Skill Level: Intermediate and up
Current Sensitive: Not really, you can drift along the wall during an exchange if you want. You can also swim against most exchanges. The closest current correction station is ~2 miles due west. Rosario Strait slack before ebb add 0:38 slack before flood add 1:08. Or just go at high or low tide.
Location/Address: NW of Deception Pass
Directions: About 2/3rds of a mile NW of Bowman Bay in Deception Pass State Park
Free Parking: Yes for vehicles without trailers at both Bowman and Cornet Bays.
Staging Area: Boat
Surface Swim: none
Nearby Facilities: Bathrooms at both Bowman Bay and Cornet Bay boat ramps. Shore/kayak access from Rosario Beach too. Nearest real food is in Anacortes. For trailered boats, Bowman Bay's ramp is ONLY usable during highish tides. The ramp at Cornet Bay is useable anytime.
Special Considerations: Potential for serious depth, vis and nets.
Maximum Depth: Choose your preferred depth, can be up to 200ft
Dive Site Description: This is another of the readily accessible walls within decent driving distance of Pugetropolis. It extends 1/2mile north and a short ways south of the point of land called "Sares Head".
Currents are pretty mild. The site is accessible by real boat or by dive kayak with a ~1mile paddle. The biggest surface challenge is finding a place to anchor. Its hard to find anyplace shallow enough since the wall is essentially vertical with small overhangs. On the dive among other life you'll find basket stars, octos, yelloweye rockfish.
Visibility at this site is generally poor, 15ft would be a good day. 8-10ft is typical at depth. Commercial salmon fishermen set gill nets out from the wall in certain times of the year. They are square and marked with floats at the corners, keep props and divers clear. Storms have blown some of these into the rocks and they form a big solid ropey-like mass of net, line, and sealife in places. Stay clear, do not try to remove nets.
There is often a small shelf underneath a grotto at about 70ft, this is a good place for recreational divers to cruise. For deco dives the wall continues to a bit over 200ft.
