Unable to pick up dive. Disappointment

My wife and I are on a cruise next week and try as I might I wasn't able to locate a dive shop at any of the three stops that could/would offer dive opertunities.

Over the last year I've managed 85 dives in 5 countries and most of them with "pickup" groups through local dive shops. Lugging 70lbs of dive gear on business trips certainly paid off... but now when I'm trying to relax and have fun with the wife, no luck.

Too bad... guess I can scratch Alaska off my future must dive destinations and just keep doing my cold water diving off the south of Austrailia.

Just seems bad business to me... yeah I'm sure it's a rare request but come on business is business.

Are you dry suit certified? If so I know a few people that may dive with you.
This would be based out of Anchorage.
Dive Sites: Whittier, AK. (1 hour from anch) Seward, AK. (2.5 hours + boat ride)

What are your three stops? Maybe I can point you in a right direction.

Yeah, the 3 stops would definitely help...

And dont think that you absolutely need to do a drysuit dive to enjoy it up here. I've got an ill-fitting wet-suit and stay warm even when there is ice in the water. There are plenty of places to rent wet suits, and dry suits for that matter.

Thanks for the offers one and all. I called Fred at Mountain Point Snorkeling today and if his shore session isn't fully booked he'll try to work in a dive or two with me! If not, well I'll be the most over equipped snorkeler out there!

The three stops are juneau skagway ketchikan, and yes I'm drysuit certified. Buddy/Guide/Tank/Weights was all I was asking for ;-) I love my DUI!

In a way this may be a good thing as my wife, a non swimmer, let me have our honeymoon in Cosumel last year... she was very sympathetic that I was dry docked for a week with her. ;-)

So I'll get wet Friday one way or the other.

My wife and I have been on a cruise before. I booked a dive throught the cruise ship. Booking throught the cruise ship, the dive shop will pick you up at the dock and make sure you are back in time before the ship leaves the port. Good luck on your cruise and diving trip.

There is a shop in both Juneau and Ketchikan and I will try to get you the POC. There is a shop in Whitehorse Canada that does trips to Skagway. You might google them and see if they will be in town.

You might try this link to see if your schedules match. They are in Whitehorse but do a lot of diving in Skagway, Haines and Lynn Canal


Sub Arctic Scuba - Diving the North

Looking back at prior posts; maybe this is the shop referenced above. Anyway, it might be worthwhile to give Larry and his crew a shout.

akdeepdiver, I talked with the shops at both locations. My layover in Juneau would have been seriously rushed diving and they recommended Wind & Water in Ketchikan. And though there are dive costs posted on their website apparently they didn't want my business even though I was more then willing to pay the for two divers it wasn't "enough"

Codiak,

My wife and I own the shop in Juneau so I'll respond for that part of it. We are a mom and pop shop, My wife runs the shop and I'm there part-time.

We don't run any type of organized charters for several reasons:
1. Demand is not there - 1 or 2 divers a week is not economically feasible,
2. Divers aren't drysuit qualified - you're an exception
3. Time - I would have to lead these and just don't have time.

If you want to rent a car and come by the shop, we can set you up with tanks and point you to several dive sites.

As far as Ketchikan goes, I know that they are in a similar situation, just don't have the man-power or demand to run daily trips.

Skagway is at the head of a long inlet with a fair sized river spilling into it. I tried to dive there once, the vis was about 6" due to runoff. There are very few if any active divers in Skagway.

I'm sorry that diving on your trip isn't going to work out, if I had my way, I'd quit my day job and just run dive charters! I'd be doing what i enjoy but the demand is just not there and a fair majority of the locals have boats.

Dave