Harstine Island/Jarrell Cove State Park

[stphnmartin]

Has anyone dived Jarrell Cove State Park? Their website http://parks.state.wa.us/523/Jarrell-Cove lists diving as an activity. Or perhaps have you dived other parts of Harstine Island? I'm going to be there July 9-10 and am wondering if there are dive-able sites on the island. Thanks!

[Desert Diver]

I almost posted the same thing yesterday. Searching NDC gives almost nothing. ?????????

[Nwbrewer]

I haven't dived in Jarrell cove. I would probably pass on it, based on the fact that the vis in there is pretty much 0 most of the year, and the number of boats in and out constantly. The east side of the island, around McMicken state park (http://parks.state.wa.us/545/McMicken-Island ) state park has better vis usually, and a lot of rocky structure. Supposedly there is a DFW tire reef North of there too, though I haven't found GPS numbers for it yet. Both these sites would need a boat.

Where the bridge goes across to the island, if you look just to the North you can see the old ferry landing. I doubt there is great vis in there, but the bottle hunting should be good and right in there isn't very current sensitive.

So far I've only done the pilings on the bridge, and an area to the north of there where an old steamship landing was. Found some cool bottles.

Jake

[CaptnJack]

The reef north of McMicken island is in very deep water as far as I can tell, 140ft-ish. Its not within the charted fish haven area (which looked pretty barren to me when I mowed it with the depth sounder) I have dove around Squaxin island (between Squaxin and Harstine) years ago but it was boring silt.

Diving the cove itself is crazy talk, its small and packed with boats. I would stick to the bridge area and be careful of the currents, at least down by Hope Island they really rip.

[Nwbrewer]

The reef north of McMicken island is in very deep water as far as I can tell, 140ft-ish. Its not within the charted fish haven area (which looked pretty barren to me when I mowed it with the depth sounder) I have dove around Squaxin island (between Squaxin and Harstine) years ago but it was boring silt.

Diving the cove itself is crazy talk, its small and packed with boats. I would stick to the bridge area and be careful of the currents, at least down by Hope Island they really rip.

I've mowed it with the depth sounder too, and come up with nothing, but one of the old timer neighbors swears it's not all that deep and I'm just in the wrong spot.

Current AT the bridge can be stupid. The google earth image of the bridge shows the wake of the pilings. The old ferry landing is north in the protected cove. Currents there aren't bad.


At some point I want to do the south end of harstine. The bottom topography looks interesting, and with all the current there life should be interesting. Have to time it carefully and from a live boat.

Richard have you done steamboat island?

[CaptnJack]

Steamboat is pretty decent, its a small wall similar to Z's reef or Sunrise. You need a live boat and slack on a small exchange day though, it really moves there. IIRC there's a current station on the east end of pickering passage (to Shelton) that was spot on time. Definitely one of the better south sound dives, just a royal pain to execute.

[Nwbrewer]

Monk and I tried Harstine Island state park this last weekend. Lots and lots of sand. We then did a site on the east side of pickering passage that I thought looked interesting. Aside from the lady on shore yelling at us because she thought we were stealing her geoducks, it was pretty boring too. Mud and sea whips as far as the eye could see.

One of these days I'll find a site in that are worthy of a second dive.

Jake