Suggestions for diving in Seattle area

[mtns2sea]

Hey, Orca Bait!

I'm adding a couple weekends of leisure to a Seattle business trip this weekend through the next. Being landlocked normally, I'm thrilled to get wet, esp since I've never spent more than a layover in Seattle before and hear the diving is gorgeous. However, I'm not finding much info on Google about dive charters near Seattle. Deep Sea up in Anacortes looks like a good op, but that's a couple hours away. I can make the trip if that's the best place to go. Just want to hear recommendations from the locals. I'm an advanced diver with over 100 dives but haven't dived in over a year.

Bringing just the basics: mask/snkl, fins, suit, and will need to rent the rest. Don't have a drysuit. Done some 60* diving in 6 mm before. It's not pleasant but worth it if there's something to see. What's the water temp like this time of year? Anything else PNW-specific that I should be thinking about?

thanks in advance!

 

[ScubaJW]

I have lived in Seattle for 3 months last summer. I dove well over 50 dives in Seattle and still wanted to go back to dive again. Cove 2 would be good for you to dive in. It has so many plant life (sea anomenes, sea squirts, etc) and a huge diversity of marine animals. There is a neat wreck, called Honey Bear where the octupus resided in but I am not sure if there is one. Cove 2 is where the Alki Beach is (West Seattle) - near that small cafe (forgot the name) on the left side of Salty's. This will be for shore diving, not sure what you are looking for: shore diving or dive charter. Have fun in Seattle!

 

[Nailer99]

Well, I'm real new to diving, but I can vouch for cove 2. It's pretty cool having such a great place to dive in the city. I can also vouch for Pacific Adventures for a great boat dive experience.
http://www.pacadventure.com/index.htm
Don and Dianne are really nice people, and run a great charter out on Hood Canal.It'll take you about 2 hours to get there from the city, as you either need to take a ferry over there, or else a long drive around to the peninsula. (take the ferry.) Hood Canal is very beautifull, you won't regret it. I've only dived with a wetsuit so far, I don't mind it too much, but I'm going to be investing in a drysuit as soon as I can, if for no other reason than I hate getting into and out of the damn wetsuit. Have fun while you're here, and if you like seafood, don't miss Ray's boathouse:

http://www.rays.com/new/

Upstairs at the cafe is cheaper, and more casual, downstairs is more shwanky and expensive, and they're both great.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Hey, Orca Bait!

I'm adding a couple weekends of leisure to a Seattle business trip this weekend through the next. Being landlocked normally, I'm thrilled to get wet, esp since I've never spent more than a layover in Seattle before and hear the diving is gorgeous. However, I'm not finding much info on Google about dive charters near Seattle. Deep Sea up in Anacortes looks like a good op, but that's a couple hours away. I can make the trip if that's the best place to go. Just want to hear recommendations from the locals. I'm an advanced diver with over 100 dives but haven't dived in over a year.

Bringing just the basics: mask/snkl, fins, suit, and will need to rent the rest. Don't have a drysuit. Done some 60* diving in 6 mm before. It's not pleasant but worth it if there's something to see. What's the water temp like this time of year? Anything else PNW-specific that I should be thinking about?

thanks in advance!

Cove 2 on the week-end could be pretty rough ... lots of classes out there (I'll be conducting classes there both week-ends), and that tends to impact visibility ... not to mention parking availability.

Edmonds Underwater Park is always a good bet. I would recommend calling around some local shops to see if any of them have a shop dive going. If so, rent your equipment through that shop and join their dive.

Otherwise, go for the Deep Sea Charter. Anacortes isn't that far away, and the diving in the San Juan Islands is usually better than Puget Sound anyway.

Water temps are on the rise ... I measured 49 degrees F last week-end ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Snowbear]

Water temps are on the rise ... I measured 49 degrees F last week-end ...

Oooohhh... toasty

It's still 37-39F here :ice:

mtns2sea~

Check out this, this and this thread for samples of what the Sound has to offer for shore diving.

Bob's suggestion of going with a shop sponsored dive is a good one.... they usually select sites that are good for all ranges of dive abilities and there are usually plenty of folks looking for a buddy.

 

[huskychemist]

I might add Bandito Charters as a possibility for a charter. The one I took out of Tacoma went to two neat boat dive spots: KVI Towers and Maury Island Barges.

My scuba page has a "resources" page within it that lists some other links to dive site resources also.

If you don't get a charter, shop dive, etc. there are lots of friendly folks on here that are willing to dive. As a newbie I've had many folks offer to take me to new dive spots. Another spot to find dive buddies is NorthwestDiver.com.

Have fun. The diving here reallly is great!

Lowell

 

[mtns2sea]

Thanks, all, for the info. Love the pics from Pug's posts, Snowbear. Looks like a wonderful host of locals to greet a diver. And thanks a lot for the links and ops you all suggest. Have to admit, Bob, that your temp report makes me think twice about diving at all. I have a tendency to turn quite blue in 60 degrees, so 49 is downright frigid. Do most of you dive dry?

BTW, where's the best place to go for seafood? Are oysters OK this time of year?

Thanks!

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

Head out to Cove 2 on a Tuesday night then have halibut at the crab shack, save the weekends for boat diving.

 

[Peter Guy]

I'm an advanced diver with over 100 dives but haven't dived in over a year.

That gave me a bit of a pause for doing some of the boat dives -- especially if you don't have some history in cold water/bad vis diving. It IS different from warm water/good vis!

Come on out to Cove 2 -- go to Edmonds UW Park -- depending on current, get someone to go to Keystone. Personally, I'd shy away from doing any boat dives until I've had a few "easy" shore dives with the rental gear and cold water/low vis. Just a "noob's" cautious suggestion.

Have fun in the PNW -- it's great here.

BTW, yesterday afternoon at Cove 2 -- 3 different types of Nudies (very pretty); painted greenling; big ling; seal (and I was wondering why the vis was bad in places; and MUCH, MUCH more. No deeper than 65' and lots of light (for here).

 

[Nailer99]

BTW, where's the best place to go for seafood? Are oysters OK this time of year?

Thanks!

Well, Ray's, mentioned in my post above, is excellent, Chinook's, at Fisherman's terminal, is also great. There's a lot of good places for seafood, from fish and chips to fine dining, but I go to these 2 over and over again, they're wonderfull. The oysters are still tasty right now, but I must say, I just ate some of the best mussels I've EVER had at Ray's cafe 2 nights ago.