Diving season in Anchorage

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CAPTAIN SINBAD

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Woodbridge VA
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Hey guys,

I am trying to understand the diving season in Anchorage. I am a drysuit and ice diver and I love diving cold water environments. Yet the term "cold" as we understand it in East Coast USA is a different cold and the way it is understood in Alaska may be a totally different one. I am assuming that in Anchorage there will be those months where the surface temperature will be so cold that diving will come to a stand-still. Can anyone give me an understanding of what are those months in which you guys do not consider diving "worth it" if you know what I mean.
 
Hey guys,

I am trying to understand the diving season in Anchorage. I am a drysuit and ice diver and I love diving cold water environments. Yet the term "cold" as we understand it in East Coast USA is a different cold and the way it is understood in Alaska may be a totally different one. I am assuming that in Anchorage there will be those months where the surface temperature will be so cold that diving will come to a stand-still. Can anyone give me an understanding of what are those months in which you guys do not consider diving "worth it" if you know what I mean.

We generally only dive the months of January through December. Smitty's cove in Whittier is good year round diving and the weather there is generally not too bad being that it's right on the ocean. Water in the winter gets into the 36 degree range when it's real cold but it's not too bad
 
Thanks. Can you not rent a boat and do boat dives where ever the heck you want? There is so much ocean there all around you that it seems like endless diving.
 
Thanks. Can you not rent a boat and do boat dives where ever the heck you want? There is so much ocean there all around you that it seems like endless diving.

You can rent a boat but it's expensive, there are some transporters that can take you out and drop you off There is an outfit out of Seward that will take you out to either their dive spots or whatever you choose, you will need all your own gear including tanks and the closest place to rent is about 90 miles.
There are lots of places to dive the problem is having the gear to do it.
You can rent gear in Anchorage but unless you dive lakes the closest place is going to be Whittier. About 50 miles.
You can get air fills in Anchorage but that's about it. I have a place I use here on the Peninsula and it's $25 per fill for air.

Are you wanting to come to Anchorage and dive or just asking questions? I'd be happy to answer anything I can.
 
Diving is year-round, but diving availability is what's tricky. If you're good with figuring some of your own logistics (like boat) the world opens up.

Closest dive site is realistically Seward in the summer, with Seward Ocean Excursions being the boat to call. Ask for a baseline price on any given day.

But all months are good months for Alaska diving.
 
Diving is year-round, but diving availability is what's tricky. If you're good with figuring some of your own logistics (like boat) the world opens up.

Closest dive site is realistically Seward in the summer, with Seward Ocean Excursions being the boat to call. Ask for a baseline price on any given day.

But all months are good months for Alaska diving.

Thanks. I was hoping you guys would chime in. Do you have enough people interested for your boats to go out every weekend throughout the year? On a totally different note, if I wanted to bring a group from mainland USA to dive the best sites in Alaska for one week of diving, where should I go and what kind of budget would I be looking at?
 
Thanks. I was hoping you guys would chime in. Do you have enough people interested for your boats to go out every weekend throughout the year? On a totally different note, if I wanted to bring a group from mainland USA to dive the best sites in Alaska for one week of diving, where should I go and what kind of budget would I be looking at?

Any given weekend? Yes. Every single weekend? Not without planning it.

Standard guided rates are posted on our website, but if you wanted to bring a group, in, say, January, when finding a hotel is 1/4 the price of right now, and the boats aren't always booked, I have no idea. We don't own any boats, just have partnerships with charters.

I could find out though, if you gave me numbers. It would help, if you have an idea, to narrow it down to "best sites in South Central" or "best sites in Juneau." I would say "best sites around Anchorage" could probably keep you busy for 4-8 days, and is something we could put together for 4-8 people.

"Best sites in AK" is kinda like "best sites on the West Coast."
 
assuming that in Anchorage there will be those months where the surface temperature will be so cold that diving will come to a stand-still. Can anyone give me an understanding of what are those months in which you guys do not consider diving "worth it" if you know what I mean.

I froze to the top of an ice hole helping a class last year, but the coldest I got all last winter....? NYE in Philly at the Eagles game.

It gets cold here, but we're going year-round. It's a dry cold.
 
Yes, there is year round diving in Alaska. A fine point to your question, there is not much diving in the immediate city of Anchorage, except for a few muck-bottom ponds. It is all out of town as the other responses note. Logistics and tank refills can be a bit challenging without planning. For example, there are no airfills available in Whittier or Seward. None of the boats have compressors on board. You really need to have a good plan. That said, in the winter you can do a night dive anytime between 3 pm and 10 am.
 
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