Things to Do in Richmond

Among Diving Locker's group of seasoned and certified underwater experts, accomplishments include inspecting Australia's Great Barrier Reef up close, swimming with fish in the blue waters of Guam, and spending more than 40 years helping snorkellers choose the right fins. Diving Locker's staff of instructors combine their wealth of collective experience to provide students with technical education—such as PADI certifications and search-and-recovery training—and to impart their genuine love for the fruits of globe-trekking. In addition to being a hub for scuba equipment sales and instruction, the business' audacious employees also organize and lead diving jaunts around the world and to a number of local underwater destinations on weekends. Diving Locker has been in operation since the late 1960s and has been operated since 1972 by Greg Kocher, the facility's resident equipment guru and mermaid interpreter.

Since 2004, Snowbus’s fleet of 56 comfortable passenger coaches has shepherded skiers and snowboarders back and forth between Vancouver and Whistler Blackcomb. The route schedule allows mountaineers to hitch a ride out of Vancouver, schuss and slalom to their heart’s content at the world-renowned resort, and hop back aboard a bus for a movie and snack to accompanied their trip home. The service gives downhillers a way to circumvent the hassles of dealing with traffic and parking, and enables them to partake in après-ski revelry without fear of drinking and driving or drinking and cartwheeling back to Vancouver.

Since 1931, more than three million visitors have walked down the docks of Sewell's Marina, stepped into a boat, and floated through the islands and inlets of Howe Sound. The marina's vessels have proffered spectacular glimpses into nature, such as the plunging waters of Shannon Falls and the wild blacksmiths that gallop across Anvil Island Cliffs.

Sewell's Marina's current trips tread the line between education and adventure. Their crews pilot vessels on fishing charters and aquatic thrills such as a Sea Quest scavenger hunts. Sea Safari tours send boats speeding alongside cliffs and into the habitats of seals, bald eagles, and marine birds. Even with boat rentals, Sewell's crew still guides customers, giving dockside instruction on how to operate speedboats and politely ask harbour seals for directions.

Windsure gives terrain-based Vancouverites the tools to conquer water and air through on-the-water windsurfing classes. The three-hour windsurfing introductory class begins with a lesson in wind geometry, during which students will draw a wind clock in the sand to help them note the nuances of positioning themselves on the windsurfing board. After the half-hour land-based orientation, including additional discussions in sailing theory and self-defense techniques against switchblade-wielding flying fish, students will take to the water to flex windsurfing muscles, using a wider board with smaller sails for beginner-friendly ease.

The vibrant blooms and lush foliage of approximately 12,000 plants greet visitors' eyes as they wander along the outdoor paths of UBC Botanical Garden. Guest are encouraged to make small talk with plants on display, which include international varietals such as Asian maple trees, alpine and montane flora, more than 400 species of rhododendrons, and vascular plants from the rainforest. Inside the Nitobe Memorial Garden, waterfalls and streams reflect the harmony of nature framing a traditional Japanese teahouse. The garden's classes can help students cultivate home botanicals, teaching techniques such as pruning and training fruit trees. The picturesque surroundings also play host to researchers, weddings, and school groups.

Richmond Indoor Paintball lets competitive sharpshooters live out intricate battle strategies in 25,000 square feet of barricades, abandoned buildings, and streets made to look like a real town. Open year-round, the facility’s graffiti-splattered walls surround the field, and the beat-up old cars littered about offer cover. Players find only premium rental equipment, paintballs, and all elements of play kept feeling as though they were plucked straight from a video game. The space accommodates up to 60 guests from noon to midnight each day except Tuesday, when the facility closes for cleaning and community art-history lectures. Click here to view a virtual tour.