Northwest Dive Club

Ok,.. So im gettin a little bored with Edmonds, muk, and the coves.... Looking for a great shore dive with lots of critters to photo within a couple hours of Edmonds on Sunday. Taking the wife and Daugter, so no high current sites please. Where would you suggest?? Looking for some wolf eels would be a bonus. Anyone up for a group event? Thinking about Sund Rock, but not really excited about a six hour car ride to and from.....

Any suggestions would be great.

Sund is definitely within reach, especially if you take a ferry. I'd also check out PacAdventure charters for a great day. From Edmonds, it's the ferry to Kingston plus 1 hour of driving... so total travel (minus ferry wait time) is 1.5 hours or so. Oac Adventure will put you on wolfeels and octopuses quite often. Almost zero current, and live-boat if there is current. It's one of my favorite day-trips.

Jaksonbrown wrote:Ok,.. So im gettin a little bored with Edmonds, muk, and the coves.... Looking for a great shore dive with lots of critters to photo within a couple hours of Edmonds on Sunday. Taking the wife and Daugter, so no high current sites please. Where would you suggest?? Looking for some wolf eels would be a bonus. Anyone up for a group event? Thinking about Sund Rock, but not really excited about a six hour car ride to and from.....

Any suggestions would be great.

South you've got Cove 2, TTN, and Redondo. Les Davis typically has less viz than any of the other sites but is a nice easy dive. Redondo probably has the most critters.

Always folks down here diving those sites that would be more than happy to show you around if you've never dove them, but you can easily do them without a guide.

If you see a flat tide day coming up that coincides with a day off you could go South and try Titlow - shallow, not bad for the wife and daughter - IF you get a flat exchange and time slack.

North others will have to comment.

+1 for PacAdventure and Don Coleman if you want a charter. I believe if you get 4 paying customers Don will even do a mid-week trip if schedules mesh.

I have deliberately not suggested more out of the way or high current sites in the South end because of your parameter.

Yeah, Redondo is a great option too - LOTS of critters, often odd ones. There are random crazy-nutz currents there (right Jake?!) that we blame on Penelope, but usually it's a pretty relaxed site.

Definitely get in touch with Don Coleman ("don" here on the board or at www.pacadventure.com or on the banner at the bottom of the board) and look at a charter. That'll really ensure you have an awesome day.

Skyline wall in Anacortes

Here's mine in order....

Redondo
Day Island
Skyline
Alki Fishing Reef (shore dive with scooters)
KVI Tower

Go do Keystone

Sounder wrote:Yeah, Redondo is a great option too - LOTS of critters, often odd ones. There are random crazy-nutz currents there (right Jake?!) that we blame on Penelope, but usually it's a pretty relaxed site.

Definitely get in touch with Don Coleman ("don" here on the board or at http://www.pacadventure.com or on the banner at the bottom of the board) and look at a charter. That'll really ensure you have an awesome day.

Don't know what you're talking about. I think I have repressed crazy downwelling currents that try to sweep you out to sea at 80' from my memory.

The second dive was nice though...

+1 for keystone. There's also Langley tire reef.

Are you asking about shore dives or...

Keystone
Fox Island
Fox Island bridge
Sunrise Beach
KVI
Salt Creek
Lake Crescent
Sund
Octo-hole
Agate Pass shore to shore drift (old man house to bridge)
Agate Pass bridge pilon on slack

Tacoma Narrows (very advanced dive done from shore)

Do you have a scooter?

West Seattle Fishing reef
Skyline
Day
Z's reef

Something my buddies and i did when we were in your shoes... we got a copy of Northwest Shore Dives by Fischnaller and basically did all the dives in our skill level, then as we progressed, did the next set of dives in our skill set, etc...

Best all around bet for non current, safe diving in that range with a good chance of seeing wolfies would be Pac adventures if you can afford it. If cost is a factor you could try norrinder's reef on Bainbridge or Redondo or TTN. Those would be my choices cove 2 and sund rock tend to be crazy on weekends but then Redondo can be also. I was at Sund on Tuesday and the viz was not to good and the rivers are running pretty high in the south canal.

KEYSTONE !!!
SKYLINE
Washington Park , Anacortes
Boat : Deception .. Sun Jaun Islands
Need i say any more ?

Alot of great suggestions, but based on your criteria (moderate currents, family outing, shore dive) here's my .02 psi...

Keystone
Saltwater State Park
Redondo
Sund Rock

Keystone or langley. Langley has none to barely any current.

Keystone isn't that bad to be honest, but you need to know what to do if the current gets to rough around the jetty corner

Well, for this Sunday, from late morning to midafternoon is a HUGE ebb, so any current-sensitive site is going to be pretty much out. Keystone's nasty on big ebbs, although you can dive it on moderate floods. Titlow is current-sensitive, as is Day Island Wall. In fact, most of the sites that are really fabulous for critters ARE current-swept, which is why they have so much life.

On days like Sunday, a boat charter is a good way to go, because you can drift and get picked up.

