Trip to Seattle: Diving in Feb?

[RecklessAmateur]

Hello, Northwesterners. I'm coming to Seattle for a conference in mid-Feb and would love to squeeze in a day or two of diving. So a couple questions: 1) what should I expect in the way of conditions/viz (yeah, I know the correct answer is "it depends" but just gimme SOME idea!) and 2) anybody out there interested in diving and showing me around a site or two? Most likely I'll be there and ready to dive Feb. 12 and 13. I'm a long-time diver with about 250 divers who loves cold water but has never been diving in the Great NW. I'm looking forward to it.

Cheers and thanks for any thoughts and advice.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Hello, Northwesterners. I'm coming to Seattle for a conference in mid-Feb and would love to squeeze in a day or two of diving. So a couple questions: 1) what should I expect in the way of conditions/viz (yeah, I know the correct answer is "it depends" but just gimme SOME idea!) and 2) anybody out there interested in diving and showing me around a site or two? Most likely I'll be there and ready to dive Feb. 12 and 13. I'm a long-time diver with about 250 divers who loves cold water but has never been diving in the Great NW. I'm looking forward to it.

Cheers and thanks for any thoughts and advice.

Expect water temps in the mid-40's and vis anywhere from 10 to 40 feet, depending on weather conditions. It's typically somewhere in the 20-25 foot range that time of year.

The 12th/13th are midweek. I work a day job, but would be happy to meet you for a late afternoon/early evening dive.

Tidal exchanges are fairly large those two days, so you'll be limited to a few sites that are not current-dependent ... our most popular dive site is Cove 2, which you can dive pretty much anytime. If you're staying in Seattle, that's your best bet. Redondo in Federal Way will also be diveable in those tides ... it's about 20 miles south of Seattle.

Keep us informed as the dates approach ... dive buddies are pretty easy to come by around here ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TSandM]

February's an incredibly changeable month. We often have a week of beautiful weather (temps can get as high as the low 70's) which is just a teaser, as winter sets in again immediately thereafter. You can also run into snow, or temps in the 20's, so it's a good idea to keep a sharp eye on the forecast just before you leave in order to know what kind of clothes to bring.

I have an erratic schedule but often have midweek time off. I don't know my work dates for February yet, and we're also going to try to squeeze in another trip to the caves, but if I'm around, I'd be happy to meet up with you and get a couple of dives in.

 

[RecklessAmateur]

Hey thanks, folks. Sounds like I'll have to keep an eye on the forecasts and conditions, and make plans closer to the date. Appreciate the advice!

 

[b1gcountry]

BTW, Reckless, I just dove with Bob in September, and he is an excellent host, and a very knowledgeable diver.