Dive Review of Browning Pass Hideaway in
Canada

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Browning Pass Hideaway: "World's Worst Dive Resort", Sep, 2022, by Mr Brent Woods, ON, CA ( Sr. Contributor 22 reports with 13 Helpful votes). Report 12070.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	After I had finished unloading my dive gear from my car at the Port Hardy dock, a rusty vehicle pulled up behind me and a man who looked like he came from Skid Row got out and came up to talk to me. This was my first encounter with John de Boeck, legendary proprietor of the Browning Pass Hideaway. This less than auspicious first impression was a sign of things to come. This was to be my first post pandemic dive trip. I was expecting a check out dive the first day, three dives a day for the next three days and another dive on the final day. The trip was organized by a friend who had dove dove here twice before about a decade ago and raved about it. I signed up based on that and a positive article in Undercurrent a few years ago. I did not check recent reviews. There were seven experienced divers in our group. A water taxi took us to the resort. There was no one there when we arrived. There was no potable water or electricity. The resort consists of 6 floating building of which only two are usable. The others are sinking. The rafts that the buildings are on are covered with decades worth of junk. A couple of hours later Amanda and Keith showed up with provisions and turned the generator on. They are looking after the non diving part of the operation this year and making the best of a bad situation. The rooms that clients access are clean and comfortable. Amanda and Keith kept us well fed with delicious home made meals The check out dive was postponed because the dive boat was in Port Hardy being repaired. Keith took the supply boat into Port Hardy the next morning to retrieve the dive boat and John de Boeck. The dive boat had been repaired from parts salvaged from another motor. The dive boat required several hours of work to fashion wooden covers over the battery and part of the bilge. The check out dive finally occurred a day late. Me and one other diver sat out the check out dive because we were skeptical of the fitness of the dive boat. The dive boat engine failed on the check out dive after picking up the divers and had to be towed back to the resort by a passing boat. John could not radio the resort for help because he had not plugged in the radio at the resort. The engine was repaired again using parts from another of John.s derelict engines. The two divers who sat out the check dive decided not to dive this week. One of the divers who did the check dive decided not to dive any more. There were no further boat breakdowns. A total of six dives were conducted over a three day period. Fortunately, there were no further incidents. I will not try to catalogue the safety infractions. Suffice it to say that nothing that I checked was fully compliant with my understanding of codes and regulations. Do not patronize any dive operation owned or associated with John de Boeck
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Ontario, Quebec, Cuba, Roatan, Red Sea, Little Cayman, St. Eustatius, Saba, Bonaire, Jamaica, Pohnpei, Galapagos, Costa Rica, Chuuk, Palau, Yap, Cozumel, Kosrae, Bahamas
Closest Airport	Port Hardy	Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	-°F / -°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	- Ft/ - M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish	N/A
Small Critters	N/A	Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	[None]I can't comment on subject matter as I did not dive here.

Subscriber's Comments

By Elaine Brown in ON, CA at Sep 29, 2022 07:28 EST

Sorry you had this negative experience. I have not stayed at the Hideaway, but have stayed, on 3 occasions, at God's Pocket. GP is the other end of the continuum: clean, comfy accommodations; safe, competent dive operation; excellent meals--located on Hurst Isle, a 30-minute boat ride from the Port Hardy dock. Hope some day you get to enjoy the gorgeous diving in this unique part of Canada.

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Dive Review of Browning Pass Hideaway in Canada

Browning Pass Hideaway: "World's Worst Dive Resort", Sep, 2022,

Photos Submitted with this Report

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subscriber's Comments

Dive Review of Browning Pass Hideaway in
Canada