B24 Bomber Lake Washington

[Kirby Pollard]

Hi all,

Just had my first real tech helium dive on the B24 off Magnuson park on Lake Washington. 150 ft doesn't sound deep to me, but 30 minutes of bottom time in 43 degree water with 4-5 ft of vis was pretty challenging. We missed locating the plane on the first attempt, hard to believe you could miss something that big (110 ft wingspan). Came right down over the wing on the second attempt. It is amazing how well preserved these airplanes are after all these years. Two of the engines are still attached. Looks like it was parked yesterday. Wasn't my deepest or longest dive, but definitely was pegged on the cool meter. Ball turret guns are awesome.

Kirby

[Rick Inman]

Sounds like great fun! My buddies and I keep talking about coming over and diving those Lake WA wrecks. Everything I read makes it sounds like about 5' to 10' vis is normal for those dives - right up our alley. :D

Thanks for the report.

[TSandM]

My one non-totally-shallow dive in Lake Washington was more like 2 feet of viz, and absolute darkness at 60 feet. I don't know how anybody finds anything to look at down there, let alone appreciate it for what it is when you do find it!

Glad you had a good dive, though. I've seen beautiful video of the bomber.

[limeyx]

Sounds like great fun! My buddies and I keep talking about coming over and diving those Lake WA wrecks. Everything I read makes it sounds like about 5' to 10' vis is normal for those dives - right up our alley. :D

Thanks for the report.

5-10 would count as "amazing" vis in that lake IMO.
4-5 is pretty typical, sometimes all the way to the surface.
Add in 44F on the bottom (and all the way up in winter) with 60F's from 50 or so in summer, and it should be just right for you!

Also, the 10+feet layer of hugely fine powdered silt on the bottom only adds to the fun.

Harpoon bomber (in about 130)
http://nickambrose.com/diving/movies/harpoon-lakewa.mov

I have some video from the bomber but it's on a backup DVD somewhere ...

[Rick Inman]

Add in 44F on the bottom (and all the way up in winter) with 60F's from 50 or so in summer, and it should be just right for you!
LOL! Ain't it the sad truth...

[SCUBA_Phil]

Kirby,
I dove the B-24 last week (March 5 & 7) with Mel Clark (CCR Mod 3 course). We dove it twice each day. Vis never got better than 6 feet, Temp was 42.5F March 9, we dove the wreck of the Fresno (190') in lake Washington, here the vis was more like 4 feet. The first dive was very cold - I did not connect my argon when sitting down on the boat, I asked the crew to plug in my argon and he connected my 19/45 bailout - ouch:11: Next dive I connected my own argon. The dive was much warmer. I was using fourth element thermal protection (both Xerotherm Artic & Xerotherm XT250). I am now a big fan of their products.

Phil

[limeyx]

Kirby,
I dove the B-24 last week (March 5 & 7) with Mel Clark (CCR Mod 3 course). We dove it twice each day. Vis never got better than 6 feet, Temp was 42.5F March 9, we dove the wreck of the Fresno (190') in lake Washington, here the vis was more like 4 feet. The first dive was very cold - I did not connect my argon when sitting down on the boat, I asked the crew to plug in my argon and he connected my 19/45 bailout - ouch:11: Next dive I connected my own argon. The dive was much warmer. I was using fourth element thermal protection (both Xerotherm Artic & Xerotherm XT250). I am now a big fan of their products.

Phil

Ouch indeed, you're a tough man Phil -- filling the suit with He was bad enough in 77F water in Mx, let alone 42!

You are lucky the He didn't seep into your skin and give you HPNS !!!

[boydski]

Hi Kirby,

The PB4Y Navy Bomber (http://www.boydski.com/diving/dives/PB4Y-wreck.htm) is one of my favorite dives in Lake Washington. The viz does get a "little better" in a few months. :D

Were you diving with Mel on the 'Dash' sunday? I had a friend diving down in the South end of the Lake on Sunday, and he described it as "Darker than the hubs of Hades!"

[rjack321]

Come on over Rick, after a warmup dive or 2 we can hit some lake dives. Wait a little bit though its not worth freezing right now!