Nootka Sound ... some teasers now, a trip report later

[Curt Bowen]

Awesome shots Badger Bruce!!!!

I am taking photo donations for the article, IF you wish to send me some? :luv:

I am working on the extensive web article now, and hope to have it completed and posted by next week.

I wish to thank "Black Bear Bob" for holding my hand on those deeper dives!

I am a warm water Florida boy, you know....

[Scott]

Very nice photos Bruce. If those shots were with fumbly (is that a word?) fingers I really can't wait to see the ones you take once you get the gloves figured out.

Your snorkel will hit the mail tomorrow.

[Grateful Diver]

Awesome shots Badger Bruce!!!!

I am taking photo donations for the article, IF you wish to send me some? :luv:

I am working on the extensive web article now, and hope to have it completed and posted by next week.

I wish to thank "Black Bear Bob" for holding my hand on those deeper dives!

I am a warm water Florida boy, you know....

For sure ... we should've been calling you "Florida Flamingo" ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[John Rawlings]

I am working on the extensive web article now, and hope to have it completed and posted by next week.

I've been working on the main text of the article and should have it wrapped up by COB tomorrow. Photos are all done and in Curt's hands....can't WAIT to see the final product!

This was a great trip!

- John

[ArcticDiver]

I brought argon for the drysuit ... water temps ranged from about 52 degrees on the surface to 46 below 100 feet.

I brought a set of doubles with 21/35 trimix and two deco bottles (EAN50 and O2). I also brought a pair of single 119's for me and another pair for Curt. The shop pumps nitrox up to EAN40, so they were filling our tanks every day, except for the trimix. But I only did two dives where I needed that anyway.

When I go again I'll bring more trimix ... appropriate for dives in the 200 to 220 range ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I assumed the logistics would be significant. Thanks for putting numbers on the task.

For guys like me who have to fly, would this still be a cost effective trip if I rented cylinders and limited to EAN depths?

[Grateful Diver]

I brought argon for the drysuit ... water temps ranged from about 52 degrees on the surface to 46 below 100 feet.

I brought a set of doubles with 21/35 trimix and two deco bottles (EAN50 and O2). I also brought a pair of single 119's for me and another pair for Curt. The shop pumps nitrox up to EAN40, so they were filling our tanks every day, except for the trimix. But I only did two dives where I needed that anyway.

When I go again I'll bring more trimix ... appropriate for dives in the 200 to 220 range ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I assumed the logistics would be significant. Thanks for putting numbers on the task.

For guys like me who have to fly, would this still be a cost effective trip if I rented cylinders and limited to EAN depths?

For those planning recreational level dives, the shop can provide cylinders.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[SeattleYates]

For guys like me who have to fly, would this still be a cost effective trip if I rented cylinders and limited to EAN depths?

FWIW, I used only my HP 100's (one at a time) on this trip, using 32% oxygen (which Scott of Tahtsa Dive Charters can readily refill - up to 40% as I recall), and I limited my depth to 100ft, and I still thought the trip was VERY worthwhile! The only thing I felt I missed out on were the deep water gorgonians (I'm green with envy at Bob's beautiful shots of those!), but there are plenty of cloud sponges and other stuff at EAN depths.

[Grateful Diver]

One of the prettier sites we did ... Shark Point ... maxes out at around 70 feet. And at Mozino Point, the cloud sponges start at around 60 feet, and at 100 feet are impressively large and plentiful.

Plenty to see there at recreational level depths ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[ArcticDiver]

Headed to HI the end of the week for a week. Then it is off to the Keys for a week of wreck stuff in December. But, I'm planning my stuff for next Spring, assuming I can still carry doubles

[SeattleYates]

Two things I forgot to mention earlier:

1. The salmon we floated with/through in the river were HUGE! We were speculating that many were in the 30-50 pound range! It was REALLY cool being that close to dozens of "lunkers" like that in their own element. Although some were fairly trashed by obviously extensive spawning, others looked perfectly healthy, shiny and strong - absolutely beautiful!

2. On the last dive of the trip, when Bob and I were buddying at a site called The Boulders, we got separated by a few yards ( ) and as I came around the corner of a boulder the size of a small house, I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye, and there - less than 10 feet from me - was an adult curious sea lion swooping back and forth checking me out! I immediately did a summersault to try and engage him/her, and he/she stayed and swam around me for about 15 seconds before taking off into open water! Those of you who've had such encounters can attest to just how COOL they are - it was one of the highlights of the trip for me...and an amazing way to end my week of Nootka diving!

[whatevah]

This does look like a fabulous trip - pretty cool introduction to diving and photography in the region for you Bruce. Looking at your photos I see that your skills are translating very well - thanks for sharing your shots. I haven't been to Nootka Sound - had something come up at the last minute a couple of years ago when my regular band of boating/diving/fishing adventurers went out that way to explore. It sounds like the bulk of your time was spent inside closer to Tahsis rather than out in the sound proper or offshore, but I wonder if you could tell us more about your general impressions of rockfish variety and density. Were you seeing Yelloweye, and what size? How common were Blue Rockfish versus Black Rockfish? Any species we don't see commonly closer to home? Widows? Boccacio? Just looking for general impressions.

[Grateful Diver]

We did one day of diving down close to the where the Sound empties into the Pacific Ocean ... that's where we saw all the humpback whales and fur seals. Valerie and I also did see a school of adult yellow-eye rockfish on our second dive at the Gardens. I didn't recognize them, but Valerie did and was excited to have seen them there.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[Jan K]

Bruce, you sure jumped into the cold water photography with gusto. Group of top notch photographers could not be better advertising for Nootka Sound diving ! Since it is out of reach for me, for the time being, I sure love to live the adventure through your pictures and words. Thank you all.

[John Rawlings]

I wonder if you could tell us more about your general impressions of rockfish variety and density. Were you seeing Yelloweye, and what size? How common were Blue Rockfish versus Black Rockfish? Any species we don't see commonly closer to home? Widows? Boccacio? Just looking for general impressions.

I dived beyond 100 FSW on every dive, and past 200 FSW at Mozino Point. I did not see any Yelloweye Rockfish, and believe me when I say that I was watching for them! Anecdotal, to be sure, but in all of my trips up there I have never seen a Yelloweye....much as I want to.

There were large numbers of Yellowtail Rockfish at most of the sites, (particularly at Mozino Point), along with Quillbacks and Coppers. When we dived at the "Gardens", a site that is a lot further up Espiranza Inlet toward the sea, we saw many more species of Rockfish - the Vermillions especially stood out. At one point at the Gardens I glided around a huge boulder and found a large gathering of of several species of Rockfish hiding out behind it from the current - Yellowtail, Vermillion, Quillback, Copper, Black and even a solitary China. There may have been some Blues in the mix, but I didn't concentrate on the identification beyond a quick glance.

Bob and Valerie are excellent Rockfish spotters, and I hope that they will chime in on this, too.

- John

[Grateful Diver]

A friend and I are thinking about heading back to Nootka Sound over the Thanksgiving week-end ... drive up Thursday, dive Friday and Saturday, and head home on Sunday.

If any of y'all are interested in making a rather long road trip for a couple days of spectacular diving, let me know ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[John Rawlings]

For guys like me who have to fly, would this still be a cost effective trip if I rented cylinders and limited to EAN depths?

Scott and Jude have plenty of cylinders for you, and they'll pump EANx for you right there at the shop each day. Like Bruce said, there's a LOT of beautiful life above 100 FSW there. That's about where the biggest sponges are as well.

You can fly in to Tahsis via float plane from Vancouver, Victoria and even Seattle (Kenmore Air), plus from any of the smaller towns and cities as well....although air travel would definitely add to the overall cost.

Can you fly in to Campbell River from Alaska? That and a rental car might be your best bet.

Shoot, I suspect that you have dives similar to these up there in Alaska a LOT closer to you, anyway!

- John

[Curt Bowen]

I assumed the logistics would be significant. Thanks for putting numbers on the task.

For guys like me who have to fly, would this still be a cost effective trip if I rented cylinders and limited to EAN depths?

Air worked just fine for bottom mix, suit inflation, and deco gas.....

OK EANx 50% did help cut some time off one dive.

[Scott]

Air worked just fine for bottom mix, suit inflation, and deco gas.....

OK EANx 50% did help cut some time off one dive.

Saw some pictures where something different than air might have been helpfull at depth

[ArcticDiver]

Just a quicky as I use my Torch while changing planes in ANC enroute to HI.

Y'all have convinced me to put this on my list. Let's see how the logisticsand schedule work out. Maybe I could link up with some of you on one of your trips. Most of the divers I know fly to warm water and avoid cold water like the plague.

[no excuses]

dang I need to get up there some day

[John Rawlings]

dang I need to get up there some day

Be careful...."need to's" often end up becoming "I should haves"...

[Curt Bowen]

Air worked just fine for bottom mix, suit inflation, and deco gas.....

OK EANx 50% did help cut some time off one dive.

Saw some pictures where something different than air might have been helpfull at depth

Lol. Didn't say I was not a little Narked, that's half the fun for me.....

But now I taught you how to mix heliair, so there should be helium available soon....

Mixing heliair is as simple as falling off a log, been mixing it in my garage for 20 years

http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com/ad ... ation.html

Simple gas blending charts provided on ADMs site

[Scott]

I found the article and I'm gonna have to give it a try. Suppose I should find an analyser just to cover my @ss liability wise.

Now I just have to find a log to fall off of!

Scott

[Grateful Diver]

Now I just have to find a log to fall off of!

Scott

Where you live, that shouldn't be a problem ...

(kinda like coming to Seattle and saying "now I just have to find a coffee shop")

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[John Rawlings]

Well, the ADM article is now complete and published on the web. Curt has posted the link in the General Scuba Discussion Forum here: http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13889

Here is a link to the photos that Curt and I took on the dives during the week: http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com/ar ... photo.html

Tahsis and Nootka Sound are WAY too beautiful to be missed, and we are now at the beginning of the absolute best time of year to dive there. Like I say every year, I'll be going back!

- John