Newport- The Fingers

[Gooch]

We went on a shop trip with 7C's Scuba to the South Jetty of Newport this weekend.

We left friday (late-ish) and it was raining lightly at the South Beach campground when we pulled in. I was really glad we had recently gotten a small travel trailer recently for just this kind of thing. It rained really hard all night and was letting up in the morning.

The first part of the day was a litter cleanup for the 25th Anniversary of SOLV (http://www.solv.org/) and it felt really good to get out and try to help make a difference picking up trash from the beach. Our guys found a lot of weird stuff including a lightbar off a truck and a fishing chair from a boat.

The south jetty has 5 fingers that are perpendicular to the jetty to help diffuse the current (I think...maybe I should check with the Corps of Engineers and see what they are really for). We dove the first dive on the 4th finger and tried to time it just before slack. The only thing I would complain about on these dives was the entry and exit...pretty difficult clambering over big, slick rocks in your gear to get in and out. This place could use a entrance upgrade.

The dive was nice with lots to look for in the cracks of the rocks. Viz was probably 8-10 feet. Lots of anemone, rockfish, crab, greenling, jellies and kelp.

The second dive was on the 3rd finger and we were getting in a little late so the current was really picking up. When we dove the west side of the finger, it was a little tough to cross over the tip to the east side with the current really ripping right there. I practiced the hand-over-hand technique of using bare rock to get around to the other side since my fins weren't doing much. On the other side of the finger, it was pretty calm and protected. That is where we spotted the juvenile wolf eel in the video. He was hanging out in the open, waiting for his chance to be star on the net.

All in all, it was a great set of dives and a lot of fun. I would really like to see more of the Oregon coast and this was a good way to get started. If you dive here, time your tides well and be careful with the entry/exit. The fingers are really easy to see when its low tide and high tide covers it up some.

We also got to go on a behind the scenes trip to the Oregon Aquarium and it was a blast. Checking out all the working areas above and behind the tanks was lot of fun. We got to meet some of the volunteer divers that help take care of things and it made me wish I didn't have a job during the week so I could go volunteer down there.

Videos from the dives are below on Vimeo--the jr. wolf eel is really cool: I don't know how to embed the video so you can see the window the way Spatman does.....help?

http://www.vimeo.com/6683860 ----Juvenile Wolf Eel on the run

http://www.vimeo.com/6683956 ----Lion's Main jelly

[-Aaron-]

I wish I would have come out and dove with you guys. I was wanting to get in the water this weekend, but my usual buddy wasn't available, so I ended up making other plans.

Newport is less than an hour from here, so I have been trying to make an effort to head over there for day trips when I can't get up Washington for the weekend. The fingers is a nice dive site with some decent current protection and life, though as you mention the entry can be a bit tricky over the rocks. My avatar was taken looking back up at the Fingers entry. There is a decent spot just to the west of the fourth finger that I usually use to enter that isn't too bad, but still a bit more trying that the gradual walk in shore entries I am used to diving in Hood Canal. A while back I had heard that they were working on having a stair set put in at the fingers using some of the revenue generated from fishing licenses, but I haven't heard anything lately if the project is proceeding.

I don't have my book in front of me, but I believe the Nudi you saw was a Red Flabellina. I saw dozens of small Flabellina when I last dove there a few months ago, I would guess they are starting to grow up now. I am glad you had a nice trip, make sure you keep the board updated the next time you come down, hopefully I can come over and join you.

[Gooch]

Janna who knows a fair bit about the marine critters in these parts tells me that the nudibranch I saw was a a Janolus fuscus, or Bi-color Nudbranch. I thought it was one of the more pretty nudis I have seen.

[ORDiver]

Looks like you guys had fun. I wish I could have made it out. The little wolf eel must have been really cool to see. I have never dove down in Newport and would like to give it a try sometime. You'll have to come out and check out Tillamook Bay sometime. Newport sounds fairly similar with the rock climb and all. Did you stop by Rogue Brewing at all?

[Gooch]

Did we stop by Rogue Brewing.....kind of a rhetorical question, eh? Actually, we had a large group and it was hard to squeeze us all in with the other tourists so some folks stayed and others bugged out for beers and bbq at the campsites.

[Gooch]

We need to set up a date to go diving with you ORDiver....let me know if you want to make a trek to the sound. We live in the Vancouver, WA area and are heading up to the hoods canal for some dives on the 17th and 18th of Oct at the yellow house in Hoodsport (its another 7C's trip). I kinda want to do the boat trip (Pacadventures) out of Brinnon, WA on the 11th of Oct but I think I have other things going on. Where do you dive on the OR coast most times?

[Gooch]

BTW: I also posted a dive report on www.shorediving.com about this trip. It's a great (albeit, imperfect) site to find shore dives in many areas of the world- including Oregon and Washington. You can help by suggesting new dive sites and adding reviews for the ones you have dove.

http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/USA_We ... /index.htm

Someone on this board has something to do with www.theperfectdive.com ? I was trying to remember who here was heading that up. It's a great site too for research on dive sites.

[FlyinV]

I have been listing the dive sites I have been to around Portland/Vancouver at planyourdive.com
I really like that website as the tide graphs are cool -- Someday I will figure out how to read them.

I would like to find a person who can dive with me around the Tillamook area sometime.

I read the dive reports about dives in that area scattered here and there but would rather have a buddy who has actually been there before.