Cthippo
Contributor
It absolutely is! Most life I have seen in th sound and easy shore dives ar Rosario Beach.
Diving in the San Juan Islands
- Thread starter Zach The Diver
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Cthippo
Contributor
justinthedeeps
Contributor
While DP has been dived by some for many years, I would not recommend it publicly due to a tight combination of objective and human factors.
The chance of mis-timing it seems to go up exponentially with the number of people who show up, especially on the few occasions when ill-fated 'club dives' see a dozen+ people show up with little to no experience at the site. Descending even 10-15 minutes too early based on the wrong cues can and has resulted in torn drysuits, lost fins, ragdolling divers. Slack time is also when a dozen or more boats race through the tight passage.
The chance of mis-timing it seems to go up exponentially with the number of people who show up, especially on the few occasions when ill-fated 'club dives' see a dozen+ people show up with little to no experience at the site. Descending even 10-15 minutes too early based on the wrong cues can and has resulted in torn drysuits, lost fins, ragdolling divers. Slack time is also when a dozen or more boats race through the tight passage.
Took me too long to realize DM was direct message. I was wondering what divemaster you wanted fired....
I've done a lot of research diving in the San Juans, generally out of a boat. Currents are a big deal, especially at the best dive sites you've never heard of. Make sure not to just use a tide guide and assume slack current is at the moment of low tide or high tide. Often it isn't. Use a current table, and even then be ready with a plan if the current picks up.
I lived a mile from DP for many years.....
This book: Northwest Shore Dives book by Stephen Fischnaller is outSTANDING for shore diving in the PNW, despite being last printed, literally, a quarter of a century ago (2000). Cannot over-recommend this book. Some of the info isn't really relevant anymore (mileage from Olympia, directions, etc) in this age of GPS, but it is clearly a labor of love and it immediately became my Puget Sound bucket list of dives. Great suggestion, Orcas!
Anybody dive Lopez Island? I'm going to be there at the end of June and I see there's a couple of parks that may have accessible shorelines.
Cthippo
Contributor
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