Lake Washington Wreck Dives
Lake Washington Wreck Dives
The Northwest Wreck Dives crew had a great weekend out on Lake Washington. The water is "brisk" (~ 43-44° at depth), but the visibility was decent and calm surface conditions made for good side-scanning. We located and dove on 4 barges, 2 boat lifts, a large stump, a run-about, a bunch of BFR's (big rocks) and a couple of decent wrecks.
My favorite dives of the weekend were photographing the Wheeler in the south end of the lake (very picturesque):
and the YMS 359 Minesweeper in the North End of the lake (which has a very interesting fairlead on the bow):
Prime time for good viz in the Lake should be over the next three months. So if your up for a little "low to no viz" wreck diving, you might start thinking about Lake Washington.
My favorite dives of the weekend were photographing the Wheeler in the south end of the lake (very picturesque):
and the YMS 359 Minesweeper in the North End of the lake (which has a very interesting fairlead on the bow):
Prime time for good viz in the Lake should be over the next three months. So if your up for a little "low to no viz" wreck diving, you might start thinking about Lake Washington.
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
You know, we did a simple training dive in the lake a week ago or so, and I was astonished by how good the visibility was (at least until we got through with it). Maybe it's time to give the lake another chance. I'll have to have a look at your book, and see what's down there that's within my "legal" range.
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
valientLCF wrote:You know, we did a simple training dive in the lake a week ago or so, and I was astonished by how good the visibility was (at least until we got through with it). Maybe it's time to give the lake another chance. I'll have to have a look at your book, and see what's down there that's within my "legal" range.
dawn
hauler
PBM (but avoid this if the Cedar river is at all high)
are all popular & worthwhile dives in your range
The wheeler looks great Scott
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
What kind of depth are we talking about for these wrecks? Any of them within recreational limits?
Brendan
Brendan
FTM ~ PTB ~ EGH ~ RFB ~ KTF ~ DTRT
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
"Recreational limits" in the lake is kind of a different thing. All of the stuff Richard mentioned is above 130', but diving in the lake is DARK, and the bottom is such that touching the bottom with a fin tip can mean game over on a small wreck.2loud4u wrote:What kind of depth are we talking about for these wrecks? Any of them within recreational limits?
Brendan
There is also the wreck of the I-90 bridge center span at the south end, it's in about 60' of water, as well as the lake washington mill site, which is fun and REALLY shallow.
Follow the two links in Scott's post to check out more of the stuff in lake washington. Dan Warter's DCS films site is great too.
"Screw "annual" service,... I get them serviced when they break." - CaptnJack (paraphrased)
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
Hi Brendan,2loud4u wrote:Any of them within recreational limits?
As mentioned above, ALL of the ambient light in the lake disappears at about 60'. When you combine no light with 10' of viz in brown water, a brown silty bottom and brown silt covered wrecks, it is often impossible to actually "see" the bottom. Most new divers in Lake Washington face plant into the silt before they even know they have reached the bottom.
There are a couple of good wrecks that are in 60' of water or less. They still have ambient light from the surface, which makes exploring them much easier. The Snickerdoodle is very shallow (just off the Atlantic City Boat Ramp) and the Wolf Bay Wreck is about 60' deep (just South of the Sand Point Boat Ramp).
The PBM Mariner (at the South End of the Lake) also makes a nice dive with ambient light still available. There are also several barges in the Lake that can be accessed from shore (Like the King Street or West Shore Scows).
Good Luck,
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
Is the Wolf Bay wreck kick/scooterable?
boydski wrote:Hi Brendan,2loud4u wrote:Any of them within recreational limits?
As mentioned above, ALL of the ambient light in the lake disappears at about 60'. When you combine no light with 10' of viz in brown water, a brown silty bottom and brown silt covered wrecks, it is often impossible to actually "see" the bottom. Most new divers in Lake Washington face plant into the silt before they even know they have reached the bottom.
There are a couple of good wrecks that are in 60' of water or less. They still have ambient light from the surface, which makes exploring them much easier. The Snickerdoodle is very shallow (just off the Atlantic City Boat Ramp) and the Wolf Bay Wreck is about 60' deep (just South of the Sand Point Boat Ramp).
