New to Diving, Back in Seattle for Good

[Kamala]

Hello Folks,
I just moved back to Seattle after a three-year hiatus in Boston and I'm excited to start improving my rookie dive skills in my adopted hometown (originally from the Bronx). Any suggestions on recommended dive shops, locally oriented training, specific equipment, basically anything and everything on how to get a rookie tropical-experience-only diver safely out and about in Puget Sound (or anywhere else around here that is a good dive)? Thanks!

 

[MechDiver]

Hello Folks,
I just moved back to Seattle after a three-year hiatus in Boston and I'm excited to start improving my rookie dive skills in my adopted hometown (originally from the Bronx). Any suggestions on recommended dive shops, locally oriented training, specific equipment, basically anything and everything on how to get a rookie tropical-experience-only diver safely out and about in Puget Sound (or anywhere else around here that is a good dive)? Thanks!

I'm on the other side of the state, but you have many options in the Seattle area. There are some very active dive clubs, so depending on where you're located, you could try there for local dive info and which shops are good. There are also a number of your local divers on this board who I'm sure will chip.

Welcome to the Correct Coast

MD

 

[Kamala]

I can't even begin to tell you how good it is to be back here. I thought when I left for school, I was heading back to the East Coast for good. Found out that home is where the sun sets.

 

[Kayla]

Well... there are quite a few good dive shops in the Seattle area. If you want to travel a little farther up my way, then I can reccommend my LDS for you... there great people.

I can give you some reccomendations for dive spots if you're looking for those...


I can tell ya that you will probably want a dry suit in the winter, but it can be done in a wetsuit. (Its not the water that gets colder, its the diving when its snowing SI's that get a little chilly in a 7 mm)

Let me know if I can help ya with anything else, I'm only 60 miles north of Seattle!


Kayla

 

[MechDiver]

I (Its not the water that gets colder

Let me know if I can help ya with anything else, I'm only 60 miles north of Seattle!

Kayla

Yea, that 45 degree water is nooooooo problem at all

MD

 

[Kamala]

I'm a little worried. This "it's not the frigid water, it's the SI" craziness seems pretty prevalent. Don't think I'm going to get a good shot at the Sound till after my wedding/honeymoon in January and after another two weeks of tropical diving (Key Largo and hopefully Andros), but hopefully I'll quickly join the rest of you in deluding myself about it being the SI Drysuit won't be in the budget for a while, so I'll have to tough it out or keep to one dive for awhile. Gotta find a way to get something in before it gets really cold. I wonder if my landlord will notice a missed month of rent?

Kayla - I definitely get up your way, got some buddies on Whidbey and I lived out there long enough to know not to mess with the ferry on weekends. Might have to checkl out what's up there. Think my Whidbey friends did their certs and use the LDS (is there more than one?) in Burlington.

Mech - will probably only get out to your end of things once every other year for Apple Cup, unless work starts sending me out there some.

 

[Kayla]

LOL... its ok, I still do it in a wetsuit. No dry suit in my future either.

And, haha, 45 degree water might have SOMETHING to do with it!

I don't know where your firends from Whidbey did their certs, but it wasn't Burlington. We don't have a dive shop here. My LDS is in Anacortes. They might have used them, there aren't many more around. (If any!)

Let me know if you need some good sight reccommendations. Just drop me a PM, or e-mail me at kaylamaskell@peoplepc.com



Congrats on the wedding/ engagement by the way!


Safe diving!
Kayla

 

[Kamala]

Thanks! Once things get settled down from moving, new job, wedding, etc, I'll definitely be looking to start diving locally, so you'll be hearing from me!

 

[tangfish]

I'm always down to do a dive u guys, and I'll be learning how to use my new dry suit soon.

 

[seabat]

Kamala,

I have had personal experience with Silent World in Bellevue and Underwater Sports in Edmonds. Both helped me in the transistion from Hawaii to PNW.

I never used a wet suit in PNW but I see plenty of people using them and my comment would be the same as others. U/W I dont notice much difference in diving habits but on the surface, well it seems the wet suit divers are moving a little more frantically than dry suiters

One thing that might help you during the SI's is purchasing a solar camp shower for about $10. The spouse and I carry one with us on shore dives. We fill it with hot water from home and rinse after we finish the dive. If its cloudy we leave it in an old cooler. It is still warm enough after the dive to eliminate brain freeze from the public showers. Its also nice to have a fresh water rinse at the sites that dont have showers.

The only other recommendation is getting up to speed on tide and current charts.