News Archive
Taking the Plunge with Scuba
A new addition to the 360 (arts and activities) slate is making a splash at Shawnigan this year.
There have been a few ups and downs for the scuba program in its first year, but the cohort of seven students who are participating are enjoying it as they take a deep dive into a new experience.
The School has dabbled in scuba diving in the past, but not within the last two decades, said Mr. Galen Loiselle, a long-time Shawnigan teacher and an experienced diver, who made the effort to bring the program to life this year.
“This year it just kind of came together,” Mr. Loiselle says.
Mr. Loiselle was introduced to scuba diving in a PE class when he was in high school, and decided to pursue it further. He estimates he made “hundreds” of dives in his 20s and has continued to be involved when he has time.
Like all 360s, the scuba group meets twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays. The dive shop they work with — Wilson Diving in Victoria, which also works with other nearby boarding schools — is closed on Mondays, which limits them to one day a week in the water. Fortunately, there are still things to learn out of the water.
All of the students are working on Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certification. Of the seven participants, four are working on their open water certification, and three who have previous experience are doing advanced open water certification.
The group does pool dives at the Cowichan Aquatic Centre in Duncan, and ocean dives in Mill Bay. Once they get more comfortable, they could travel to more places for ocean dives, such as Cowichan Bay, Maple Bay, or locations off Victoria. Unfortunately, Shawnigan Lake isn’t an ideal location for scuba diving because of low visibility — not that there would be much to see in the lake anyway.
Mr. Loiselle is now pondering the future of the scuba program: both how to proceed in the spring after the students get their certification, and what to do next year. Over time, that could include learning about the ocean and sea creatures around Vancouver Island, studying the threats to marine life, and engaging with local underwater photographers.
“There are neat spin-off possibilities,” he says.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
