OCEAN QUEST DIVE CHARTERS
Some of the best SCUBA diving in The World can be found in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada and Conception Bay, a 15 minute drive from the Provincial Capital, St. John’s is home to the Bell Island Shipwrecks. These four Allied Ore Carriers were sunk at their moorings by German U-Boats in WWII to destroy the valuable iron ore cargo on board and their remains, each over 400ft long, sit upright and intact in the clear waters of Lance Cove, Conception Bay.
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Award winning Ocean Quest Charters have been operating dive boats from Foxtrap Marina to the Bell Island Wrecks for local and international divers since 1997 and we are widely considered to be the experts on diving the Bell Island Wrecks. Our Transport Canada certified 38ft hardboat, fully equipped with bathroom, galley, dining area, BBQ and flying bridge is the perfect dive boat for groups of up to 14 divers (or 12 if using twin cylinders) and is crewed by Diving Professionals (including the Skipper). Our Transport Canada certified 23ft Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat is used for regular charters to the Bell Island Wrecks and expeditions to numerous locations throughout Newfoundland & Labrador.
All our charters depart from Foxtrap Marina, 4km from the Ocean Quest Resort, unless otherwise notified. Hardboat trips are for 2 dives on the Bell Island Wrecks and local sites and include hot lunch, use of 80cft Aluminium air cylinders and weights. Duration of Bell Island Wrecks Charters is approximately 4.5 hours.
Ocean Quest (OQ) considers that to enjoy the unique diving available in Newfoundland & Labrador to the fullest extent, requires extra awareness of safety factors. The OQ Risk Assessments and Boat Charter & Solo Diving releases are intended to enhance your safety whilst diving with Ocean Quest. It is company policy that all divers on OQ Charters to the Bell Island Wrecks are able to show proof of deep training (ie a minimum of SDI, PADI or equivalent Deep Adventure Dive) or a minimum of 100 logged and verified dives including deep dives, unless under instruction for deep diving, due to the possibility of inadvertently straying into deeper water as 100ft/30m is achievable on all the wrecks. Please see the safety page on our website for more details.
OQ do not permit Solo Diving from their charter boats unless Divers are carrying a Redundant Air Source (ie pony bottle, twin cylinders w/isolation, independent doubles), Delayed Surface Marker Buoy & Reel, Dive Knife and Surface Audible Signal Device, can prove a minimum of 100 logged dives and have a recognized certification as a Solo Diver, Cave Diver, Advanced Nitrox & Decompression Procedures Diver or Trimix Diver
Ocean Quest Diving Charter customers are requested to comply with our booking procedure as follows:
1. Provide your SCUBA certification(s) for copying and filing by the OQ Staff
2. Review the Ocean Quest Adventure Resort Diving Activities
3. Read and sign a Solo Diving Liability Release & Assumption of Risk Agreement (only if Solo Diving) Sign an Equipment Rental Form if renting SCUBA gear from OQ Pay in full for all charter and equipment rental fees if not already done in advance
4. Obtain an OQ stamp on a copy of the liability release from an OQ staff member. This stamped copy must be presented to the OQ boat skipper or crew member as proof of certification, payment and understanding of liability, etc prior to boarding the charter
Due to standard Transport Canada regulations, there are no scheduled MV Ocean Quest (hardboat) charters between 31 Oct 06 and 30 Apr 07 but RIB diving charter bookings are still available throughout the whole period for a minimum of 4 divers. A full charter schedule will be operating from 01 May 2007 and full details will be posted on this page from April.For Pricing click here.
