Hello from a traveling nomad!

[rgugler]

Hello all!!

I found this forum while looking for info on dry suit cert classes in Seattle! I'm flying into Seattle the 19th or 20th and I start orientation for my new job as a deckhand with Lindblad Expeditions the 26th. I fly up to Alaska after that, so I'd like to get certified before I go up so if I DO get the chance to dive, I can stay warm! Does anybody know of classes going on the between the 20th and 25th? I'm PADI AOW certified now. Most of my dives have been in tropical waters, though I did my check out dives in Table Rock Lake in Missouri in late April in 2007. I'd like to do more cold water diving in Alaska and the PNW if I have the chance.

I'm somewhat familiar with Seattle having trained as a NMFS Observer for the fishing boats in Alaska last year, but I never had the chance to go diving.

Thanks!

Rachel

[Magoi]

Welcome to the club! Probably the best way to get the dry suit cert is to contact an instructor and see if you can do a private class. There is a pool session and an open water dive, so you can do it in a day or 2. There are several instructors on this forum who can do it. If you do not own a dry suit, you will need to buy or rent. If you are in Seattle, Underwater Sports should be able to set you up. They also may be able to set you up with an instructor. If you have a hard time PM me - I know a very good instructor who is a high school teacher and has the summer off. Should be able to schedule you.

Larry

[renoun]

Welcome,

There are plenty of independent instructors around that could teach a drysuit class but most still have day jobs. I know that there are two folks at Sound Aquatics that might be able to help.

There is nice contingent of NWDC folks in Sitka and Juneau that you should make an effort to meet up with if you wind up having free time up there. Also watch the dive planning forum for dives on Monday and Wednesday evenings (and the weekend too) while you are here.

[rgugler]

Thanks for the welcome!

How much would a private course, and full gear rental cost? I haven't had consistent enough access to diving to justify buying my own gear yet, other than basics mask/fins/snorkel/wetsuit.

Thanks!

Rachel

[Joshua Smith]

Thanks for the welcome!

How much would a private course, and full gear rental cost? I haven't had consistent enough access to diving to justify buying my own gear yet, other than basics mask/fins/snorkel/wetsuit.

Thanks!

Rachel

You could probably beg/borrow/ steal enough gear from members here to get a class done, except for the drysuit- not sure if anyone rents those. Otherwise, I think you can rent a tank, BC, and reg setup for about 50-75 bucks a day.

[rgugler]

I'm not in a position to buy a dry suit at the moment, so hopefully I can rent one somewhere. I have 3mm boots (most of my dives are tropical!), but I'm planning to buy new ones when I get to Seattle. I just want recommendations first! I also want to get new fins, though I might hold off on that. My car got broken into when I was in Seattle for work in January, and my dive camera was stolen, so I had to buy a new camera (Canon s100) and am number crunching trying to figure out how to afford the housing (much less a strobe) now! (I have a Fuji E900 Ikelite housing and Canon 300D + kit lens + Tokina 24-200mm + 8gb Compact flash card I'm trying to sell to cover some of the $$, if anybody is interested!) I've been living off my last observer paycheck and working part time as a naturalist at my old job in Kansas, but needless to say, that first paycheck will be very welcome!

I'm most likely going to get the Ikelite housing. Can anybody recommend a beginner strobe set up? I can at least keep a look out for it until I get the money to buy one. Same for dry suit!

I forgot to mention I'll be staying in the U-district and won't have a vehicle, so a shop reachable by public transit would be awesome!

I'm so excited to finally be headed back to the coast! I may be born and raised Midwest, but my heart lies with the ocean. I'd love to have a meet up in Seattle if anybody is interested. I'm not sure how much free time I'll have off the boat when we are in port, but I'd love to meet people in Juneau and Sitka too!

Thanks!

Rachel

[Magoi]

I know Underwater Sports has rental dry suits, but you either need a cert card or you need to have an arrangement with one of their instructors to rent one. You need to contact the store if you want the rental price. Lighthouse diving also rents dry suits - $65/d for the suit only, $85/d for suit, undergarment, and hood. Lighthouse offers the dry suit certification for $200 (still have to rent gear). You can get to Underwater Sports easily by mass transit from the U district - It is on Aurora Ave, near Northgate.

I use the Ikelite AF35 with my P&S camera, and have gotten some nice shots. It's a very simple, entry level strobe.

You should put your case on the buy and sell gear site if you want to advertise it at the NW Dive Club. We also have a large scuba listing on the Seattle area Craigs list. I will send you a PM on some extra gear I have that might work for you. You can get a boat load of advice on a dry suit. You should look at the posts in the Gear Central forum - there are existing threads about dry suit recommendations. You can also post any new questions you have there. You will not need wetsuit boots with a dry suit, so you should hold on getting boots unless you are diving wet.

Larry

[LCF]

I talked to my husband -- he's free the 23rd and 24th, and could do a dry suit class. Price would be $175, and that includes use of gear, and use of a dry suit, if you fit one of the ones we have. That includes a pool session and two open water dives.

[thefeve]

man, wish i could join you for that class! i have to work on monday/tuesdays though... i need to take a drysuit class as well. just gotta figure out how to fit it in the schedule!

[rgugler]

Ok, I finally have some details nailed down and can commit to something. Sorry it took so long! I didn't want to commit to something and then find out I couldn't make it. I leave in a week and just got my flight details yesterday from my new employer. I was more than a little stressed waiting for them!

LCF, that sounds great to me! I'll pm you with a few more questions/logistics!

Thefeve- Time to take a few days off!

Can't wait to get wet again! I haven't been diving since I visited my friend in Hawaii in December. The closest I've been was cold water survival training with NMFS in survival suits in Lake Washington in January during the snow storm that practically shut Seattle down!

Rachel

[rgugler]

I sent a couple pm's and 2 of them show up in my outbox. Why aren't they shown as sent?

[Joshua Smith]

Because the recipients haven't opened them yet.

[rgugler]

Ok! I was just worried I did something wrong and saved them as a draft or had to do something else to finish sending them!

Thanks!

[sitkadiver]

I talked to my husband -- he's free the 23rd and 24th, and could do a dry suit class. Price would be $175, and that includes use of gear, and use of a dry suit, if you fit one of the ones we have. That includes a pool session and two open water dives.

That's a bargain at twice the price..... Since we're out of a dive shop here in Sitka, May I start referring new divers to you guys in Seattle? Might be cost effective for the student if they get a web special from Alaska Air.

I'll send a PM also, please pardon my temporary hi-jack......

[Peter Guy]

Sitkadiver -- that's interesting. Lynne and I have two Fusions available to use (Sm/M; L/Xl) and one DUI and, of course, there are several shops in the area that rent suits. We also have a pool at our house that is heated during the summer but "dry suit compatible" pretty much all year around for a "confined water orientation."

OK, since Lynne has "volunteered" me to run a Dry Suit class some time in the very near future (week of July 22), IF this is something you'd like to do, please contact me directly through email or PM. I'll be busy at a horse show this weekend (need to leave in an hour so need to get off the computer!) but I'll be checking emails periodically.

You can find other contact information at my website -- www.belowandbeyond.biz