Skyline Marina/Wall Saturday morning???

gcbryan · Post by **gcbryan** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:32 pm

Glad you guy's had a great dive. So, have you changed your mind about low exchange days being at problem at Skyline?

dsteding · Post by **dsteding** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:42 pm

gcbryan wrote:Glad you guy's had a great dive. So, have you changed your mind about low exchange days being at problem at Skyline?

No, I think they are a problem for swimming divers, a bit less so with the scooter. One advantage of today was really mild to no current around slack. Disadvantage is the unpredictable nature of the current switch (which you can work around with the scooter).

Today, the current switched-but probably a hour and a half after slack, which I think was more of a function of the larger ebb. When we got in (a bit after slack at Rosario) the current was zippo, or maybe just a bit still pushing towards Rosario.

With the scoots and low exchange days (assuming not to much exchange before the slack before ebb like today) I will approach it the same way I did today, splash at slack or a bit after, gauge the current and adjust the trigger time accordingly. Basically, stop and take the read of the current 15 minutes in, if it isn't pushing towards Rosario at that point, extend another 5 minutes, then swim for 20 or so, shallowing up, and scooter home.

Obviously, the scoot changes your typical approach to this dive. I'd much rather err on the side of ebb than flood because I'd rather scooter into a current on the first leg and have it pushing me home on the return. That being said, I almost prefer to dive this as a thirds dive on the battery and put some swimming into it in the middle-that way, if you have a scooter failure, your buddy can tow you out. The swim home wouldn't be life-threatening, but it would be annoying-we were probably a third of a mile around the corner, well past where people usually dive.

gcbryan · Post by **gcbryan** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:55 pm

Personally, I always go a little late for the reasons that you've mentioned. I'd rather have the current pushing me toward the exit.

I've been to just around the corner or rather just to the corner. How was it around the corner? At that point you are doing the Washington Park dives from the NW Shoredives Book.

By the way, this site usually seems to have slightly worse viz than other locations on a given day.

dsteding · Post by **dsteding** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:08 pm

Agreed on erring on the side of ebb.

gcbryan wrote: I've been to just around the corner or rather just to the corner. How was it around the corner? At that point you are doing the Washington Park dives from the NW Shoredives Book.

Well, having scootered from Washington Park to Skyline, there are lots of "corners." If you were to surface swim out to where you could look west to Rosario, my guess is we were past what looks to be a corner (really, a point with a cove behind it). The wall extends all the way to the real corner on the map-we didn't go that far today.

I think Richard and I got almost all the way out there this summer, we probably went 3000 feet out on the wall, based on our runtime. Out there, you eventually hit a big sloping wall COVERED in scallops, then the bottom changes to gravel and is a big 60-80 fsw shoal that extends out to Rosario (not really on the charts).

On the other side of that, at least in about 60 feet of water, are fairly big sand dunes from the currents, and quite frankly, that place is nasty in terms of diving out there. Not recommended with or without a scooter. Best parts of the wall are the parts you can swim from the marina side (as far as you could go swimming or ~20-25 minutes out on a scooter).

Cool place, I'm having fun getting to know it.

dsteding · Post by **dsteding** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:11 pm

gcbryan wrote:
By the way, this site usually seems to have slightly worse viz than other locations on a given day.

Yup. The vis was worse here than at Rosario Beach according to reports, and it noticeably dropped when I turned the dive-just filled up with glacial silt and murk.

gcbryan · Post by **gcbryan** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:16 pm

dsteding wrote:
gcbryan wrote:
By the way, this site usually seems to have slightly worse viz than other locations on a given day.
Yup. The vis was worse here than at Rosario Beach according to reports, and it noticeably dropped when I turned the dive-just filled up with glacial silt and murk.

I've never done the Washington Park dive because it's a hassle and I figured that Skyline Wall was better.

I'd like to hear your report if you get to NW Island off Rosario. I've done the close in dive (Urchin Rocks) and it's nothing to write home about unless you like shallow dives with lot's of urchins but not much else. I'm guessing NW Island has the potential to be much better.

For what it's worth, since I usually do Skyline on a low exchange day I also do Keystone on the way home as a bonus dive even though by the time I get there it's usually close to max current but on a low exchange day that's not usually a problem as we usually are able to get to the end of the jetty with no discernable current. It's a bonus dive so if it's a problem we just keep the dive short and don't go to the end of the jetty.

dsteding · Post by **dsteding** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:28 pm

gcbryan wrote:
I've never done the Washington Park dive because it's a hassle and I figured that Skyline Wall was better.

Correct, no real reason to do Washington Park, at least imho (vis was bad that day, but it seems to be a rocky bottom, max out in about 40 fsw). Granted, we scootered through it that day, but I didn't say "wow, I should come back here."

gcbryan wrote:
I'd like to hear your report if you get to NW Island off Rosario. I've done the close in dive (Urchin Rocks) and it's nothing to write home about unless you like shallow dives with lot's of urchins but not much else. I'm guessing NW Island has the potential to be much better.

