Dive Site Name: Hoffman Cove, Shaw Island
Skill Level: Intermediate
Current Sensitive: Yes
Location/Address: At the very end of Hoffman Cove Road, Shaw Island, San Juan Islands, WA, USA
Directions: Take a ferry to Shaw Island, wander southwest until you find Hoffman Cove Road, then drive to the end.
Free Parking: Yes
Staging Area: None
Surface Swim: None or short
Nearby Facilities: None
Special Considerations: Private beach to the west. There is a steep little embankment to get to the beach; we used a rope to help us down.
Maximum Depth: 20-60 fsw
Known Hazards: Current
Dive Site Description: If you happen to be on Shaw Island with some scuba gear, one of the few public access points to the shoreline is at the end of Hoffman Cove Road. This is a nice little dive, nothing to get too excited about -- unless you get swept away in the current -- but rather pretty and usually with some fairly clear water. On entry, head to the right (west) to find a small wall covered in urchins and sea cucumbers. Currents can be rippin', so time the dive carefully. The center of the bay is mostly bare but tends to be a safer because it forms a still area in the center of a gyre. The east side also worthwhile but we've been blow out before we could explore very far.
The closest current prediction is probably Turn Rock, near Friday Harbor.