Fun dives around the south end?
Fun dives around the south end?
I live down in Renton, getting kinda burned-out with diving Cove 2 all the time...other sugjestions near-by? I've done three tree a few times and loved it. What else is near-by? I am feeling seriously nitrogen deprived right now and I need to get froggy!
Come over to the Dark Side, Luke 
Over here on the Bremerton side we not only have Sunrise, we have Harper's Ferry, a great place for macro stuff with nudibranchs galore, really big Great Sculpins, the occasional little octo, a pair of kelp greenlings that live around a sunken trawler, crabs galore - with the possible exception of the GPO and wolf eel, you name it, we've got it. That's outside Port Orchard on the way to the ferry. Right in town we have Illahee State Park, a popular training site where we once found a black-eyed hermit crab the size of an average red octopus. He was HUGE, and living in an especially large Lewis' Moonsnail shell. We've also found various sculpins, poachers, shrimps, crabs, and even got buzzed by a harbor seal a couple of times. A short trip across the bridge is all it takes. I never get tired of Harper's, in particular.
Over here on the Bremerton side we not only have Sunrise, we have Harper's Ferry, a great place for macro stuff with nudibranchs galore, really big Great Sculpins, the occasional little octo, a pair of kelp greenlings that live around a sunken trawler, crabs galore - with the possible exception of the GPO and wolf eel, you name it, we've got it. That's outside Port Orchard on the way to the ferry. Right in town we have Illahee State Park, a popular training site where we once found a black-eyed hermit crab the size of an average red octopus. He was HUGE, and living in an especially large Lewis' Moonsnail shell. We've also found various sculpins, poachers, shrimps, crabs, and even got buzzed by a harbor seal a couple of times. A short trip across the bridge is all it takes. I never get tired of Harper's, in particular.Dave
"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
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--
Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
Harper's Ferry Site Description
It's a no-current site. We've run into a mild current once on a massive-exchange day, and even that was a bit of a fluke. You have to climb down about 3 feet of rocks to get to the water, but they're roughly step-shaped and not that difficult. The shore is river-rock stuff; if you've ever been to Salt Water State Park, the shore is a lot like that. The walk to the water depends on the tide, but it's not too bad even on a low tide. There are a couple of ways to dive it; one is to poke around under the pier looking for little stuff. That will get you to a depth of about 20 fsw if you get to the end of the pier. The biggest hazard there is entanglement, because it's a popular fishing and squidding spot. We have gone out in the evening, just before the regular crowd of squidders got there, gathered anywhere from 3 to 10 squid jigs that we found under there, and at the end of the dive brought them up and given them to the squidders. Just watch out for stray line.
It's a good idea to bring your dive light, because if you go beyond the pier you'll make good use of it. The most popular attractions here by far are the dolphin and the two boats. There's a line leading from the end of the pier to the dolphin, and there's always cool stuff along the way. At the dolphin the pilings are covered with the usual critters, plus there are dozens of little perch and a big school of tubesnouts that usually hang out there. If you go left around the dolphin you come to a rope leading off into the distance. Follow this for about 120 feet and you come to an old sunken trawler that is covered with different kinds of life. We've spent upwards of an hour just exploring this 30 foot hulk, because it's only in about 30 fsw depending on tide, so air consumption isn't a huge problem. It's about 60% reclaimed by the sea, which means parts of aren't terribly sturdy, so look but don't go under anything. This is where those kelp greenlings have been known to hang out, and we've even found an occasional young lingcod. But the trawler is the place for invertebrates. Nudibranchs, gorgeous tubeworms, sea stars, zoanthids, it's an explosion of life.
Back at the dolphin, if you bypass the line to the trawler and keep going around to the left, you come to another line leading off into the distance. This will take you to a little speedboat that's obviously been there for a while, because there's not much left of it. The interior is filled with sand and the shell is partially collapsed. We don't find this one very exciting most of the time, but this was where we found our first-ever Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker. Go figure. It's worth checking out. If you go there first, then take a heading straight west, you should intersect the rope to the trawler. That pattern makes a pretty good tour.
