New to the area, some general questions

[<2>diver]

Hey everyone!

My wife and I are new to diving in the Puget sound area and are pretty excited to have found that the diving up here is as good as it is. I have been certified since '96 (I was 13 and have been out of diving for 5 years), and she is just now getting certified. On her first 2 open water check dives I couldn't help but to notice that there were crab and rock fish EVERYWHERE!!! I have been an almost exclusive tropical diver so this was a really nice find. I grew up spearfishing and still have all my gear. I have some questions though about spearfishing and diving in the are:

1. I know Ling Cod is a huge sport fish that is harvested in May but are their other seasons for other fish/custaceans?
2. Can you spearfish in the Les Davis Pier area?
3. What ways are you allowed to harvest crab?
4. What are some great areas to take a new diver so that she gets more experience but nothing too complex.

Thank you in advance and I look forward to meeting the new community!

[AdrianSmith]

1. I know Ling Cod is a huge sport fish that is harvested in May but are their other seasons for other fish/custaceans?

Yes. Check the state regs for info.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regs_seasons.html

2. Can you spearfish in the Les Davis Pier area?

No. Check the state regs.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regs_seasons.html

3. What ways are you allowed to harvest crab?

By hand if you're diving, with pots from the surface. The state regs cover this.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regs_seasons.html

4. What are some great areas to take a new diver so that she gets more experience but nothing too complex.

Les Davis is good. So is Titlow on the right tides.


-Adrian

[Tom Nic]

Hey everyone!

My wife and I are new to diving in the Puget sound area and are pretty excited to have found that the diving up here is as good as it is.

Thank you in advance and I look forward to meeting the new community!

Welcome to the board and to the wonderful world of Puget Sound Diving!

We have an embarrassment of riches here, particularly in the shore diving department. Monitor the board for the "open" posted dives, jump in, and you'll meet accommodating, solid divers. Oh, and there are are a few of us that can be jerks, but just ignore the jerkiness - most of the divers around here are pretty decent peeps as well.

2. Can you spearfish in the Les Davis Pier area? !

Your question was already answered before, but as you are new to the area please let me be bold enough to recommend that you do not spearfish at known, commonly used dive sites. Even when it is legal, it is bad form to take the one scrawny ling cod that has been being photographed by dozens of people every week. Not a good way to make friends.

You'll find plenty of spearfishing opportunities as you meet folks who do that on a regular basis, and even some shops and charters that run spearfishing trips - a much better way to get into our local spearfishing than by carting your speargun around at a heavily used local dive site.

4. What are some great areas to take a new diver so that she gets more experience but nothing too complex.

In the north end Cove 2 & Mukilteo fill that bill, as does Edmonds Underwater Park.

In the south end Redondo & Three Tree have good viz and plenty of critters, and as long as you don't dive them on a huge exchange day you should have no problem.

Hood Canal is wonderful, and if you live in the South end not that far away when you go through Olympia and out 101. Sund Rock is a critter filled, no take, multi profile dive site that you will be diving for as long as you live here. Current is non-existent and it is seldom undiveable.

Pick up an inexpensive point and shoot and start taking pictures!

Watch for REEF Fish & Invert ID classes and jump on one so you know what you're looking at - makes diving hugely enjoyable. Or better yet, dive with one of our many resident critter geeks and get ready for more critter knowledge than you may be able to handle!

Hope to see you in the water sometime!

Best Regards,

Tom

[CaptnJack]

2. Can you spearfish in the Les Davis Pier area? !

Your question was already answered before, but as you are new to the area please let me be bold enough to recommend that you do not spearfish at known, commonly used dive sites. Even when it is legal, it is bad form to take the one scrawny ling cod that has been being photographed by dozens of people every week. Not a good way to make friends.

You'll find plenty of spearfishing opportunities as you meet folks who do that on a regular basis, and even some shops and charters that run spearfishing trips - a much better way to get into our local spearfishing than by carting your speargun around at a heavily used local dive site.

This ^^^^
And I will add that for highly urbanized sites you don't want to be eating fish there. Les Davis and Seacrest would be 2 of the worst of the worst as far as urban contaminants go like mercury and PCBs. The desirable spearfishing (honestly) is out in the Sekiu and Neah Bay portions of the Strait of Juan De Fuca, Marine areas 4 and 5 in the rules.

[Dusty2]

Les Davis and commencement bay would not be good for food fish. Until a few years back Tacoma was host to the Asarco copper smelter and several paint mfg and is still active industrial area the bottom of the bay is very polluted with arsenic and heavy metals. Not a problem for diving but they do build up in bottom dwelling critters and should be a concern if you are fish lovers. Also of late there have been several sewer overflow problems in the Les Davis area so watch for signs when diving in that area. In general the further north you go the less the pollution problems. Watch the Port Angles bay area. The bay is very polluted with PCB's.

These are not big concerns for diving but they are for food fish.

[BillZ]

Also of late there have been several sewer overflow problems in the Les Davis area......

Yummmmm, corn eyed brown trout is in season!