First time in the Sound

[Dean810]

I have TWO family reunions in Washington State in July, and one of them will be in Poulsbo. Thought I just couldn't pass up a chance to try diving in Puget Sound. It will be my first time diving there and I would need to find a charter.

I'm sure this has been discussed a few times before in this forum, but what would be a good first dive, and charter, for a first timer like myself? I understand that summer is not the best time for viz over there, but that's my time. My experience has been in Lake Michigan and quarries, plus a couple of warm water ocean trips

 

[River Rat]

Hey Dean Im moving Up to Seattle next week & Im a northsider here in chicago. Glade to see some midwesterners heading up to the same area in the summer. I'll planning on staying for a couple years for schooling purposes but feel free to give me a buzz when you plan on being up there, maybe we can post celebrate Da Bears !!! LOL..... I just did a dry suit dive at the famous Haigh in Kankakee this last saturday & water temp was a bur 45 degrees.

Also did alot of dive in michigan with several Dive Charters with Chicago Dive Charters being my favorite. I highly recommend Elmers Water Sports in Evanston on Oakton & Asbury for future charter dives as well as trips abroad. My first LDS was Underwater safaries on Lincoln av. in chicago but Soul & Wife need to learn the moral value of teaching students instead of having a cramp class of 10 with no room to learn. Very Poor Operation. Anyways look forward to seeing ya if your heading in the Seattle area in July, I'll be staying FederalWay, Wa which is about 10 miles from Sea Tac Airport.

Gerry

 

[Dean810]

Hey Dean Im moving Up to Seattle next week & Im a northsider here in chicago. Glade to see some midwesterners heading up to the same area in the summer. I'll planning on staying for a couple years for schooling purposes but feel free to give me a buzz when you plan on being up there, maybe we can post celebrate Da Bears !!! LOL..... I just did a dry suit dive at the famous Haigh in Kankakee this last saturday & water temp was a bur 45 degrees.

Also did alot of dive in michigan with several Dive Charters with Chicago Dive Charters being my favorite. I highly recommend Elmers Water Sports in Evanston on Oakton & Asbury for future charter dives as well as trips abroad. My first LDS was Underwater safaries on Lincoln av. in chicago but Soul & Wife need to learn the moral value of teaching students instead of having a cramp class of 10 with no room to learn. Very Poor Operation. Anyways look forward to seeing ya if your heading in the Seattle area in July, I'll be staying FederalWay, Wa which is about 10 miles from Sea Tac Airport.

Gerry

Acutally, I was at Haigh last Sunday and got in three great dives with a couple of other ScubaBoarders! Just missed you! I also dove with Chicago Dive Charters a few times this summer, plus N'Pursuit on the south end of the lake. Last time out was with N'Pursuit, but viz was terrible. About 6" (inches) max at the Tacoma tug and about 10 ft at the Louiseville. I live near Elmer's, but am even closer to Scuba Systems, who I do most of my certs with.

My Poulsbo reunion will be July 9 & 10 then I need to beat my way over to Clarkston the next weekend, but will stick around the Puget Sound area until then. Maybe we could dive??

 

[River Rat]

For Sure !!! Larry is awesome over there at Scuba Systems. His experience & Expertise is impressive. I actually live a block from the lake on the northside but in chicago area (Crazyville). Mike who runs N'pursuit is a great choice too but on one occassion I missed the boat because a Chicago Cop was on the Sky Way & clocked me doing 90 cause I was running late. Dam that cost me some bucks. I was gonna go last week with several of you folks from this board but I had a conflict of schedule. Next time I'll make sure Everything Else Works Around Diving Schedule. LOL !!!

Speaking of Scuba Systems I had a choice between Elmers Water Sports for a Whites Polar Flex Custome Dry Suit or Scuba Systems for a DUI TLS 350 Custom Dry Suit. Whites offer a better deal both money wise & accessories wise. Actually Larry charges 300 less then Most dive shops in the Midwest as well as Seattle area. He told me For a DUI TLS 350 Custom Signature Series Dry Suit it would be around 1999.00 Plus tax compared to 2499.00 & I made sure it was for Signature Series. I may come back next summer for a month for some technical diving courses threw Elmers...Myrin (1/2 Owner )has over 4000 dives & also does alot of technical off Milwaukee with the Nordic Dive Boat. Most of Nordic's Charters are deep water dives that go from 90 to 200 feet. Wow !!! There is also the Lender but I like boats that are not cramped & besides that boat liooks like a pile of **** waiting for the next wave so it can become the next unwater adventure. That would feel pretty strange diving to a wreck that you use too use to dive to other wrecks.

Before I go the Haigh is Open for one more week & the water temp is 50 F on the surface with 45 F at the cline. I was working on dry suit skills Saturday which are 100 percent better considering the rentals are not of my size & also found out that 15 lbs isn't enough for buoyancy. Its going to be interesting since I haven't been to Seattle Since Steve Largent was a reciever for the Sea Hawks. Im I've been driving Da Big Rig for 10 years now in the Midwest & have no more passion left. My dad has been in the CNC field for 30 years now so he finally pursuaded me to go for some CNC Trying in Renton Washington & may even get some classes in so I can get a Degree in something. Well gotta go blag about Da Bears.

Gerry

 

[diveborg]

A good dive charter out of Tacoma it www.banditocharters.com Like just about all west coast dive charters, tanks and weights aren't included. Rick will get you tanks if you let him know you need them.

Don and Diane at Pacific Adventures (www.pacadventure.com) run a really nice six-pack charter in the Hood Canal, but the Hood Canal isn't very close to the Seattle/Tacoma area. (close is relative.

If you want a shore dive, it would probably be better to try to arrange something closer to your arrival date.

 

[Dean810]

Thanks! I have heard of Bandit Charters and they are on my list. It is nice to get a review from someone on this board.

 

[TSandM]

I've been out on a couple of Bandito charters. It's a professional outfit, and they go to some very nice dive sites (Zee's Reef and Sunrise are my favorites to date). But there is no need to incur the cost of a charter to dive in our area! There is plenty of easily accessible shore diving, too. When it gets closer to your trip, post something in this forum and you'll probably get lots of people volunteering to go diving with you.

 

[Cold_H2O]

It is easy to convince a few of us to sneak away and go diving.
Scubak and I are spending Thanksgiving day diving with a couple of out of staters and a few of our favorite dive buddies.
Charters are good and Bandito's is my favorite. but you can do some great dives from the shore here. I do 99% of my dives from shore. Let us know mid June what times you are availalble and we will get a group together and show you some great dives.

 

[Dean810]

All this sounds great! I'll give you all a call when the time gets closer!

 

[Dean810]

Well it seems that the charter operators only go out on the weekends, so they probably won't work for me. Can't complain to much, that's how they do it in Chicago too. I will be at the mercy of who ever may have a day "off" in the middle of the week for a shore dive. I'll keep my fingers crossed.