The New Image of Pacific Northwest Diving
Posted By Zachary Johnson on 1 June 2000
These extra details are what keep veteran divers going in the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest weekend after weekend. And introducing new divers to the improved practices of Pacific Northwest diving produces a stronger and more conscientious diver. New practices in local diving techniques provide these divers with the ability to face situations that are not often encounter in the more popular tropical destinations. Concerns with keeping warm, proper current swimming practices and maintaining dive-buddy contact in limited visibility become major focuses of local diving orientations.
Pat and Bruce Wyrwitzke of Oregon have been diving for the past four years in the Pacific Northwest and have learned that diving with a charter service brings about a thoroughly positive experience one has with the local dive scene. The couple has also been diving in various areas of the Caribbean, yet they continue to explore the exhilarating diversity of Pacific Northwest diving. "When I think of diving I think of this (type of) operation," comments Pat about local dive charter services in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, the couple will drive several hours just to take a four-hour trip out on their favorite charter service, Bandito Charters.
Dive charter services offer access to some of the most diverse and thrilling dive locations in the Pacific Northwest. Famous dive sites such as the Octopus Hole, Seymour Inlet and the wreck of the Diamond Knot are all regularly featured trips for many charter companies. These adventures bring divers face to face with such amazing aquatic life as friendly wolf eels, giant octopus, brilliant sea anemones and odd-looking ratfish. In the end, however, divers of the Pacific Northwest are always looking for fun; and fun is what they can get in today's local diving scene. Thrilling drift dives through the underwater wreckage of the famous "Galloping Gertie" bridge in Puget Sound often give divers carnival-like tours. Tropically clear waters of Lake Crescent, Washington astound divers with visibility that often extends beyond 100 feet. And encounters with abundant the sea-life that surround the Gulf Islands, Canada provide divers with the excitement that fuels their passion for the sport.
In every respect, diving in the Pacific Northwest has taken a very diver-friendly change from the image that existed not so many years ago. Thanks to advances in dive gear technology, the introduction of charter services, improved practices for diving education and the ongoing efforts to enhance the experience in every manner possible, Pacific Northwest diving has been brought back into the limelight. In fact, the local diving community has adapted to the environment so successfully that even those who are use to tropical diving environments will surface with a feeling of amazement and a smile that extends ear to ear.
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