Go Ice Diving in Banff National Park’s Lake Minnewanka
for a Scuba Diving Challenge

Scuba diving? Seriously? Yep. Right here in Banff, Alberta, and  surrounding Banff National Park. If you can do it outdoors, you can do it in the Canadian Rockies, and that includes scuba diving, even in winter time — fishing becomes ice fishing; diving becomes ice diving.

Not heard of ice diving? It’s just what it sounds like: scuba diving under ice. The primary diving site in Banff is just outside of town at Lake Minnewanka. Here you’ve got a submerged town to explore, among other features.

Parks Canada places special restrictions on ice diving in the park. Namely that means all dive groups (both private and commercial) must obtain a Restricted Activity Permit (RAP) prior to ice diving in Banff National Park. Permits, guidelines, dive sites, and proposed dates must be reviewed ahead of time with a Park Warden. There are other guidelines and rules as well, mostly designed to protect the marine environment.

Of course, if you’d like to wait for warmer weather you can scuba dive Lake Minnewanka when the ice melts, too.