Alki Pipeline

[babs13]

When are good/ not so good times to dive this site? Seems that it can be current sensitive and choppy if there are southernly winds. How should one plan a dive at this site?
??

[CaptnJack]

When are good/ not so good times to dive this site? Seems that it can be current sensitive and choppy if there are southernly winds. How should one plan a dive at this site?
??

High tide! serious long boring cobbly ankle crunching walk in poopy vis otherwise.
Slack before ebb at Alki Point:
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/get_pr ... &footnote=

Its not super current sensitive so getting in 45mins before slack is reasonable. Then you can get an hour bottom time without much current. Obvious mild winds are required, KIRO goes out to the seawall in storms for dramatic waves shots. <15knots is a reasonable go, no-go decision. Real time winds are available for West Point just on the other side of Elliott Bay:
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=wpow1

[Tangfish]

It is light-moderately current intensive and you want to do it at a flood, because it's a really shallow dive. It's also a long surface swim out to the buoy, but it's a really cool site. Definitely a 1 dive site, since the long swim. There are actually two different pipelines to do there.

Here's a dive site listing for it (I can't believe we don't have one on this site already):
http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/USA_We ... _Pipeline/

And a post on my blog about it:
http://www.calvintang.com/blog/2005/10/alki-pipeline

Enjoy!

[CaptnJack]

BTW the pipe discussed in the Fischnaller book (and elsewhere) can discharge during big or prolonged rain events. Its not "abandoned" as is commonly thought. King County owns and maintains it. Its called the "63rd St SW CSO" The big brick build on the other side of the street and a few hundred feet north is the treatment plant.
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/w ... O/map.aspx

[LCF]

Hmm. I've never done much of a surface swim at this site, and I actually prefer doing it at low tide. At low tide, it's extremely easy to locate the shore end of the pipeline. Yes, you will swim in six feet of water for quite a while, but if the water is calm, it's not a problem, and the shallow part of the pipeline has a lot of life on it. At high tide, I've had problems finding the pipeline at all.

Wind makes this site undiveable. The big logs pound the seawall, and the entry is unsafe.

[CaptnJack]

I guess it depends on your definition of "low" any low greater than about +5ft is probably fine. Except when the lettuce is really going gangbusters, no vis with all the greenery. I have seen it at -2ft and you definitely don't want to dive it then.

[babs13]

Wind makes this site undiveable. The big logs pound the seawall, and the entry is unsafe.

Definitely a 1 dive site, since the long swim.

KIRO goes out to the seawall in storms for dramatic waves shots. <15knots is a reasonable go, no-go decision. Real time winds are available for West Point just on the other side of Elliott Bay:
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=wpow1

General conclusion- wind is bad for this shallow site, will be good swim practice, awesome stuff to see if viz is good. During flood, pipe might be hard to find. Thank you!

Here's a dive site listing for it (I can't believe we don't have one on this site already):
http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/USA_We ... _Pipeline/
And a post on my blog about it:
http://www.calvintang.com/blog/2005/10/alki-pipeline

Yep, its not on the site. I'll add.

[ljjames]

if its windy on the pipeline side, you can always pop across the point and dive the junkyard (and vice versa) no need to waste a slack

[Tangfish]

The Junkyard is indeed a decent dive site. I've seen a juvenile wolf eel out in the open there and it was amazing!

[Chevayea]

Here's our description of the dive site on The Perfect Dive website: http://www.theperfectdive.com/DEF-Site.asp?sID=8

I've found this site to be a great night dive option. It is well lit and trafficked on the street so we feel safe leaving the vehicles and the entry is easy. We have found dogfish on many of our dives here, and often encounter giant skates in the flat sandy bottom on the sides of the pipeline. There's lots of little life along the way to look at but it is easy to get turned around on the sandy parts so set your compass. Make sure you take a compass heading and follow it over the buried portion of the pipeline to the end. It's pretty cool to see the opening.

I personally wouldn't dive this on a very low tide because it is just too shallow to stay down without a lot of weight (like shallower than a safety stop). But it is a nice site. I prefer it over the Junkyard hands down.

[LCF]

Nice idea about night diving it, Chevayea. I've never done that, and have to add it to the list.

I don't mind spending a lot of time in six feet of water, as long as there isn't much surge. I'm weighted to be neutral at the surface at 500 psi, so it isn't a problem. (It's unlikely anybody is going to end up that low on gas at the Pipeline, because it's so shallow you're going to get good and cold before you empty a tank!)

[babs13]

Schweet suggestions!

[gcbryan]

I agree regarding the suggestion to look for skates at this site at night. I've seen 5 on one night dive at the Pipeline. Just move over to the side just out of sitghtof the pipeline for the entire return trip in and it's likely you will see skates.

I disagree that's it's hard to find the pipeline on a higher tide if you start at the beginning by the shore. Why is it harder to see in 10 feet of water than in 6? You know that the pipeline comes out of the concrete building on shore so just start there.

You will also usually see many sailfin sculpin at this site at night.