Visiting WA

[ailema]

Hi, I'm going to be visiting WA and would love to get some dives in (myself AOW cert. + friend not OW cert). Any suggestions for dive charters or shops to go through?
Also I have been looking around for a marine ecology site or book about the WA waters...If you know of any let me know. Thanks! :biggrin:

[Nwbrewer]

Welcome to NWDC!

So is your friend looking to get into diving, or are you just traveling with a non diving friend? Are you looking for charters, or do you need to rent gear also?

Let us know more about when you'll be here, and where you'll be staying, I'm sure that the group here can recommend a shop to get fills, etc.


For information on marine critters in puget sound see this thread - http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2043

[DFessler]

Hi Ailema,

My name is David and we have weekly shop dives out of the Federal Way Underwater Sports shop. We do not charge for the dive and offer reduced rentals for our shop dives. We also have a monthly dives scheduled with Bandito Charters. Obviously with your AOW certification you can dive most places around the sound depending on your comfort with the cold water. Let us know your schedule of when you're planning on being here and perhaps we can get something scheduled. As for your uncertified friend, what is your hopes here?

David Fessler
Underwater Sports Federal Way
253-874-9387

[ailema]

Thank you both for the information! I will be visiting the last week of May. My friend lives in the Seattle area but has only been diving once with me on Oahu (2tank dive). I can bring my own gear or rent. However I have never dove cold water I have a 3m suit(pointless in WA I'm assuming) and 3 m hood/shirt. I've heard from my inexpreinced friend I might need a drysuit but everything I've seen about dives there people have been in wetsuits. Just some curiosities. My friend would like to accompany me on the dive if possible ( I keep trying to convence her it's amazing but she swears all that is under the sea in Seattle area is rockfish unlike Hawaii) so I would think she would be interested in becoming certified. She did great on the dives here, great air consumtion rate, calm and enjoyed the dives. Just needs convincing that there is amazing things there as well also people to dive with. Thanks again!

[Alexitt]

You're definitely going to want a thicker wetsuit if your not Drysuit certified. I dive wet and wear a 7mil 2 pc.,hood,gloves, boots etc. and its not as bad as some make it out to be (dive 1 is fine, dive 2 can be a bit more chilly if the weather won't cooperate) Many of the shops have both to rent...
And tell your friend we have some amazing sites to dive w/ octo's, wolf eels, and a variety of other wee beasties including rockfish...

[LCF]

Your original post says your Seattle friend isn't certified, is that right? Unlike the relatively benign tropics, I don't think diving here is really great for people who haven't had a class. I suspect your friend would like diving here, but I think he or she should hook up with an instructor and get some formal teaching before diving in Puget Sound.