Site Resources & Tools
Dive planning for Renate's Reef
Site Briefing
Renate's Reef is a dive site in Barkley Sound. Pinnacle dive in Barkley Sound (Imperial Eagle Channel, offshore of the Deer Group, north of Flemming Island) -- Vancouver Island's west coast.
Rises from ~200 ft to a top at ~30 ft below the surface; substantial overhangs, cracks, crevices, at least one swim-through on the west side. Named for Renate Christie; considered a world-class cold-water dive by many and often ranked one of the best in Barkley Sound.
Access: Boat access only -- middle of an open channel.
Marine life: Plumose anemones, fish-eating anemones, white-spotted rose anemones, wolf eels, and a full rockfish suite (China, tiger, silver-grey, canary, juvenile yelloweye, black, yellowtail rockfish).
Hazards: Exposed to weather -- middle of Imperial Eagle Channel. Summer plankton blooms significantly reduce viz. Deep drop -- 100+ ft is typical; buoyancy control critical.
⚠️ Safety & accuracy
Before diving at Renate's Reef, always check the site-specific wind/wave forecast, tide/currents, and recent reports ! Reminder: Winds (even offshore winds) can impact slack time.
Briefings may be out of date or have inaccuracies. Dive within your training and experience. The first time diving a site, join someone familiar with the site and/or start on a mild day.
See our currents, tides, wind, and waves guide for help reading charts and planning current-sensitive dives.
The nearest NOAA or XTide current and tide stations within 25 miles are selected by default when available. NOAA stations show charts here; XTide stations link to Dairiki. Click a pin on the map below to choose another station for current, tide, camera, or buoy data (you may need to zoom in or out).
See an issue? Would you suggest a different default station or depth? Suggest briefing updates.
Nearby Stations
No current station within 25 miles of this site. Zoom out to see further out stations. If you know of a better station from some other source, let us know!
Bamfield -- less than 1 mile away — XTide tides (Dairiki)
Nearby Dive Sites
- Twin Peaks (~10 miles)