdeck Marina.
Safety — 5/5
Safety is clearly a priority, not a checkbox. First briefing happened on the dive boat during pickup: EPIRB locations, emergency oxygen, floatation devices, first aid. The second briefing on arrival covered electricity, water, and hiking safety in the resort areas.
Yes — hiking safety. Bears and wolves have been spotted on the island. If you hike, let staff know, take a walkie-talkie, and bring bear spray. (We barely had time to hike. One short trip to the top of the ridge. Worth it.)
Diving — 4/5
The Dive Vessel: Hurst Isle
The Hurst Isle doubles as transportation and dive boat. It fits six divers on each side. Two more spots at the stern. The cabin has a marine head (always a win) and bench seating for 8, though dry suit divers are not small people, so it gets cozy when weather drives everyone inside.
On-deck amenities that matter:
- Hood hot water bucket — use it, every dive, no exceptions. Game changer.
- Surface interval snacks — baked goods, or cheese/charcuterie. Legitimately good.
- Hot drinks thermos — hot chocolate, tea, hot water available throughout the day. Name-labeled reusable mugs.
Entry: Fully suit up, penguin-walk to the starboard side opening, hand your camera to Jesse. He’ll signal when it’s clear to jump.
Exit: Elevator. Starboard side has ropes to hold while you wait your turn. Because dives are unguided, teams surface at different times, so the queue is short.
Dive Briefing: Jesse’s briefings are thorough — aerial photos of each site with hand-drawn annotations showing current direction, topography, and navigation cues. Most sites are compact with clear wall structure, so orientation is usually “right shoulder” or “left shoulder.”
The dive deck setup of Hurst IsleIf the video above doesn’t work, head to https://youtube.com/shorts/2IQoX2yt1IA
Conditions
Cold. Colder than my usual 48–52°F (8–11°C). The water temperature is at 46°F / 7°C for most dives. One to two degrees Fahrenheit colder than my baseline hits differently than the math suggests — I barely lasted 30 minutes per dive on Day 1. By Day 3, I’d adapted enough to push to 40 minutes.
We had sunny weather the entire week, which the crew said is unusual for April. Current varies from flat to complex — the crew is experienced at timing launches around slack, but you’ll want a few dives under your belt before you’re fully comfortable reading what’s happening.
Pro Tip
If you’re at the colder edge of your drysuit undergarment range, bring more than you think you need.
All of our group was running some form of heated vest/undergarments — Most (including us) on the Venture Heat, a couple on full Santi heated suits with heated gloves.
I added another street vest between my baselayer and heated vest as an interim fix for warmth and lesser hot spots; it helped.
>> Read more: what cold water PNW diving actually demands before you go remote on “Shivering is Optional: Diving in Wetsuit or Drysuit in the PNW”
>> Up next: a full review of the Venture Heat vest — the heated undergarment most of our group was wearing on this trip
>> Up next: the full cold-water diving packing list — what to bring when the water is under 50°F and there’s no warm shortcut
Dive Schedule
Timed around tides and current, so your April experience may differ from October. Our typical day with 3 boat dives:
- 7:00–7:45am: Breakfast
- Morning: 1–2 boat dives (site and condition-dependent. During our trip, most days we do 1 dive in the morning.)
- Midday: Back to resort for lunch (so take off drysuits and put it on again)
- Afternoon: 1–2 additional dives
- Dinner: 6:30–7:45pm depending on afternoon conditions
- One evening: Twilight/night dock dive (max 1 hour, strict cutoff for elevator scheduling)
Depth: My max ranged 20–35m. Some walls extend to 60–70m, but no-deco limits and 60–70 minute bottom times mean those depths aren’t realistic targets on this trip.
Last morning at God's Pocket: five days of dive sites on the whiteboard, bagels to go. That's a good week.What We Saw
The topography is the headline. Walls blanketed in anemones — every size, every species, stacked from the shallows into the dark. In among them: large schools of China Rockfish (many visibly pregnant), Black Rockfish, Tiger Rockfish. Puget Sound King Crabs (one live, one carcass) and Red Irish Lords dotted across the walls alongside basket stars and nudibranchs ranging from tiny to absurd.
China rockfish hiding inside a crack decorated by anemonesIn the shallows, kelp beds with Kelp Greenlings (which like to sit on top of rocks) and Rock Greenlings (which like to hide in kelps). Other divers in our group spotted Wolf Eels and Giant Pacific Octopus — I’ll be honest, I have better luck finding both at Sund Rock.
Kelp greenling roaming in the shallowOn the surface: sea lions, seals, and otters at a regular distance, along with lots of eagles and ducks. No sightings of whales this trip.
Food — 5/5
Ken is a talented professional chef, and the food at God’s Pocket is the best I’ve had on any dive trip — and notably better than most of my recent restaurant experiences.
Western staples done right: sandwiches, brunch, proteins, salads, dessert (especially the genius candied carrot cake). Creative detours into Japanese curry, taco night, poke bowl, and bánh mì. All baked snacks for surface intervals are made in-house.
The challenge was not eating too much before the next dive.
