Dive Review of Island Dive & Water Sports/Discovery Inn in
The Continental USA/San Juan Islands, WA

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Island Dive & Water Sports/Discovery Inn, Apr, 2006, by Larry Deweese, TX, US . Report 2685.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Getting to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island for me involved a two hour drive north of Seattle to Anacortes, WA and then a one hour ferry ride. Be sure to check the ferry schedule and get there about two hours before departure to get your vehicle in line. You can walk up the hill and have a beer at Charlie’s while you wait. Depending on what time your ferry departs it may make one or more stops at one of the other islands. I booked my hotel through the only dive operator in the islands, Island Dive and Water Sports, which is located at Friday Harbor within walking distance of the ferry landing. Friday Harbor is the largest town on San Juan Island. There are many places to stay but none of them are within walking distance of the ferry landing. However, most of the hotels and bed and breakfast’s will pick you up. I stayed at the Discovery Inn which is a basic but quiet place which is what I was looking for. It’s too far to walk with dive gear from the Discovery Inn to the dive shop but I had a rent car. The Discovery Inn does not have a restaurant but there are plenty of places to eat in Friday Harbor. Be sure to go to Herb’s and have a hamburger and a cold beer. Mike and Dawn run the dive operation. Nitrox is available but the mixes vary from day to day due to the partial pressure blending. The operation is tech friendly if you are so inclined. There is about a 12’ difference between low and high tide so all diving is dictated by selecting sites at slack tide. Strong currents can occur however if the tide changes while you’re under water. I saw my first pair of wolf eels on this trip and a giant pacific octopus. My favorite dive sites were on the walls. Island Dive allows you to dive your own profile if you demonstrate that you can. The water temps were 44F – 46F so I would highly recommend a dry suit and good thermal protection. Typically we did two dives in the morning and then one and sometimes two in the afternoon. Water and hot and cold snacks are provided on the boat. Hot water is also available for warming up gloves, hood, etc. If you like cold water diving Friday Harbor is a beautiful place to dive. Be sure to schedule some time to drive around the island. The Orca sight seeing park is a must see if the Orcas are there. I believe there are two resident pods. I will definitely be going back.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Baja, Belize, Bonaire, Brazil, BC, California, Cozumel, Florida, Hawaii, Roatan, Tobago, Truk, Texas, Washington
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	44-46°F / 7-8°C	Wetsuit Thickness	0
Water Visibility	20-60 Ft/ 6-18 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	none
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	I don't take u/w pictures

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Dive Review of Island Dive & Water Sports/Discovery Inn in The Continental USA/San Juan Islands, WA

Island Dive & Water Sports/Discovery Inn, Apr, 2006,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Island Dive & Water Sports/Discovery Inn in
The Continental USA/San Juan Islands, WA