Hello from a new member!

New to the NW Dive Club Forum? Come in and introduce yourself, the water's fine!
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dboston
Hi, I'm New To NWDC!
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Hello from a new member!

Post by dboston »

Hello,
I just recently found this site and decided it would be a great way to get some info about dive opportunities in the PNW! A little about me: I got my original PADI OW just under 7 years ago while attending Oregon State University. Although I haven't done too much since then, I am firmly hooked on diving. I got my AOW a couple years later. Since I got certified, one of my friends and three members of my family have gotten at least OW. So I'm not exactly short on dive buddies. What I am short on is experience and the confidence to go out with just me and a buddy. I'm hopeful I can start getting in a bunch of dives to address this, so I'm totally interested in hearing about meet ups in the near future and lots of info about good dive sites!

I live in Portland, OR, so Pudget Sound, Hood Canal, etc. are more difficult. I'm hoping someone has some good information about their favorite places to go on the Oregon Coast (besides Barview Jetty, as I've dived it with my buddy and his dad, and there's a lot out there about it on the internet). One of the areas I'm particularly interested in in the short term is Coos Bay and Southern Oregon. One of my uncles lives down there and just got his certification and wants to get me out early this September. Hope someone has some good information/resources and thanks for anything in advance!
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Penopolypants
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Re: Hello from a new member!

Post by Penopolypants »

Welcome to the board! There's not a lot of diving on the coast, unfortunately, as conditions can be kind of unpredictable. Hood Canal is not much farther than the coast from Portland and the conditions are usually much better.

I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear....perhaps some others can chime in about options on the coast. I would recommend that you consider Hood Canal and/or Puget Sound diving just to get your experience up in the mean time - certainly Sund Rock on Hood Canal is loaded with stuff to see but is also easy to access and usually not current sensitive.

Good luck and welcome!
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sava6e
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Re: Hello from a new member!

Post by sava6e »

I live in portland, i used to dive a bit on the coast when i lived in eugene (go ducks) ive dove the fingers in newport, the jetty in florence and once in winchester bay. none of them are super good for just diving to see marine life. some are better for spear fishing and some for crabbing. if your looking for scenic try diving clear lake, its something like 200' vis has some neat stuff on one side and petrified forest on other. if im dying to get out ill hit up some of the swimming holes on the clackamas just to kinda play around some are 40' deep and you can see salmon and find treasures. hood canal is worth the drive if you are looking to see life. if your ever looking for a dive buddy let me know, i can dive weekdays or weekends depending and dont mind splitting gas if we drive to hood canal
Tangfish
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Re: Hello from a new member!

Post by Tangfish »

Welcome to NWDC!

We have a pretty good contingent of Oregon divers, and as far as I know Hood Canal is in regular rotation for them.

Have a look at our Oregon regional forum when you get a chance:
http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewforum.php?f=20
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dboston
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Re: Hello from a new member!

Post by dboston »

Thanks for the info! I've been to the Hood Canal before, it's where I did my AOW. I guess, in relation to a lot of other popular sites, it's really close, but it's still a pretty fair drive for a "I just feel like diving" weekend.

As far as diving off the Oregon Coast goes, I'm not too worried about the viz. I kind of take it as a given that (barring Clear Lake, which is a diving goal of mine) viz in the NW is almost always going to be poor compared to elsewhere in the world. If I only wanted good viz, I'd live for the rare opportunities to fly to Hawaii ;) My big problem is just not knowing what sites are going to be suitable for beginners that won't have heavy currents or other hazards, and have relatively easy entry/exit. So I'll check out the Oregon forum for that.

I'd never heard of diving the Clackamas. I live pretty close to where it runs into the Willamette. What areas have good swimming holes?
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selkie
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Re: Hello from a new member!

Post by selkie »

Howdy,

We had a new member asking the same questions about the Oregon Coast last week or the week before. He posted in his introduction and again in the Oregon forum. He was looking for Oregon Coast dive charters. I think Eugene Skin Diver's Dive club hooked him up with the charter they put together.

Here is the information I gave him about diving the coast.
Hmmm, closest dive charter boat to the Oregon coast? Bandito in Tacoma? Seriously there are no regular dive charter boats on the Oregon coast. A few fishing charter boats will sometimes take divers. However, divers need to show up with their own dive masters that has insurance. The ladders for getting back on the boats can be far from ideal. The main thing is the fishing charter boats make more money from fishing charters than dive charters.

Shore diving the Oregon Coast is going to be your best solution. For Newport and Florence I would talk to the people at Eugene Skin Divers. On the North Oregon Coast I would Talk to Floyd at Astoria Scuba. There is also South Beach Scuba in Depot Bay but they have changed hands and I do not know who is running the place. Historical there was a lot more shore diving done on the Oregon Coast than there is today. Many of the dive sites and the knowledge to dive them are being forgotten. Some other things about diving the Oregon Coast, if diving bays be very aware of the tides (you do not want to be swept in to the ocean, Yes it has happened). When diving the Oregon coast you will not know if it is safe dive conditions (regardless of weather predictions) until you are looking at it.

Sorry to be a gloomy guss.

One other thing is when you drive to the coast to dive maybe you will have good conditions and maybe you won't be able to dive. Driving north and extra 30 minutes and you are almost sure to find a place with conditions you can dive.
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sava6e
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Re: Hello from a new member!

Post by sava6e »

Thanks for the info! I've been to the Hood Canal before, it's where I did my AOW. I guess, in relation to a lot of other popular sites, it's really close, but it's still a pretty fair drive for a "I just feel like diving" weekend.

As far as diving off the Oregon Coast goes, I'm not too worried about the viz. I kind of take it as a given that (barring Clear Lake, which is a diving goal of mine) viz in the NW is almost always going to be poor compared to elsewhere in the world. If I only wanted good viz, I'd live for the rare opportunities to fly to Hawaii ;) My big problem is just not knowing what sites are going to be suitable for beginners that won't have heavy currents or other hazards, and have relatively easy entry/exit. So I'll check out the Oregon forum for that.

the fingers at Newport arnt too bad, short climb over boulders into the water, north jetty Florence has a fish ladder with stairs that is easy entry and exit, further south Winchester bay is an easy entry. I cannot stress enough planning your dive around tides, plan on arriving an hour before the exchange and being suited up and in the water 15 minutes before. clear lake is a summer and fall diving location. all the dive sites are always easier when someone knows the lay of the land.

I'd never heard of diving the Clackamas. I live pretty close to where it runs into the Willamette. What areas have good swimming holes?

there is high rocks, however I dive the upper Clackamas where the water is clear up past Estacada, most of the swimming holes are 30-40' deep at most, usually a slight current in them and you have to be aware your in a river not a lake, there are even some rapids you can dive however that's more on the advanced side
if your ever looking for a dive buddy lemme know
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