Northwest Dive Club

Posted: **Tue Jul 07, 2020 1:48 pm**

Possession Point [Fingers] has been described as a technical diving location, no doubt due to its dramatic vertical relief underwater. (bathymetry attached: blues rec depths to 40 metres, pinks 40 to 60m, oranges 60 to 100m, ...)

Is anyone doing tech level dives there? Redundant gas supplies, self-sufficiency training, potential deco?
Shore dive? Boat dive? DPV?
Access dramas?

Posted: **Tue Jul 07, 2020 7:24 pm**

My first question would be where are you hearing this from ?
to answer your question no this is not a place to do technical diving... That dive site is amazing but not a place with easy access to get to if you're trying to train for something and accomplish technical certification..
Most places you use for technical training are dive sites that have easy shore access and very little issues with current...

Posted: **Tue Jul 07, 2020 9:31 pm**

Mate I am not asking about training. I am talking about tech diving. Are you doing it there, or do you know who is/has. Interested to know. Thx

Posted: **Tue Jul 07, 2020 9:33 pm**

Preferably CCR at "Mod1" helitrox (45m) level, though I'd be happy to spend plenty time much shallower than 45m

Posted: **Tue Jul 07, 2020 9:48 pm**

The bathymetry I attached in first post illustrates the "tech" aspect

As far this being referred to as "tech" site, here is one example:
http://www.theperfectdive.com/DEF-Site.asp?sID=242

I have been tech diving in Australia, Indonesia, Hawaii for a bit, back in this area now (Whidbey).
Who is tech trained/equipped here? Anyone north or West of Everett/Mukilteo?

Posted: **Wed Jul 08, 2020 12:08 am**

I've dove the fingers many times and it's a great dive. I've done it as a light tech dive (32% and O2 deco) but the wall mostly bottoms out at 110 ft so save your HE for another site. The current can rip but once you drop off the shelf and onto the wall it mostly peters out and is a relaxing dive.

I wouldn't dive the fingers during salmon fishing season. This is a major hot spot for Kings and gets really busy.

I've always dove it off my boat but there is there is a way to contact the ranger and get gate access to drive down to the beach. Others would know better than me.

Posted: **Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:39 am**

Interestingly the bathymetry shows the bottom continuing well past 200 to 300 feet in general, really quite shockingly deep. I am not qualified or interested to venture quite that far down, but I could imagine a tech-equipped dive being appropriate for anything involving much time below 30 metres, where interesting life might still be enjoyably experienced

Posted: **Wed Jul 08, 2020 12:08 pm**

eh.haole wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:39 am Interestingly the bathymetry shows the bottom continuing well past 200 to 300 feet in general, really quite shockingly deep. I am not qualified or interested to venture quite that far down, but I could imagine a tech-equipped dive being appropriate for anything involving much time below 30 metres, where interesting life might still be enjoyably experienced

Below 110 ft contours down but it's pretty much just sloping mud/sand/gravel. The main attraction of the site is the wall that I've outlines in white in the picture below:
https://ibb.co/z7qmhrm

Honestly, unless you want to go deep just to go deep, there aren't many shore diving options in the 150 ft range in the Puget Sound. Lobster shop wall is the only one that comes to mind.

Posted: **Thu Jul 09, 2020 6:46 am**

I've done it twice, once from a boat and once from shore. When I did it as a shore dive, we went in at the Possession Beach Waterfront Park to the North, and scootered down to the fingers in the shallows. Lots of people dive it either by getting the ranger to let them drive down closer, or just getting a cart and dragging their gear down.

From what I recall the good stuff to see is in the Rec range, and was getting thin by 130'. If you're just looking to do a tech dive, take a camera and explore the deeps sections. There is enough interesting life around 100' to cause you to go well into deco exploring there.

As BillZ mentioned, the currents in the shallows can get nasty, and there are lots of 5lb lead downrigger balls on the wall so avoid salmon season unless you like playing dodge ball with cannonballs.

Jake

Posted: **Thu Jul 09, 2020 9:15 pm**

The fingers are a great Tec dive. We've been down at least 150 and more. Always done as a dpv dive though. They kind closed it down though, now you have to get a permit to dive it. Which kind sux. Or else boat dive it. Nice structure. Further down the fingers you go the deeper it gets as I recall.

Posted: **Thu Jul 09, 2020 9:26 pm**

BillZ wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 12:08 pm
Honestly, unless you want to go deep just to go deep, there aren't many shore diving options in the 150 ft range in the Puget Sound. Lobster shop wall is the only one that comes to mind.

