Hi from Oregon!

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wolframheart

Registered
Messages
19
Reaction score
32
Location
Oregon
# of dives
100 - 199
I am a recent SB member (and long-time lurker) and a somewhat recent transplant to Oregon from NY. If anyone is from here and has suggestions of great sites to dive near Eugene/Florence, I'm all ears! I'm especially interested in finding some wrecks to penetrate :)
 
I spent a LOT of years diving the Oregon Coast before moving to Hawaii. In Eugene contact Eugene Skin Divers Supply. Michael and Diana Hollingshead are top notch and have an excellent staff. Woahink Lake south of Florence is a popular training site with easy access and is only ~25'. They use to have a nav course and random junk sunk down there. The North Jetty on the Siuslaw River is decent for some crabbing and has easy access. Crap vis and not a lot of life though. To the north the fingers on the Yaquina are decent. I would highly suggest doing the Oregon Coast Aquarium volunteer diver program if you have the time commitment. Lots of great people and the exhibits are always fun to dive. Cant beat the vis either:wink: There are several lakes and rivers that can be dove but nothing extraordinary. Best thing to do is hook up with someone who has a boat and gets offshore. Seal Rock to Depoe Bay has a ton of absolutely amazing reefs and pinnacles. I prefer it hands down to the Pugent Sound and Hood Canal. Good luck with the wrecks. Your going to have to go to Seattle/BC for that. I know there are a few offshore in Oregon but they are well kept secrets and can be difficult to dive. With under 50 dives I would suggest getting more bottom time under your belt and progressing through more classes before even considering a wreck penetration. Make your way to Seattle or BC though and you will find several good instructors and nice wrecks when your ready. Have fun, watch the tides, and ease into Oregon. Its a beautiful coast but diving it can be terrifying if your not prepared.
 
hey wolfie welcome on board ....steve
 
I spent a LOT of years diving the Oregon Coast before moving to Hawaii. In Eugene contact Eugene Skin Divers Supply. Michael and Diana Hollingshead are top notch and have an excellent staff. Woahink Lake south of Florence is a popular training site with easy access and is only ~25'. They use to have a nav course and random junk sunk down there. The North Jetty on the Siuslaw River is decent for some crabbing and has easy access. Crap vis and not a lot of life though. To the north the fingers on the Yaquina are decent. I would highly suggest doing the Oregon Coast Aquarium volunteer diver program if you have the time commitment. Lots of great people and the exhibits are always fun to dive. Cant beat the vis either:wink: There are several lakes and rivers that can be dove but nothing extraordinary. Best thing to do is hook up with someone who has a boat and gets offshore. Seal Rock to Depoe Bay has a ton of absolutely amazing reefs and pinnacles. I prefer it hands down to the Pugent Sound and Hood Canal. Good luck with the wrecks. Your going to have to go to Seattle/BC for that. I know there are a few offshore in Oregon but they are well kept secrets and can be difficult to dive. With under 50 dives I would suggest getting more bottom time under your belt and progressing through more classes before even considering a wreck penetration. Make your way to Seattle or BC though and you will find several good instructors and nice wrecks when your ready. Have fun, watch the tides, and ease into Oregon. Its a beautiful coast but diving it can be terrifying if your not prepared.

Thanks for the helpful tips! I spent a lot of time practicing with a friend's dad, who is an instructor, on running reels during my wreck cert and was trained in penetration in San Diego. I, of course, want quite a bit of practice off the Oregon Coast before I penetrate a wreck here. I'd rather chase dives than certs at this point (OW, AOW, Wreck, Nitrox so far), but I am hoping to do Rescue this year if I can fit the course into my schedule.

I've already thoroughly acquainted myself with ESDS here, joined the local dive club, and signed up for the info session at the aquarium. Diving Woahink Lake next weekend with my buddy :) We will definitely give North Jetty a look soon. We've also heard Clear Lake is a pretty sweet dive. I don't know if you have experience there to share.

hey wolfie welcome on board ....steve

Hi! And thank you :)
 
Welcome.

