Why so few scuba caches around the PNW?

[+TeamIDFC]

Notably, does anyone know why there isn't a scuba cache at the Edmunds Underwater Park?

 

It just seems to scream for cache given the huge number of visitors it gets...

 

I'd place one in Lake Samm, but it would be such a lame dive - grey, murky water, etc, etc...

[+Allanon]

Notably, does anyone know why there isn't a scuba cache at the Edmunds Underwater Park?

 

It just seems to scream for cache given the huge number of visitors it gets...

 

I'd place one in Lake Samm, but it would be such a lame dive - grey, murky water, etc, etc...

That's not limited to Sammamish. Unless you dive in the SJ Islands, it's all that way.

 

As for Edmonds, I'd guess it probably wouldn't get approved by the P and R dept. You can't take anything from the park, I doubt they would want someone to leave anything either. But it's just a guess.

[+TotemLake]

The Edmonds park is a a protected park.

 

Alannon hit it on the head. All if not most our lakes our murkey dives near the shore. Lake Washington reaches depths of 200 feet and it is knee deep mud when you get there. (Been there on hard hat dives). Most lakes are going to be like this. If you happen to come across the National Forest that is under water (and the location is more secret than bat caves), you can't hide anything there either. Alpine lakes are protected so dropping a cache in there is bad juju.

 

Out in the Sound where the water is clear, the current can get so fast it kills unless you have good experience under your belt so you're limited there in good places to hide a cache.

 

Then you have rock quarries that have turned into duck ponds, but some of them will have depth issues and at the bottom will be typical equipment caught in the flooding that could easily snare a diver.

 

Rivers are too fast and too shallow and where they aren't protected salmon runs, too murky.

[+TeamIDFC]

As for Edmonds, I'd guess it probably wouldn't get approved by the P and R dept. You can't take anything from the park, I doubt they would want someone to leave anything either. But it's just a guess.

Does anyone know if it has been asked? Given the amount of pro-active work they do on clearing/cleaning/plotting, it might fit into that sort of set up?

[+TotemLake]

As for Edmonds, I'd guess it probably wouldn't get approved by the P and R dept. You can't take anything from the park, I doubt they would want someone to leave anything either. But it's just a guess.

Does anyone know if it has been asked? Given the amount of pro-active work they do on clearing/cleaning/plotting, it might fit into that sort of set up?

I seem to recall it came up before although I'm unable to cite the reference.

[MarcusArelius]

Why are there so few scuba caches in the PNW?

 

Because it is bleeping freezing cold at the surface let alone 50 feet down!

[+TeamIDFC]

Why are there so few scuba caches in the PNW?

 

Because it is bleeping freezing cold at the surface let alone 50 feet down!

The tempature of the sound is about 45 degrees this time of year. That's 10+ degrees warmer than the air temp - balmy!

[+TotemLake]

During the summer it rises to about 48 degrees when you go deeper than 15 feet depth. After 50 feet, it doesn't change with the excepetion of short personal moments.

Edited January 6, 2009 by TotemLake

[+The Jester]

Yep, the Sound is nice - it never cools down in the winter. But, then, it never warms up in the summer.

 

I think the reason there aren't more scuba caches - there aren't that many scuba cachers!

[Team Misguided]

Why are there so few scuba caches in the PNW?

 

Because it is bleeping freezing cold at the surface let alone 50 feet down!

 

That was my first thought when I read the title of this thread!

[+TeamIDFC]

I think the reason there aren't more scuba caches - there aren't that many scuba cachers!

Hmm, circular reference?

[+The Jester]

I think the reason there aren't more scuba caches - there aren't that many scuba cachers!

Hmm, circular reference?

Not really. It takes a certain number of cachers of a persuasion to make it worth while to place caches of that persuasion. You might also ask why there aren't more rock climbing caches. It takes work to place special interest caches, and if there aren't any finders, why bother?

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

The best cache I ever did was off Maui a few years back. It was hidden in a sunken outrigger canoe. It lasted a couple of years before storms covered it up.

 

Here in the NW there are severe tides and severe condidtions. Our lakes can drop 100 feet in level in just a few warm months. Our rivers will wash away almost everything in site.

 

I know of several cachers that dive. I may hide one this next summer in a river but I suspect no one will hit it.

[+TeamIDFC]

I know of several cachers that dive. I may hide one this next summer in a river but I suspect no one will hit it.

If you put it up here around Seattle, we will!

 

We've already got the label as "the kayak people" - I'm happy to let someone else get the "SCUBA" label...

[+pengwn2]

I would think that the amount of rain we are currently experiencing, there will be more "scuba" caches soon.

[+markandsandy]

I would think that the amount of rain we are currently experiencing, there will be more "scuba" caches soon.

Unfortunately, as the rivers carry them downstream, they are going to be hard to find. Maybe we need a new difficulty rating of 6.

[+TotemLake]

I would think that the amount of rain we are currently experiencing, there will be more "scuba" caches soon.

Unfortunately, as the rivers carry them downstream, they are going to be hard to find. Maybe we need a new difficulty rating of 6.

You're going to have to ask a reviewer to adjust the coords for ya.

[+LandRover]

I would think that the amount of rain we are currently experiencing, there will be more "scuba" caches soon.

Unfortunately, as the rivers carry them downstream, they are going to be hard to find. Maybe we need a new difficulty rating of 6.

I guess you could say they they have been muggled by God.

[+The Jester]

I would think that the amount of rain we are currently experiencing, there will be more "scuba" caches soon.

Unfortunately, as the rivers carry them downstream, they are going to be hard to find. Maybe we need a new difficulty rating of 6.

