Bailout for Keystone

[jim T.]

Sasquatch, Glad my meager experience has been helpful. I don't know this site's moods completely yet, by any means. It seems like the shore dive books and anecdotal experiences differ just a little bit from what I've seen each time I've dove there.
It's "relatively" near the outlets of several rivers so viz. varies verily.

Peter, your friend is definitely right about the flood tides and I didn't realize you'd been at Keystone already, sorry. I just wanted to be sure that the current split was mentioned during stronger floods so people would know about that. Did you like Keystone? It's a pretty busy critter community right now. Definitely more plankton and river runoff particulate matter than even three weeks ago though.

If I remember correctly (my tide and current tables are elsewhere at the moment so please check yourselves folks) I think the 4th,5th and 6th of June might be the only reasonable tides for Keystone that whole month.

 

[jim T.]

jumbo, where in Washington Park do you dive? I know about the two points which are current dives in Rosario Strait. What else is there within the park? Where exactly do you enter to dive near the marina? I live in Anacortes so I'd definitely find the info. useful!
Thanks.

 

[jumbo]

Jim t-

The site is near Skyline marina Im sure you have heard or dove it before its pretty popular. If you havent when heading down toward Skyline Marina take the road to your right that boarders the large parking grass parking area you will see the private park with a gazebo in front of you drive toward the fence and park in the half moon parking lot. The water should be on your left, when entering the water I usally swim about 30 yards up the shore line and start my decent. There is a little vally that you swim down and if you continue your swim youll come across a large wall that starts at about 30' and drops down to about 80'. The wall typically has a lot of fish and on an octo or two Ive even seen a wolf eel there. The wall contuines for a good distance then flatens out into sand, if you swim about 200 yards futher it become rocky and more intresting but its nice to have a boat if you want to travel the distance. the Island directly across from Skyline Marina also has some good diving on it, I havnt found anything earth shaking but has some good boulder fields. If you ask Bob or Kelly at the dive shop Im sure they could give you better directions but Skyline is one of my favorite shore dives, the vis can get really good there but the currents can rip through.

In Washington Park we took the road that follows the shore line and heads through the woods, I know its really vauge. But basiclly if you find a large concrete stair case that heads down right into the water thats where we went, it was an okay dive but we did find an octo, its a really shallow dive the max depth was about 20'. I only dove it once maybe if I put some more time in it would be more interesting.

Well I guess thats it

JUMBO

 

[gcbryan]

Skyline is one of my favorite sites as well. On a mild to moderate exchange day a good day trip from Seattle is to drive up to Skyline to do one dive at slack and then drive back down Whidbey Island to Keystone for the second dive and then take the ferry one way back to Seattle.

I only do Skyline at slack before ebb so that I can go way down (along) the wall without having to deal with being swept out into Rosario Strait.

 

[jim T.]

Hey, thanks guys.
Jumbo, I'll drive over and look at the entry point you described at Skyline. So, is this THE "Skyline Wall"? I thought that was only a live boat dive, but if this is it, I'll shore dive it now!

I know exactly where the concrete steps are as my wife and I walk the park all the time. Always wondered if there was anything worth seeing in that little bay but over hundreds of walks never saw any divers there. It sounds like a real convenient place to do buoyancy/trim checks if nothing else. Rosario Park is another good place for that but haven't dove there yet due to river run-off heavy silting all winter/early spring. It's on my local list though.

I'll ask Bob and Kelley for details. gcbryan, thanks for the tidal info.
I'd really like to try that wall.

By the way, the two points I mentioned previously are: Sares Head and (I think) Fidalgo Head (at WA Park.)
Jim

 

[lamont]

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?

I'd recommend the Langley tire reef. I've only been to Keystone once and it was blown out, so we went to Langley.

 

[jumbo]

Jim T-

As far as I Know that is the Skyline Wall, I havent heard of any other Skyline wall but be sure to check it out.

JUMBO