Memorial Weekend diving.

[Aquanautchuck]

Hey everyone. What dive plans do you have for the long Memorial Day weekend? Just about got the ScubaKat ready for another season and starting to get the need to dive. Ideas????

[AB219]

Hey everyone. What dive plans do you have for the long Memorial Day weekend? Just about got the ScubaKat ready for another season and starting to get the need to dive. Ideas????

Time to dive Cape Lookout Oregon...!!!

[sheahanmcculla]

I was looking at google earth, and cape lookout looks kinda rough, where would you dive it?

[submarine]

Cape Lookout is an awesome dive when the conditions are right. I have always traveled out of the Tillamook Bay to get there. The whole South side is excellent diving with lots of big fish and very cool terrain. I have heard of people getting there, in a zodiac or similar, from the bay to the south by Sand Lake. It is also possible to cross the bar at Netarts Bay but, either way you have to be sure of your conditions and have a capable vessal for the trip.

[sheahanmcculla]

Wow thanks for the info. It looks like up here in wa, is way better for shore dives then oregon. It's hard to find good information out there on the web for Oregon. The shore dive link was good, but there were quite a bit of bad reviews. Current seems to be the biggest issue.

[Pez7378]

Hmmmm so there is water there right? How is it that there are so few places to go diving? I think Oregon just hasn't been explored yet. Is it too deep? Too far? Not enough Life? Too much current? It was a few years back when I was there, but it seems there could be some options along the Coast?

Just Curious.

As for diving Memorial Day weekend, I don't even have plans yet. Im sure whatever you come up with Chuck will be great with the ScubaKat!

[John Rawlings]

Cape Lookout is an awesome dive when the conditions are right. I have always traveled out of the Tillamook Bay to get there. The whole South side is excellent diving with lots of big fish and very cool terrain. I have heard of people getting there, in a zodiac or similar, from the bay to the south by Sand Lake. It is also possible to cross the bar at Netarts Bay but, either way you have to be sure of your conditions and have a capable vessal for the trip.

Agreed! Cape Lookout is absolutely awesome, and large enough that multiple dives can easily be done there. You have to travel quite a ways to get there, though, from any launching site, and the water can be rough until you get into the lee of the Cape itself....so a large, roomy and comfortable boat is a requirement. There used to be a couple of charter operators that would take divers there....don't know if anyone still does so....

- John

[Aquanautchuck]

Been there done that, Chumming all the way. It is one long boat ride from Tillamook and is no fun when the surge throws you against rocks at 50'. The bays are the only real half way safe places to dive on the Oregon Coast.

[spatman]

if there's a portland group heading out that weekend, i might be able to join.

[ORDiver]

I've never dove in Oregon before but I'd be down to go somewhere.

[AB219]

Been there done that, Chumming all the way. It is one long boat ride from Tillamook and is no fun when the surge throws you against rocks at 50'. The bays are the only real half way safe places to dive on the Oregon Coast.

The best time to dive the coast and the Barview Jetty is when the predicted swell will be 6 feet or less and coming out of the north.There is a evening high tide on Memorial Day Weekend... jump in the water aprox. around 5:00pm on Saturday and 5:45pm on Sunday at the Barview Jetty. Usually there are alot of fishermen out on a holiday weekend.... bring a knife, maybe two!! You could do a dive at Netarts on those days at approx. the same times, maybe Sparky will be able to show Netarts to any interested?


g

[BUZO71]

I'd be up for that!

[ORDiver]

Theres also "The Three Graces" which is farther in to Tillamook Bay by where the channel doglegs to the south. It is right off of Highway 101 and is like a cove surrounded by three large rock formations. I have talked with some guys who have dived the coast a lot and they all say that this is one of the better places. If the tides and the surge are supposed to be good this would be one place I would be really in to trying on Sunday or Monday. It is just north of Garibaldi on the 101. There is a review of it on the Northwest Dive Sites web page. I'm pretty new but I think it would be fun to try out the wild and wooly Oregon Coast. There's got to be something good there. Plus, it's only 1.5 hours from Portland (home).

PS - Theres also a lot less fishermen here.

[ORDiver]

Thers a review of most of the Oregon Coast spots including Three Garces at - http://shorediving.com/Earth/USA_West/Oregon/index.htm

[spatman]

monday might work for me, but i can't make a firm commitment just yet. we have friends staying with us that weekend and i'm not sure if they're leaving sunday or monday.

has anyone from NWDC been there before? it would be a good idea to go with someone who is familiar with the site. i think there's a dive shop in garibaldi that might be of some help, too. i'll see what i can find out.

[AB219]

Monday would work me, as long as it wouldn't be too late (I have to drive back to Hermiston that evening). The reviews on the shore diving web-site are kind of old. The only thing I would worry about personally is whether there is much current.

