Northwest Dive Club

Th crew, please join us on the 9th for a special ThThTh night. Let’s show up at the MAST for the WSA meeting at 7:00pm to discuss protecting Redondo as a dive site. Stephen posted information in another thread. I will be there at 5:00 to sneak in a dive. Dive 2 will be at 7:00 at the MAST. And dive 3 will be at Billy McHales.


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Sounds like a great plan Jesse. I'll be there.

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Agree - I’ll be there early to dive too

I'm in

So.....how did it go?

Penopolypants wrote:So.....how did it go?

It’s next week p-pants. Lol


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Oh, oops! Stupid brain.

I'm in, but won't dive due to suit being out for repairs....

Tom Nic wrote:I'm in, but won't dive due to suit being out for repairs....

Excellent. We need you there Mr. Nic


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I won’t be there in person but count me in in spirit!

Will be there, but can't arrive early enough to dive.

Will be there but no diving, have to work till 5 :(

Hmmm, I should come.

Been dry way too long!

yes, you should

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Won’t be there early enough to dive after all
But will be at meeting

This time for realz....so, how did it go?

It went pretty well. Washington Scuba Alliance is doing their due diligence. They have the funding, and are going thru gathering all the necessary permits, as well as trying to find a good solution with DNR on what can remain and what has to be removed from the site to go along with the new reef system. They were asking for any and all input on what the dive community would like to see there to enhance the divability. There were many great suggestions that dealt with ease of access, the possibility of a dive platform for teaching, and input on what type of reef system, location, ect.
It was a good meeting, and I think we will get this done.

That sounds pretty amazing! I wish I could have come.

One important point the WSA made was in regards to the loss of dive sites. And while we as divers know the dive sites because we dive them, according to various government agencies, the don't officially exist. So, if they wish to build an express ferry dock at Redondo, while we'd all protest, there is no officially recognized dive site there. I'm butchering the concept but that was a factor in the redondo development project. They talked about having dive sites on "leases" (although that wasn't explained fully, or I didn't get it) so that if development was planned at a "leased" dive site, it would be taken into consideration either in the development plan or a dive site would be developed elsewhere to compensate for the loss. This project will be a test case.

For all practical purposes DNR owns all aquatic lands below the low tide level. When a marina wants to install a pier or a float, or a wastewater treatment plant wants to put in an outfall, an aquaculture farm wants to put in a net pen, or WSDOT wants to build a ferry terminal - DNR does not sell them the land to do so. They lease the land so DNR retains ownership. Some leases costs money, some are essentially free. The fundamental idea is that the underlying land (in this case what the reef is sitting on) would be DNR owned, but leased to WSA or another entity so that the reef structure would be a legal user of those state lands and not usurped by some other use.

CaptnJack wrote:For all practical purposes DNR owns all aquatic lands below the low tide level. When a marina wants to install a pier or a float, or a wastewater treatment plant wants to put in an outfall, an aquaculture farm wants to put in a net pen, or WSDOT wants to build a ferry terminal - DNR does not sell them the land to do so. They lease the land so DNR retains ownership. Some leases costs money, some are essentially free. The fundamental idea is that the underlying land (in this case what the reef is sitting on) would be DNR owned, but leased to WSA or another entity so that the reef structure would be a legal user of those state lands and not usurped by some other use.

Thanks. That was helpful.

Also on the wish list for improving the site was:
On Land:
1) More lights in the parking lot
2) Benches or Picnic tables by pay station to help with gearing up.
3) Water for rinse station on all year
4) Soap in the bathrooms
5) Adding in better stairs North of Saltys or a ramp with a railing

Underwater:
1) Add in Rock piles with different size rocks
2) Add in a reef kind of like salt water, but some that have more holes/caves so wolf eels or other creatures can make a home.
3) Adding in buoys or other tall structure in current areas so life can grow up above the ground level
4) Add in a line down in the no man's land/bowl area, to help with navigation to get back up hill on bad viz days

I really hope some of this can be added.
Please add any ideas on here and we can try to pass this along in the next meeting.