I guess you could say they they have been muggled by God.

I'm not sure "muggled" is the right word. God might be the orginal cacher - I remember hearing about some scrolls in containers hidden away that had some of His words on them...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those that don't get the reference: can you say "Dead Sea"?

[+combatnurse2003]

Talking of SCUBA caches, I was going to hit on Wet Willies in Tacoma for #1900, but that fell through. I've got my PADI-OW, but no gear. I can rent at the NW Adventure Center of Ft Lewis. Was going to do it with a fellow cacher in the next month or so, but the more the merrier. Let me know.

[+combatnurse2003]

Talking of SCUBA caches, I was going to hit on Wet Willies in Tacoma for #1900, but that fell through. I've got my PADI-OW, but no gear. I can rent at the NW Adventure Center of Ft Lewis. Was going to do it with a fellow cacher in the next month or so, but the more the merrier. Let me know.

[+smilealot]

Well let's see......

The overall cost and technical knowledge of the diving world is certainly enough to make it fairly exclusive and dangerous sport. There is a cache in Lake Chelan down about 115ft or so in an old vehicle driven into the water years ago. I still think that caching should be kept simple in design and only hard to find, not masked by dangerous and expensive obsticals to find.

[+TotemLake]

Well let's see......

The overall cost and technical knowledge of the diving world is certainly enough to make it fairly exclusive and dangerous sport. There is a cache in Lake Chelan down about 115ft or so in an old vehicle driven into the water years ago. I still think that caching should be kept simple in design and only hard to find, not masked by dangerous and expensive obsticals to find.

That eliminates a few 5/5s with your way of thinking. I say don't chase them if you don't like them but don't cause them to be limited because you think they should safe. That would make the game boring for some of us whom don't need to have their hands held by worriers.

[+MedicOne]

I've placed one Scuba Cache in Lake Pend Oreille Idaho (recently archived due to construction in the area of the cache) - that qualifies as PNW doesn't it? I've found three; one off the Big Island of Hawaii, one in Lake Coeur de Alene, and one in Lake Chelan. For those of you that don't Scuba ponder for a moment the difficulty of placing and maintaining a log book underwater as per the requirements of gc.com. There aren't a whole lot of options. What doesn't get wet and soggy will either corrode to nothingness in salt water or become overgrown with slime in fresh water. That having been said I'm going to put one in the Edmunds Underwater Park the next time I dive it. I don't see what difference one little manmade object will make in a whole sea full of them in that park. Every feature in that park save the fish that live there was placed there by man at some point in time. It is a great place to dive especially for new divers.

 

There is a bit of misinformation in the above posts also. There are tons of places to dive in the Puget Sound area with little or no current to effect your diving profile - one of the most popular is the Seacrest Cove #2 near the Alki Fish and Crab House in West Seattle. The site offers a great view of downtown Seattle and there is virtually no current. Second, scuba diving is NOT, repeat NOT a dangerous sport and not difficult either. I've taught people from age 10 up to age 70+ to dive. I've taught people to dive with physical limitations, and many others from every walk of life. And finally, the water temp in the sound is pretty constant no matter the depth as a result of the constant flushing by the twice daily tidal exchange. Its usually arround 55 degrees or so in the summer and not a whole lot colder in the winter unless there is a big meltoff of snow dumping ice cold water into the sound. Yeh, it's colder than the 78 degree water of Hawaii but its not unbearable even in a wet suit. Jacque Cousteau's favorite place to dive in the entire world was the Red Sea; his second favorite The Emerald Sea (Puget Sound). So get wet; place some scuba caches.

Edited February 9, 2009 by MedicOne

[+TotemLake]

I've placed one Scuba Cache in Lake Pend Oreille Idaho (recently archived due to construction in the area of the cache) - that qualifies as PNW doesn't it? I've found three; one off the Big Island of Hawaii, one in Lake Coeur de Alene, and one in Lake Chelan. For those of you that don't Scuba ponder for a moment the difficulty of placing and maintaining a log book underwater as per the requirements of gc.com. There aren't a whole lot of options. What doesn't get wet and soggy will either corrode to nothingness in salt water or become overgrown with slime in fresh water. That having been said I'm going to put one in the Edmunds Underwater Park the next time I dive it. I don't see what difference one little manmade object will make in a whole sea full of them in that park. Every feature in that park save the fish that live there was placed there by man at some point in time. It is a great place to dive especially for new divers.

 

There is a bit of misinformation in the above posts also. There are tons of places to dive in the Puget Sound area with little or no current to effect your diving profile - one of the most popular is the Seacrest Cove #2 near the Alki Fish and Crab House in West Seattle. The site offers a great view of downtown Seattle and there is virtually no current. Second, scuba diving is NOT, repeat NOT a dangerous sport and not difficult either. I've taught people from age 10 up to age 70+ to dive. I've taught people to dive with physical limitations, and many others from every walk of life. And finally, the water temp in the sound is pretty constant no matter the depth as a result of the constant flushing by the twice daily tidal exchange. Its usually arround 55 degrees or so in the summer and not a whole lot colder in the winter unless there is a big meltoff of snow dumping ice cold water into the sound. Yeh, it's colder than the 78 degree water of Hawaii but its not unbearable even in a wet suit. Jacque Cousteau's favorite place to dive in the entire world was the Red Sea; his second favorite The Emerald Sea (Puget Sound). So get wet; place some scuba caches.

 

That's a significant change from when I was deep sea dive training in 1979-1980. The measured temp at 10 feet depth in the middle of December was 45 degrees. It didn't get much warmer than 50.

Edited February 10, 2009 by TotemLake