Lobster shop wall, mofo, course marker, Kirbys, day island, watermans if you get permission to use the homeowners park, just to name a few shore dives of 150 and more. Then there's hood canal and lake Washington. It's a good size list. Add a boat, there's more

Posted: **Fri Jul 10, 2020 8:08 pm**

If you want to do tech diving I suggest you get in with some of the rebreather people here..
Mel Clark, jeff pack, Chris borgen, Jared Jensen, John Sanders, and many others..
Like I said possession point not a place to do technical diving maybe better suited off doing it in the lake... or other places that are non-current sensitive...
Good luck

Posted: **Sat Jul 11, 2020 5:43 pm**

Yeah I was hoping there'd be someone in the Whidbey / SJI area fairly often. I've seen other twinsets and CCRs at Keystone, I just haven't had the right timing to catch them for a chat.

Yes cities produce tech divers. Time and expense. Then they go to the lake, Elliot Bay, Redondo etc because of time and convenience. Not because they are necessarily the best or only places to dive.

I don't define tech diving -only- in terms of depth. There are dives that should be classified as 'tech' even when they are as shallow as 20+ metres. It's about the redundancy, training, self-sufficiency, planning, ascents, and no safe immediate route to the surface. That last criterion usually refers to decompression, but is also applicable for overhead environments and dives subject to currents.

I like a dive where one can spend plenty of time 'at depth,' even if that's only 20 or 30 metres with a peek at 40, having ample reserve and a proper stress-free bottom time. I would not take a non-tech diver on this type of dive. They'd have maybe 10-15 minutes at depth and be dangerously low on gas long before a proper dive has been done.

Posted: **Thu Jul 16, 2020 8:30 pm**

BillZ wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 12:08 pm
eh.haole wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:39 am Interestingly the bathymetry shows the bottom continuing well past 200 to 300 feet in general, really quite shockingly deep. I am not qualified or interested to venture quite that far down, but I could imagine a tech-equipped dive being appropriate for anything involving much time below 30 metres, where interesting life might still be enjoyably experienced
Below 110 ft contours down but it's pretty much just sloping mud/sand/gravel. The main attraction of the site is the wall that I've outlines in white in the picture below:
https://ibb.co/z7qmhrm

Honestly, unless you want to go deep just to go deep, there aren't many shore diving options in the 150 ft range in the Puget Sound. Lobster shop wall is the only one that comes to mind.

What Bill said, the fingers are a colossal waste of gas below about 110ft. It isn't even a wall down there its a steep sand slope. The best part is in the 75-95ft range.

eh.haole wrote: ↑Sat Jul 11, 2020 5:43 pm Yeah I was hoping there'd be someone in the Whidbey / SJI area fairly often. I've seen other twinsets and CCRs at Keystone, I just haven't had the right timing to catch them for a chat.

Yes cities produce tech divers. Time and expense. Then they go to the lake, Elliot Bay, Redondo etc because of time and convenience. Not because they are necessarily the best or only places to dive.

I don't define tech diving -only- in terms of depth. There are dives that should be classified as 'tech' even when they are as shallow as 20+ metres. It's about the redundancy, training, self-sufficiency, planning, ascents, and no safe immediate route to the surface. That last criterion usually refers to decompression, but is also applicable for overhead environments and dives subject to currents.

I like a dive where one can spend plenty of time 'at depth,' even if that's only 20 or 30 metres with a peek at 40, having ample reserve and a proper stress-free bottom time. I would not take a non-tech diver on this type of dive. They'd have maybe 10-15 minutes at depth and be dangerously low on gas long before a proper dive has been done.

This is not a good site to spend a very long time hanging out. Slack is not that long and deco shallow has the worst currents of all. Plus its super boring below 110-120ft for no value.

If you want a shore wall site with "tech" potential there are a few that can be done without a boat but with a scooter. Sares Head is one of the better ones. Also east wall of Fox Island, Flagpole in Hood Canal and Leschi in Lake WA. Lobster Shack is do-able but a low quality site IMO.

Posted: **Thu Jul 16, 2020 8:55 pm**

Thanks for the info. I was just [more than?] curious based on how interesting the bathymetry looks. But if it's all sandy then yeah I could imagine something with more structure.

Sares, does its slack (before ebb, I presume) coincide with NOAA Rosario?

Northwest Island was pretty interesting, I still haven't explored all around it yet but where I went it was better at 20 to 30 metres than at 40 (the silty side--unless its all silty)

Posted: **Mon Aug 02, 2021 10:24 am**

Mel only dives up here for classes. Jeff, Jared and Chris are all out of tech diving now. @eh.haole can DM me, and we can go out to a few sites in lake washington. Sanders and crew are also still kicking around.

H20doctor wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 8:08 pm If you want to do tech diving I suggest you get in with some of the rebreather people here..
Mel Clark, jeff pack, Chris borgen, Jared Jensen, John Sanders, and many others..
Like I said possession point not a place to do technical diving maybe better suited off doing it in the lake... or other places that are non-current sensitive...
Good luck

Posted: **Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:58 am**

Sounds good...

Northwest Dive Club

Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?

Re: Possession Point - Tech Dive?