Boats in Edmonds UWP

[RDW]

I went out with my lovely better half this morning to dive Edmonds Underwater Park. I haven't been to the park in darn near a year.
I notced immediately that there was a 38-40ft Bayliner FB boat anchored just over the vicinity of the old Triumph and the Cathedrals.
Some of the Higgins work crew said that they had already tried to contact Edmonds PD (The response from EPD was kind of "laconic"). I tried to hail them (the boat) with a HH VHF radio...no response.
With my binoc's, I could see them suiting up to go diving! That ain't right!
Some of the others said that they were going to swim out to the boat and "advise" (hehehe) them to move out of the park. We started our dive. A short while later,when we were within a few yards of the boat, I heard the sound of their engines light-off. Within a few moments, I heard the sound of outboards come over and stop. I assumed the OB's to be either CG or PD. We continued our dive around the structures (BTW..Very nice conditions). Within a few minutes, I could hear the IB engines working as the operator was maneuvering to weigh-anchor. Then, both boats were gone. I was later told that not long after the first boat left, ANOTHER boat came in and tried to anchor. At least this one had the sense(huh?) to fly a dive flag. I was told he was run outta town too. So....
How many of you have seen boats anchoring or fishing inside the park boundaries lately. Is this a rarity or is it a harbinger of miss-informed boater-folks? What is bizarre is that the one I saw today was launching divers. Either they are very new divers, or those that have just moved here, or are visiting. Is it time to put out the word to the dive and boat community to remind all about the park? These things do go in cycles.

[Sea of Green]

What is bizarre is that the one I saw today was launching divers. Either they are very new divers, or those that have just moved here, or are visiting.

Or a charter taking advantage of visitors. Can you imagine paying $70 to dive the EUP?

[Sea of Green]

I went out with my lovely better half this morning to dive Edmonds Underwater Park. I haven't been to the park in darn near a year.
a 38-40ft Bayliner FB boat ... tried to hail them with a HH VHF radio...tried to contact Edmonds PD.. I assumed the OB's to be either CG or PD. I could hear the IB engines

The RW's dived the EUP and hailed the FB boat with IB's on HH VHF and later heard OB's that were CG or PD. They were PO'd because the EPD were MIA.

[Penopolypants]

Can you imagine paying $70 to dive the EUP?

Well, it is a long surface swim.....

Getting the word out never hurts....I was unaware of the boating limitations for EUP for a long time until I read about it on another board. I don't have a boat, though, so it never really applied.

[RDW]

The RW's dived the EUP and hailed the FB boat with IB's on HH VHF and later heard OB's that were CG or PD. They were PO'd because the EPD were MIA.

Jeez Greg! I am doing the ROTFLMAO dance. Great comeback.
OK,OK...so I still write like I'm filling out a govt report. hehehehe

[Sasquatch]

I'm sure this happens but I've never seen a vessel actually within the boundaries. Last dive a couple weeks ago there were a few boats fishing just to the west and north of the park. I remember thinking that it was odd I'd never seen more out there. After all, I hear there are some pretty good sized fish in there...

Sea ya!

[sparky]

I have never seen boats in the under Water park on any of the dives I made there my self but i have heard of it all though it has only been once or twice

I have seen boats come in pretty close to the park and start fishing but as long as they are out side the boundries of the park there is not much you can say or do

Sparky

[Scubak]

This doesn't surprise me...
To dive that damn park you just outta make it a boat dive since the park is getting so darn big...ya can't swim on out to the end in one tank and then back again...
Just my opinion, but it is getting too big... and way too far out into the boating lanes...
K

[Sea of Green]

Personally, IMHO, if I can dive it from shore, I will not pay a charter to take me there, or even a private boat (still some hassle and expense involved with the latter). Only exception I make to that rule is Sunrise Beach. Boats are for accessing the really good sites you can't possibly swim to (like Possession Point ferry), involve too much gear humping (like Sunrise), or there is no public access from shore (like Zees Reef).

