Northwest Dive Club

I was wondering if any of the Oregon divers on this site do any boat diving off the Oregon Coast? I have read about some boat dives like Cape Lookout, Otter Rock, Three Arches etc. and was wondering if anyone has done these dives or would be interested in doing them? Does anyone have a boat to do this or know of a dive shop / business that would do a charter? I looked at the web site for Doug's Diving in Garibaldi and it seemed like he doesn't do much on the recreational side of things but might be available for charters. Any info on this stuff would be cool.

I am interested in doing some of these sites when I get all my shiat together and get my boat finished. Its just about there, its a 5.4m avon rib but it only has a 35 hp merc on it for now. With two people in it and no dive gear it will do 25, took it out for a test run last sunday. I am hoping for around 20 mph with 4 people and gear. Hope to have it done by the end of next month

doug has not done any recreaction diving in a few years now
I dont know of any charters here but i have been looking

I know my dive budy ony had dove most if not all of the sites you mentionded I wil ask him he is planning to be at the weekend dive this week so if your going to be there you can ask him our self

Sparky

no excuses wrote:its a 5.4m avon rib but it only has a 35 hp merc on it for now . . . I am hoping for around 20 mph with 4 people and gear . . .

Slight hijack:


I have a 5.4m Avon Adventure with a 115 Yamaha, it will do close to 50 with three people and a full load of gas, tops out at about 35 or 40 mph with three divers, and around 35 with four divers and 8 tanks. I generally cruise at 25-30 mph or so, if I can restrain myself.

You may be able to get 20 mph with four people and gear, but then again, it may not get up on plane either . . . but an Avon is a sweet hull, worth repowering if you need to.

so my question is where would you put in to dive these sites?

I have never done any boat diving off the Oregon Coast, but I am wanting to , I have a site or two in mind that i have been looking at for at some time to try just need a boat and some adventures souls willing to try them with me and a boat that can get us there .

one of the spots i have in mind is well protested from the open sea for the most part and makes a nice cove
I'm just not 100% sure where i would recommend putting in maybe in Manzaneita for one

there is one across the river from me I would like to check out as well but it is still in the Columbia River and tide and current and low vis would be the big issues here

Sparky

The Linda Sue out of Garibaldi does dive charters.
Doug

dsteding wrote:

no excuses wrote:its a 5.4m avon rib but it only has a 35 hp merc on it for now . . . I am hoping for around 20 mph with 4 people and gear . . .

Slight hijack:


I have a 5.4m Avon Adventure with a 115 Yamaha, it will do close to 50 with three people and a full load of gas, tops out at about 35 or 40 mph with three divers, and around 35 with four divers and 8 tanks. I generally cruise at 25-30 mph or so, if I can restrain myself.

You may be able to get 20 mph with four people and gear, but then again, it may not get up on plane either . . . but an Avon is a sweet hull, worth repowering if you need to.

Hijack back on

yeh I plan to repower it and am just using this motor till I can repower. Daam I was thinking of just using a 90hp motor but the 115 sounds sweet. What kind of fuel economy do you get with this??

no excuses wrote: Hijack back on

yeh I plan to repower it and am just using this motor till I can repower. Daam I was thinking of just using a 90hp motor but the 115 sounds sweet. What kind of fuel economy do you get with this??

Around 4-5 gph at those speeds.

Which hull is it? Mine is a 5.6 (mistake in length earlier), a 2001 Adventure. If it is a Searider, seems like the 90 might be right.

But, for the money, get the biggest motor you can put on it, for diving you won't go wrong with the extra power when moving heavy loads.

I love this boat, just got it a month or so ago:

sparky wrote:so my question is where would you put in to dive these sites?

I have never done any boat diving off the Oregon Coast, but I am wanting to , I have a site or two in mind that i have been looking at for at some time to try just need a boat and some adventures souls willing to try them with me and a boat that can get us there .

one of the spots i have in mind is well protested from the open sea for the most part and makes a nice cove
I'm just not 100% sure where i would recommend putting in maybe in Manzaneita for one

there is one across the river from me I would like to check out as well but it is still in the Columbia River and tide and current and low vis would be the big issues here

Sparky

Netarts Bay would be a good put in spot for Cape Lookout or Three Arch and Depoe Bay would be good for Otter Rock or Gull Rock. I just talked to a guy today that has dove some of the off shore sites in Oregon and he said that the visibility off shore is almost always good. The thing you have to worry about is the ocean itself. Things can get rough quick out there. You should always have a live boat wih someone at the helm who knows what they're doing. With this info it seems that diving off the coast would be kind of out of the question during winter. I've been out in the ocean fishing before in the fall and have been blown off the ocean when weather kicked up from nowhere. I didn't think about how bad it can get in the winter months.

Diver Doug wrote:The Linda Sue out of Garibaldi does dive charters.
Doug

It would be interesting to find out what sites they go to and what the rates are.

no excuses wrote:I am interested in doing some of these sites when I get all my shiat together and get my boat finished. Its just about there, its a 5.4m avon rib but it only has a 35 hp merc on it for now. With two people in it and no dive gear it will do 25, took it out for a test run last sunday. I am hoping for around 20 mph with 4 people and gear. Hope to have it done by the end of next month

It appears that the Avons are the boats to have for open ocean diving. Would you feel comfortable taking you're boat out in winter? It seems that summer would be the time to go. What are you thoughts on this?

