I'm looking to dive the barge and/or the wall at Hat Island and wondering if anyone has visited these sites? If so, how are they? Could you point me to (or provide your own) instructions for finding/navigating the sites?
Thanks much!
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Hat Island site info?
Re: Hat Island site info?
Hat aka Gedney Island. You can flip through the link and see what it has to offer. I don't know about the wall...
http://jankocian.smugmug.com/Other/Cama ... 52&k=CFyrg
http://jankocian.smugmug.com/Other/Cama ... 52&k=CFyrg
http://JanKocian.smugmug.com
I take photos because I like it, not because I'm good at it.
by Unknown
I take photos because I like it, not because I'm good at it.
by Unknown
Re: Hat Island site info?
I can't believe it -- I typed a long and detailed answer earlier tonight, and it's vanished!
Scott Boyd has a good description of the barges on his website: http://www.boydski.com/diving/photos/wr ... Barges.htm
We anchored our boat to the left of the marina entrance (as you face it) in about 25 feet of water. We dropped from the boat, and swam downslope to about 70, and turned left. It didn't take too long to encounter the debris field of the barges. Two of them are seriously deteriorated, but the third has recognizable structure. There is a fair amount of typical Puget Sound life on the structure. You would NOT want to surface from the barge, as it's right in the exit path of boats leaving the marina. I thought the dive was well worth doing.
I was not as pleased with the reef. It's a field of construction debris, with concrete pieces and rebar and cable. There is virtually no depth contour and the pieces of structure all look alike, so if you are diving off an anchored boat, you will have trouble finding the anchor again. Its main appeal is that it is not current-sensitive. I don't know that I would do it again without a boat tender; we were lucky that my buddy and I didn't have too bad a surface swim back to the boat, but had there been any surface current from wind, we could have been in some trouble.
I have not done the deep wall that leads south from Gedney Island, but I understand it has cloud sponges on it at about 95 feet.
Scott Boyd has a good description of the barges on his website: http://www.boydski.com/diving/photos/wr ... Barges.htm
We anchored our boat to the left of the marina entrance (as you face it) in about 25 feet of water. We dropped from the boat, and swam downslope to about 70, and turned left. It didn't take too long to encounter the debris field of the barges. Two of them are seriously deteriorated, but the third has recognizable structure. There is a fair amount of typical Puget Sound life on the structure. You would NOT want to surface from the barge, as it's right in the exit path of boats leaving the marina. I thought the dive was well worth doing.
I was not as pleased with the reef. It's a field of construction debris, with concrete pieces and rebar and cable. There is virtually no depth contour and the pieces of structure all look alike, so if you are diving off an anchored boat, you will have trouble finding the anchor again. Its main appeal is that it is not current-sensitive. I don't know that I would do it again without a boat tender; we were lucky that my buddy and I didn't have too bad a surface swim back to the boat, but had there been any surface current from wind, we could have been in some trouble.
I have not done the deep wall that leads south from Gedney Island, but I understand it has cloud sponges on it at about 95 feet.
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
Re: Hat Island site info?
We run a line from the anchor and last diver reels it in.
I didn't realize the "Wall" is the plateau between Hat and Camano. The Cloud sponges are on the
plateau, the "wall" is a sandy slope with not much on it. The sponges are hard to find, for they are
only on some of the rocks, even with side scan sonar, we did one dive finding only anemones on rocks.
At 90 feet, the bottom time goes by fast when looking around an empty sandy plain ...
As for the barges, they have a new skipper on their private ferry and he freaked out when he saw bubbles
in the water last time we dove there, called the Hat Island fire chief on us
I didn't realize the "Wall" is the plateau between Hat and Camano. The Cloud sponges are on the
plateau, the "wall" is a sandy slope with not much on it. The sponges are hard to find, for they are
only on some of the rocks, even with side scan sonar, we did one dive finding only anemones on rocks.
At 90 feet, the bottom time goes by fast when looking around an empty sandy plain ...
As for the barges, they have a new skipper on their private ferry and he freaked out when he saw bubbles
in the water last time we dove there, called the Hat Island fire chief on us
http://JanKocian.smugmug.com
I take photos because I like it, not because I'm good at it. by Unknown
I take photos because I like it, not because I'm good at it.
by UnknownRe: Hat Island site info?
@LCF, I'm surprised you noted the reef is not current sensitive. Playyourdive.com rated the reef (http://www.planyourdive.com/map/sites/4 ... nd%20Reef/) as advanced due to strong current. Plus I've seen the current out there and it looks strong from the surface. Maybe you just had a lucky day? At any rate, sounds like it's not that good of a site and I'm best off checking out the barges.
@janK - myabe you're referring to the Gedney Island Bar. The Gedney Island Wall (http://www.planyourdive.com/map/sites/6 ... nd%20Wall/) purportedly has some clay walls.
Thanks for the info, folks! I'll let you know how my dive goes.
