What? Neah Bay, Sekiu, Washington area?

[BASSMAN]

Curley's Resort & Dive Center
http://www.curleysresort.com/
There is also a bunch of dive sites there...
Dive # 1 Sekiu Jetty
Dive # 2 Mile Post 6
Dive # 3 Mile Post 5
Dive # 4 Mile Post 4
Dive # 5 Mile Post 2
Seven Fathoms Reef
Duncan Rock
Tatoosh Island
Mushroom Rock
Garbage Dump Bay
The Fingers
Whadda Island
Neah Bay Jetty
Third Beach Reef
Seal and Sail Rocks
wreck of the Andalusia
Hoko Reef or Kadaka Point
Slip Point Reef

Dive # 1 Sekiu Jetty
Drive .2 miles past Olson's Marina through parking lot to far end at N.W. corner of lot. Configuration of rocks is directly in front of you. You will see nudibranch, ling cod, rock fish, sea bass, greenling, schools of micids, sponges, red, green and purple sea urchins, amphipods, and sea squirts. Very colorful....

Dive # 2 Mile Post 6
Stop .1 mile prior to milepost 6. Dive into the kelp. You will see on left side with one large protruding rock. We saw whales, seals, and harbor seals from the surface. We found amphipods, micids, and greenling.

Dive # 3 Mile Post 5
Go .5 miles past milepost 5. It's past the graffiti on the rocks, though three turns off the road. As the road straightens out, pull over at the turn-out on your right, opposite the slate rocks. Climb down the small cliff. The rocks and kelp are protruding directly in front of you even at high tide. You will see ling cod in the kelp forest, sea bass, greenling, rock scallops, all types of sea stars, an occasional wolf eel, perch, micids and amphipods.

Dive # 4 Mile Post 4
Dive .1 mile past mile post 4. Pull into large turnout. Walk though the trees to the beach. Swim out a few hundred feet. Go off to your right or left 75 yards. Don't go straight it is barren. You will see the same as Mile Post 5 plus an occasional seal.

Dive # 5 Mile Post 2
Go .1 mile prior to mile post 2. (.9 mile from mile post 3) The turnout is on a corner at a large cove. You will see the same as mile post 5.

The diving in the Sekiu area is excellent. East of town, across the bay, is the
Slip Point Reef. This massive reef is marked with a green channel buoy and offers a plethora of life. Divers can see fish, invertebrate, anemones, wolf eels and octopus on this dive. This spot is extremely current sensitive. Dive this reef only on a slack tide with a live boat, if possible. (local predictions can be obtained at Curley's.)

Just north of Sekiu is the
Hoko Reef or Kadaka Point. This is a really nice reef that is located at the mouth of the Hoko River. The reef has a massive structure with rising canyons and valleys leading from 30 ft down below 100 ft. This area is in the rock fish protected zone. This means that only 1 rock fish can be caught and retained, per person per day. This spot is also very exposed and current sensitive.

In front of the Snow Creek Resort is
the wreck of the Andalusia. The wreck has broken down with no vertical structure remaining but the fish are using it as an artificial reef . The wreck is in 40 to 50 ft of water and has a lot of life on it.

Just west of the resort are a couple of huge rocks called
Seal and Sail Rocks. They are part of a huge boulder field that stretches out 1/2 mile to the west. This area has a variety of life in a partially protected bay. The bay is shallow at first and gently slopes until the rock begin. You can see just about anything here; from whales to wolf eels.

A little farther to the west is
Third Beach Reef. This is an excellent dive site that stretches out over several hundred yards. You can see the reef extending from shore. The submerged reef has canyons and valleys that provide structure for a immense vareity of life. Although the reef goes down past 100 ft. the majority of life can be found above 40 ft. This site is somewhat exposed to currents. You should dive this on slack if possible or use a live boat.

The Neah Bay Jetty is an excellent but demanding shore dive. The jetty is on the west side of the town and access is limited. You must get permission from the logging company who uses the jetty to park your car. You can park about 1/2 way out the jetty and then walk across the huge boulders down to the water, carrying your gear. Water entry is difficult at best and exit is just plain dangerous. Still, it is a great shore dive that has plenty of fish, wolf eels, and octopus.

Whadda Island is at the head of Neah Bay. It is connected to the shore by the man-made jetty. The diving is outstanding all around the island. Many fish have been caught near this island, it shelters an incredible amount of life and critters.

On the Northeast side is a site called
"the fingers." This reef extends like fingers into the ocean forming a series of ridges that gently slope to deep water. It makes for excellent habitat for all kinds of fish, invertebrates, wolf eels, and giant pacific octopus. This is an incredible site but is very exposed to the current. You should dive this area on a slack or with a live boat. This is a very popular fishing site so fly a dive flag and be alert for other boat traffic.

Further west of Neah Bay is the outer bay area, known to local fisherman as
Garbage Dump Bay. They got the name from the smoke from the garbage dump that sits behind the bay and serves as a local landmark. This area contains a series of sites in a large boulder field. This spot is teaming with life and doesn't seem to get as much boat traffic as the head of Neah Bay.

A few hundred yards to the west of Neah Bay is
Mushroom Rock. This is a mushroomed shaped rock that is part of a very heavily carved series of rocks that channel the surge thru a series of underwater canyons. Local charter captain, Steve Boothe calls them, "surge directors" but says that they lead to "spectacular diving."

A few miles still further west is
Tatoosh Island. This is the most NW part of the US. The island is a wildlife sanctuary and is very exposed and rugged. Many fisherman call this area there
"honey hole". The west side of the island seems to hold the most life. You can dive a deep as you like here. Most of the life is in the shallower waters.

Still farther west. is
Duncan Rock. Duncan is an exposed pinnacle nearly in the middle of the strait of Juan De Fuca. The amount, size and variety of life here is legendary. This can only be dove safely on certain days with near perfect dive conditions and only with an experienced guide. I'm not kidding.

Seven Fathoms Reef is 1 mile west of Tatoosh Island. This is a pillar that comes up from 200 +ft to within 50 ft of the surface. If you can find it, it promises a nearly "virgin" dive site. Go and explore!

All info came from http://www.curleysresort.com/