ORDiver wrote: It appears that the Avons are the boats to have for open ocean diving. Would you feel comfortable taking you're boat out in winter? It seems that summer would be the time to go. What are you thoughts on this?

I use my boat year-round (well, so far) in the Sound and up north in the Straits of Georgia. Open ocean, as in outside of that area, I know that the previous owner used it around Neah Bay, but that is only a summer gig. Avons are well-built boats, and mine at least is designed to handle a full-on swamping, but I think you get beyond comfortable seas pretty damn fast in the winter time in the open ocean.

dsteding wrote:

OR Diver wrote: I think you get beyond comfortable seas pretty damn fast in the winter time in the open ocean.

Especially on the Oregon coast. I have been around depot bay allot in the winter and there is no way I'd go out there in anything short of a coastguard cutter! Let lone try to dive out there.

The Linda Sue, is chartered 1 sat. a month all summer long by Adventure sports on east division in portland. You just have to contact them. If I remember correct the charge was $80-85. As for diving outside the surf in Oregon, I have dove Haystack rock at Pacific City, and South side of Cape Lookout, both in private boats. Haystack in a 11' Zodiac, and Cape Lookout in a 19 foot runabout (not recommended). Haystack we launched right off the beach at Pacific City.
Doug

I figured winter would be off limits to boat diving in winter. I've been salmon fishing just over the bar in Garibaldi in september and had the weather get bad quick. The Coast Guard ordered all the recreational boats back in due to the almost 20' swell. I wouldn't want to surface to that scene. However, next summer I think we all should set something up. Untill then I'll be in Puget Sound or in a bay.

Shore diving the Oregon Coast in winter can offer its own set of thrills as well,

The barview jetty is fun when the tides get to rocking

but it is a hell of a good dive
and I stil am real fond of netarts it is by far one of my favoraite sites,

Sparky

sparky wrote:Shore diving the Oregon Coast in winter can offer its own set of thrills as well,

The barview jetty is fun when the tides get to rocking

but it is a hell of a good dive
and I stil am real fond of netarts it is by far one of my favoraite sites,

Sparky

Do you go in off the end of the jetty? I've walked out there and from the looks of it getting the gear out there would be the toghest part of the dive! We need to get some folks together and do Netarts soon.

Heck Nov. 1, and Pumpkins also.
Doug

I would love o make it but I am required to stay home next weekend and take care of some stuff. I have been out diving the last 3 weekends. It'll probably be mid November before I can make it out. I will be up at Sund Rock in two days though.

Well when ever I have dove the jetty we had two Riggs we load all the gear in to one and drive out to the parking lot at the base of the watch tower and get in from there and drift down to the first parking area where we have staged the first rig

we usually have done this as a drift dive bit it is well worth the extra effort and planning to dive here

Sparky

Diver Doug wrote: Haystack we launched right off the beach at Pacific City.
Doug

used to do this a lot with a 14' inflatable, lots of fun, also went up to three arch rocks a few times from there also. I also have came down from tillmook bay and was towed back by the coast guard on that trip when the starter went out lol.

It appears that the Avons are the boats to have for open ocean diving. Would you feel comfortable taking you're boat out in winter? It seems that summer would be the time to go. What are you thoughts on this?[/quote]


Maybe out of Pacific city to haystack rock if conditions rigtht, then if the conditions worsen you are just a hop and a skip from the beach. If you got there and conditions where not what you would like just go dive in a bay and catch some crab or clams. Would def. not want to make a long run where if things turn nasty you have to fight the seas to get back in with just a lil 35 hp motor especially lol.
Summer would def. be a better time to dive off the coast.
stan..

There is a reason that USCG district 13 is the only one in the country granted legal authority actually be able to close the bars on the WA and OR coast. As in like no attempting to cross under penalty of arrest. Note that the USCG doesn't even have this authority in district 17 (Alaska). There is a very good reason for that...

The bars and entrances are gradual and shallow. You have wind and waves which were created in the eastern pacific coming ashore there. And often conflicting with an ebb tide. If its rough the last place you want to be is heading into shallow water or the beach cause that's where the waves will break. Those breaking waves will probably pitchpole you and if the tanks flying around don't kill you the motor landing (even upside down) on your head will. All of this has ZERO to do with the seaworthiness of the Avon nor its tolerance of "rough water" or swamping.

More info
http://www.uscg.mil/d13/bar/default.asp
http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/coastal_waters/Safety1.shtml

Don't mess with hazardous bar conditions.


You may now begin a typical NWDC hijack about bars and closing bars before diving...

CaptnJack wrote:You may now begin a typical NWDC hijack about bars and closing bars before diving...

i have to admit that i read your first paragraph and was wondering why the CG would care about smoke-filled, beer-soaked taverns on the oregon coast...

spatman wrote:

CaptnJack wrote:You may now begin a typical NWDC hijack about bars and closing bars before diving...

i have to admit that i read your first paragraph and was wondering why the CG would care about smoke-filled, beer-soaked taverns on the oregon coast...