PNW dive report

[shaggie]

I just got back from a trip to Washington state. I finaly got a chance to dive the Puget sound. What a great winter diving destination! I met Donnie from the PNW Orca bait club and his friend Jeff along with Jeffs girlfriend(?) at a boatramp near the Tacoma narrows bridge. It was about 42F and raining as we loaded the 22 ft RIB. Neat dive platform that RIB is. We first headed to Fox islands east wall. The vis was pretty good at about 20 ft and the water temp was 45F-Brrrrrr! Thank God for dry suits! Didn't see much there but some small sandstone ledges and gueyduck siphons untill we ended up at some pylings where the current started picking up. We drifted back down to the pickup point. In the shallow water (about 15ft)we found lots of crabs and some rock fish. After we left there we headed over to a place called Z's reef. That was really cool. Lots of fish, Irish lords, Rock fish, Lingcod sitting on eggs, and one really BIG wolf eel. He (?) was about 6 ft long and had a head almost as big around as a basket ball. I think he wanted a hand out since he came completely out of his hole and was very interested in us.

I'm looking forward to going back in the near future and maybe get a look at a Giant Pacific Ocopus next time.

 

[NadMat]

Hey Shaggie, Sounds like a great trip, and I hear you about the dry suit. I dove PNW wet once, height of summer and about froze my butt off. Decided then and there I would need to go dry before I ever went back. It is beautiful coast line and sea life though, and one day I would love to go back.

 

[texdiveguy]

Shaggie thanks for sharing your trip report....sounded like an awesome time....I have never even been to Washington state....someday maybe. Hope you make it back soon!!

 

[Hemlon]

Great report, Shaggie!

 

[carlislere]

Outstanding, Shaggie! Glad you got to dive up there.

 

[Mack Diver]

Sounds like a great trip Shaggie. Is the Tacoma Narrows bridge the one that collapsed shortly after they built it?

 

[shaggie]

I've been wanting to go dive up there for a long time now. Been waiting for a dry suit first. Now I've got that, been there, done that, got the t-shirt to prove it. After the dives we took the boat over to Gig Harbor to a bar/resteraunt called Tides. Delicious fish and chips.

Yes Mack, that is the bridge that fell apart in a wind storm a few decades ago. It used to called Galloping Gertie. Interesting side note. They are now building a second Tacoma narrows bridge next to the first one.

 

[TSandM]

Just wanted to horn in here and offer Puget Sound hospitality to any of you who want to come visit . . . We have a lovely group of hospitable divers here, who welcome visitors as yet another opportunity to dive. And it really is wonderful diving, if you like it cold and green

 

[Peter Guy]

Glad you had a good time.

Just a slight techinical correction -- the existing Tacoma Narrows Bridge is the second one -- the first one, Galloping Gertie, is still there on the bottom!

Hmm, if my count is right, we've had three big bridges collapse in the last 50 years and I don't think with any injuries or fatalities.

 

[Blitz]

Glad you had a good time.

Just a slight techinical correction -- the existing Tacoma Narrows Bridge is the second one -- the first one, Galloping Gertie, is still there on the bottom!

Hmm, if my count is right, we've had three big bridges collapse in the last 50 years and I don't think with any injuries or fatalities.

You mean no one counted fish or octo corpses?