Looking to dive in Alaska

[terrylwells]

I am taking a cruise to Alaska in May and would love to dive there. I have Adv OW, Cavern and Rescue Certs but have never done any cold water or dry suit diving. I will only be in port one day, Juneau is our longest stop. I live in FL and don't have much opportunity to do cold water dives, so I also would need to rent cold water gear. Do you have suggestions about what I should do to get ready for this, any operators that will send an instructor since I am not trained in cold water? Thanks for suggestions.

 

[Brandon]

Alaska isn't like a lot of other dive destinations - we don't have guided dive tours going out every day. Most diving happens either in courses with your instructor or with your buddies. What guided diving we do have is limited to two boats that operate out of Seward.

Even so, without a drysuit certification and drysuit experience, that's hard to pull off. You're not likely to be comfortable in a wetsuit (especially in May), and shops won't rent you a drysuit without a drysuit card. It's possible to conduct a drysuit certification course as a hybrid of a sightseeing dive / training class, but it will take an evening and a full day, and it will be expensive ($400-600, all in).

Sorry Terry, most cruise ship passengers just don't have enough time to dive up here. Snorkel Alaska in Ketchikan is your best option.

-B

 

[terrylwells]

Thanks, I was thinking I might get a dry suit cert at my local tech diviing shop to prepare and my Juneau stop is all day Saturday, so I was just hoping. I also have a full day iin Seward. I saw the snorkel trip, but in a 7mm suit, the best I can do if float at the top I think.

 

[Ghost Diver #]

I would love to ice dive...I'm only available December and January and I've been having a hard time getting shops and dive operations to return my calls or emails, I do have drysuit experience and would love to take an ice course...I'll be watching this tread to see what turns up

 

[Brandon]

I would love to ice dive...I'm only available December and January and I've been having a hard time getting shops and dive operations to return my calls or emails, I do have drysuit experience and would love to take an ice course...I'll be watching this tread to see what turns up

Get in touch with Test the Waters in Fairbanks. They reliably teach several ice diving courses each winter. The Anchorage shops are hit and miss on whether or not they'll schedule one; one shop hasn't taught an ice diving course in at least 5 years, the other seems to manage every other year or so. It's a lot of work/expense from the shop's perspective and it takes a commitment from a decent sized group of divers to make it worthwhile.

December is warmer than January, but it'll still likely be in subzero temperatures. TTW knows how to do this comfortably and there's no shortage of frozen water close to Fairbanks.

 

[Ghost Diver #]

Ok great ill check it out, thanks a lot!

 

[Ghost Diver #]

Brandon, I spoke with them this am!! Very helpful thanks a lot for the recommendation!!

 

[flyboy08]

Brrrrrrrrr, my nips are cold just reading this thread!

We did the inner passage and it was a marvelous time....kyacking with Orcas on either side was a treat, but to go under? I think not......more power to those that do.