There is a lot of really good info that is shared on this board, and (as you might expect) a little that you might have to take with a grain of salt. Although you say you'd "rather chase dives than certs at this point", you are doing a great job of pursuing your dive education. Congrats.

If I may throw my own personal two cents worth in ... never forget that unless you are diving for work or research, then you are probably diving for fun. Never lose sight of the fun.

Once again, welcome to Scubaboard.
 
Hello and welcome fellow Oregonian!

I hear Dorena Reservoir outside of cottage grove is a mud-pit. So not a good place to dive.... Heard a story from my instructor where he had to spend days doing search patterns looking for gear that fell off a boat. :(

Clear Lake is ~40F year around I've heard.. 7mm+ wetsuit, or dry suite recommended. Must stay above the bottom as its really easy to kick up silt. Others have said to get to the site early so your vis is good. Others may stir it up... Site info: The Perfect Dive : Clear Lake - Foster- Willamette National Forest, Oregon - USA: Pacific Northwest

Sounds like you're already set with the right group!
 
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You don't mention a dry suit, but unless you are extremely cold tolerant, no other single thing will improve your diving experience more in the PNW.

<personal bias>Fresh water diving is boring</personal bias>

I'm told there are some great sites off the coast, but because the weather/swells are difficult to predict (there is not much West of the Oregon coast until you get to Asia) there aren't any regular scheduled charters/excursions. If you can find a BFF with a boat, you're golden, but you'll still never be able to predict when you can get out of the harbor/over the bar. Puget Sound/Hood Canal are my favorite 'local' places.
 
Welcome to the board!
 
Thanks for the helpful tips! I spent a lot of time practicing with a friend's dad, who is an instructor, on running reels during my wreck cert and was trained in penetration in San Diego. I, of course, want quite a bit of practice off the Oregon Coast before I penetrate a wreck here. I'd rather chase dives than certs at this point (OW, AOW, Wreck, Nitrox so far), but I am hoping to do Rescue this year if I can fit the course into my schedule.

I've already thoroughly acquainted myself with ESDS here, joined the local dive club, and signed up for the info session at the aquarium. Diving Woahink Lake next weekend with my buddy :) We will definitely give North Jetty a look soon. We've also heard Clear Lake is a pretty sweet dive. I don't know if you have experience there to share.



Hi! And thank you :)
Crater Lake is no longer open to scuba diving, or so I have heard.
 
Crater Lake is no longer open to scuba diving, or so I have heard.

Interesting! I had heard otherwise, but I appreciate the heads up. I'll want to find out for sure before we plan a trip down there. Thanks :)

You don't mention a dry suit, but unless you are extremely cold tolerant, no other single thing will improve your diving experience more in the PNW.

<personal bias>Fresh water diving is boring</personal bias>

I'm told there are some great sites off the coast, but because the weather/swells are difficult to predict (there is not much West of the Oregon coast until you get to Asia) there aren't any regular scheduled charters/excursions. If you can find a BFF with a boat, you're golden, but you'll still never be able to predict when you can get out of the harbor/over the bar. Puget Sound/Hood Canal are my favorite 'local' places.

I've never dove fresh water before, I'm just open to trying it. I've heard the coast can be a real pain in the butt with conditions, so it will be good to have back up plans and other site ideas.

I do have a dry suit. But I am also what you'd call "extremely cold tolerant." I went on a dive trip down the CA coast with my friend last month. It was low 50s to high 40s at depth. Dove with a battered-up, ill-fitting one piece 7mm rental suit with no hood. I was never cold. At Breakwater I was even flushing my suit because I was burning up. Maybe it's a redhead super power, or maybe I'm just an alien. I'll never tell.

I guess I need to find someone with a boat! Thanks to everyone with the tips and warm welcomes :)
 
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