The PBM Mariner (at the South End of the Lake) also makes a nice dive with ambient light still available. There are also several barges in the Lake that can be accessed from shore (Like the King Street or West Shore Scows).
Good Luck,
"Screw "annual" service,... I get them serviced when they break." - CaptnJack (paraphrased)
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
Windermere Park in Wolf Bay is gated & private so there's no shore access. I know one of the homeowners there so I theoretically <could> get the gate opened, but its easier to just use a boat.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
I wasn't sure how for "just south" of the boat ramp was, as there is shore access at the park that we've used there before in the winter. There's not much to see, mainly golf balls and crawdads. (oh, and beer cans)CaptnJack wrote:Windermere Park in Wolf Bay is gated & private so there's no shore access. I know one of the homeowners there so I theoretically <could> get the gate opened, but its easier to just use a boat.
"Screw "annual" service,... I get them serviced when they break." - CaptnJack (paraphrased)
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
The "wolf bay" wreck is on chart 18447. Its way way too far to swim from Magnusen. Its probably scooterable from Windermere Park but the gate (a people gate not just a car gate) makes that pretty impractable. How about getting your boat out to Discovery Bay for the Warhawk on Feb 13th?Nwbrewer wrote:I wasn't sure how for "just south" of the boat ramp was, as there is shore access at the park that we've used there before in the winter. There's not much to see, mainly golf balls and crawdads. (oh, and beer cans)CaptnJack wrote:Windermere Park in Wolf Bay is gated & private so there's no shore access. I know one of the homeowners there so I theoretically <could> get the gate opened, but its easier to just use a boat.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
The "just south" was probably a poor choice of words on my part (sorry). The Wolf Bay Wreck is about a mile south of the boat ramp in Wolf Bay (and on the Chart as Richard indicated above). Too far to swim/scooter and much easier in a boat.Nwbrewer wrote: I wasn't sure how for "just south" of the boat ramp was
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
Ok, gottcha. I may try and get the boat out into the lake this weekend, might try and do a shallow wreck or 2 as long as I'm at it.CaptnJack wrote:The "wolf bay" wreck is on chart 18447. Its way way too far to swim from Magnusen. Its probably scooterable from Windermere Park but the gate (a people gate not just a car gate) makes that pretty impractable. How about getting your boat out to Discovery Bay for the Warhawk on Feb 13th?Nwbrewer wrote:I wasn't sure how for "just south" of the boat ramp was, as there is shore access at the park that we've used there before in the winter. There's not much to see, mainly golf balls and crawdads. (oh, and beer cans)CaptnJack wrote:Windermere Park in Wolf Bay is gated & private so there's no shore access. I know one of the homeowners there so I theoretically <could> get the gate opened, but its easier to just use a boat.
Not sure about the 13th, I think I'm supposed to be out of town. I'll check with my travel coordinator.
"Screw "annual" service,... I get them serviced when they break." - CaptnJack (paraphrased)
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
It would be my opinion that diving wrecks in the lake is not something for beginners at all. I did two dives there in early 2006, and they were so stressful that I've never gone back. It's taken several years of heavy-duty training in the dark to make me brave enough to try again
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
Yeah but you're a chicken (your own words there...) Look at Jake he can't get enough of the lake, no current, no vis, no current...
Its an aquired taste and I haven't aquired it. Although now is the time to go before the jetskis and waterskiers get going.
Its an aquired taste and I haven't aquired it. Although now is the time to go before the jetskis and waterskiers get going.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
CaptnJack wrote:Yeah but you're a chicken (your own words there...) Look at Jake he can't get enough of the lake, no current, no vis, no current...
Its an aquired taste and I haven't aquired it. Although now is the time to go before the jetskis and waterskiers get going.
I just like collecting golf balls....
"Screw "annual" service,... I get them serviced when they break." - CaptnJack (paraphrased)
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
You have obviously never been to 3Tree North.Nwbrewer wrote:I just like collecting golf balls....CaptnJack wrote:Yeah but you're a chicken (your own words there...) Look at Jake he can't get enough of the lake, no current, no vis, no current...
