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Marina

Marine Diving Services at Van Isle Marina - Sidney, BC

Van Isle Marina in Tsehum Harbour is one of Vancouver Island's largest marinas. We're there every week - hulls, zincs, inspections, mooring work.

Location

About Van Isle Marina.

Van Isle Marina is tucked into Tsehum Harbour on the east side of the Saanich Peninsula, a few minutes north of downtown Sidney. It hosts a wide cross-section of boats: serious offshore cruisers, coastal power boats, sailing yachts, sport fishers, and a healthy liveaboard community.

Tsehum Harbour has better flushing than Victoria's Inner Harbour - the entrance channel works in concert with tides through Haro Strait and All Bay - so both water clarity and fouling pressure are moderate rather than extreme. That said, being at a full-service marina with shore power means electrical environment matters for zinc wear.

The marina is large, and dock access is easy. We coordinate directly with boat owners and handle parking and access without needing marina staff involvement for most work.

What Diving Looks Like at Van Isle Marina

What diving here is actually like.

Typical summer visibility inside Tsehum Harbour near Van Isle is 8-15 feet - good by Vancouver Island standards. That makes underwater inspections and video documentation particularly effective here.

Fouling is moderate. Most Van Isle boats benefit from 6-8 week cleaning through the warm season. Sheltered parts of the harbour (back rows near the boatyard) see slightly more growth than outer rows closer to the channel.

Zinc consumption varies widely by boat based on electrical setup. Sailboats with modest electrical systems often run zincs 8-12 months. Power boats with complex electronics and shore power can need changes every 4-5 months.

What we do here

Typical Van Isle Marina jobs.

  • Hull cleaning on 6-8 week cadence in season
  • Zinc replacement - saildrive, shaft, and hull-mounted
  • Pre-purchase inspections for the Van Isle brokerage and private sales
  • Prop cleaning and inspection for cruising boats pre-departure
  • Commercial diving support for marina infrastructure work

FAQ

Van Isle Marina questions.

Do you work with offshore cruisers before they depart?
Yes - Van Isle is home to a lot of offshore-bound boats. Pre-departure we'll do a full bottom clean, prop and running gear inspection, zinc replacement, and any visual underwater survey you want. Video documentation for insurance is standard.
Can you handle bigger yachts at Van Isle?
Yes - we work on everything from 25-foot sailboats to large yachts up to 80+ feet. Larger vessels take more time but the process is the same.
Do you coordinate with the Van Isle boatyard?
When needed, yes. If your boat is heading into or coming out of haul-out, we can do pre- or post-launch inspections that complement the yard's work. Often saves a haul-out cycle.

Service area

Van Isle Marina is part of our Sidney & the Saanich Peninsula coverage.

The Saanich Peninsula holds more boats per square kilometre than anywhere else on Vancouver Island. We dive at Van Isle, Canoe Cove, Tsehum, Westport, and Brentwood Bay every week.

See Sidney & the Saanich Peninsula →

Contact

Boat at Van Isle Marina? Get a quote.

Tell us about the boat and where it lives. We reply within a business day — usually faster.

Phone
Phone (778) 535-4506
Hours
Hours Mon–Sat, 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM · Emergency response available

Urgent — fouled prop, suspected damage, dropped item — call. We triage by phone faster than by form.

No spam. We reply with a clear quote, not a sales pitch.