Stationed at Fairchild

[El Cid]

Hey everybody! I just found out this morning I'm going to be stationed at Fairchild AFB near Spokane. I'm coming from South Florida and I'm an avid freedive spearo. Any suggestions for spearing around there? Is freshwater spearing allowed?

This is going to be a big change for me on many levels: higher altitude, different weather, different fish, different ocean environment. I also have no idea how long it takes to go from Spokane to the coast. If any of you guys could help me out about living in WA I'd be much obliged! Thanks!

[Stick 'EM]

Elcid,
My name is mark, I live 2 1/2 hours east of spokane, in Missoula. I know where to do some freshwater stuff my way(pike and the like) but would also like to do more on the washington coast this year. We should hook up and I can show you this side and we can check out the coast too. I've got some surfer buddies in Bellingham and on the coast north of seattle that say the ling action can be great, but very cold (water). Dry suit or real thick wet. I'd love to have somebody to spear with that way so let me know. On my way to Costa Rica on the 8th of Feb. can't wait. Water is way frozen here.
-Mark

[El Cid]

Sounds good to me. I'm not sure when my report date is, but it'll probably be sometime this summer. Do you freedive when you're doing fresh/salt water? What thickness wetsuit would you suggest? Enjoy Costa Rica man, it's beautiful down there!

[Stick 'EM]

I wear a 3mm most of the summer. Our water here never really gets warm even in august. In my suit I can fish for about an hour, hour and a half tops. I really don't like the limited mobility of heavier suits but they would sure extend time in water. Oh, and yeah I strictly freedive.
-Mark

[El Cid]

I have a 4/3 O'Neill that I use to surf/dive, so I guess that will hold me for a bit. What sort of stuff is there to do around there in the summer and winter? I'm trying to get into snowboarding, but I don't know what other sorts of outdoor stuff there is. I've grown up around the beach and that's pretty much it, not much mountain man experience.

[Kevin Casey]

January 28th, 2007

Puget Sound 42'F

I dove today, no spearing....

7mm wet suit you will last 20 minutes on SCUBA and cry.

7 mm wet suit you will need 35 lbs lead free dive, or SCUBA, plus or minus....

Sure, come on out here...

The spear season is pretty limited, and you won't get anything, unless you know where to go. Go on out to Neah Bay in April like the rest of us for 20 lb ling. Sleep in the back of your truck.

Pacific Ocean.

38'F-40'F

Sitka, AK is a 4 hour flight. Awsome!!!

32'F - 34'F

[Stick 'EM]

During the summer we either catch fish or shoot 'em. Fall and winter are time for bowhunting and trapping. I am a registered Montana Hunting/Fishing guide with all the equiptment to get it done. If you want to give it a try let me know and I 'll hellp you with getting the right tags.
-Mark

[aaron proffitt]

ElCid,
I've got a former co-worker who is a former comm. diver and is now a fireman on base.Or he was last I'd heard.He still does alot of diving and spearing.See if I can't get in touch with him.

[richhermes]

There used to be a guy that posted on here long ago with the screenname, "Grouper55" I think he got stationed in Washington state somewhere. Went diving with him a couple times. He's a good guy. I don't know if he posts or lurks anymore.

[canuck]

I am in Moses Lake, 100 milles from Spokane. The only legal fresh water speices is carp. I have a few lakes that have clear water most of the summer. I started the last week of april, last year, and contined until september. All I had was a 3 mm. waterski suit. I now have a 6 mm. open cell. I could use a partner for safety sake. I have a boat and plannig a salt water trip. I spear almost every weekend. PM me, I am happy to show you around.

[El Cid]

Sounds good to me, thanks! I don't know what month I have to report, and I'll have to go to a few schools down in Texas before I start working, so it'll probably be winter by then. Killing fish may have to wait unfortunately.

