Visiting PNW in October and looking for dive buddy

[JamesP]

Hi everyone,
I'm a UK-based diver, but I'll be visiting the Pacific North-West in October on a road trip from Vancouver Island south to Catalina Island. I'll be passing through around the 20th of October and might be looking for a dive buddy to dive Edmunds Underwater Park (which someone recommended to me), or anywhere else in the Seattle area you guys can recommend!
To summarise my diving experience, I've been qualified for about 8 years, have done around 230 dives, and am qualified to BSAC (British Sub-Aqua Club) Sports Diver level, which means I'm qualified to dive to 35m (115ft); the training also includes rescue skills, so is roughly equivalent to a PADI AOW and Rescue Diver; I'm currently working towards my Dive Leader qualification, which is roughly equivalent to a PADI Dive Master. I've been lucky enough to dive all over the world (the Red Sea, all over Australia, Oman, the Bahamas, the Mediterrainean), but have also done a fair bit in the UK, so am used to cold water and poor visibility.
I'll post this to the dive planning forum too, and hopefully get some responses :-)
Cheers,
James.

[Blaiz]

welcome to the boards, I hope you enjoy your visit! That road trip is a pretty darn good one! You're taking Highway 101 south? Beautiful drive. I'd love to be a buddy if you still need when the time comes.

[Tubesnout23]

On your way down to Edmonds you could stop on Whidbey Island and dive Keystone Jetty with Blaiz, Sambolino44 and myself!

I lived in Scotland for about 10 years. Which part of the UK do you come from?

Cheers

[JamesP]

Actually I'm planning to travel by Amtrak or Greyhound, rather then drive - don't fancy that long drive by myself, I figure it'll be more relaxed that way, I can just sit back and watch the scenery go by. Unfortunately it does somewhat limit the sites I can get access to, but there we go.
I'm originally from Bristol, but spent about 12 years in Swansea (college, where I learnt to dive) and have now been in Swindon (work) for three years.
Thanks for the offers - like I said, not sure exactly when I'll be there yet, am diving out of Victoria, Vancouver Island on Monday 18th, and then heading south, and need to be in San Francisco by Saturday 23rd at the latest, so have several days to fill between then.
James.

[BASSMAN]

You are welcome to join me on a Thursday @ the South Puget Sound area!

[4ster]

Edmonds Underwater Park is an easy dive stop by train. Across the street from the Amtrak Station is a dive shop where you can rent anything you don't want to be carting around on the rest of your trip. From there it is an easy walk to the dive site. Edmonds is all about seeing an array of Puget Sound marine life. It is not very deep at about 12 meters and almost all bottom structure is artificial but the critters love it.

I dive there quite a bit and would be happy to show you around.

[renoun]

Actually I'm planning to travel by Amtrak or Greyhound, rather then drive

Just so you know the Seattle/San Fransisco train "Starlight Express" is nicknamed "Star-Late Express" and is frequently delayed. Although Amtrack Cascades runs from Seattle to Vancover I would recommend the Victoria Clipper a high speed ferry that will get you from Victoria to Seattle in about 2.5 hours.

Mukelto is served by Sounder commuter rail, has a convenient hotel, and folks who will bring you lead/tanks on Monday nights. It is one stop North of Edmonds if you wish to dive there before resuming your journey.

[Tubesnout23]

Edmonds Underwater Park is an easy dive stop by train. Across the street from the Amtrak Station is a dive shop where you can rent anything you don't want to be carting around on the rest of your trip. From there it is an easy walk to the dive site. Edmonds is all about seeing an array of Puget Sound marine life. It is not very deep at about 12 meters and almost all bottom structure is artificial but the critters love it.

I dive there quite a bit and would be happy to show you around.

Edmonds UP is the only place where I have been able to seen a Cabezon regularly. (I have been diving for two years and still I haven't seen one at Keystone!)