Dive shops or clubs near Yokosuka?

[jagfish]

Last time I was there (1.5 years ago) the Yokosuka bubble club has a continuous mix Nitrox compressor. They predominantly dive Hayama for it's proximity and it's a free site.You do "pay" for diving there, but not in cash....the long entry is a killer in low tide with a bit of chop.

 

[Rickg]

They don't have a webpage to the best of my knowledge and I'm over there several times a year. It is a pretty small club but a group of good people when I was stationed over there. I also checked the 2007-2009 Base Phone Directory for all Navy bases in Japan and there is no listing for the Bubble Club in Yokosuka. That doesn't mean that there isn't a phone at the club - there might be but it just isn't listed in the official base telephone directory. Here is an excerpt from the attached PDF file you will find it you go to the following link.

http://www.u-netsurf.ne.jp/seahawk/seahawk_pdf/21.pdf

QUOTE:
Yokosuka Bubble Club – If you are a certified scuba diving
enthusiast who loves to dive, then come join the Bubble Club.
We hold our meetings at 6 p.m. on the first and third
Wednesdays of every month. The club is located in Bldg.
J208, across from the Navy Lodge and next to the Child
Development Center. For more information, e-mail:
paces@atgwp.navy.mil or c191ga@srfyoko.navy.mil.
UNQUOTE:

If neither of those emails works you might try sending an email to the base newspaper at the following email address and asking them if they have any updated contact info for the Bubble Club.

seahawk-umitaka@cfay.navy.mil

 

[bill22]

I guess I need to check in here a little more often. I'm normally posting over in the Philippine Paradise Divers section I made two dive trips to the Philippines last year and am getting ready to make my third one soon

Any info you need on the Bubble Club just send me a PM. I think I can answer your questions.... I'm the current president of the club

We are a small, but active group Depending on weather we are normally diving every weekend and maybe a couple of times during the week. For example this week we have a night dive scheduled right after the meeting on Wednesday. A dive at Hayama on Saturday and we're going to Izu on Sunday. You won't have a problem finding people to dive with if you want to dive

Lots of great diving in the local area. You don't need to go all the way to Izu to find it although we do make trips over there. We have some good diving around the base. Hayama is a great dive. I might add that the east coast of Izu and the west coast of the Miura Pennisula (where Hayama is) both border Sagami Bay There is also the possibility of renting a boat from MWR and diving around Monkey Island. There is a WW II Japanese mini-sub sunk at the mouth of Green Bay which is also accessible by boat. Of course we also make trips to Izu, normally on the west coast which is the side facing Mount Fuji. It's a very scenic area, especially in the winter. It's about a 3-4 hour drive depending on traffic, time of year, etc..

The water is temperate here, but that doesn't stop us from diving year round. Drysuits or 7mm in the winter. I was diving a 3mm from July-October last year. By October I was getting a little cold after a couple of dives though

I've heard it compared to diving in California. I've never dived in California myself, so I can't compare it personally

A good all-around system for Japan, would probably be a 5mm and a drysuit. Water temp is starting to move up now. I spoke with one of our members today while I was at the club filling tanks and he dived Hayama this morning in a 5mm. He told me water temp was 15C which is around 60F. About as warm as it will get will be in August when it should hit upper 70's to the low 80's. Then it will start to cool towards the end of the summer. By November expect to be in a 7mm or drysuit.

Bubble Club dues are $100 bucks a year for shore based, and $60 for ship based or deployable commands. Unlimited use of the clubs tanks (which we fill for you) are included. Membership is open to all active duty, dependents, and civilian employees of the base. If you fall into one of these categories and are visiting our area and have your own equipment we also have temporary memberships available. Probably half the membership now are Japanese employees of the base. You can dive everyday if you want.

We can do this because we are a non-profit club. All the work around the club is done by volunteers and a 100% of club dues go back into the club. Club dues take care of things like insurance, air tests, maintenance of our compressor, hydro's, etc.....

