I am a Lurker... I made myself one and only come out of lurk status for those times when I can’t help myself.
What is said about the mouth of the Columbia is true... it is one nasty chunk of water.
I have made 6 dives their to salvage the engines of 2 shrimp boats (with nets floating and flowing) in 60’ + water and ZERO (BLACK) visibilty... the salvage operation was a bust but I survived all 6 dives. You have about 15 minutes of slack (flat water) between tides but it only takes seconds to go from flat to 20’ rollers. I have been towed by a rope behind a boat in those 20’ rollers as well as hanging on to the hands of my tenders along side of the boat until we could get to water calm enough for me to come back aboard.
The first 4 dives were to place explosives on the motor mounts and attach a few clevis that we would later attach cable to. The last 2 dives were to remove the explosives after our Crane bailed on us. Anyone can research it as we had registered with the Coast Guard for Salvage Rights and had Permits, and we also had Orders to remove the Explosives. (they never asked where we got them ;^)...)
I have yet to meet or hear about any one else that has made a similar dive at that location.
I was 20 yrs old at the time and not near as smart as I am now.
The skipper of our Dive Boat was also my biggest Dive Company Competitor but he was a Korean War Jet Jock and loved the Adrenalin Rush and supplied the boat and his time for free.
K ... I’m done... back to lurking
TT
Just re-read my Tag ... made me laugh
Gnight fellow freepers and lurkers
TT
Nothing of the caliber you experienced, but I used to get a rush diving in a cut between two of the northern most Florida keys that was ripping in one direction or the other except for about 15 minutes during slack tide.
This was just south of Miami where most of the corals were dead and exotic critter life gone 35 years ago but current keeping it washed out and lack of access to divers made it a pristine oasis.
Fascinating story, TT! You should come out from lurking more often. :-)