Coachrenz and I did a great dive at Norrander's yesterday. This was our first trip to this site. We were the only truck in the "parking lot" and slogged our gear down the "steps" and over the rocky beach on a very low tide. We swam the short distance to the buoy, then descended into only 10 fsw or so, and followed the line out to the start of the rocky reef. Wow, there was life everywhere! I think we observed and identified over 50 species. Not many fish (mosshead warbonnet, brown rockfish, copper rockfish, painted greenling, kelp greenling, slender cockscomb, and some perch are what I remember...) But there were lots of inverts: creeping pedal sea cucumbers, lots of nudies, many other sea cucumbers, crabs, sponges, worms, etc. We got to the end of the first reef, and I'd blown through my gas, and was at our pre-determined turnaround pressure. So coachrenz decided to take us on the scenic tour of the last piece of rock and circle it, coming back to the spot where we decided to turn around. (There's more line there that takes you to the second rock reef a bit deeper.) So we headed up the other side, getting pushed into the rocks by the current that was pulling us away from the rock on the way down.
This is a great dive spot. I highly recommend it.
My photogallery can be found
here.
Coachrenz has a photo gallery as well posted on his site. (TimRenz.com) With his new camera, he's got some great pictures.
Norrander's Reef - Photo Gallery
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Huskychemist
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Looking at the map, I think this is a site I dove off CaptnJack's boat last year. He said he thought you could get there by land. It was a fabulous dive, with beautiful structure and a lot of life. I've been meaning to get back there, so thank you for posting this report and giving the name of the site!
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
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John Rawlings
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Cool shots, Lowell!
That's a dive site I have never been to.....but I just checked Janna's web site and see that the park only opened in 2002!
Give me a guided tour sometime?
- John
That's a dive site I have never been to.....but I just checked Janna's web site and see that the park only opened in 2002!
Give me a guided tour sometime?
- John
Last edited by John Rawlings on Sun Apr 08, 2007 9:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
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Nice report Lowell:
will you be doing a dive site review with directions in the NW Dive Site Form us ?
I dont belive I have ever heard of this site before but it sounds like a spot my dive budy and I would maybe wish to check out
Sparky
will you be doing a dive site review with directions in the NW Dive Site Form us ?
I dont belive I have ever heard of this site before but it sounds like a spot my dive budy and I would maybe wish to check out
Sparky
A Smart Man
Learns from his mistakes
A Wise Man
Learns from the mistakes of those that have gone before him
Learns from his mistakes
A Wise Man
Learns from the mistakes of those that have gone before him
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Huskychemist
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One guided tour, coming up!
John Rawlings wrote:Cool shots, Lowell!
That's a dive site I have never been to.....but I just checked Janna's web site and see that the park only opened in 2002!
Give me a guided tour sometime?
- John
I'd love to John. We've been meaning to dive for about a year now. And since I'll be headed to Thailand in July, we'll need to schedule something before then. I'll e-mail you and we'll plan something.
I'm sure we can show you around there.
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John Rawlings
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Re: One guided tour, coming up!
Cool! I'm looking forward to it!Huskychemist wrote: I'd love to John. We've been meaning to dive for about a year now. And since I'll be headed to Thailand in July, we'll need to schedule something before then. I'll e-mail you and we'll plan something.
I'm sure we can show you around there.
- John
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
I did a quick and dirty dive site review as well as a more complete dive review on my website TimRenz.com. I will be adding to the dive site review later.sparky wrote:Nice report Lowell:
will you be doing a dive site review with directions in the NW Dive Site Form us ?
I dont belive I have ever heard of this site before but it sounds like a spot my dive budy and I would maybe wish to check out
Sparky
I also posted some pictures for the dive. They can be found under the photo galleries.
Tim
SSI Dive Control Specialist Instructor
REEF PNW AAT Level 5 Surveyor
REEF Hawaii Level 3 Surveyor
REEF Instructor - PNW Fish, PNW Advanced Fish, PNW Inverts, TWA, HAW, TEP, Cal Inverts and Algae
TimRenz.com creating comfortable, confident, and enthusiastic divers.
SSI Dive Control Specialist Instructor
REEF PNW AAT Level 5 Surveyor
REEF Hawaii Level 3 Surveyor
REEF Instructor - PNW Fish, PNW Advanced Fish, PNW Inverts, TWA, HAW, TEP, Cal Inverts and Algae
TimRenz.com creating comfortable, confident, and enthusiastic divers.
Nice pix guys! Valerie and I have dove this site a few times and it is always a treasure. However, we did learn to "prefer" not to dive it at a low tide as it is quite a hike out the beach. Well done!
Lowell and John - I'd love to join you when you go - last time I dove there with Janna we spotted dogfish!
Jackie
Lowell and John - I'd love to join you when you go - last time I dove there with Janna we spotted dogfish!