You do need to be a certified diver in order to be a member. If you're not certified yet, one of our members who is a PADI IDC Staff Instructor is contracted with MWR to teach classes during the summer. Cost is $355.00 and is all inclusive (All books, classes, pool sessions, open water dives, equipment, and certification fees)

We have our own compressor. We aren't doing Nitrox, not sure exactly where that is coming from, but I've been a member for almost a year and I've never seen us do Nitrox. None of the club tanks are Nitrox tanks. The club owns over 60 tanks. You provide your own equipment. We don't provide equipment.... other than the occasional loan from one member to another

If you rent a tank off-base, I'm told by some of our Japanese members that you will pay 1500-2000 yen which at the current exchange rate is about $15-$20 bucks. Yes, it's very expensive to dive here

If it weren't for the club I would rarely dive here. Just too expensive. After splitting the cost for gas, tolls, parking, etc... We can do a day trip to Izu, with three shore dives for about $30-$40 bucks each (each person, not each dive ). We pay 500 yen for parking when we dive Hayama (around $5). When we dive on the base, its essentially free.

I'm attaching some photos so you can see for yourself what diving in Japan is like. Most of them were taken around Hayama, with a few from Izu thrown in. I think they'll give you a good idea of what kind of diving is available around the Yokosuka area. The group shot is of some of our members who recently participated in an underwater cleanup of Green Bay during Earth Day.

Any other info you need or questions, just send me a PM and I'll be happy to help you out.

 

[iflylow]

$100 a year for unlimited fills? How do I sign up for this Marine Corps thing?!

Well, let's see... 13 weeks of boot camp, 4 weeks of basic infantry training, and 3 + weeks of job training!

Down here in Okinawa, air fills are free on base and Nitrox can be had for as low as $4 per fill! Life is good.

 

[iflylow]

I guess I need to check in here a little more often. I'm normally posting over in the Philippine Paradise Divers section I made two dive trips to the Philippines last year and am getting ready to make my third one soon

Any info you need on the Bubble Club just send me a PM. I think I can answer your questions.... I'm the current president of the club

We are a small, but active group Depending on weather we are normally diving every weekend and maybe a couple of times during the week. For example this week we have a night dive scheduled right after the meeting on Wednesday. A dive at Hayama on Saturday and we're going to Izu on Sunday. You won't have a problem finding people to dive with if you want to dive

Lots of great diving in the local area. You don't need to go all the way to Izu to find it although we do make trips over there. We have some good diving around the base. Hayama is a great dive. I might add that the east coast of Izu and the west coast of the Miura Pennisula (where Hayama is) both border Sagami Bay There is also the possibility of renting a boat from MWR and diving around Monkey Island. There is a WW II Japanese mini-sub sunk at the mouth of Green Bay which is also accessible by boat. Of course we also make trips to Izu, normally on the west coast which is the side facing Mount Fuji. It's a very scenic area, especially in the winter. It's about a 3-4 hour drive depending on traffic, time of year, etc..

The water is temperate here, but that doesn't stop us from diving year round. Drysuits or 7mm in the winter. I was diving a 3mm from July-October last year. By October I was getting a little cold after a couple of dives though

I've heard it compared to diving in California. I've never dived in California myself, so I can't compare it personally

A good all-around system for Japan, would probably be a 5mm and a drysuit. Water temp is starting to move up now. I spoke with one of our members today while I was at the club filling tanks and he dived Hayama this morning in a 5mm. He told me water temp was 15C which is around 60F. About as warm as it will get will be in August when it should hit upper 70's to the low 80's. Then it will start to cool towards the end of the summer. By November expect to be in a 7mm or drysuit.

Bubble Club dues are $100 bucks a year for shore based, and $60 for ship based or deployable commands. Unlimited use of the clubs tanks (which we fill for you) are included. Membership is open to all active duty, dependents, and civilian employees of the base. If you fall into one of these categories and are visiting our area and have your own equipment we also have temporary memberships available. Probably half the membership now are Japanese employees of the base. You can dive everyday if you want.

