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Before anything else

The resort asks for a minimum of 100 logged dives, at least 50 of them in cold water in a drysuit, and divers comfortable diving independently after the briefing. There are no in-water guides as standard. If that is not you yet, this is not the week to make it you.

Certification cards and your logbook They will look. 100 dives, 50 cold-water drysuit, is the floor.
Dive insurance and trip insurance Both, in the resort's words. The boat can only get you as far as Port Hardy.
Every piece of gear tested in the water before you come Their instruction, verbatim in spirit: in-water test anything you plan to bring, before you get here. There is nowhere to fix it once you are on the island.

Dive kit, all of it

Provided: steel 85 cubic-foot low-pressure cylinders with convertible valves, all the lead you need, nitrox fills, a divemaster to fill your tanks, and a limited save-a-dive kit. Not provided: anything else. There is no rental gear.

Drysuit 7 to 9°C. Required, not suggested.
Spare wrist and neck seals The resort singles these out. A torn seal on day two without a spare is a week on the sundeck.
Undersuit and thermals for a drysuit Three dives a day in 8°C water. Warmth is the whole game.
Regulator, cold-water rated
BCD or wing
Dive computer, plus its batteries The resort requires every guest to dive with one.
Hood and gloves Hot water for warming gloves and hoods is on the boat. It helps. It does not replace thick ones.
Underwater light For the walls, and for the one evening dive a week in the bay.
Your own spares Mask strap, fin strap, o-rings, a mouthpiece. The save-a-dive kit is minimal and it is shared.

Camera, underwater

Jacques Cousteau rated this stretch of coast among the best cold-water diving in the world, and the resort expects cameras: bring yours and the strobes. Two rules about power: nothing stays plugged in to charge while the boat is out, and heating elements of any kind are not allowed.

Housing, strobes, arms And the o-rings and grease for them.
Camera and strobe batteries, spares, chargers Charge in the evening. Nothing charges while everyone is at sea.
North American plug adaptors Rooms have 120-volt outlets. Bring adaptors if your chargers are not North American.

Between dives

The Hurst Isle has a heated wet cabin, tank racks, a hydraulic lift so you leave the water with your gear on, and hot drinks and snacks aboard. You still spend a lot of a day wet and stationary.

Rain jacket Port Hardy in autumn is the reason the visibility is good.
Warm layers for surface intervals Fleece, a hat, dry socks. The resort's words: warm clothing for between dives.
Hiking boots or rubber boots Either, per the resort. The dock and the trails are wet.
Sunglasses and sunblock On the water, even under cloud.

At the lodge

Towels and linens are supplied. Three meals a day and baked snacks are included, with coffee, tea and juice always out. Wifi is free but barely there, heating elements are not allowed on the lodge's power, and water comes from a spring and a desalinator, so showers are short.

Headlamp or small flashlight For evenings and early mornings, in the resort's words.
All your toiletries, shampoo included Not supplied. Bring what you use.
Alcohol, soda and snack food The lodge does coffee, tea, juice and baking. Anything else you want, you bring.

For Port Hardy

The boat leaves from the fuel dock at Quarterdeck Marina, 6555 Hardy Bay Road, Port Hardy. Pick-up is 4 pm on the first day and the resort asks you to arrive early, gear ready to load by then. Drop-off is 9 am on the last day after a quick breakfast.

Cash for the crew Tips go entirely to the crew, less card fees, so cash is preferred. The resort's guidance is the industry norm of 10 to 20% of the trip.

Checked against: God's Pocket Resort, know before you go . Operator limits, especially helicopter baggage weights, are theirs and change; confirm with your booking.

What to pack for a dive week at God's Pocket