NEW YEARS DAY @ SUND ROCK

[cardiver]

Thanks to Tom, Keith and Tim for a great couple of dives at Sund today. This was only my second time diving here and it did not disappoint!
Despite the downpour and the volume of divers , the viz was quite good. Probably 20-25 fsw with some wind blown chop at the surface.
Our first dive was to the south, where we saw 3-4 wolfies and about the same number of gpo's. I also saw my first vermillion rock fish as soon as we dropped in. I reached for my camera and pushed the power button........Nothing. When I shined my light into the housing I noticed a small problem. I had put the camera in the housing backwards!
The second dive to the north was the highlight for me. I had never been out to the trawler before and I was blown away! What a beautiful old ship to explore in only 35-60 fsw. She was however guared by 5 or 6 of the biggest lings I had ever seen. A couple of them had large bellies and looked like they would be laying their eggs soon.
Thanks again guys for a great first day of 2010 and congrats to tom on number 500!

[wenatchee]

Thanks for this report cardiver. Great photos and story.

[sheahanmcculla]

Nice report and pictures. How do you find the trawler?

[cardiver]

Nice report and pictures. How do you find the trawler?

Thanks! We swam ne and dropped in to about 30 fsw and headed north. We gradually went down to about 45 fsw and finned across a large expanse of nothing for 5 minutes or so. Soon the trawler materialized out of the gloom!

[Scubak]

Nice report and pictures. How do you find the trawler?

Thanks! We swam ne and dropped in to about 30 fsw and headed north. We gradually went down to about 45 fsw and finned across a large expanse of nothing for 5 minutes or so. Soon the trawler materialized out of the gloom!

Yup! That's how you find it!
Kirsten

[Tom Nic]

What a fantastic day and a fantastic couple of dives!

I didn't have a ton of pictures that turned out, the few that did are here .

These were dives #499 & #500 for me - and what beautiful dives they were! Ron is underestimating the Viz - it was a solid 30' most of the time, and even with all the divers there we went on routes that avoided the silt storms. You could tell when you were putting your fins on that it was going to be an unusual dive. Viz was great in the shallows! ...which it almost never is at Sund. I dive Sund a fair amount, and it RARELY is as good as it was yesterday - even when viz is good the top 20' or so is usually murky. Yesterday it was clear and gorgeous.

1st dive was the South Wall. The best part of this dive was coming back along the wall in the 20 fsw range. I almost never get to spend time that shallow and see much because the viz is so bad. This day it was beautiful!

2nd dive I took everyone on my "shortcut" to the trawler. You could see the entire trawler (50-60' long) as you came up on it - what a treat!

The rain was steady and pouring almost all day, but we did just fine under our canopy, with Tim's heater on the tailgate and a small grill for some gourmet hotdogs added up to a perfect day diving!

Gotta run, so this will be a short report - but thanks to Keith (for getting me into this crazy scuba thing) and to Tim and Ron for a great day diving! If you have any time I'd beat feet for Sund and enjoy some of this incredible viz!

[Scuba Scott]

Great report and inspirational pictures. I hope to get more dives in this year and make new friends. Happy New year everyone.

[sheahanmcculla]

Thanks for the directions to the boat. We found it today, it is really cool. This dive site is awesome!

[cardiver]

Thanks for the directions to the boat. We found it today, it is really cool. This dive site is awesome!

Nice! Pics?

[sheahanmcculla]

Maybe a video of the boat, we shall see.

[DiverBob]

Great pics Ron and Tom! Congrats on dive #500, very cool! I have only been there one time for one dive, really do need to get back there. I would always be open to going over there on a Monday or Tuesday.

[cardiver]

Great pics Ron and Tom! Congrats on dive #500, very cool! I have only been there one time for one dive, really do need to get there. I would always be open to going over there on a Monday or Tuesday.

That would be great!

[guitarmaker]

Great pic's and reports, I enjoyed it. Trawler? Where's the trawler in relation to the map on NWscuba or is the trawler the boat listed on the map?

<http://www.pnwscuba.com/sitemaps/sund.gif>

[cardiver]

Great pic's and reports, I enjoyed it. Trawler? Where's the trawler in relation to the map on NWscuba or is the trawler the boat listed on the map?

<http://www.pnwscuba.com/sitemaps/sund.gif>

It's north of everything on that map. See post above.

[Bric Martin]

Great pic's and reports, I enjoyed it. Trawler? Where's the trawler in relation to the map on NWscuba or is the trawler the boat listed on the map?

<http://www.pnwscuba.com/sitemaps/sund.gif>

The Trawler is almost directly behind you in your avatar photo. The next time you go to Sund look for the pink float, the float is tied to the trawler. The other route is go to 40 feet and follow your compass North, 40 feet will get you there in any tidal condition. Beware, the trawler is wood and is crumbling.

[Tom Nic]

Great pics Ron and Tom! Congrats on dive #500, very cool! I have only been there one time for one dive, really do need to get back there. I would always be open to going over there on a Monday or Tuesday.

Thanks Bob - and others for the kind comments!

Sund is one of my favorite Puget Sound shore dives, but at certain times of year conditions can be pretty abysmal. I discovered a year or two ago that Sund is about 50 minutes from my house in Lakewood, only a little farther than TTN, my other favorite local watering hole, which is why I try and dive there whenever I can talk a buddy into it.

Bob, we need to do a trip out there soon on a Monday or Tuesday!

I like to do a 3 dive day there when possible since you have to pay to use the main site. (only 10 buck Mon to Thurs) There are those that can dive the preserve from either end, but I like the convenience and the nice portapotty.

I usually do the South Wall as one dive, though you could easily do 2 there depending on your profile.

I like to do the North Wall by dropping at the buoy, then going along the bottom of the wall poking around in the boulders at the base of the wall (usually good for a couple of octos and wolfies, then I zig zag my way back and forth back up the face of the wall in 15 fsw or so increments, ending the dive in the fish bowl at the top. With a camera this is a good one hour dive.

Another of my favorite dives here is to do the Trawler. I kick out to 25fsw or so, drop, then head north through the fishbowl, bypassing the wall altogether. You quickly arrive at the silt slope that leads to the trawler. I kick easy but steady and stay between 40 & 50 fsw across the slope. Just when you think you've missed it the trawler looms out of the green - a very "national geographic" kind of moment. There are usually several very large Lings on the boat, plus some ginormous old Coppers that live there as well. There's usually some nice macro life on the boat as well if you take the time to go slow and look. I've never found less than 3 species of nudis on the boat.

We arrive at the boat in 5 to 10 minutes easy using the route I just described, and then you can stay on it until you reach your planned turn pressure. Another 5 minute kick and you're back at the North Wall and can end the dive messing around in the Fish Bowl or at the top portion of the wall, visiting the wolfie at the base of the buoy before heading back in. A 4th dive profile here is a deeper one straight out from the parking lot down to "Fish Pen Wall" - not a bad dive, but not my favorite profile here.

If you can shake free to get out there during this viz... well let's just say it's more than worth it!