But if you don’t have the training, equipment and experience necessary to go diving, there’s a way to experience dive season with a lower barrier to entry: snorkeling.

Underwater visibility can stretch to 40 feet during Divetober, which means a cornucopia of marine life is visible even from the surface. I saw myriad sea creatures while mostly hugging the jetty during a 30-minute snorkel session on a sunny Divetober day in Edmonds.

Of course, safely snorkeling in the cold waters of Puget Sound requires a bit more gear and technique than lolling about above a tropical coral reef in Hawaii or Baja California. Read on to learn how to make the most of Divetober in the Seattle area.

Why Divetober?

“Every ocean has a season,” said Women Divers Hall of Fame inductee Annie Crawley, a local underwater photographer, marine science educator and master dive instructor.

Why, then, is early fall the best time to snorkel in Puget Sound?

All spring and summer, mountain snowmelt has sent sediment gushing down Washington rivers and into the Sound. Meanwhile, long days have animated the algae, kelp and phytoplankton that thrive in our local saltwater. The combination yields cloudy, turbid water during the warmest time of the year, when getting into frigid Puget Sound seems most appealing.

But come fall, shorter days calm the plankton activity. Snowmelt diminishes to a trickle. Before the heaviest rain of late fall, the water clears up. Best of all, summer fish are still hanging around. And on a sunny day when the air temp is in the 60s or 70s, you’ll barely shiver when you peel off your wetsuit after exiting water that rarely breaks out of the 50s. (If it is chilly, or you want to warm up between snorkel sessions, Crawley swears by a diver’s Dryrobe.)

While the water may clear up again in the winter during dry spells, divers then must contend with cold both in and out of the water: Air temps can easily match Puget Sound, which plummets to the low 40s. Suddenly, you’ll be craving those idyllic Divetober days when you can spot a juvenile salmon and a Dungeness crab just a short swim off the beach.

Gear up for cold water

There’s no getting around it: Our local saltwater runs chilly.

That means a warm layer of neoprene is going to keep you toasty on your snorkel session. You’ll want a wetsuit, bootees, gloves and a hood to cover you from head to toe.

Everyone’s comfort level in the cold differs, but on a recent fall outing, I found that a 7 mm wetsuit kept me warm enough for over half an hour in Puget Sound. Tuck your wetsuit over your bootees to keep cold water off your feet, and tuck the hood completely inside the wetsuit (if the suit has an attached hood, don’t worry about this step).

Next come the essential tools of the trade: mask, snorkel and fins. Crawley recommends you upgrade from the cheap, fogging-prone set you bought at Costco or Big 5 Sporting Goods before your last tropical vacation.

A full cold-water snorkel kit will run around $900. You can rent a kit at Underwater Sports in Edmonds, just a few blocks from the marine park, for $60. (They also have a Seattle location with a practice pool.) 8 Diving in Des Moines and Lighthouse Diving Center with locations in Lynnwood and University Place are other reputable local dive shops.

Only a small portion of your face will be exposed to the water, which means you can probably skip the sunscreen. If you do apply, make sure to use a reef-friendly product.

“The mask and snorkel is your window to the underwater world,” Crawley said. “Investing in a higher-quality mask and snorkel is the best way to go snorkeling in our region.”

How do you tell the difference? Run your finger along the mask lining. The softer the silicone, the higher the quality.

But the best mask is worthless if it doesn’t fit properly.

To avoid leaking water into your field of vision, make sure the mask covers your eye creases. Next, check if the mask hangs over your mouth, a look Crawley calls “mask lip.” That means the mask is riding too low on your face. Conversely, if it scrunches you into “rabbit nose,” the mask is riding too high. A mask will also leak if it’s too loose or too tight, so adjust the strap angle for a secure fit and don’t cinch too much. Note that a sealant covers the tempered glass on a new mask. Scrub and rinse the mask three times with an off-the-shelf dive mask sealant remover to remove — or use plain old toothpaste.

Finally, Crawley recommended Apollo brand split fins. I found them much more maneuverable than the stiffer, longer pair I’ve been using for three years as a casual Salish Sea snorkeler. You want the fins to fit like a good pair of shoes: not too tight that they cramp your feet, but not so loose that your feet are moving around.

Diving in

You’re at the water’s edge and ready to shove off.

Suit up in everything but your fins and consider applying a few drops of anti-fogging solution to your mask. If you have long hair, make sure it’s tucked fully inside your hood.

What do you do with your valuables while you’re in the water? Locking them in a vehicle is the safest course of action. Some wetsuits come with a dedicated key pocket. You can also wear dive shorts that have exterior pockets or use a floating “swim buddy” with a waterproof compartment to carry any essentials, including keys. A visible, surface-level marker like a diver’s signal tube is recommended, though one perk of going to the Edmonds Underwater Park is that no watercraft of any kind, even kayaks and paddleboards, is allowed. You are guaranteed the human company of only other divers, swimmers and snorkelers.

Once you’ve walked into the water while carrying your fins, put a hand on your snorkel buddy’s shoulder — yes, you should go with a buddy — and make a figure 4 with your leg, then put on one fin. Repeat with the other leg. Put your face into the water a few times to get the skin wet. Finally, pull down your mask and have your buddy check that the mask’s seal is fully on your skin, and not rubbing on the neoprene of your hood, otherwise you’ll spring a leak.

Breathe in through your nose to create a seal with your dive mask, then put your face in the water to check that you have a complete seal. It’s easier to adjust your mask while you’re still standing. All good? Insert the snorkel mouthpiece and head offshore.

Snorkel swimming is all in the legs. Flutter kick with your fins underwater and keep your arms by your side. That technique will keep you moving at a steady pace as you explore the aquatic world. Need to cover more distance quickly? Point your arm in the direction you want to travel, rotate onto your side and kick more powerfully. Observe the current to make sure you have the strength and stamina for the return swim to the beach.

But snorkeling is mostly slow-going, more about the journey than the destination. Found a school of fish? Linger and watch. Notice a sea star on a rock? Look at crevices nearby and you may find more. Point and use deliberate hand signals to show highlights to your snorkel buddy. Avoid thrashing and splashing — snorkeling is ultimately a meditative sport.

At high tide, rocky outcroppings like jetties are a reliable bet for spotting sea creatures, as are eelgrass patches and kelp beds. The Edmonds Underwater Park features the Bruce Higgins Underwater Trails, a network of artificial reefs marked by surface buoys that attract a wide variety of sea life. The trails’ namesake was the driving force behind the park, who still dives regularly in his 70s. At low tide, these features on the sea floor will be closer to the surface and easier to observe while snorkeling. Speaking of tides, try to find a window with minimal tidal movement in order to maximize good visibility. Strong tidal swings stir up sand that clouds the water.

Above all, relish the tranquility and beauty of our nearshore waters this Divetober. An intimate encounter with the natural world lurks just below the surface.

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