Redondo is not supposed to be current-sensitive, although it can have weird, unexplained currents. But, in my experience, it's not a fantastic day dive (totally different at night!). Skyline is supposed to be dived best on moderate exchanges, but the ebb on Sunday is not moderate.

The Alki pipeline would be a reasonable dive in the morning. I haven't been out there in a while, so I don't know exactly what it looks like right now. It's not a good dive if it's windy.

LCF wrote:Well, for this Sunday, from late morning to midafternoon is a HUGE ebb, so any current-sensitive site is going to be pretty much out. Keystone's nasty on big ebbs, although you can dive it on moderate floods. Titlow is current-sensitive, as is Day Island Wall. In fact, most of the sites that are really fabulous for critters ARE current-swept, which is why they have so much life.

On days like Sunday, a boat charter is a good way to go, because you can drift and get picked up.

Redondo is not supposed to be current-sensitive, although it can have weird, unexplained currents. But, in my experience, it's not a fantastic day dive (totally different at night!). Skyline is supposed to be dived best on moderate exchanges, but the ebb on Sunday is not moderate.

The Alki pipeline would be a reasonable dive in the morning. I haven't been out there in a while, so I don't know exactly what it looks like right now. It's not a good dive if it's windy.

Lynns right, after checking the currents if you want to do Keystone on Sunday it would be best to be out of the water by 12:30ish

Another nice divesite is Rosario Beach in Anacortes. No wolfies but we've found PS king crab, nudies, and lots of San Juan color. The park is really nice with facilities etc. It's mildly current sensitive but looking at the Sunday predictions you should be good if you're out of the water by 1:00.

I'm pretty sure rosario park is closed but I would check to be sure. All that means though is, a longer walk from the gate to the beach

Drive a little further and go to Sekiu...plenty of life.

Nwbrewer wrote:

Sounder wrote:Yeah, Redondo is a great option too - LOTS of critters, often odd ones. There are random crazy-nutz currents there (right Jake?!) that we blame on Penelope, but usually it's a pretty relaxed site.

Definitely get in touch with Don Coleman ("don" here on the board or at http://www.pacadventure.com or on the banner at the bottom of the board) and look at a charter. That'll really ensure you have an awesome day.

Don't know what you're talking about. I think I have repressed crazy downwelling currents that try to sweep you out to sea at 80' from my memory.

The second dive was nice though...

+1 for keystone. There's also Langley tire reef.

You forgot to mention... crazy downwelling currents that try to sweep you out to sea at 80' when you hit your TURN pressure. A few more minutes and we were looking at a mid-water ascent/nav and probably some mini-epic arm waving.

Redondo is great, but just be ready for the unexpected... currents AND critters. If you go with Valerie, you're almost SURE to see something bizzare like a mola mola or a pacific electric ray!!

gcbryan wrote:Drive a little further and go to Sekiu...plenty of life.

Plenty of swell out that way this weekend too.

dsteding wrote:

gcbryan wrote:Drive a little further and go to Sekiu...plenty of life.

Plenty of swell out that way this weekend too.

Surge is a trade-off in the winter but the kelp cover is much less (no bull kelp). No current at any time among the rocks and usually decent viz in the winter. Easy shore entry. Longer drive and terrible food...it's a trade off. :biggrin:

LCF wrote:Well, for this Sunday, from late morning to midafternoon is a HUGE ebb, so any current-sensitive site is going to be pretty much out. Keystone's nasty on big ebbs, although you can dive it on moderate floods. Titlow is current-sensitive, as is Day Island Wall. In fact, most of the sites that are really fabulous for critters ARE current-swept, which is why they have so much life.

On days like Sunday, a boat charter is a good way to go, because you can drift and get picked up.

Redondo is not supposed to be current-sensitive, although it can have weird, unexplained currents. But, in my experience, it's not a fantastic day dive (totally different at night!). Skyline is supposed to be dived best on moderate exchanges, but the ebb on Sunday is not moderate.

The Alki pipeline would be a reasonable dive in the morning. I haven't been out there in a while, so I don't know exactly what it looks like right now. It's not a good dive if it's windy.

It looks like Keystone should be pretty tame from about 9am till noon Sunday. I am reading the tide charts correctly, right? Max flood less than 1kt.??
Sounds like Keystone it is!

Thanks for all the great info.... I really appreciate it!

my favorite shore dives:
Day Island
Sunrise
Deception pass (on a few extremely low exchanges a year, as in a few inches, with experienced guide... spectacular!)

If willing to drive longer:
Salt creek

Kayak-shore dives:
Bachelor rock
Sear's Head
various sites around deception pass... one particularly nice "Kayak-Shore dive" is a cool little wall west of the pass on the south side of islet that makes up the south side of Bowman bay. Shear drop off to about 70 FSW smothered with inverts, very current dependent but not as hairy as Deception pass itself.
Wadda Island... longer drive, very current and wind dependent but outstanding!