State of the Sound...diving through the years.

[octofish]

Hi all,

Wondering if any of you have stories to share of how some of your favorite/often frequented dive sites have changed through the years...for better, for worse, and how?

Just curious

(oh, and if there's a topic that was started on this already, let me know :P)

[lurch]

The honeybear in Cove 2 went from an object barely recognizable as a boat hull to a collapsed pile of rubble.

That's all I got. When I have more than 3 years under my weight belt I'm sure I'll have something more.

[cardiver]

The bug at Redondo has fallen apart over the last two years.

[Zen Diver]

The bug at Redondo has fallen apart over the last two years.

I have video and stills from when the Bug was still bright yellow in color and actually penetrable. You could lift the hood and trunk, open the doors. Hard to imagine now.

-Valerie

[Grateful Diver]

All those rope trails at Redondo are fairly recent as well ... they weren't there three or four years ago. Neither were all the little boats that currently occupy the area roughly in front of Salty's.

The entry at Les Davis got some stairs, as did Coves 2 and 3.

Showers went in at Cove 2 and Redondo.

Lots and lots of new stuff got sunk at Edmonds Underwater Park ... which got renamed to Bruce Higgins Underwater Trails. One of the most frequently-dived of its landmarks ... the Triumph ... got sunk in 2001 and has since deteriorated almost beyond recognition.

Also in 2001, the boundary rope went around the fishing pier at Seacrest Park, between Cove 2 and Cove 3. Two years later the ropes connecting the I-beams and the Honey Bear to the white can buoy went in.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[John Rawlings]

Well....let's see....TWO of my favorite dive sites have been negatively impacted and a THIRD is about to be. I dived at each of them for over 30 years and I miss them greatly.

The McConnell's T-Pier at Mukilteo used to have a bottom that was covered with structure and literally clouds of life. Then it was decided to "clean it up" to "save the Sound" and now only a barren sandy bottom remains. Besides removing the old pilings and sunken logs, they even sifted out all of the old clam shells that used to cover the bottom like a blanket. The life that wasn't outright killed moved on.

The old Air Force Pier at Mukilteo used to have access for divers, fishermen and beachcombers from the North. Then it was decided that Boeing needed a deep water pier and all access to the North was blocked off permanently to everyone BUT Boeing. Now to get to the best diving parts North of the old pier you need a boat, (or, as I'm sure the scooter-whackos will point out, a scooter). Plans are also afoot to eventually tear out most, if not all, of the old pier.

The Edmonds Oil Pier is about to go the way of the McConnell's Pier. Soon, it will also just be a smooth bottom, (unless we are really, really lucky and the changing currents expose a bunch of rock structure beneath the sand!).

In my opinion, good dive sites in the Sound are not increasing, they are declining.

But, boy....where they USED to be will be sho-nuff sparkly clean! Durn-tootin'!

- John

[Nwbrewer]

Well....let's see....TWO of my favorite dive sites have been negatively impacted and a THIRD is about to be. I dived at each of them for over 30 years and I miss them greatly.

The McConnell's T-Pier at Mukilteo used to have a bottom that was covered with structure and literally clouds of life. Then it was decided to "clean it up" to "save the Sound" and now only a barren sandy bottom remains. Besides removing the old pilings and sunken logs, they even sifted out all of the old clam shells that used to cover the bottom like a blanket. The life that wasn't outright killed moved on.

The old Air Force Pier at Mukilteo used to have access for divers, fishermen and beachcombers from the North. Then it was decided that Boeing needed a deep water pier and all access to the North was blocked off permanently to everyone BUT Boeing. Now to get to the best diving parts North of the old pier you need a boat, (or, as I'm sure the scooter-whackos will point out, a scooter). Plans are also afoot to eventually tear out most, if not all, of the old pier.

The Edmonds Oil Pier is about to go the way of the McConnell's Pier. Soon, it will also just be a smooth bottom, (unless we are really, really lucky and the changing currents expose a bunch of rock structure beneath the sand!).

In my opinion, good dive sites in the Sound are not increasing, they are declining.

But, boy....where they USED to be will be sho-nuff sparkly clean! Durn-tootin'!

- John

I agree that the the fact we no longer have access to the North end of the air force pier sucks, but it was the new Sound Transit train station that shut down our access, not the Boeing pier. It was blocked off for a while due to the Boeing construction, but it was opened again after they were done. It is now closed permanently.

On a happier note in the short time I've been diving the "new" mukiteo NOAA pier life seems to be taking a more solid hold. It's nothing compared to what I'm sure the old T-pier used to be, or what the EOD is, but it's gaining some life.

Jake