SIMBS (the South Island Mountain Biking Association)
This wicked biking club has been active since forever, and is a great place to: organize and join rides in the area, get the scoop on the local bike shops, hook up with awesome deals on bike parts in their member classifieds ↑, and of course, meet cool dudes and foxy biker girls.
Victoria City Rowing Club
The YM-YWCA sport center and pool.
They've got it all, from Yoga to kickboxing, plus a very big gym space divided into different zones, so it’s never too crowded. You can get the monthly entrance pass which includes gym, pool and selection of their exercise classes for a reasonable price (around $60 Adult or $30 for students, Jan 05) or drop by for a class and a swim for around $10.
880 Courtney Street (map) (directions) Tel: 1-250-386-7511
Court Bookings: 1-250-386-3714
Crystal Pool - Late Night Swim/Work Out
The Crystal has been around for literally as long as anybody can remember. It's pretty basic - it's got a big pool, a kids' pool, sauna, hot tub, a pretty boring waterslide... but if you're down with getting some exercise, this place is awesome - your pool pass also gets you access to their work-out gear, and they've got various classes and programs so you can learn dancing, swimming, whatever!
Oak Bay Rec Centre - Late Night Swim/Work Out
Mon-Fri 9:30pm until 1am they offer a Late Night Swim/Work Out at a discounted rate. Good music, sauna, hot tub, water slides and lots of semi-clad people. What more could you want? They also have ice-skating all year round.
Crag X - Indoor Climbing Gym
We've heard nothing but good things about this place. Bear in mind that you will have to rent out the gear if you don't have your own, and this can be a little pricy. It's definitely worth it if you want to make a day of it though. They offer lessons, gear rental and they're open late on weekdays. Hours are 2pm-11:30pm weekdays, 10am-6pm weekends.
Yoga classes
Moksana
From Kundalini to Flow Yoga, Moksana offers a wide range of yoga classes with professional instructors. A drop in class is $12.00 and Community Class on Sunday afternoons at 4.30pm is $5.00. They have discounted monthly rates for students.
#500 - 3 Fan Tan Alley
Phone: 385-2105
Yoga Shala
The Yoga Shala is devoted to forming a community of yoga practitioners in Victoria and teaching authentic Yoga. They are located right downtown and here at Ocean Island we've heard nothing but praise for them.
Diving Lessons
A full service scuba diving facility providing weekend dive charters, daily trips and scuba diving holidays. There’s a dive shop with fresh water showers, not to mention a restaurant to relax in after the dive and watch the sun go down. Full rental equipment available and from what I hear, it's one of the best places to go diving in Canada!
Ogden Point Dive Centre at the 'Breakwater'
199 Dallas Road
380-9119 or Toll-Free 1-888-701-1177
Paragliding
Vancouver Island Paragliding
They’ll take you on an aerial adventure you'll never forget and they're based right here in Victoria, and provide transportation right from Ocean Island Backpackers Inn!
info@viparagliding.com
Phone: 514-8595
Another company to consider:
Fly Victoria
The oldest paragliding school in Victoria. They offer pilot training courses and emphasize safety first and top quality equipment.
#202-7 Gorge Rd
881-4554
Kayaking and hiking
Discovery Island Provincial Marine Park
Located in the southeast tip of Vancouver Island, just 3 miles east of oak bay.
It’s a very beautiful paddle - good for a whole day trip and over night stay also possible in a camping ground on the island (12 spaces and picnic tables sheltered by trees). Chatam and Discovery Islands ( 6 mile/10 km) have very easy access which is close to downtown (10-15 min by car). Paddlers can launch their kayaks at Cattle point, just north of oak bay Marina at the sign marked Cattle point scenic loop, the Oak bay ramp off Beach Drive and Smugglers cove (Maynard Bay) on Ten Mile point.
What to expect on the archipelago:
Seabird nesting and ecological reserve, which is a chain islet and a home to harbour seals, glaucous-winged gulls, pelagic cormorants, pigeon guillemots and black oystercatchers.
Discovery Island is also the home of otters, sea lions and bald eagles
The water can have strong currents and frequent winds that can run from 3-6 nots, crossing should be made in low tide (I can really say from my experience that you better check the tide time table, we had to work hard to get back and it can be quite an exercise… )
Waterslides
All Fun Recreation park has waterslides, a batting cage, go-karts, and mini golf and it’s right next to Western Speedway - a guaranteed day of fun! The water-park is open June 16- September 5th from 11am-7pm
Admission to the waterslides is $15 or if you go after 3pm it’s $10.
We do not recommend taking city transit out to the waterslides, as the bus routes are not direct and they run very infrequently at that.
Driving Directions*
- Take Douglas St. out of town. This will turn into Hwy. #1 - follow along for awhile
- After you pass Thetis Lake take the next exit (Exit 14 - Millstream Rd.) and then take Millstream North
- Follow along for 1 mile - the waterslides are located at 2207 Millstream Rd.
Fishing
Thinking about going fishing? Don’t forget your license: For fishing license info call Robinson’s Sports store: 385-3429
Alpine and Nordic Ski
Mount Washington
Located in the Comox Valley, only 2.5 hours from Victoria, this resort is open year round and offers Alpine and Nordic skiing, ski lessons, rentals, camps and oh! So much more!
For more info - www.mounttwashington.ca
check this web site for accomodation in the area
Central Reservations
From the Comox Valley 1-250-338-1386
Toll Free 1-888-231-1499
Snow Reports
Comox Valley 338-1515
Toll free 1-888-833-1515
Other very good Yoga places downtown:
