Considering Dive Trip To Seattle Area

[Mark Duddridge]

Hey everybody!

My wife is going to be visiting her uncle in the Seattle area (Olympia) this summer, and I'm thinking of tagging along to do some diving.

I have two questions I was hoping you could help me out with.

1. Is there any interesting diving in the Seattle area? Please pardon my ignorance on the matter, but I really know nothing about this region when it comes to diving.

2. Are there any dive clubs or shops in the Seattle area I could contact to get in touch with some dive buddies or dive excursions?

If I get the chance to do a bunch of diving, I'll definitely be making the trip out. If, however, that opportunity doesn't exist, she'll probably be going on her own as her and her uncle intend to spend the entire time browsing Seattle's art galleries!

Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards,

Mark

 

[danclem]

Hi Mark:

There is great diving in the Puget Sound area. I am not sure where you are coming in from, but the water temps are in the 45 degree range. In summer the visibility may not be terribly good as the long days and sun get plankton blooming.

Here are some links for dive locations/information:

South Puget Sound: SouthPuget Sound Dive Site Reviews
North Puget Sound: NorthPuget Sound Dive Site Reviews
Vancouver/BC Area: scuBagod
Other Resource: UnderWaterWiki Map

Lots of good shore dives. I am up in the north Sound area, but have gone out with Bandito Charters in Tacoma ( Bandito Charters - Scuba Diving Boat Charters for Puget Sound ). They also have a boat in the San Juan Islands.

Hope this helps. I am sure some other divers with more experience in the south Sound will give you more information.

Cheers,

Dan

 

[Mark Duddridge]

Dan,

Thanks for the info!

I live in Manitoba, so cold water and bad visibility are a fact of life for me!

I'll check out the links you've provided.

Thanks again!

Mark

 

[DiverMike10]

Mark,

Another option if you are based in Olympia is to head up 101 to Hood Canal (really, it's a fjord). Pacific Adventure charters has a nice operation out of Brinnon. Hood Canal Pacific Adventure Dive Charters in Hood Canal near Brinnon Washington Puget Sound- pacadventure).

Mike

 

[TSandM]

Is there any interesting diving in the Puget Sound area? An awful lot of us seem to think so . . .

Giant pacific octopus, wolf eels, six gill sharks (when you're lucky), tons of rockfish, ling cod, gunnels, nudibranchs . . . We seem to keep ourselves amused on a pretty regular basis!

There's good shore diving and excellent boat diving, good charter companies, and a wide range of topography, from shallow silt slopes to walls to high velocity drift diving.

Give us a holler when you're headed our way, and I don't think you'll have any problem finding people to show you around what the Sound has to offer.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Plenty to see here, pretty much year round ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[wadivediva]

Pacific Adventures is a great outfit to dive with and there is
Bandito out of Tacoma. I have done trips with both outfits a number of times and never had any bad experiences.

 

[Mark Duddridge]

Thanks for all the information, everybody! Now you've got me all excited!

Have any of you heard if "Underwater Sports Four-Dives Adventure" is a good outfit? It's run by a couple whose names are "Chris" and "Jenn." Jenn organizes the Puget Sound Depth Chargers scuba club.

 

[Travisc]

you'll find as good a trips with anyone from the board- Underwater Sports is just one of the local shops

 

[danclem]

Hi Mark:

Here is a link to Underwater Sports Fun Dives. Check and see if there are any dives a couple of weeks before you come out. They are fun and it is another easy way for you to buddy up.

Underwater Sports - Seattle

Cheers,

Dan