Back at the dolphin yet again, if you keep going around to the side opposite the pier, you come to a field of piling stumps. These are covered with giant plumose anemones, and continue ESE further than we've ever gone. This is where the great sculpins usually hang out, and also where we have found the little octopus before. The place is a jumble of stumps and fallen pilings and it's easy to get turned around, so keep your compass handy. Be sure to look inside the fallen pilings where they've rotted out, because scalyheads, red rock and helmet crabs and lots of other little guys hang out in those dark spaces. When it's time to head back, take a heading west; that will point you back toward the pier. There are more fallen pilings all around this area, so it's anything but dull. Look for little stiletto shrimps and other tiny critters hiding in the sea lettuce; I even found a little blade shrimp here a while back. As you get closer to the pier, watch out for entanglement again, because not only has this area been fished a lot, there are some old discarded crab pots down there, and some still have ropes and such on them. By the time you get to the pier, you'll be back to about 15-20 fsw. You've only been to about 30-35 fsw, but the usual safety stop is always a good idea anyway. The nice part is, you can do it while puttering around in those fallen pilings or under the pier and enjoying the critters. Kelp crabs hang out all over the pier pilings, and you can also find Monterey dorids and white-lined dironas, to name just a few. By the time you've been to the trawler and the speedboat and back, if you're looking closely, you've also probably seen enough Flabellina verrocusa to last you several weeks.
There's more than one way to get in and out on those rocks. One way is to gear up and carefully climb down; my girls usually put their masks and fins down on one of the rocks within easy reach, then climb down and retrieve the small stuff once they're on the shore. I usually just carry it all, but I'm not as bright as they are
Another way is to have your strongest diver climb down without gear, then hand the equipment down to him or her and gear up in the water. Getting out, I usually go first because I'm the strongest climber in our team. They hand their small stuff up to me and then I help them climb up. As with getting in, it's also possible to remove your gear in the water and bring it up to shore, then hand it up to someone who's up top. It's a case of different strokes for different folks, and everybody has their preferred method. Either way, it's easier than it sounds.
There's an excellent map at Janna's website, www.pnwscuba.com/sitemaps/harpersferry2.jpg I confess that most of the headings and stuff I've given you came from that map, which makes sense since I've actually never had an original thought in my life
If you want to give it a try some time before March 8, let me know and we'll hook up.
It's a good idea to bring your dive light, because if you go beyond the pier you'll make good use of it. The most popular attractions here by far are the dolphin and the two boats. There's a line leading from the end of the pier to the dolphin, and there's always cool stuff along the way. At the dolphin the pilings are covered with the usual critters, plus there are dozens of little perch and a big school of tubesnouts that usually hang out there. If you go left around the dolphin you come to a rope leading off into the distance. Follow this for about 120 feet and you come to an old sunken trawler that is covered with different kinds of life. We've spent upwards of an hour just exploring this 30 foot hulk, because it's only in about 30 fsw depending on tide, so air consumption isn't a huge problem. It's about 60% reclaimed by the sea, which means parts of aren't terribly sturdy, so look but don't go under anything. This is where those kelp greenlings have been known to hang out, and we've even found an occasional young lingcod. But the trawler is the place for invertebrates. Nudibranchs, gorgeous tubeworms, sea stars, zoanthids, it's an explosion of life.
Back at the dolphin, if you bypass the line to the trawler and keep going around to the left, you come to another line leading off into the distance. This will take you to a little speedboat that's obviously been there for a while, because there's not much left of it. The interior is filled with sand and the shell is partially collapsed. We don't find this one very exciting most of the time, but this was where we found our first-ever Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker. Go figure. It's worth checking out. If you go there first, then take a heading straight west, you should intersect the rope to the trawler. That pattern makes a pretty good tour.
