fox island east wall
fox island east wall
Im looking for any info on this dive. Read that the reef is just off the end of a trail from the parking lot. But would love any info you guys or gals have. Whats the best time to dive to not get sucked out to china with the current. thanks cam
Re: fox island east wall
This site sucks from shore. The hike down to the beach is epically steep. It makes Sunrise look gradual. And the entry/exit zone is pretty small, e.g if you migrate even a little bit north or south its not possible to get out. That said, its in the Fischnaller shore dives book which has current corrections. The window is small and you have to pick the day somewhat carefully.
There's no reef, its a small sandstone and clay wall which is straight out from and perpendicular to the end of the trail. Its about 4 feet high as I recall, in about 45-55 feet of water. There's another short wall deeper but its discontinuous and harder to find. It between its steep sand without much living on it.
Its a way better as a live boat dive.
There's no reef, its a small sandstone and clay wall which is straight out from and perpendicular to the end of the trail. Its about 4 feet high as I recall, in about 45-55 feet of water. There's another short wall deeper but its discontinuous and harder to find. It between its steep sand without much living on it.
Its a way better as a live boat dive.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
Re: fox island east wall
I actually like this dive from shore and have done it several times. Following is my experience from those dives...
I have only done it in the Winter when there isn't a lot of kelp growth, and so have been able to see the structure pretty clearly.
It is a hike, but I will respectfully disagree with the Capn - Sunrise from shore is MUCH longer, and at least as steep. And being an old fat guy... well let's just say I remember things like that VERY well.
We don't get there often because on those flat water days we generally dive a current sensitive site that is closer to us. A dive here followed or preceded by a FIWW dive is a great shore dive day.
And my experience on the wall is definitely different than the Capn's recollection. It isn't huge, but it isn't just 4' high, either - more like 40' high. The wall is pretty dramatic, and not tiny at all, but you can miss if you don't know where you are going or if the viz is low as it is maybe 50-75' long? I think boat divers might miss it because it is actually very close to shore.
This dive requires a pretty flat exchange. I am pretty risk adverse when it comes to planning current sensitive dives from shore, so I always err on the side of caution. Pretty much the flatter days in a typical month will work.
When you go from the parking lot, down the stairs, then down the path next to the fence go straight out to the beach - then perhaps 20' or so to the left as you face the water, get in, gear up, and drop shallow and keep the shore on your right shoulder and you should be right at the beginning of the wall. The wall is really vertical (an actual wall, not many stair steps, although there is a break in it and some nooks and crannies) and starts shallow +/-10 fsw or so. The base is maybe 40-50 fsw at its deepest. On a good viz day you can see the whole thing from depth - very cool looking. It is comparable to the deep side of Day Island Wall in the life on it (NOT in the length). This wall does not have the life that Sunrise does, but it is still a very cool dive.
If the viz and current are cooperating and if you have the inclination there are some deep sandstone ledges below the wall as the slope goes on down below 60 fsw - on a good viz day you can see where they start when you are at the base of the wall. They go to 90 fsw or so IIRC?!? I haven't been deeper than that there in any case. As a photographer I love poking in nooks and crannies, and while this site doesn't have the life on it that Sunrise has there is still lots to see.
I believe Northwest Shore dives has the timing for hitting slack, or you can find the corrections easily drilling around on the interwebs.
I have only done it in the Winter when there isn't a lot of kelp growth, and so have been able to see the structure pretty clearly.
It is a hike, but I will respectfully disagree with the Capn - Sunrise from shore is MUCH longer, and at least as steep. And being an old fat guy... well let's just say I remember things like that VERY well.
We don't get there often because on those flat water days we generally dive a current sensitive site that is closer to us. A dive here followed or preceded by a FIWW dive is a great shore dive day. And my experience on the wall is definitely different than the Capn's recollection. It isn't huge, but it isn't just 4' high, either - more like 40' high. The wall is pretty dramatic, and not tiny at all, but you can miss if you don't know where you are going or if the viz is low as it is maybe 50-75' long? I think boat divers might miss it because it is actually very close to shore.
This dive requires a pretty flat exchange. I am pretty risk adverse when it comes to planning current sensitive dives from shore, so I always err on the side of caution. Pretty much the flatter days in a typical month will work.
When you go from the parking lot, down the stairs, then down the path next to the fence go straight out to the beach - then perhaps 20' or so to the left as you face the water, get in, gear up, and drop shallow and keep the shore on your right shoulder and you should be right at the beginning of the wall. The wall is really vertical (an actual wall, not many stair steps, although there is a break in it and some nooks and crannies) and starts shallow +/-10 fsw or so. The base is maybe 40-50 fsw at its deepest. On a good viz day you can see the whole thing from depth - very cool looking. It is comparable to the deep side of Day Island Wall in the life on it (NOT in the length). This wall does not have the life that Sunrise does, but it is still a very cool dive.
