The conditions couldn’t have been better for the 2024 Beer Dive. The sun was shining but the temperature was moderate, there was little to no wind and the tides were favorable. George Barron hosted the event. Four divers Ed Gullekson, Dane Dormedy, Don Shingler and Dillon Durrant (from our friends the Marker Buoys) went in search of the elusive Puget Sound Hippocampus Cervisia (distant cousins to the Ivar’s clams). They were joined on shore by Joe Sharp, Robyn Sherwood from Boeing Recreation, and Mukilteo City Councilmember Jason Moon and his kids.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with our Beer Dive, it’s like an Easter egg hunt for grownups, but with bottles of beer instead of brightly colored eggs from mutant, egg laying rabbits, and underwater.
George went out and hid 25 bottles, mostly beer, but also some hard cider and soft drinks for the non-beer drinkers in the crowd. They were placed in the open sand in 5 to 10 feet of water just north of the jetty. After the dive briefing, our four intrepid beer hunters hit the water.
Ed Leads the Pack
Ed was the first to return, after 17 minutes, with 9 bottles. Don came back a short time later with 11. Dane emerged with 6, but it was a bit of a team effort between he and Dillon. Dillondidn’t have a bag, so he just made a little pile of bottles on the bottom and hoped somebody with a bag would happen by. Right on cue, here comes Dane with a bag. They worked together and came back with 6, so all of the booty was accounted for and nobody had to come back the next day at low tide searching for lost bottles.
Post Dive Fun
After the dive, George fired up the club’s brand-new grill and threw on the hot dogs. There were dogs and chips and sodas for everybody and we had a great time talking and taking in the end of a great day.
Next Up: The Wine Dive
For those who missed the Beer Dive, and let’s face it that was most of you, and are reading this thinking, “Boy, that sounds like fun. Maybe I should have gone, even if I didn’t dive, just to hang out.” You’re right, you should have. And we would have loved to have seen you there. But as luck would have it, you have another chance in just a month. The annual Wine Dive is coming up Thursday, August 22nd. It’s like the Beer dive, only for fancy people. For the Wine Dive, we’ll be hiding bottles of wine underwater, and the Boeing Wine Club is going to contribute some of their fine handcrafted wines for the event.
As always there will be post-dive food and drinks. Family and friends are welcome, although you have to be a club member to keep our wine. See the details on the event notice on the club calendar.
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