Back at the dolphin yet again, if you keep going around to the side opposite the pier, you come to a field of piling stumps. These are covered with giant plumose anemones, and continue ESE further than we've ever gone. This is where the great sculpins usually hang out, and also where we have found the little octopus before. The place is a jumble of stumps and fallen pilings and it's easy to get turned around, so keep your compass handy. Be sure to look inside the fallen pilings where they've rotted out, because scalyheads, red rock and helmet crabs and lots of other little guys hang out in those dark spaces. When it's time to head back, take a heading west; that will point you back toward the pier. There are more fallen pilings all around this area, so it's anything but dull. Look for little stiletto shrimps and other tiny critters hiding in the sea lettuce; I even found a little blade shrimp here a while back. As you get closer to the pier, watch out for entanglement again, because not only has this area been fished a lot, there are some old discarded crab pots down there, and some still have ropes and such on them. By the time you get to the pier, you'll be back to about 15-20 fsw. You've only been to about 30-35 fsw, but the usual safety stop is always a good idea anyway. The nice part is, you can do it while puttering around in those fallen pilings or under the pier and enjoying the critters. Kelp crabs hang out all over the pier pilings, and you can also find Monterey dorids and white-lined dironas, to name just a few. By the time you've been to the trawler and the speedboat and back, if you're looking closely, you've also probably seen enough Flabellina verrocusa to last you several weeks.
There's more than one way to get in and out on those rocks. One way is to gear up and carefully climb down; my girls usually put their masks and fins down on one of the rocks within easy reach, then climb down and retrieve the small stuff once they're on the shore. I usually just carry it all, but I'm not as bright as they are
Another way is to have your strongest diver climb down without gear, then hand the equipment down to him or her and gear up in the water. Getting out, I usually go first because I'm the strongest climber in our team. They hand their small stuff up to me and then I help them climb up. As with getting in, it's also possible to remove your gear in the water and bring it up to shore, then hand it up to someone who's up top. It's a case of different strokes for different folks, and everybody has their preferred method. Either way, it's easier than it sounds.There's an excellent map at Janna's website, www.pnwscuba.com/sitemaps/harpersferry2.jpg I confess that most of the headings and stuff I've given you came from that map, which makes sense since I've actually never had an original thought in my life
If you want to give it a try some time before March 8, let me know and we'll hook up.Dave
"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
--
Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
--
Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
Loose-ends Dept.: I haven't found a really good map of Illahee to date; they have a rough one at the LDS in Bremerton that can give you an idea of the layout, but that's all I've come across so far. Harper's is by far the more popular spot over here, and with good reason.
Dave
"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
--
Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
--
Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
OK, I have SO got to get back here! I loved your description as well. Bnboly and I dove here once, and were not impressed. It was the only dive I've EVER done in Puget Sound where I did not see one fish. Not one. Of any kind or size. It was weird. We saw 2 Nanaimo dorids mating and that was it. Not one other nudi of any kind, large or small. (and I do know what I'm looking for, in case you're wondering) Not much life at all, and we went around the dolphins and followed the two lines.dwashbur wrote:we have Harper's Ferry, a great place for macro stuff with nudibranchs galore, really big Great Sculpins, the occasional little octo, a pair of kelp greenlings that live around a sunken trawler, crabs galore - with the possible exception of the GPO and wolf eel, you name it, we've got it.
I suppose this underlines the importance of not judging a divesite on one or two dives. I dive Three Tree all the time and love it. There is lots to see, and easily 3 or 4 different profiles that you can do there. I never get bored with it. In my experience viz will always be as good or better than anywhere else you're diving in the South Sound, so if it's a marginal viz day 3 Tree will still be as good as it gets.
Also, Redondo is a good South end dive site as well, and can be dove (diven?) without much thought paid to the size of the exchange.
Titlow is fantastic, but current sensitive, and Day Island Wall is one of the best dives in the Puget Sound period, but special care needs to be taken because it's in the Tacoma Narrows and current is a factor that cannot be ignored. This is an advanced dive where you either need to be an advanced diver that's done the research or do it with a guide. I go through my tide log at the beginning of the year, and mark the dozen or two flat exchange days that are perfect for diving this site.
And there's Les Davis... one of those sites that you either love or hate, but certainly worth giving a chance to.
More Pics Than You Have Time To Look AT
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
Three tree is a blast! Some great critter watching down there - and would have had some killer good photos of a kelp crab if my strobe had fired! 
