Diving in Alaska

Hi I am going on a family cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver in June.
The cruise is stopping in Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan.

We are staying in Anchorage for a couple of days before the cruise.

I would like to go diving while in Alaska and have a couple of questions.

Where is the best place to dive?
What temperature will the water be?
Will the water be clear at that time of year?

Thanks

Ketchikan has great diving (I live here, and dive every weekend). If you haven't taken a drysuit class, take one before the trip. I don't know about other shops, but the one here won't rent one to you unless you have taken a drysuit class. Wind & Water Charters and Scuba is the local dive shop. Their website is http://www.wind-water.org/ They might be able to arrange a trip for you. Shore diving here is excellent. Mountain Point is probably the best local dive on the short road system, but you need to time the tides right because the current can be strong.

Water temp in the summer will probably be high 40's to low 50's.

The water is clearer in the winter, but it's not bad in the summer either. A good day could be 50', but it'll probably be less.

Several dive shops in Anchorage dive out of Whittier and Seward. Seward rocks! Only did one brief dive in Whittier so I cant comment on it honestly. Maybe get your drysuit card while in Anch so you can dive the rest? It is so awsome diving in Alaska. Keep in mind Im in the Carib now and live in Hawaii most of the time when I say Alaska is better in many ways.

Thanks for the input. I live in Canada and I am debating whether to purchase a 7mm wetsuit and bring it with me or get my drysuit card and rent . With the idea of purchasing a drysuit later. I have done most of my diving in the carib and Austrialia so warm water. I have done some diving in the Great Lakes and will be doing so more.
What would you suggest?
Stephen

I would STRONGLY suggest against a wetsuit. Take the drysuit class and rent from the shops you'll be near.

Whittier can be a little green with low vis in June, but I have seen it otherwise. It is an easy entry/easy exit into a still water cove. Lots of interesting stuff and it tends to be well mapped. Plus, some of the friendliest people in the world regularly dive there.

Seward is pretty good that time of years if you take a boat out into Resurrection bay and some of the islands. There are more and more options. Three dive shops in Anchorage are Sunshine Sports, Dive Alaska, and Last Frontier (no particular order). Dive Alaska and Last Frontier always have a pretty active summer dive schedule in Seward and sometimes out of Whittier (depending on if anyone is operating a boat there each year).

Like BD, I encourage a dry suit. There is no dive shop in Seward (last I checked) so gear needs to be rented in Anchorage. Seward is a two hour drive.

Can't make a recommendation on southeast as I have not been diving there. So I defer to BD. I get to dive there summer on a dive trip down the inside passage.

I tried the wetsuit thing. Hit 39F and I was out of there! I was even a little cool in a dry with two layers of polar under it. Dry suit so you can enjoy it.

While you're in Juneau, contact The Scuba Tank about diving the wall at the Shrine of St. Therese. Supposed to be an amazing dive (I'm just getting started myself, so I've no personal knowledge - but I've lived here for 13 years, had an LDS next door to my business for most of those years, and I've heard the scuttlebutt). Lots of inquisitive sea lions there.

Michael

Thanks for the imput. I am going into to my LDS today to ask about drysuit training. I see I can buy a Bare Drysuit for about $1000 Canadian. I do like the idea of staying dry in the cold. I've been looking at the cruise iternerary to see how long we stay at each place. I'm then going to e-mail the dive stores to see if I will have enough time to dive. Stephen