[Grateful Diver]

I've picked up fishing lures well inside the park boundary ... and once saw a boat tied up to a boundary buoy casting inside the park.

FWIW - you actually can swim the entire park on a single tank. It's not all that deep. Bob Lew and I once ... about four years ago ... did the "boundary tour" on a single dive. It took us about 90+ minutes. He was on a 100 and I was on a 95. Our max depth was less than 40 feet.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[JDR]

I went out with my lovely better half this morning to dive Edmonds Underwater Park. I haven't been to the park in darn near a year.
I notced immediately that there was a 38-40ft Bayliner FB boat anchored just over the vicinity of the old Triumph and the Cathedrals.
Some of the Higgins work crew said that they had already tried to contact Edmonds PD (The response from EPD was kind of "laconic"). I tried to hail them (the boat) with a HH VHF radio...no response.
With my binoc's, I could see them suiting up to go diving! That ain't right!
Some of the others said that they were going to swim out to the boat and "advise" (hehehe) them to move out of the park. We started our dive. A short while later,when we were within a few yards of the boat, I heard the sound of their engines light-off. Within a few moments, I heard the sound of outboards come over and stop. I assumed the OB's to be either CG or PD. We continued our dive around the structures (BTW..Very nice conditions). Within a few minutes, I could hear the IB engines working as the operator was maneuvering to weigh-anchor. Then, both boats were gone. I was later told that not long after the first boat left, ANOTHER boat came in and tried to anchor. At least this one had the sense(huh?) to fly a dive flag. I was told he was run outta town too. So....
How many of you have seen boats anchoring or fishing inside the park boundaries lately. Is this a rarity or is it a harbinger of miss-informed boater-folks? What is bizarre is that the one I saw today was launching divers. Either they are very new divers, or those that have just moved here, or are visiting. Is it time to put out the word to the dive and boat community to remind all about the park? These things do go in cycles.

The City of Edmonds launched their emergency response boat to go deal with the boats inside the Underwater Park. I have no idea if fines, etc were imposed, but I assume they were.
Other boats in the park? Lately it seems like a flood of kayaks are invading the park. Most of the kayakers agree to go to the Olympic beach park, after they are made aware of the "no boats" policy - but not all of them.
A week ago Saturday, a couple of guys in a small zodiac with an outboard landed on the North side of the Jetty. I believe both the Edmonds PD and the Coast Guard dealt with them on the beach.

Randy, thanks for calling the Edmonds PD. When divers and propellors mix, divers always loose.

[Aquanautchuck]

To be honest, I have thought many times of anchoring outside the park with my zodiac to save that *** long swim.

[CaptnJack]

If I'm gonna go to all the trouble to get the boat in the water and salty I damned well better be going someplace better the EUP! Its fine for what it is, but its no boat dive destination.

[Seth T.]

The RW's dived the EUP and hailed the FB boat with IB's on HH VHF and later heard OB's that were CG or PD. They were PO'd because the EPD were MIA.

[JDR]

To be honest, I have thought many times of anchoring outside the park with my zodiac to save that *** long swim.

Come out and join us for a few work dives. After a few dives with Bruce you will realize that any dive where you are not towing a load of concrete and lift drums with you is an easy dive....

[drock]

Come out and join us for a few work dives. After a few dives with Bruce you will realize that any dive where you are not towing a load of concrete and lift drums with you is an easy dive....

You're not trying to scare volunteers away, are you? (just kidding)
In case anyone is wondering what a work dive is like,here's a video.

It does involve a lot of work, but it's a great way to get diving experience and to get to know some great people.
JDR is one of the divers in the video, that's him near the end of the video, carrying about 30 cinder blocks.

[LCF]

I really have to laugh when people complain about the surface swim at Edmonds.

I spent five days in LA in May, and those people do surface swims. We dove a site at Laguna Beach where we surface swam for almost THIRTY MINUTES before we dropped; two days later, at Casino Point, my dive buddy said, "Oh, don't worry about the surface swim today, it's only about twenty minutes."