Its an aquired taste and I haven't aquired it. Although now is the time to go before the jetskis and waterskiers get going.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
i have 3 swimming pool client in windermere... so just let me know and we can do this as a dive ... 2 on Penrith Road
NWDC Rule #2 Pictures Or it didn't Happen
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
Looks like its about 1/3rd of a Nm (~2000ft) from the park. Little less than 15mins of scooter time.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
CaptnJack wrote:Looks like its about 1/3rd of a Nm (~2000ft) from the park. Little less than 15mins of scooter time.
Better to just boat it.
"Screw "annual" service,... I get them serviced when they break." - CaptnJack (paraphrased)
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
- Jaksonbrown
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Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
So Im curious. Why is the lake so clouded? I understand that there is a lot of runoff but without any real current and the size of that lake, one would think that if you stayed away from the river inlets you would get some pretty good vis. I haven't dove in fresh water since I was in Idaho, but we had several lakes that had quite good vis. Is there a monster major tributary that I am missing somewhere?
Inquiring minds wanna know....
Inquiring minds wanna know....
Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
Not sure on the vis, but the silt at the bottom just doesn't really move - so much of it is "suspended" in the water column... which is why people often crash into the ground.Jaksonbrown wrote:So Im curious. Why is the lake so clouded? I understand that there is a lot of runoff but without any real current and the size of that lake, one would think that if you stayed away from the river inlets you would get some pretty good vis. I haven't dove in fresh water since I was in Idaho, but we had several lakes that had quite good vis. Is there a monster major tributary that I am missing somewhere?
Inquiring minds wanna know....
I don't have a whole lot of interest in the shallow lake stuff, and won't go below 80ffw or so in the lake without helium... even last time I was at 120ffw on 25/25 I was creeped out. It's "weird-creepy-dark" down there to me even with a 50w HID and a rockstar team.
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Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
Sounder wrote:
I don't have a whole lot of interest in the shallow lake stuff, and won't go below 80ffw or so in the lake without helium... even last time I was at 120ffw on 25/25 I was creeped out. It's "weird-creepy-dark" down there to me even with a 50w HID and a rockstar team.
"Screw "annual" service,... I get them serviced when they break." - CaptnJack (paraphrased)
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
- John Rawlings
- I've Got Gills
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Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
Think HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of sewers and septic tanks, coupled with with storm water run-off and no major outlet.....Jaksonbrown wrote:So Im curious. Why is the lake so clouded? I understand that there is a lot of runoff but without any real current and the size of that lake, one would think that if you stayed away from the river inlets you would get some pretty good vis. I haven't dove in fresh water since I was in Idaho, but we had several lakes that had quite good vis. Is there a monster major tributary that I am missing somewhere?
Inquiring minds wanna know....
There's a reason that people get skin rashes and diseases each year from swimming in Lake Washington.
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
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Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
Very few septic tanks anymore in the nearshore. The darkness is mostly a function of the tannins in the water (think about how many Cedar trees are in the watershed. To a lessor degree silt and the seasonal bloom & dieoff of phytoplankton.
Nutrient-wise Lake Washington is vastly cleaner (and clearer) than it was 50yrs ago. For a toxics perspective there are some lingering issues, like the current DOH fish advisory for bioaccumulative PCBs http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/oehas/fish/co ... Washington
Nutrient-wise Lake Washington is vastly cleaner (and clearer) than it was 50yrs ago. For a toxics perspective there are some lingering issues, like the current DOH fish advisory for bioaccumulative PCBs http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/oehas/fish/co ... Washington
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
- Jaksonbrown
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Re: Lake Washington Wreck Dives
Well there goes my desire to dive in the lake! Thanks John!John Rawlings wrote:Think HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of sewers and septic tanks, coupled with with storm water run-off and no major outlet.....Jaksonbrown wrote:So Im curious. Why is the lake so clouded? I understand that there is a lot of runoff but without any real current and the size of that lake, one would think that if you stayed away from the river inlets you would get some pretty good vis. I haven't dove in fresh water since I was in Idaho, but we had several lakes that had quite good vis. Is there a monster major tributary that I am missing somewhere?
Inquiring minds wanna know....
There's a reason that people get skin rashes and diseases each year from swimming in Lake Washington.