2009 Shore Dives
September
Club Dive and BBQ - Keystone Jetty -
September 27th
~~~~ Open to all divers
with cold water experience ~~~~
Meet at the site at noon. There will be staff on the beach from noon until 3:30.
On
Whidby Island, this is one of the best dive sites around to see an immense variety of fish. You will see schools and schools
of rockfish (Genus Sebastes) here, plus an astounding variety of invertebrate life. Not too deep, ~ 40 for most of the dive,
this is also one of the few dive sites around where you get to swim through a miniature kelp forest. Bring your gear and something
to throw on the BBQ and come hang out for the day. This site is current sensitive, so make sure that you check the tide tables
and get in at the right time. A great site for photography and/or REEF surveys.
"3rd Wednesday of the Month" - Night Club Dive
Alki Junkpile/Junkyard - September 23rd
~~~~ Open to Advanced Open Water with Night dive experience or divers
with Night Dive Specialty ~~~~
Meet at the school by 5:45pm, or at the site by 6:30pm.
Just around the corner from Coves 1,2 and 3 this is one of our favorite dives. There is
a line paralleling the beach in 45 - 55ft of water (Depending on the tide) that has piles of debris along it. Over
the years life has attached to this debris to creat a series of little artificial reefs. At the end of your dive you can swim
along your safety stop in the shallows while enjoying the eelgrass beds, prime habitat for baby fish, Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers,
gunnels and snake pricklebacks, or do your whole dive in the eelgrass! At night we often find Octopus, stubby squid and many
varieties of sculpin here.
October
"3rd Wednesday of
the Month" - Night Club Dive
Redondo - October 21st
~~~~ Open to Advanced Open Water with Night dive experience or divers with Night Dive Specialty ~~~~
Meet at the school by 5:45pm, or at the site by 6:30pm.
Giant Pacific Octopus, little red octopus,
stubby squid, grunt sculpin, pacific spiny lumpsuckers..... all the really cool stuff has been sighted here, especially at
night. About 20 minutes South of Seattle, you can follow the shallow line to 40' - 55', or the deep line to 100'+.
It is right next to a Salty's restaurant too, so it can bring back fond memories of training in Cove 1 :-).
Club Dive - Edmonds Underwater
Park - October 25
~~~~
Open to all divers with cold water experience ~~~~
Meet
at the school at 9:00, or at the site at 10:30am. There will be dive staff on the beach from 10:30am to 3:00pm.
If you are confused, yes, we did have Redondo scheduled, but we changed it to
Edmonds. Edmonds Underwater Park has been a marine preserve for 30+ years, allowing large populations of really big fish to
grow up here without fear of fishermen/spearfishing. 100lb+ Ling Cod are not at all uncommon. The entire dive is 35 - 40'
deep so you can get in a good long dive to swim around amongst the kelp and explore. This site is a long swim and it is current
sinsitive so don't be late to the dive or you will miss the exchange!
November
"3rd Wednesday of
the Month" - Night Club Dive
Cove 2 - November 18
~~~~ Open to Advanced Open Water with Night dive experience or divers with Night Dive Specialty ~~~~
Meet at the school by 5:45pm, or at the site by 6:30pm.
The local haunt of West Seattle. Visit
the wreck of the Honey Bear (A 50' sailboat that sank, along with the pilings it was attached to), which is often home
to a Giant Pacific Octopus, or two; visit the I-Beams, the pilings, or wherever your favorite spot is.... just stay inside
the boundary line! On night dives at this site you will often find yourself accompanied by extra dive buddies..... the harbor
seals in the area like to hunt by diver light. Six Gill sharks, Ratfish and many other creatures often come out to play as
well at this site after dark.
Club Dive - Redondo Beach (Des Moines
area) - November 22
~~~~ Open to all divers with cold water experience ~~~~
Meet at the school at 10, or at the site at 11am. There will be dive staff on the beach from 11am to 3:30pm.
A great site for many levels. Open water divers can explore the shallow line
(~ 40 feet depending on the tides) while more advanced divers can head straight out from the beach and visit the critters
down deeper. Giant Pacific Octopus, little red octopus, stubby squid, grunt sculpin, pacific spiny lumpsuckers..... all the
really cool stuff has been sighted here. Right next to a Salty's restaurant too, so it can bring back fond memories of
training in Cove 1 :-).
December
"3rd Wednesday of the Month" - Night Club
Dive
ove 2 - December 16
~~~~ Open to Advanced Open Water with Night dive experience
or divers with Night Dive Specialty ~~~~Meet at the school by 5:45pm, or at the site by 6:30pm.
The local haunt of West Seattle. Visit the wreck of the Honey Bear (A 50' sailboat that sank, along with
the pilings it was attached to), which is often home to a Giant Pacific Octopus, or two; visit the I-Beams, the pilings, or
wherever your favorite spot is.... just stay inside the boundary line! On night dives at this site you will often find yourself
accompanied by extra dive buddies..... the harbor seals in the area like to hunt by diver light. Six Gill sharks, Ratfish
and many other creatures often come out to play as well at this site after dark.
Club Dive - Alki Junkyard/Junkpile - December 19th
~~~~ Open to all divers with cold water experience ~~~~
Meet at the school at 11, or at the site at noon.
This site is home
to the cutest grunt sculpins in all of Puget Sound! Recently we saw 3 here on one dive. Just around the corner from Coves
1,2 and 3 this is one of our favorite dives. There is a line paralleling the beach in 45 - 55ft of water (Depending on the
tide) that has piles of debris along it. Over the years life has attached to this debris to creat a series of little artificial
reefs. At the end of your dive you can swim along your safety stop in the shallows while enjoying the eelgrass beds, prime
habitat for baby fish, Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers, gunnels and snake pricklebacks, or you can spend your whole dive in the
eelgrass.
