Bailout for Keystone

[TSandM]

I am contemplating a trip to the Keystone jetty, but it's a long way to drive and discover the conditions aren't favorable. I'm not talking about tides/currents, because I've already done that research. But if it's windy and there's a lot of swell, or the currents aren't as predicted, are there some good bailout sites on the island? I've heard about the Langley tire reef, and I believe there's another tire reef somewhere? Can anybody give me some pointers?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

The other tire reef (Coupeville?) is just south of Keystone ... and every bit as current intensive as Keystone. Also, because it has exactly the same exposure, it will be every bit as sensitive to swells and waves (which tend to kick up with a southerly wind).

When I dive Keystone, I always use Langley as my contingency dive plan ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

PS - Just looked at the current predictions for Admiralty Inlet this coming week-end ... and personally I would not even consider Keystone as a viable dive site for either Saturday or Sunday.

http://www.dairiki.org/tides/daily.php/adm/2006-05-27

 

[jim T.]

Hi TSandM,
Langley is the only blow out/alternative site our Anacortes Club uses.
Langley often has very bad Viz. though but is on the opposite side of Whidbey Is.
so is sheltered from winds that effect Keystone. It's also not current intensive.
It's a pretty nice reef dive though and if you've come all the way to Keystone, it's on your way home, at least. the viz. isn't a huge problem because one has one's face right in the reef on that dive anyway.

You've mentioned that you haven't dived Keystone yet so...
A cautionary tale:
I dove Keystone on Sun. It was a minimal tidal exchange day, our LDS' open water cert. dives were being held, etc. while I and others dove independently.
On our 2nd dive, an offshore current turned on like a light switch, surprising everyone. (It felt like almost 2 kts.) I ended up hyperventilating a little-enough to be freaky for a couple of minutes, but going down to the bottom and pull and gliding works fine. About half way in towards shore, the offshore current heads inshore and then you can enjoy the ride.
I actually opted to skip my safety stop for the lst and only time as I was only down a very short time and not deep.
We had to swim around a kelp bed away from the jetty where there were no bottom rocks for hand holds and I felt that it was better to get a visual reference as to how far out the jetty we'd been swept before swimming to it and resting a moment, reconnecting with my buddies and then descending for the pull and glide.
The usual 15' viz was about 6' that day. We ALL got separated quickly and we're all concientious about sticking together.

It really bothered me to not do the safety stop (all problems should be ideally sorted out underwater) but ascended as slowly as I dared. Aside from visiting Japan, it seemed my only option before being swept into the strait while conducting the lost buddy protocol. We descended again and did a safety stop after. After this, I'll try to always stay right along the jetty as the current then only carries you out around to the opposite side (where the ferry docks!)

I've dove here a dozen times as of Sun. and this was the only time that we were all caught by surprise on a minimal exchange so it's generally pretty easy along the jetty. The semi-adjacent pilings are trickier and I've only dove there once with a better navigator than I.

Bob is absolutely correct (he always is) regarding next weekend. Minimal exchanges or at least long slow ones only for Keystone. I'd still love to dive there with you some weekday as 11 out of 12 nice/mellow dives has been the rule! It's really a nice and generally simple dive.

If you ever come all the way up and find you're blown out by the weather, I'll give you a tour of Anacortes if you like. I'll possibly be diving charters in Hood Canal the lst week of June though. Stay in touch if I haven't scared you off now!

The tire reef just south is at Admiralty Beach and is completely open. No jetties, no pilings, no nothing for surface orientation or resting. The only time I was going to dive there, we got blown out and the surf was intimidating. I'd like to try it with someone who's been on the bottom there some time on a nice day.

Hope that wasn't too much and was helpful...

 

[rsdancey]

Unless "deep water" is a pre-requisite for "having fun" on your dives, you'll probably enjoy the Langley Tire Reef as much as if not more than the Keystone Jetty. LTR features depths from 20-30 feet, but the structure is amazing, and the life is fantastic; and at those depths, you'll have air time that seems to go on forever.

Here's a video I shot at LTR a couple of weeks ago to give you some sense of what it's like.

http://livedigital.com/content/240073/

Ryan

 

[jim T.]

rsdancey, Cool video! I have to say though, that very recently, (last 3 weeks) Keystone Jetty has exploded with life and has been quite impressive. I was beginning to get a little bored with it after doing 10 dives there and several boat charter dives in the islands, but I'm excited about the jetty again. The viz has been 15'-20' until this past weekend when it was only about 6'-8' . Hope you post more notices of future shoots!
I don't photograph or video (yet) so it was cool for my non diving wife to see.
I do want to go back to Langley as I've only dove there once and couldn't see much that day, plus it was my Nav. Class checkout so I was busy with the compass. The day we got "blown out" of Keystone no one else in the club wanted to drive on to Langley :-( (On the 7th.)

 

[Peter Guy]

Bob,

Laurel L., who introduced us to Keystone, told us that there are two times to dive Keystone -- when there is a very small exchange OR on a flood. He told us that it is his experience that on a flood, because of the jetty's protection, diving is OK. (That is assuming there isn't a wind from the South that will kick up waves/current into the cove.)

However, the one time was on a minimal exchange:

Sept 24, 2005

I would like TSandM to come back OK!

 

[jim T.]

Hi Peter,
Hope you don't mind my adding a bit more info. based only on my limited experience at Keystone.
At the start of a flood exchange the current flows inshore along the jetty but takes a turn to the south toward the old pilings where the current can be stronger sometimes and is only trickier because one is swimming through pilings. The turn happens in/near the shallows so it's not hard to exit, in shallow water, if one wants to. At some point further into the flood stage, the current reverses heading back towards the jetty. Generally from my limited (10 dives there) experience it's visually noticeable if one keeps their eyes open...plankton snowstorm directional reversal...
This is usually just a fun and fairly predictable ride either way on a minimal exchange day.

What surprised us all on Sunday (the 20th) was that the current behaved like it does on a larger exchange, stiking the jetty and splitting into an offshore and onshore current. It's a good thing that the beginning OW classes were already out of the water by that 2nd dive though.

It's been explained to me at dive briefings that as long as one stays "on" the jetty, the worst that will happen on an offshore current is that you'll be swept around the end of the jetty to the other side where you can either hold on to the jetty and guide yourself towards shore or drift across the little bay where the ferry dock is, to the opposite shore and climb out at the campground. The long walk around the bay and ferry terminal to the Jetty is known by our club as the "walk of shame". As long as the ferry doesn't have to stop and wait for you (which really doesn't make 'em happy) it's not life threatening. Our problem was that we were away from the jetty this time where the current can go out into the strait so I'll not swim around that particular patch of kelp again if I can help it.

This site is largely predictable but not always completely "by the book". (The book, I guess, being "N.W. Shore Dives" 3rd edition.)

Looking forward to what Bob has to say. Obviously more knowledge can't hurt.

 

[Sasquatch]

SIDE NOTE:

Nice info there, jimT. Thanks.

 

[Peter Guy]

Jim -- Thanks for sharing. I've just been there the one time and am attempting to repeat what LL had to share with us.

 

[jumbo]

If your heading from the North end the Skyline marina in Anacortas is a pretty good dive but agian its current dependant.Another bailout dive site is Washington Park also in Anacortas its pretty safe no matter what the conditions.

In close proximity to Keystone, Ebeys landing is a decent alternitive in summer time but dont even put a toe in the water during the winter time, with no kelp there is no life.

JUMBO