Always better to blame the equipment, and not the diver, right? Never done Redondo or the Day Island Wall...directions on getting there? I've heard great things about 'em - but I'm always a little gun-shy about doing a new dive site unless I am out with someone who has been there before.
Always better to blame the equipment, and not the diver, right? Never done Redondo or the Day Island Wall...directions on getting there? I've heard great things about 'em - but I'm always a little gun-shy about doing a new dive site unless I am out with someone who has been there before.You should be able to find info on Redondo at the same site mentioned above (I think... Janna's site) that you got info on Three Tree.kenpodan wrote:Three tree is a blast! Some great critter watching down there - and would have had some killer good photos of a kelp crab if my strobe had fired!
There are folks on this board diving Both Three Tree N and Redondo all the time... Watch and come along!
Redondo you could do no problem self guided as long as you have a good buddy. Day Island I would not...
More Pics Than You Have Time To Look AT
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
If you're talking about Harper's, you must have caught it on the worst day in the history of the planet. That baffles me, and I really have no explanation.Tom Nic wrote:OK, I have SO got to get back here! I loved your description as well. Bnboly and I dove here once, and were not impressed. It was the only dive I've EVER done in Puget Sound where I did not see one fish. Not one. Of any kind or size. It was weird. We saw 2 Nanaimo dorids mating and that was it. Not one other nudi of any kind, large or small. (and I do know what I'm looking for, in case you're wondering) Not much life at all, and we went around the dolphins and followed the two lines.dwashbur wrote:we have Harper's Ferry, a great place for macro stuff with nudibranchs galore, really big Great Sculpins, the occasional little octo, a pair of kelp greenlings that live around a sunken trawler, crabs galore - with the possible exception of the GPO and wolf eel, you name it, we've got it.
Now, if you were talking about Allyn, further south of us, I could understand. We've been there twice and didn't see a single fish, but I suspect that's because both times were during this absurdly wet winter and the place had a massive halocline that reached clear to the bottom. But Harper's? No clue.
Three Tree is one of our favorites. But as is probably the case with you, proximity is a big factor. It's a long drive for us, coming across the Narrows bridge, trying to get through Tacoma in one pieceTom Nic wrote:I suppose this underlines the importance of not judging a divesite on one or two dives. I dive Three Tree all the time and love it. There is lots to see, and easily 3 or 4 different profiles that you can do there. I never get bored with it. In my experience viz will always be as good or better than anywhere else you're diving in the South Sound, so if it's a marginal viz day 3 Tree will still be as good as it gets.
and then making our way up to Burien, takes a long time. It's always worth it, we just don't have the opportunity that often.We love Redondo. It's one of the most amazing places in the Sound, and I frankly can't get enough of it. Again, proximity is a problem, but we get there as often as we possibly can. And I believe the verb form you're looking for is "duv." Okay, I just made that up...Tom Nic wrote:Also, Redondo is a good South end dive site as well, and can be dove (diven?) without much thought paid to the size of the exchange.
I'm partial to the pilings at Titlow, but as you say, gotta watch the current. We got there about half an hour too early one day and wound up fighting current on the way to the pilings until we were almost too exhausted to finish the dive once we got there. Fortunately, by that time the current had slacked off, so we were able to rest for a couple of minutes and then go have a great dive. We haven't had the chance to do Day Island Wall, and probably won't get to this time around. It's on our long-range list, though, that's for sure.Tom Nic wrote:Titlow is fantastic, but current sensitive, and Day Island Wall is one of the best dives in the Puget Sound period, but special care needs to be taken because it's in the Tacoma Narrows and current is a factor that cannot be ignored. This is an advanced dive where you either need to be an advanced diver that's done the research or do it with a guide. I go through my tide log at the beginning of the year, and mark the dozen or two flat exchange days that are perfect for diving this site.