If the viz and current are cooperating and if you have the inclination there are some deep sandstone ledges below the wall as the slope goes on down below 60 fsw - on a good viz day you can see where they start when you are at the base of the wall. They go to 90 fsw or so IIRC?!? I haven't been deeper than that there in any case. As a photographer I love poking in nooks and crannies, and while this site doesn't have the life on it that Sunrise has there is still lots to see.
I believe Northwest Shore dives has the timing for hitting slack, or you can find the corrections easily drilling around on the interwebs.
Last edited by Tom Nic on Mon Dec 16, 2013 11:37 am, edited 3 times in total.
More Pics Than You Have Time To Look AT
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
Re: fox island east wall
I definately don't remember a 30ft high wall!
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
Re: fox island east wall
I could take you there some time!CaptnJack wrote:I definately don't remember a 30ft high wall!
More Pics Than You Have Time To Look AT
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
Re: fox island east wall
Sounds good, although we'll "have to" take the boat. I'm not huffing up and down that slippery mud hill.Tom Nic wrote:I could take you there some time!CaptnJack wrote:I definately don't remember a 30ft high wall!
Its quite possible we missed the best parts of the wall. My wife balked at the hill so I have only done it by boat (2x I think). Last time was at least 8 years ago.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
Re: fox island east wall
I looked back on some of my old pics from previous dives - no wide angle shots, unfortunately - my little Casio just didn't have the horsepower.
Here's a shot of some life on the wall.
And this is from the deeper sandstone ledges a ways below the wall.
The first dive I did there I went straight down to 70 fsw or so, and dropped in 150' or so up from the entry and missed the wall entirely and only found it when I was coming back in shallow. The directions I gave should put you right on the wall.
Here's a shot of some life on the wall.
And this is from the deeper sandstone ledges a ways below the wall.
The first dive I did there I went straight down to 70 fsw or so, and dropped in 150' or so up from the entry and missed the wall entirely and only found it when I was coming back in shallow. The directions I gave should put you right on the wall.
More Pics Than You Have Time To Look AT
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
Re: fox island east wall
We have to take the boat?!CaptnJack wrote:Sounds good, although we'll "have to" take the boat. I'm not huffing up and down that slippery mud hill.Tom Nic wrote:I could take you there some time!CaptnJack wrote:I definately don't remember a 30ft high wall!
Its quite possible we missed the best parts of the wall. My wife balked at the hill so I have only done it by boat (2x I think). Last time was at least 8 years ago.
Oh darn, I was looking forward to the potential cardiac arrest on the climb back up. 
Seriously, though, from a boat you would almost feel like you were at the shore. The slope is gradual so you are maybe 50-100' at most off the shore depending on the tide. One of the days we did it was at a low slack and when we were at the top of the wall we were only in 10-15fsw. We ended the dive coming up over the wall and then poking around in the rocky shallows before coming in and taking our fins off.
More Pics Than You Have Time To Look AT
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
Re: fox island east wall
I do recall anchoring close to the water's edge in maybe 12-15 ft of water. Just nothing 30ft high when we swam east. It was a series of little ledges less than a body length high sorta like Z's reef.
Guess we missed the best bits.
Guess we missed the best bits.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
Re: fox island east wall
I did this a few months ago...used the Fischnaller directions for current advice. It was dead calm when we entered and beginning to rip about 35 minutes later...so I would enter a little earlier next time.
We went straight out from the path, hit 40 fsw, and took a right. Bam! Hit the big wall. It's pretty cool, but this is definitely a structure dive, not a critter dive. I don't remember if it was 30 ft but that sounds about right.
Fox Island West Wall is not current sensitive and has tons of critters....it's a great second dive.
We went straight out from the path, hit 40 fsw, and took a right. Bam! Hit the big wall. It's pretty cool, but this is definitely a structure dive, not a critter dive. I don't remember if it was 30 ft but that sounds about right.
Fox Island West Wall is not current sensitive and has tons of critters....it's a great second dive.
Re: fox island east wall
thank you all for the info on the east wall. Im not afraid of a bit of a hike. Im 61 now but we just hiked down the agate pass trail a few weeks ago..(not the island side but the side with the car pool parking). And yes about the west wall. Just dove it sunday and its very nice and quiet. found a couple of gpo and a ton of rockfish..large ones....again thanks cam