Dive OREGON anyone?

[Boggspc]

I've been a dive instructor for years, love to spearfish, but don't have a lot of reliable buddies. I dive the entire Oregon coast (mostly northern), do a little in Washington (but the spearfishing is more limited). Shoot me a note and let's connect.

[Craig Baumann]

Feel free to get hold of me through my email address diver_gent@msn.com or by calling my cell phone, and we can talk about going diving together this summer.

Craig
(503) 318-2001

[nickw]

Guys, I am in Portland, feel free to shoot me a email at
nickwood48@ hotmail.com. I dont have much experience freediving in Oregon, I have only been to clear lake a handful of times. I would love to check out the coast-

Also see my post in the 'oregon freedive-a-palooza' above.

[JoeH]

You guys been out this year?

[fogish]

I am going tomorrow (Sunday) to Reedsport. I hope to be going to some sites on the coast straight west of Portland in July.

[JoeH]

fogish,
Have you dove Reedsport before? If so whats it like? Depth, vis, life etc....

West of Portland.. like Barview? I have been there twice in the last month. There havn't been any big lings but there was pleanty of rockfish though. Just a few crabs too, not many.
Good luck at Reedsport and give us a report whn you get back.

Joe

[Boggspc]

I dove Reedsport this last weekend, too--5 tanks in all. Vis was poor, but the crabs were freaking everywhere! (too bad it's early in the season and they were all 5"). The perch were plentiful--easy to get the limit--but the bass, rock fish, ling, even greenling were nowhere to be found--even on the outer jetty. If any of you want to dive, shoot me a note at boggspc@gmail.com. I do barview often, as the hunting is good. I have some other more advanced locations for the right buddy.

[JoeH]

Yeah all the crabs in the tidal area seem to be twitterpated or soft right now. The males that I noticed are just under legal limit for the most part. I have seen a few Greenling and Perch, always a ton of Black Rockfish though.
the big Lings have seemed to move out to deeper water for the year too. There are exceptions. Off shore is the way to go for the rest of the year for sizable fish untill the Lings moove into the shallower water to bread. I still go to Barview or Newport to get a few Rockfish for fish tacos and the nessesary fish-n-chips.

[Boggspc]

Seriously--it's amazing the size difference between Barview and Reedsport (not that size is all that matters, but it definitely matters). We took home our limit of cockles for chowder, and a bunch of perch, but i'm going back on the 7th, and i've got to find some bigger fish!

[JoeH]

Size of the perch? Or the clams?

I would like to check Reedsport out sometime, I have never been there. Do you shore dive it? How deep? Current? Is it a jetty simular to Barview?

I was supose to do an off shore dive to the Newport pinacles this Sat. but my buddies boat is not out of the shop yet. I will do a shore dive at Barview if we don't go to Newport though.

[Boggspc]

By amazing size, i was refering to how incredibly small the fish at Reedsport were. The perch were actually bigger than Barview, but all the bass and rockfish were puny. i did five dives and never saw a ling--not even a small one (and just one greenling). The cockles were very large, but that was up north in Florence--both Jettys are similar to Barview with the exception of having good sized fish on them. Who knows, maybe i'm just looking in the wrong places. I'm going back on the 8th of July for business, though, so we'll see if it's any different.

[Boggspc]

i've actually been wanting to do some more advanced dives with a buddy who can handle himself/herself in the water...i have a few sweet spots in mind...if you're ever interested.

[JoeH]

Hmmmmmm........ I'm interested...........?

[Craig Baumann]

Oregon dive friends:

Recently I took a dynamic turn in my dive training to the TDI (Technical Diving International) certification agency and I couldn't be happier. I engaged in a (very) long weekend and gained three TDI certifications - Nitrox, Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures. These courses were taught by a very accomplished and positively charged TDI instructor named Melanie (Mel) Clark. Mel runs Silent Scuba, a training company out of Mill Creek, Washington. The classroom sessions took place where everyone stayed, at a quaint motel in Port Angeles, WA, and all six open water dives were conducted at Lake Crescent, about 20 miles away.

Academic lessons and workbook calculations involved Nitrox mixes and decompression theory, and the entire class emphasized the use of open circuit technical gear - double tanks with manifold, back plate / wing buoyancy assemblies and stage bottle use.

The classes are demanding yet fun. Advanced divers only, should consider getting into technical diving in my opinion. Mel is a terrific instructor and the TDI certification structure and training programs seemed very thorough. Anyone with questions about this training should feel free to contact me or to connect with Silent Scuba. Tell Mel Craig sent you, when you get in touch with her.

Silent Scuba Home

Best to you all... Craig Baumann, Sea Star Scuba, Portland, Oregon