For Monday 5/26 a dive a the the Three Graces would best done at high tide. There is a early morning tide and a late evening tide. The best time to jump in would be 4:10am and 6:45pm.... that is you need to be in the water at that time for about a hour dive and then the current starts to rip!!! Expect about 8-15 feet of vis on the high tide, bring a flashlight and carry a dive knife. And don't surface in the channel....


g

[ORDiver]

I know acouple of folks who have dived this area before and might be willing to go. Unfortunately they are not NWDC members. Maybe AB219 would be willing to go.....
I do know, just by looking at the sight, that if you got out in to the channel you would probably end up in the cove a little way down the highway by the old coast guard dock (not too far). It seems you might be somewhat shielded by the rocks if you stayed in the cove.
Is this true AB219?

I would be in to going on Sunday or Monday. If we got out there and this looked a bit too much we could always go to Netarts. Its about 5 miles from here. I would like to talk to that Sparky guy about this place. It seems like that guy has dove the whole north coast!

[AB219]

I know acouple of folks who have dived this area before and might be willing to go. Unfortunately they are not NWDC members. Maybe AB219 would be willing to go.....
I do know, just by looking at the sight, that if you got out in to the channel you would probably end up in the cove a little way down the highway by the old coast guard dock. It seems you might be somewhat shielded by the rocks if you stayed in the cove.
Is this true AB219?

The problem could be the boat traffic, especially on the holiday weekend. And when the current does pick up, that area of the channel by Three Graces gets a little bumpy.

I usually dive by the coast guard tower on that Jetty...

I would do a Sunday dive on that weekend and just plan on doing one long dive. So if you a have a big tank... bring it!

g

[submarine]

I wish that I could join you all Memorial Day weekend but, I will be out of town. Shoot!

If you dive the Graces rocks you will park along Hwy 101 a bit north of the tide pool entry area. It is best to dive this site at high tide as suggested by AM219. You have a walk along the railroad tracks to get down on the beach. The area along the jetty to the North is pretty shallow. I would head straight out between the two South (large) rocks. You will know where the channel is because the bottom is just a baren pebble field. It is best sight seeing in close to the rocks and in the shallower water. Max depth in the channel is only about 50ft. at high tide. When the water does start to move in the channel, it really can move. Make sure to dive the slack time frame here.

The jetty is a better choise in my opinion. Although the enty is chanllenging off the jetty rocks, there can be allot to see. I always timed this dive for an entry prior to high slack. You drive through the Barview Jetty State Park to the parking area by the tower. We would walk out the jetty and drift back toward the bay. The best viewing is right along the jetty. You do have to keep an eye out for fisherpeople and their lines but, if you stay toward the bottom of the rocks on the edge of the channel there is not much to worry about.

Another enty point (outgoing tide) is at the corner of the jetty. You can get there by turning on the street right after the RR tracks on your way toward the State Park. The corner is a sandy bottom and allot of people crab in the area. But, you can head down the jetty wall toward the West.

It has been awhile since I have done either of these dives. My original dive buddy and I used to do them all the time. My grandmother owned a house by the entry to the State Park. So, it was what we had near by and we made the most of it. Hope this helps... good luck!

[spatman]

thanks for the great info, matt!

does anyone know of shore dives that are not current/tide dependent?

[sheahanmcculla]

does anyone know of shore dives that are not current/tide dependent?

AMEN!

[TCWestby]

I'm taking Thursday & Friday off and hope to dive both days. I'd be up for something mid day both days up north. I'd like to hit the Muk oil dock for a hunt if anyone wants to show me the ropes. I've never been hunting and combining my 2 passions, yes I'm eating what I take.I think Ling opens this weekend.

[AB219]

Hey everyone. What dive plans do you have for the long Memorial Day weekend? Just about got the ScubaKat ready for another season and starting to get the need to dive. Ideas????

How about the south side of the south jetty at the Barview Jetty.... Ocean needs to lay down fairly flat for that dive.

g

[AB219]

Monday would work me, as long as it wouldn't be too late (I have to drive back to Hermiston that evening). The reviews on the shore diving web-site are kind of old. The only thing I would worry about personally is whether there is much current.

For Monday 5/26 a dive a the the Three Graces would best done at high tide. There is a early morning tide and a late evening tide. The best time to jump in would be 4:10am and 6:45pm.... that is you need to be in the water at that time for about a hour dive and then the current starts to rip!!! Expect about 8-15 feet of vis on the high tide, bring a flashlight and carry a dive knife. And don't surface in the channel....


g

4:10 AM???! It would have to be REALLY good to get me out of bed that early!! I enjoy sleeping!

Sunday evening would be the better choice of the Memorial weekend, 5:45pm..... So who's going diving? It really is a nice dive, just have to hit the tide right.

g

[TCWestby]

Where is Barview & 3 graces, Oregon?