We can do this because we are a non-profit club. All the work around the club is done by volunteers and a 100% of club dues go back into the club. Club dues take care of things like insurance, air tests, maintenance of our compressor, hydro's, etc.....

You do need to be a certified diver in order to be a member. If you're not certified yet, one of our members who is a PADI IDC Staff Instructor is contracted with MWR to teach classes during the summer. Cost is $355.00 and is all inclusive (All books, classes, pool sessions, open water dives, equipment, and certification fees)

We have our own compressor. We aren't doing Nitrox, not sure exactly where that is coming from, but I've been a member for almost a year and I've never seen us do Nitrox. None of the club tanks are Nitrox tanks. The club owns over 60 tanks. You provide your own equipment. We don't provide equipment.... other than the occasional loan from one member to another

If you rent a tank off-base, I'm told by some of our Japanese members that you will pay 1500-2000 yen which at the current exchange rate is about $15-$20 bucks. Yes, it's very expensive to dive here

If it weren't for the club I would rarely dive here. Just too expensive. After splitting the cost for gas, tolls, parking, etc... We can do a day trip to Izu, with three shore dives for about $30-$40 bucks each (each person, not each dive ). We pay 500 yen for parking when we dive Hayama (around $5). When we dive on the base, its essentially free.

I'm attaching some photos so you can see for yourself what diving in Japan is like. Most of them were taken around Hayama, with a few from Izu thrown in. I think they'll give you a good idea of what kind of diving is available around the Yokosuka area. The group shot is of some of our members who recently participated in an underwater cleanup of Green Bay during Earth Day.

Any other info you need or questions, just send me a PM and I'll be happy to help you out.

I might have to make a trip up north to join you one of these days! Down here in Okinawa enjoying life! The water temp over this past weekend was 75 degrees... Good times!

 

[bill22]

Well, let's see... 13 weeks of boot camp, 4 weeks of basic infantry training, and 3 + weeks of job training!

Down here in Okinawa, air fills are free on base and Nitrox can be had for as low as $4 per fill! Life is good.

I knew there was a reason, I wanted to get orders there I actually talked to the detailer about going to Okinawa or Guam after my tour here is finished. If you can believe it he told me I'd been overseas long enough and I HAVE to go back to the US. I'll only have two years till retirement at the end of this tour and I'm planning on staying in this part of the world after I retire... unbelievable!!!

 

[bill22]

I might have to make a trip up north to join you one of these days! Down here in Okinawa enjoying life! The water temp over this past weekend was 75 degrees... Good times!

I'm hoping to make it down to Okinawa sometime this year (I hope). I've been told that I can stay on the base pretty cheaply I hear summer is not the best time. More crowded and everything is more expensive. I would have thought it would be the opposite. Only problem will be hooking up with people to dive. I like to get in 4 or 5 dives a day when I'm on vacation. That can get expensive real quick if you don't have someone to dive with.

If you want to try and make it up let me know. You're active duty right? or work on the base down there? We can hook you up with a temp membership in our club so you'll be covered by our insurance. It's not Okinawa, but it isn't bad either

 

[iflylow]

Thanks for the offer. I am active duty for another year and a half or so.

Summer is the high diving season here. There are lots of divers on varying schedules here so finding a dive buddy shouldn't be too difficult when you're here.

 

[bill22]

Thanks for the offer. I am active duty for another year and a half or so.

Summer is the high diving season here. There are lots of divers on varying schedules here so finding a dive buddy shouldn't be too difficult when you're here.

Thanks Eric I may try to catch a hop down there later in the summer then.

 

[johada31]

I just found out that I am being sent to Yoko for about 8 weeks, and would to dive while I'm out there. Can you send me some more info about the dive club and diving in japan. I will flying out on July 12 and staying till September sometime. Hope we can dive sometime while I'm out there.