Going to Puget Sound in 2013

[kdivegirl1]

I know I'm a little early, but I like to plan well in advance. The three of us are planning a week long dive trip to Puget Sound anywhere from the end of May 'till the middle of August. We are open to suggestions to the best diving, time to go and best least expensive places to stay or even a great dive op to contact. We are from Idaho and having never been in the area, have no idea where to start. We have our Open Water Certs with 50 various types of dives including dry suit.

Thanks for any help!

Kris

[CaptnJack]

Tide and current tables for 2013 won't be published until the end of 2012. Be sure to pick a low exchange week to maximize the available sites you can choose from.

[defied]

I would also recommend hooking up with divers on here to go with you. That way you have area expertise to really bring you to some of the cool stuff that is down on the site.

D

[LCF]

Tides permitting, you are better off later in the period you mention. We can get some fabulous viz in August; June tends to have a lot of murk, and July can be pretty low viz, too.

As Richard says, tides are the real deciding factor. We can ALWAYS dive somewhere, but the more exciting sites are the ones which are current-swept, and those need to be dived on low exchanges.

[kdivegirl1]

Thanks so much for the advise! We will try to plan more for August after we check out the Tide Charts.

Kris

[BASSMAN]

August is usually good vis around here.

[BillZ]

Coming over for a week long trip, I would break your time here down into diving reigons.

Here's my thoughts.
North Sound

Place to Stay
Silver Cloud Inn -Mukilteo
http://www.silvercloud.com/mukilteo/
If you want a place to stay close to diving, you can't beat the Silver Cloud, it's right next door to the Mukilteo T-Dock divesite entry point. Although it's not cheap, it's reasonable for what you get

Close By Divesites
Mukilteo T-Dock (Walking distance from the Silver Cloud)
Mukilteo Oil Dock (Walking distance from the Silver Cloud)
Mukilteo Lighthouse Park (Short drive or Looong walk with Gear)
Edmonds Underwater Park (15 minute drive)
Keystone Jetty (20 minute ferry ride plus a 40 minute drive)

Grub
Diamond Knott Brewery (Walking/stumbling distance)
Rorys (Walking distance from Edmonds UP)

Hood Canal
Place to Stay
Mikes Beach Resort
http://www.mikesbeachresort.com/
Good diving right off the beach. Acommodations range from camping to Mini-cabins

Dive Sites
Mikes Beach Resort (you're there)
Flagpole (Long Swim from Mikes)
Octopus Hole (15 minute Drive)
Sund Rock (20 minute drive)

Grub
Oysters off the beach at Mikes

Charters
Pacific Adventures
http://www.pacadventure.com/
I've never been diving with them but they come highly recommended. I hear that they will pick you up at Mikes Beach Resort.

South Sound
Place to Stay
Camping - Saltwater State Park
http://www.stateparks.com/saltwater.html

Dive Sites
Saltwater State Park (Walking)
Alki - Cove 2 (20 Minute Drive)
Redondo (15 Minute Drive)
Three Tree (15 Minute Drive)

Charter
Bandito Charters
http://www.banditocharters.com/bandito/
Been diving with the many times - IMHO the best diving operation in the area

[BillZ]

Thanks so much for the advise! We will try to plan more for August after we check out the Tide Charts.

Kris

You can check the tides here....
http://www.dairiki.org/tides/daily.php/sea

[kdivegirl1]

We can't wait to get up there and we still have a year to go. Out of the three regions, North, Hood and South, which would be the best? We would like to do some sightseeing as well as dive since we have never been to the Washington Coast. We were thinking we would come up from Astoria.

Again, Thank you all for your input and suggestions!!

Kris

[Grateful Diver]

If you're coming up from Astoria and want sightseeing as well as diving, then I'd suggest coming up along the coast (Olympic Peninsula), doing some sightseeing in the Ho Rain Forest, head out to Lake Ozette, dive at Sekiu Jetty (shallow and pretty), camp and dive at Salt Creek State Park (just west of Port Angeles), sightseeing at Hurricane Ridge (mountain vistas just south of Port Angeles), dive at Port Townsend, take the ferry from Pt. Townsend to Keystone, dive at Keystone, drive up and go sightseeing at Deception Pass, then head down I-5 to the Seattle area and hook up with some locals for more diving in the Pugetropolis area.

That wil give you a sensory overload of diving and sightseeing that will keep you very busy for a week ...

.. Bob (Grateful Diver)