[GROUPER55]

Fairchild...its a tough dive locale. I have pretty much resigned myself to taking leave and going to FL every chance I get to spear. These guys that dive up at Neah Bay and the sorts can put you on fish, but don't expect FL conditions. I really struggled with the dry suit diving, and with the currents, the 6 hr drive to get to decent diving, and it seems that I always am deployed during the spear season for in the last couple years, it just made it difficult to get into diving the Pacific coast, I just never was able to take the weekend runs over there to lean the water and equipment enough to make me feel safe/comfortable. I guess the 5 minute drive to launch my tub of guts and 30 minute to a hour run to good diving in Clearwater spoiled me. So I have again resigned to hunting full time or just dinking around in the lakes and rivers around here finding wallets and watches when I have to get a fix. If you want some dive locations, I have a couple buddies that grew up around Puget Sound and they grew up doing a crap load of diving during the season, they pretty much dive just for the spearfishing season and then wait for the next year. If you can contact me in the next 15 days I will try to put you in touch with them. I am PCS'ing to MS and to some more promising spearing....finally.

[Bill McIntyre]

God, I have fond memories of Fairchild. In about 1979 we had a squadron deployed from El Toro Marine Corps Air Station to a base in Canada, and they needed some parts for their aircraft. I flew up there in a TA-4 with an external centerline fuel tank that had been modified with hinged doors and shelves to carry parts and other cargo. I also had external wing tanks that were supposed to actually carry fuel.

I landed at Fairchild to refuel on the way to Canada, and the civilian transient flight line crew rolled up and asked what I needed. I told them to fill er up, but don't put any fuel in that centerline tank, and went in to operations to file a flight plan.

When I came back, jet fuel was running out of the seams of that centerlne tank. The parts were OK, but my clothing bag that contained all my civilian clothes was saturated with jet fuel. So all I had was the flight suit I had on, and they wouldn't let you leave the base in Canada in a flight suit.

When I got home I tried to wash the fuel out, but eventually gave up and threw all the clothes away.

Sorry, that had nothing at all to do with diving, but I just had to get it off my chest. :)

[FishFighter]

Gee Whiz Bill Mc, is that why yer woman always says youre hot :thumps:

[Bill McIntyre]

That's why they all say it.

[FishFighter]

;) Thats what I thought :thumps:

[El Cid]

Grouper55, thanks for the advice! How much longer will you be at Fairchild? I still haven't gotten my EAD or any report dates yet, and commissioning is about 3 weeks away! I guess I'd better get used to it. I'll probably be bombarding you with questions once I get settled and finish my tech schools.

[GROUPER55]

Sorry so late on the reply again...been running around like crazy. I have 19 days and a wakeup. The weather is starting to warm up and its pretty nice right now. Questions...no problem whatsoever, shoot away. Look me up on the global, I am the only Wedin in the Air Force, so I should be pretty easy to find. I will keep lurking as usuall on here, but it would probably be easier to reach me at work. What squadron are you headed to?

[El Cid]

92nd Maintenance Squadron. However, I may be get put into a Nav slot, so I'm up in the air right now so to speak. I'm heading out there at the begining of July but then a month later I have AMOC, maintenance officers course and won't be back til November. Looks like I won't be getting any spearing done until next year!

[GROUPER55]

Well, at least you will have some time to make some contacts over on the W. side of the state. Make sure if you are going to spend any time over there i.e. 3-4 day trip, check out the military installation guides...there are several small posts that will put you up in a decent room for about 10 bucks a night. We used one at Camp Rilea, OR, saved a ton of money, caught alot of salmon/sturgeon and ate crab till we burst for a week straight. If you need any hunting spots, i.e. deer/elk/bear, let me know even if its this fall, and I will set you up with a few spots to get you started. I know how much it sucks to be at a new base and spend the first year trying to get the "lay of the land". Take care sir.

[El Cid]

Shit, that's something I'm gonna have to get used to isn't it, being called sir by guys with a helluva lot more experience than me! Thanks for all the advice, I'll probably be picking your brain from time to time once I get the feel for WA and know my schedule.