I hear from people that have dived it from a boat that it is a pretty good dive on the west side. I think our plan is to surface scooter to the island (probably 5-8 minutes). Drop, circumnavigate, maybe do it twice and kick the west side. Come back to the east side, take a bearing back to Rosario, scooter home. Maybe bring an 80 to monkey dive Urchin Rocks afterwards-that looked pretty shallow.

gcbryan wrote:
For what it's worth, since I usually do Skyline on a low exchange day I also do Keystone on the way home as a bonus dive even though by the time I get there it's usually close to max current but on a low exchange day that's not usually a problem as we usually are able to get to the end of the jetty with no discernable current. It's a bonus dive so if it's a problem we just keep the dive short and don't go to the end of the jetty.

Good to know, that would make a good second dive, we planned that at one point but ended up not doing that. Having the scoot clipped off on that dive might be helpful if it was needed.

gcbryan · Post by **gcbryan** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:37 pm

I'm sure you realize this but since there's quite a bit of good info regarding Skyline Wall and those who haven't been there will read this as well ... if slack is miscalculated for whatever reason and you find yourself with a long surface swim it's usually not as bad as you would think. It's about half as bad as you would think! Once you get about halfway back it's more protected and the swim is much easier.

Underwater, if you need to go back and there is still strong current at depth by going upslope to 35 fsw or so there is usually much less current.

dsteding · Post by **dsteding** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 6:05 pm

gcbryan wrote:I'm sure you realize this but since there's quite a bit of good info regarding Skyline Wall and those who haven't been there will read this as well ... if slack is miscalculated for whatever reason and you find yourself with a long surface swim it's usually not as bad as you would think. It's about half as bad as you would think! Once you get about halfway back it's more protected and the swim is much easier.

Underwater, if you need to go back and there is still strong current at depth by going upslope to 35 fsw or so there is usually much less current.

True. It is more of a pain in the ass than anything else. Also, getting close to the wall inside the kelp line on the surface will help.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 6:12 am

Yup ... for sure I wish I'd brought a camera ... I just haven't figured out a way to clip it off comfortably while scootering yet (I will, though ... too many missed opportunities).

On the way out I was mostly just enjoying all the ground cover ... sponges and scallops and whatnot. At one point I spotted a HUGE heart crab just sitting there waiting to be admired. Signaled Doug and we made a quick stop to take a look. A couple minutes later we were passing over some anemones and ... amazingly ... a tiny candy-stiped shrimp was visible due to the contrasts. Again I signaled Doug and we stopped to look.

Once we clipped off and started kicking, the critters were pretty much no-stop. Many candy-striped shrimp, three red fur crabs, tons of familiar nudis ... and one I hadn't seen before. Referencing Behrens, it looks like a San Juans Aeolid. Tiny little thing ... and very pretty.

Finally, back on the trigger to the gravel, and a slow kick upslope for our deco.

Awesome ... 98 fsw max, 63 average, 66 minutes .... not the worst vis I've ever seen at Skyline, and overall a great dive.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 6:21 am

BTW - I've done NW Island three times ... twice off of Lu Jac's Quest and once off of Jock's boat.

The west side (opposite Rosario Beach) has some interesting structure and lots of life. The east side (facing Rosario Beach) is reminiscent of Cove 1.

Hazards differ from side to side as well ... on the west side, it's kelp ... on the east side it's boredom ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

whatevah · Post by **whatevah** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:19 am

Grateful Diver wrote:BTW - I've done NW Island three times ... twice off of Lu Jac's Quest and once off of Jock's boat.

The west side (opposite Rosario Beach) has some interesting structure and lots of life. The east side (facing Rosario Beach) is reminiscent of Cove 1.

Hazards differ from side to side as well ... on the west side, it's kelp ... on the east side it's boredom ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Hrm - I thought kelp was an attraction. Northwest Island is a pretty good dive - one of my favorite places to find Puget Sound King Crabs, Golf Ball Crabs and Candystripe Shrimp. I'm not sure I'd consider it interesting enough to merit paying for a charter, but I may be spoiled. Often times I'll use Northwest Island, Sares Head, Strawberry Island or Deception Island as a followup dive to Deception Pass or Canoe Pass. If you have the right combination of low consumption and/or large gas supply you can dive from Rosario Beach out to Northwest Island, swim around and cover the west wall (the southwest corner is most precipitous and interesting) and then fin all the way back to the beach (checking out the fields of sea pens). Or you can surface swim it - for drysuit folks who still wear ankle weights I'd recommend relocating them for the surface swim to avoid unnecessary leg effort.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:10 pm

whatevah wrote: Hrm - I thought kelp was an attraction.

It can be difficult to scooter through ... increases the risk of both entanglement and diver separation ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)