Jackie
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John Rawlings
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Hey, Jackie! That site or anywhere else works for me!jackieg wrote:Nice pix guys! Valerie and I have dove this site a few times and it is always a treasure. However, we did learn to "prefer" not to dive it at a low tide as it is quite a hike out the beach. Well done!
Lowell and John - I'd love to join you when you go - last time I dove there with Janna we spotted dogfish!
Jackie
- John
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
Nice Pics!
Ok... need more info... drilled around and figured out it is on Bainbridge Island. Next question... is it current sensitive?
Found the following link that gives some good info.
Looks like a nice place to dive!
Ok... need more info... drilled around and figured out it is on Bainbridge Island. Next question... is it current sensitive?
Found the following link that gives some good info.
Looks like a nice place to dive!
More Pics Than You Have Time To Look AT
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
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Penopolypants
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Huskychemist
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Hidden Gems...
Thanks for all the feedback. I figured Coachrenz would post a good dive site report.
And your comment about this being a hidden gem are spot on. It really is... and it's got a small parking area, so if it ever gets more popular, it'll be hard to manage.
A while ago, either on ScubaBoard or NWDiver, somebody started a "Dive Site You'd Like To Get To" thread...it revealed some really cool spots that folks had heard of and wanted to dive, but hadn't got to yet...and Norrander's was one of those for me...I'd heard of it, but hadn't made it yet.
And Jackie...I agree on the low tide, although you know how averse I am to surface swims...so I almost prefered slogging over the rocks.
But this is definitely a place to see.
And dogfish? Wow...were you down on the deeper rock reef?
Thanks you all. Happy diving!
And your comment about this being a hidden gem are spot on. It really is... and it's got a small parking area, so if it ever gets more popular, it'll be hard to manage.
A while ago, either on ScubaBoard or NWDiver, somebody started a "Dive Site You'd Like To Get To" thread...it revealed some really cool spots that folks had heard of and wanted to dive, but hadn't got to yet...and Norrander's was one of those for me...I'd heard of it, but hadn't made it yet.
And Jackie...I agree on the low tide, although you know how averse I am to surface swims...so I almost prefered slogging over the rocks.
But this is definitely a place to see.
And dogfish? Wow...were you down on the deeper rock reef?
Thanks you all. Happy diving!
Well, Bob and Peter and I set out today to visit this site. Unfortunately, Peter forgot his hood, so only Bob and I hit the water.
A couple of comments: Getting down to the water from the road involves some clambering. It worked better to take the gear down and set it up on the logs, and not try to walk down all geared up.
The entry is over large round stones. I was very glad I had elected to leave the doubles at home, and even more glad on exit, when there was actually some surf.
If there is still a line from the base of the crab pot buoy, we could not find it, and we dug in the kelp all around the anchor. We did head out at 60 degrees from the bottom of the buoy, but missed the rock reef, which would have been very easy to do, as viz was about 8 feet. We did find a few rocks, a sleeping ratfish, and a lot of nudibranchs in the bottom.
This IS the site I dove off Richard's boat last summer, although we dove the south reefs (which are a significant surface swim). I'm quite sure it will be a lovely dive when we can find the north reef, and we'll go back and try it again when the viz is a bit better.
Edited to add that there are no facilities at the site, and none for some distance. Stopping in Winslow to use restrooms would be a good move.
A couple of comments: Getting down to the water from the road involves some clambering. It worked better to take the gear down and set it up on the logs, and not try to walk down all geared up.
The entry is over large round stones. I was very glad I had elected to leave the doubles at home, and even more glad on exit, when there was actually some surf.
If there is still a line from the base of the crab pot buoy, we could not find it, and we dug in the kelp all around the anchor. We did head out at 60 degrees from the bottom of the buoy, but missed the rock reef, which would have been very easy to do, as viz was about 8 feet. We did find a few rocks, a sleeping ratfish, and a lot of nudibranchs in the bottom.
This IS the site I dove off Richard's boat last summer, although we dove the south reefs (which are a significant surface swim). I'm quite sure it will be a lovely dive when we can find the north reef, and we'll go back and try it again when the viz is a bit better.
Edited to add that there are no facilities at the site, and none for some distance. Stopping in Winslow to use restrooms would be a good move.
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
The site is in the "Boat Diver of Puget Sound" book. Its on the north side of Blakely Harbor.
Sounds like between the ferry, rocks, and actually finding it with a fishfinder, etc. it might be better as a boat dive.
I just sold my boat and the new one won't be here for another couple months though.
Richard
Sounds like between the ferry, rocks, and actually finding it with a fishfinder, etc. it might be better as a boat dive.
I just sold my boat and the new one won't be here for another couple months though.
Richard
True. I think I might have been able to help find the structure for you from boat experience there. So this may be a situation where the best way to find it is to go with someone who knows the site. And those who know the site have boats. At least for now. The park is only a few years old as I recall.LCF wrote:Definitely better as a boat dive, but for those of us who are -- temporarily or not -- boatless, this IS a way to access the site. :-)