All the amazing food by Ken we had (should have also pictured the bake goods!!)If the link above doesn’t work, head to https://youtube.com/shorts/oMhbzbGf0Ys
Resort Amenities — 4/5
The resort is a cluster of small structures: heated gear room by the dock, a dining room/kitchen, a lounge with fireplace and projector, 8 guest cabins, and staff quarters. Infrastructure is clearly well thought-out:
- Power: Solar panels + a generator that charges a large battery bank rather than running continuously
- Water: Filtered general-use water (runs brown — it’s clean, they’ve tested it) and a separate desalinated supply for drinking
- Wi-Fi: Surprisingly stable for a remote island. I kept usage light — trying to live somewhat off-grid when you’re actually off-grid
Gear room: Heated. If you spring a leak, undergarments are mostly dry within a few hours, enabling afternoon dives. Big rinse sink by the dock.
Wishlist items: A dedicated camera room would be a huge improvement — many guests bring large rigs. Hot tub would be dreaming. But I’m dreaming.
Heated gear room right beside the dock, with hose and rinse tank (not pictured) outside.Cabin & Comfort — 5/5
We stayed in a two-bed cabin, which worked fine as a couple, and less stairs to climb. Heated floors, a charging tower, hooks outside the door for drysuit hanging. Hot water was fast and pressure was solid — an actual surprise for a remote island, and not a minor one when you’re diving 46°F water.
A few rules worth knowing:
- No hair dryers or other high-draw heating elements
- Charging requires you to be present (standard electrical safety)
- Don’t hang anything on the plexiglass panels
- Some guests keep drysuits in the heated gear room; we kept ours at the cabin door except on the one windy night
Crew & Service — 100/5 (Not a Typo)
God’s Pocket runs on a small core crew: Claus (owner and everything else), Bryan (captain), Jesse (first mate), and Ken (chef). Everyone is friendly, professional, and clearly invested — in the guests’ experience and in doing the operation sustainably. I enjoyed my time there, and I’m crediting that largely to the people running it.
Budget
The cost of the trip is USD $3,350, with 10-20% suggested tips. This includes pick-up/drop-off, all rooms and boards, 16 planned dives (actual might differ based on weather), 31% nitrox fill, use of one LP85 tank and weights. The resort website details exactly what’s included and excluded.
However, remember to factor in
- Gas cost to drive driving to Port Hardy
- Car rental if needed: and you will park 6-day in Port Hardy while diving…. 100 CAD per day
- Ferry cost: each way about 70-90 CAD including vehicle and two adults. Early bird pricing available and reservation highly recommended. Check BC Ferries for schedule and cost.
- Parking at the Port Hardy marina ~ single vehicle published weekly rate at CAD 23.6.
- Planned overnight on road ~CAD150 per night
- Contingency hotel night in Port Hardy ~CAD 150
Final Thoughts
This was my first cold-water dive trip in water colder than my home turf, and it showed — I spent most of Day 1 acclimatizing to both the temperature and the current. That’s not a criticism of the destination; it’s a calibration note for anyone who, like me, figured one degree difference wouldn’t matter.
The walls at God’s Pocket are spectacular in a way you won’t find shore diving the Puget Sound or Hood Canal. The anemone coverage lives up to two decades of word-of-mouth. The food, the crew, and the infrastructure are all well above what you’d expect from a remote island resort.
Would I go back? Yes — partly because I think I missed things by being cold and current-focused early in the week, and partly because I want to find a roaming GPO I can actually claim credit for.
Who this is for: Cold-water diver with at minimum 50 drysuit dives (among 100 all dives), comfortable in current, willing to commit a full travel day (or two) each way. Photography minded. Not a beginner destination and not trying to be.
Every sticker on that door is a group of happy divers who made the trip. The list keeps growing.>> Read more: Not ready to commit to the whole week? Check out what a PNW day boat dive looks like in “PNW Dive Report: Zipping to Fox Island with Bandito Charters” & “PNW Dive Report: Saltwater Therapy with YSS and “Miss Gig””
Frequently Asked Questions
What experience level do you need for God’s Pocket?
God’s Pocket requires a minimum of 100 total dives with at least 50 in cold water and drysuit. A drysuit is mandatory — there is no wetsuit option here. Comfort with moderate current is strongly recommended.
What is the best time of year to dive God’s Pocket?
The resort operates mid-March through end of May and mid-August through the end of October. Summer months are avoided due to algae blooms reducing visibility significantly. April and September seem to be popular months among the repeat guests we met on this trip with a good chance of marine life and manageable topside conditions.
What’s included in the price?
Includes accommodation, all meals, 16 scheduled dives, 31% nitrox fills, one LP85 tank, and weights. Verify current inclusions directly with God’s Pocket or your booking agent before confirming.
Is God’s Pocket guided or unguided diving?
Unguided. Dives are briefed thoroughly by the first mate with annotated aerial maps, but you navigate as a buddy pair. This is one reason the experience level requirement matters. Each dive operator might run the trip differently though.
About Pan — Full Cave and Advanced Recreational Trimix diver based in the Pacific Northwest. I started diving without knowing how to swim; now I drive three hours each way to dive in Puget Sound/Hood Canal. Two Ocean Notes documents the technical progression, gear decisions, and travel planning behind this dive life — from a petite engineer’s perspective, without the fluff. → Read my full story
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Editorial disclaimer
Please be aware that scuba diving is an inherently risky activity, even with certification and experience. The content on this blog reflects my personal opinions and experiences and should not be considered instructional. Always prioritize safety, seek guidance and certification from qualified diving professionals, and carefully consider the risks involved in any dives.
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