The shop is located in the former Hanthorn Cannery Building on Pier 39.

Christie Davis, owner of Astoria Scuba and Adventure Sports on Pier 39, loves spending time underwater — even in the chilly waters of the Columbia River.

“The waters are cold, but it’s fun, and we see giant Pacific octopus and wolf eels, and many people go spearfishing,” Davis said. “It’s a wonderful pastime, and the underwater world is completely different from what we walk around in every day.”

Davis grew up near the ocean in San Diego, California, and has been a scuba diver since the early 1980s. After spending time in the U.S. Navy, she moved to the Oregon Coast and started working at the shop under its former owner, Floyd Holcom. She took over the business in 2022.

Located in the building of the historic Hanthorn Cannery, the shop offers recreational lessons for experienced divers and beginners alike. Beginners’ lessons usually start at the Hood Canal in Hoodsport, Washington, a safer option than the lower Columbia River for an introduction to that underwater world.

More experienced local divers, including spearfishers, meet at the Astoria shop. Dillyn Saurdiff, of Warrenton, is one of those regulars.

Saurdiff grew up in Minnesota and always knew he wanted to try scuba diving, so he moved out to the Oregon Coast. He didn’t know what the diving scene was like in the region, so he spent six months in Key West, Florida, to gain experience in tropical waters first and to get certified in scuba diving.

“I moved back to Oregon because I love it here and I went to Astoria Scuba to take an advanced class, and it turns out there’s a bunch of us out here,” Saurdiff said. “Those willing to dive in Oregon love diving.”

He suggested beginners wanting to learn how to dive should come to the shop and get connected with the local diving community.

“We’re always trying to find buddies to dive with, and Astoria Scuba does great training,” Saurdiff said. “We’ve done lots of dives together and Christie is doing great at building the community.”

New divers are advised to avoid going out on their own in the Northwest because of cold waters, strong currents and limited visibility. Saurdiff emphasized that it’s a good idea to go out with trained divers who know the area. “I don’t dive for the ocean to cater to me, I dive to see what’s in the ocean and I’ve learned extra safety practices,” he said.

While there are usually about 10 feet of visibility on a good day, Saurdiff said he’s consistently successful at spearfishing. Since he and his fellow divers are experienced, they dive near the jetties in the Columbia River and are able to catch fish every time.

Diving in the Northwest, he said, requires different tricks of the trade and equipment.

Astoria’s Pier 39 is a great place to get started. Its programs also bring divers to different spots along the coast, including Garibaldi, Tillamook and Pacific City.

The shop is also involved with the Oregon Kelp Alliance to help restore kelp forests and works with the Maritime Archaeological Society to search for pieces of shipwrecks.

The group also leads scuba diving trips around the world. “We travel to the Philippines and Palau and Indonesia and Mexico, and all kinds of places, for warm water diving vacations,” Davis said.

Astoria Scuba and Adventure Sports

Pier 39, 100 39th St., Astoria

Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday

Scuba diving lessons offered year-round for divers of all experience levels ages 12 and older, including certification and instructor training; kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals are also available

www.astoriascuba.com