Tolvia Shoal
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 1:11 pm
Dive Site Name: Tolvia Shoal and artificial reef
Skill Level: Intermediate and up
Current Sensitive: Yes highly, located in the middle of the channel between Fox Island and University Place in Pierce County. Our current predictions weren't accurate so I can't advise on that. Bring a live boat.
Location/Address: Launch from Day Island ramp or the Fox Island bridge ramp (at high tide)
Directions: Around vessel traffic buoy "DTS". Do not tie up to navigational markers! Map:
Free Parking: No at Day Island, yes at Fox Island ramp
Staging Area: Boat only
Surface Swim: Very long if you don't bring a live boat!
Nearby Facilities: No bathrooms at either boat ramp :(
Special Considerations: A big area, stay shallow (<50ft) for best life.
Maximum Depth: Deep as you wanna go, but most of the life is shallow
Dive Site Description: The shallow (35ft) portions of this pinnacle have clay banks and 4ft high walls. Lots of clams and we saw a wolf eel here. We then scootered east from near the top of this pinnacle down to the 80ft level. The current was flooding already so we then turned and scootered into the current at about 80ft. Lots of small rocks and the occasional small boulder at this level. After about 20 mins we shallowed up to 50ft and found parts of the artifical reef. Lots of small rocks on a sand substrate. We drifted fairly fast over this stretch and eventually came upon more small clay banks in 35-45ft of water near the end of our dive. Max depth 80ft, average 50ft, time 52 mins. Here's our general (counterclockwise) travel track in red.
Skill Level: Intermediate and up
Current Sensitive: Yes highly, located in the middle of the channel between Fox Island and University Place in Pierce County. Our current predictions weren't accurate so I can't advise on that. Bring a live boat.
Location/Address: Launch from Day Island ramp or the Fox Island bridge ramp (at high tide)
Directions: Around vessel traffic buoy "DTS". Do not tie up to navigational markers! Map:
Free Parking: No at Day Island, yes at Fox Island ramp
Staging Area: Boat only
Surface Swim: Very long if you don't bring a live boat!
Nearby Facilities: No bathrooms at either boat ramp :(
Special Considerations: A big area, stay shallow (<50ft) for best life.
Maximum Depth: Deep as you wanna go, but most of the life is shallow
Dive Site Description: The shallow (35ft) portions of this pinnacle have clay banks and 4ft high walls. Lots of clams and we saw a wolf eel here. We then scootered east from near the top of this pinnacle down to the 80ft level. The current was flooding already so we then turned and scootered into the current at about 80ft. Lots of small rocks and the occasional small boulder at this level. After about 20 mins we shallowed up to 50ft and found parts of the artifical reef. Lots of small rocks on a sand substrate. We drifted fairly fast over this stretch and eventually came upon more small clay banks in 35-45ft of water near the end of our dive. Max depth 80ft, average 50ft, time 52 mins. Here's our general (counterclockwise) travel track in red.