This is a reasonably popular shore dive in the Ladysmith area. It's in the Northern part of Evening Cove right next to Coffin Point. I came here on Dec. 13, 2009. From the parking area, there's a short trail past an outhouse to some picnic tables and a white, crushed-shell beach. I swam out on the surface towards the left side of the bay (Coffin Point). When I reached the steep sandstone shore on the left side of the bay, I swam out South, past a small exposed reef towards where the chart shows the steeper, deeper area. The bottom was a slope of sand, small rocks and shells. Moon jellies and the occasional seastar were the only hints of marine life. I swam down to 65 feet deep, but I didn't see the reefs and walls that divers come here to see. I started to swim East, parallel to the point, hoping to find rock, but there was just the gloomy, mucky slope. I swam back up shallower and I found the reef at about 40 feet deep. Visibility was 20-30 feet. I followed it out farther and it went deeper. There were small walls, ledges and piles of larger rocks at the base of the reef (60 feet deep). I didn't see much growing on the rock. It was mostly bare except for white barnacles. I saw a few small feather stars, an orange plumose anemone and several sunflower stars. There was one pile of sunflower stars eating an octopus. There weren't swarms of fish, but I saw several rockfish (brown and copper), a lingcod, a kelp greenling and a school of perch. I swam out for half of my air before turning around. I hear that the reef eventually gets deeper, but a single tank wasn't enough to get me there.
        This would be a easy, semi-interesting dive for local divers, but I don't think I'll bother driving up to dive here again. It was worth it to see a new place though. It reminded me of Saanich Inlet (especially Setchell Point), but with less marine life.
sign at start of trail
rocks in shallows next to Coffin Point
seastars on reef
seastar and moon jelly on slope
sunflower star on reef
fish at base of reef
brown rockfish
sunflower stars eating octopus
sunflower stars eating octopus
rockfish and sea cucumber
more seastars on reef
perch, sunflower stars and school of shrimp on right
rockfish
copper rockfish
copper rockfish
rockfish and orange tunicates
feather star
sunflower stars on reef
sunflower star and tube-dwelling anemones
giant nudibranch
giant swimming nudibranch
sunflower stars eating octopus and perch on wall
sunflower star under small overhang
in shallows
copper rockfish
moon jellies
sunflower star on reef
in shallows next to Coffin Point
kelp crab in shallows
seastars and closed-up orange plumose anemone
crab shells from octopus dinner
seastar and kelp crabs in shallows
memorial plaque near surface by Coffin Point
sign and trail to beach
picnic table and Coffin Point in background
Coffin Point in background
Elliott Beach
sandstone and Coffin Point in distance
sandstone and Coffin Point
Elliott Beach
Elliott Beach