The Puget Sound is one of the reasons many of us call Thurston County home. Its beauty makes for a gorgeous backdrop to all the outdoor recreation we love. But that beauty is more than just surface – under the waves is a whole other world with its own unique beauty. Olympia scuba diving club, the Kelp Krawlers, invites you to join them in discovering a whole new world in the Puget Sound.
“We welcome everyone and anyone at our meetings and dives, whether you’re a diver or not,” shares James “Jim” Minor of the Kelp Krawlers. “There’s always something to see, to discover, and to learn about the underwater world, and we’d love to have you!”
Scuba Diving Group in Olympia Has Long History of Underwater Fun
Kelp Krawlers is not a new club. It was founded in the 1980s by Pat Onastott, Larry Michaels, Paul Boardman and others. Originally, it was a social club more than anything, says Jim, with voluntary membership that changed often. “In the mid-1990s, club membership, rules and dues were regulated,” he adds.
Today, the club meets every month of the year, except December. On dry land, their meetings include a variety of social and fun activities. February through October Kelp Krawlers hosts a guest speaker, someone from the dive community or an adjacent field, who gives a talk to the group. Of course, they talk about past and upcoming dives, share photos of what they have seen on their last dive and talk “shop.”
For members, meetings are also a chance to check out the Spare Gear Bag – donated items from existing members that new members can take at no cost. Meetings are also a time to check out the vintage and antique bottle collection. These are bottles that scuba diving club members have found in the Puget Sound – they are between 50 and 150 years old! The members get them cleaned up and Jim says people are welcome to take them when they come for a meeting.
A holiday party in November rounds out the year. When they meet back in January, club dues are taken and officers are elected. But you don’t have to pay. “You’re a Kelp Krawler when you show up at a meeting or a dive!” shares Jim. “There are two types of members. Unpaid, which is anyone who comes to a meeting or a dive, and paid, anyone who pays the yearly fee ($15 individual or $25 for a family of up to four), who gets to pick from the Spare Gear Bag, gets $20 off the cost of our yearly boat dive trip and gets to participate in the Club-funded white elephant gift exchange at our November Holiday Party.”
There is no age minimum to be a member of the Kelp Krawlers, so bring the family! “To become a certified scuba diver, you have to be 10 years old, but to be a member, you can be any age,” shares Jim. “Our current Secretary is the 9-year-old daughter of an adult member!”
Scuba Diving in the Puget Sound (and Beyond)
While you don’t have to be a current diver to belong to Kelp Krawlers, chances are you want to be! The club has many members who are professional dive instructors who can help make that happen. “We invite people from the diving and non-diving community to come to our meetings and learn about diving,” shares Jim. “And if they are interested in learning, through our experience, we’re able to recommend dive shops or Instructors who would best meet the individual needs of the person.”
Part of the club’s goal is to leave Puget Sound better than when they last dove. They do cleanup dives, beach cleanups and other volunteer activities that help improve our lovely environment we all call home.
The members have a lot of places they dive throughout the year. Jim says this year, for example, they’ve dived in Hood Canal, Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle, Burien, Gig Harbor, Day Island, Edmonds and Des Moines. “We choose a different site every month so that our members get to experience the widest variety of creatures and features,” he adds.
As for favorite dive spots, they have a few. “We absolutely love Sund Rock Marine Preserve in Hood Canal, with its giant Pacific octopuses and wild eels, and Les Davis Pier in Tacoma with its hundreds of rockfish and nudibranchs,” shares Jim.
If you are ready dive into the Puget Sound, or just want to learn what it’s all about, contact Kelp Krawlers about their next meeting. You can find them on the Kelp Krawlers Facebook page or email kelpkrawlersscubaclub@gmail.com.