@janK - myabe you're referring to the Gedney Island Bar. The Gedney Island Wall (http://www.planyourdive.com/map/sites/6 ... nd%20Wall/) purportedly has some clay walls.
Thanks for the info, folks! I'll let you know how my dive goes.
Re: Hat Island site info?
Yes, you are right. What threw me was that Lynne mentioned Cloud sponges. Looking forward to your report. I did not dive the wall yet.JeremyB wrote: @janK - myabe you're referring to the Gedney Island Bar. The Gedney Island Wall (http://www.planyourdive.com/map/sites/6 ... nd%20Wall/) purportedly has some clay walls.
http://JanKocian.smugmug.com
I take photos because I like it, not because I'm good at it. by Unknown
I take photos because I like it, not because I'm good at it.
by UnknownRe: Hat Island site info?
Hmm . . . I remembered doing the reef as a second dive, because it wasn't as current-sensitive, but I could be wrong; it was a long time ago. At any rate, it's a befuddling dive, and best done from a live boat.
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
Re: Hat Island site info?
I was under the impression that Hat Island is pretty current sensitive. The bar to the north certainly is. Its mostly a by guess and by golly sort of thing going at high or low tide as there aren't any current stations nearby (its too unpredictable to develop a current model)
I've done the artificial reef once. It is moderately current sensitive, and was ok. I wouldn't go a long ways to redo it. I have not done the "wall" or the barges.
As much as "planyourdive" appears to be a first hand resource, realize that not every site listed has been personally dove by the authors. They could be more forthcoming on their information sources and whether they have personally dove a given site and under what conditions.
I've done the artificial reef once. It is moderately current sensitive, and was ok. I wouldn't go a long ways to redo it. I have not done the "wall" or the barges.
As much as "planyourdive" appears to be a first hand resource, realize that not every site listed has been personally dove by the authors. They could be more forthcoming on their information sources and whether they have personally dove a given site and under what conditions.
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: Hat Island site info?
Hat Island Reef can be surface current sensitive but I have never noticed a discerable bottom current at that location and the current has never been so bad that I could not kick against it. We dove there on Monday and we had a North wind and an ebbing tide (-3.6 feet). The anchor line was slack after we descended 5 feet.
The reef can be spectacular on a good to great visibility dive. Some people like these types of reefs others don't. There are quite a few different rock piles at this site. We usually anchor on one side of a rock pile and then swim around the rock pile and then end up back at the anchor line. When the visibility is not great we put a strobe on the anchor line.
Hat Island barges do not have much current. You will be affected more by wind then current at this site. They are a great place to go if you have a South wind that makes diving the reef questionable. Facing the marina entrance we anchor to the left of the "wing" wall in about 30 feet of water taking care not to let out too much scope on the anchor line that the boat might move into the marina entrance. Once in the water we head North and down slope to find the barges. Again on a good to great visibility dive this can be a great place to visit.
With both sites you need to be aware of boat traffic and both areas are frequented by fishermen so there is the possibility of fishing line and lures in the water column.
The reef can be spectacular on a good to great visibility dive. Some people like these types of reefs others don't. There are quite a few different rock piles at this site. We usually anchor on one side of a rock pile and then swim around the rock pile and then end up back at the anchor line. When the visibility is not great we put a strobe on the anchor line.
Hat Island barges do not have much current. You will be affected more by wind then current at this site. They are a great place to go if you have a South wind that makes diving the reef questionable. Facing the marina entrance we anchor to the left of the "wing" wall in about 30 feet of water taking care not to let out too much scope on the anchor line that the boat might move into the marina entrance. Once in the water we head North and down slope to find the barges. Again on a good to great visibility dive this can be a great place to visit.
With both sites you need to be aware of boat traffic and both areas are frequented by fishermen so there is the possibility of fishing line and lures in the water column.
Hat Island site info?
I would love to buddy up with anyone who is planning to do these dives. The Hat Island reef and barges have been on my bucket list for awhile now.
Re: Hat Island site info?
@Rockfish, your post has me reconsidering doing the reef. We'll be diving from a live boat. We'll be in the area to dive the barge anyway, so might as well drop down the anchor line and see how the current is (assuming viz is worth it). Can you tell me how to find the site?
@Jeremy, if this dive tomorrow goes well I'll contact you next time I'm looking to dive the site again.
@Jeremy, if this dive tomorrow goes well I'll contact you next time I'm looking to dive the site again.
Re: Hat Island site info?
I have dived the Hat Island reefs numerous times with different people and each one dropped me on a different pile of junk. All fun.
My dives on the barges were done much like described except there are more than 3 barges. They had a group sink and floated another barge over them with a sign that tread "No Diving". It sank as well. I wish I had a camera with me to get a picture of my swimming next to that sign in 70 ft of water. I love this dive.
-Curt
My dives on the barges were done much like described except there are more than 3 barges. They had a group sink and floated another barge over them with a sign that tread "No Diving". It sank as well. I wish I had a camera with me to get a picture of my swimming next to that sign in 70 ft of water. I love this dive.
-Curt
Happy to be alive.