Surfing in Washington has never been glamorous. Forget the mainstream perception of a feel-good pastime practiced by a carefree clan of...
By John Kinmonth | June 26, 2008
Last fall, my son asked how long he would have to take swim lessons. My answer? Until he mastered the basic strokes and his teacher felt he was safe in the water.
By Lisa Jaffe Hubbell | May 22, 2008
Convergence Zone
KING 5 meteorologist Rich Marriott is forecasting decreasing showers in the morning, a partly sunny afternoon and a high of 58 for the 2008 Seattle Yacht Club Opening Day of Boating Season. Bikini weather it isn't, but in light of the fact that it was snowing two weeks ago, we'll take it.
By Monica Fischer | May 1, 2008
Even the faintest hint of spring makes us want to rip off our clothes and dive into the water ... until we remember how cold that water is. So get on a boat -- any boat you can beg, borrow or pay for -- and get your water fix without the hypothermia.
TAKE A RIDE
April 13, 2008
Once a week, Fremont small business owner Lara Olsha spends quality time with 11-year-old Sage and 6-year-old Chloe at a family-fun swim. However, you won't find them at one of Seattle's community pools -- Sage is a Lab mix and Chloe a diminutive Lowchen, and city swimming pools are off-limits for dogs. Instead, all three are devotees of Fall City's Heavenly Spa, an indoor, warm-water therapy pool designed for swim and play sessions, or "aquatic bodywork" therapy with a state-certified small-animal massage practitioner.
By Sheryl Wiser | January 14, 2008
The Skykomish River opens June 1 from the Lewis Street Bridge in Monroe to the Wallace River mouth for hatchery-marked chinook.
"The Skykomish should be good when the king fishery opens, and success depends on the water conditions," said Bryan Nelson at Three Rivers Marine and Tackle in Woodinville. "I've had friends who did quite well on summer steelhead off the west side of Whidbey at Fort Casey, and all those fish are turning the corner and heading to the Snohomish system."
By Mark Yuasa | May 24, 2007
There are plenty of fishing options to ring in the New Year, including razor clam digging on all coastal beaches.
Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks and Kalaloch beaches will open Sunday; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Kalaloch will open Monday; and Twin Harbors will also be open Tuesday.
Digging is allowed from noon to midnight each day.
"We had good clam digging on all the open beaches," said Dan Ayres, the head state Fish and Wildlife coastal shellfish biologist.
By Mark Yuasa | December 28, 2006
A longstanding fishing tradition in Washington -- opening day of seasonal lowland lakes -- will recommence on Saturday, and it looks to be one of the better ones in recent years.
The traditional trout opener always falls on the last Saturday in April, and this year it couldn't be much later, falling on the penultimate day of the month. That's important because along with recent warm weather it has allowed water temperatures to climb into the mid-50s, optimal for fishing.
By Greg Johnston | April 27, 2006
BLAINE I've never met a paddler I didn't like, but I've met few I enjoyed more than a slightly wacky group from a Bellingham-based club called WAKE the Whatcom Association of Kayak Enthusiasts.
They're some of the most serious, experienced paddlers to pull a blade through Northwest coast brine since the days of dugout canoes.
But they also can be funnier than a sea lion on a slippery buoy and are as enthusiastic as a teenage orca about exploring the incredible bays, islands and passages surrounding the place they live, year-round.
By Greg Johnston | November 13, 2003
BARKLEY SOUND, B.C. The water was calm and the group quiet as we paddled our kayaks across emerald waters along a rocky shoreline. "Look, 11 o'clock off your bow! A bald eagle in that tree," someone noted.
"Oh, eagle schmeagle," we joked. We'd already seen more than a dozen that morning alone.
Welcome to the Broken Group Islands in Barkley Sound off the west coast of Vancouver Island, where wildlife is so abundant that sightings become commonplace.
By Anne Mullens | July 3, 2003