Yep. We love it. A couple of months ago a friend of ours from Idaho came out and we took him there for two dives, a day and a night. He had the time of his life, and didn't even mind us stopping every 3 inches or so to take a picture of something. The key to Les Davis is getting out to where the big blocks are, taking your time and exploring pretty much every square inch of the block you're on. Recently we also discovered a huge tractor tire out in the middle of nowhere that's covered with tubeworms, shiny orange sea squirts and stuff like that; last time there was also a nice Red Irish Lord hanging around under it, daring us to get too close.Tom Nic wrote:And there's Les Davis... one of those sites that you either love or hate, but certainly worth giving a chance to.
I don't know how "south" it is, but we also like Salt Water State Park. Getting to the water can be an adventure, because the big driftwood logs lining the upper beach aren't exactly diver-friendly, and then if the tide is out it can be a pretty long walk on a river-rock stretch; after that comes the surface swim out to the buoy marking the barge. The good news: it's worth it! We found a GPO last time we were there, and there are always interesting nudibranchs and such on the exposed parts of the barge. Last time we were there we also found a cute little Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker hiding inside a little pipe, staring out at us as if to say "You can't see me! You can't see me!" When we do a surface swim to a site we most always snorkel until the bottom vanishes, and while snorkeling out at this site we've seen dogfish and other cool fish, and the fun thing about that surface swim is, on the way in it doesn't have to be surface. The headings are pretty straightforward: east is home. You can do your safety stop along the way while looking for variously-colored shrimps trying to blend in with the scenery, little sculpins, juvenile red rock crabs and who knows what else. So it's a lot of work to get there, but hey, everything in life is a trade-off. This one is definitely worth the trade-off.
I talk too much...
Dave
"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
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"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
--
Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
Ken, we frequently dive Redondo or Three Tree Mid-Week.kenpodan wrote:Okay, settled. Heading over there next week - Monday or Tuesday - to splash around and have some fun! Can't wait!
Dang...reading all these posts makes me REALLY bugged I can't get out 'till Monday. ARGH!
I'll be there with two or three other buddies Thursday and Friday AM... we'll be mostly drilling with new sling bottles and practicing a new hose arrangement. AFter I get back from Bonaire we'll be more regular.
You should find some folks looking to dive mid-week with you!
More Pics Than You Have Time To Look AT
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
We'll be glad to arrange something and give you the Grand TourTom Nic wrote:And it was definitely Harpers. Bill and I were looking at each other and scratching our heads. We'll definitely give it another shot.
We're not really morning people, but noon-ish or after is always good. Since there's no current, time of day isn't a big factor. Let me know and we can meet you there and have some fun!Dave
"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
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Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
--
Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
We can do mornings, it's not a big deal but rather personal preference. If mornings work better for you guys, we can handle itTom Nic wrote: And dwashbur we'd love the tour! Only thing is we usually arrive at our first dive by 9 AM. Perhaps we can do Fox Island West Wall for Dive #1, then meet you guys for dive #2 (and maybe 3!) at Harpers!
That could be a problem, 'cuz we head back to Idaho around the 9thTom Nic wrote:We usually dive on Thursdays or Friday... we'll be sure and post it or PM you... for me it will probably be the 2nd week of March.
Dave
"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
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Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
--
Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
Re: Fun dives around the south end?
Hi Kenpodan,
This sort of question is exactly why i created my dive site. There are so many places to go diving around here and it's hard to sort through so much info. Feel free to visit here and let me know if you find anything helpful:
http://www.theperfectdive.com/DEF-SiteList.asp
If you click on the VIEW MAP link at the top it will give you a map of all the dive sites that we've entered so far, and you can see photos, get driving directions, read reviews and site descriptions and see any special restrictions that you might want to be aware of.
:hello2:
Hope that helps!
This sort of question is exactly why i created my dive site. There are so many places to go diving around here and it's hard to sort through so much info. Feel free to visit here and let me know if you find anything helpful:
http://www.theperfectdive.com/DEF-SiteList.asp
If you click on the VIEW MAP link at the top it will give you a map of all the dive sites that we've entered so far, and you can see photos, get driving directions, read reviews and site descriptions and see any special restrictions that you might want to be aware of.
:hello2:
Hope that helps!