Mike's beach resort and Whidbey Island

[Keith.M]

So I have been invited to go dive in Washington the last week of March.

We'd be coming up from Oregon and the plan as proposed would be to dive at Mike's Beach Resort for a couple of days and then up to Whidbey Island for another few days.

Are these reasonable dive sites? Are they pretty representative of PNW diving?

 

[FlyinV]

Mikes is cool.
If you are there for a couple days I would also dive Sund Rock and Octopus Hole.
Both of these are shore dives. There is also a charter boat Pac Adventures that can take you to some cool places in Hood Canal.
Hood Canal is the body of water that Mikes Beach is on.

 

[LowDrag]

+1 on Sund Rock. That is on my list for the future also. Keep in mind, Mike's Beach resort is not into divers taking their wet gear into the shower in one of the cabins that they rent, so if you can take a pop up canopy with you I would suggest you take one . Mike's also does $5.00 air fills IIRC.

 

[TSandM]

A lot depends on your particular dates. Both places have fabulous dives, but the tides at the end of March are iffy. The 21st through the 25th are particularly bad, with very large exchanges with a nadir at midday. Hood Canal is generally not very current-sensitive, but if one were to encounter current there, it would be on days like that. You might consider checking the availability of the Pac Adventures boat, because if there is a good place to dive on those tides, Don Coleman will know what it is.

Keystone, on Whidbey, is one of the finest dives in the Sound, and it is a shore dive, but it's current sensitive. You could do it later in the month, in the morning.

I'd highly recommend posting on nwdiveclub.com for some local company. Folks there will know what's best on those exchanges.

 

[Keith.M]

Thanks for the comments.

I had been doing some research and Sund Rock, which is private looked good as well as Octopus hole. I guess you register and pay at Hood Sport n Dive for Sund Rock.

How steep of a climb is it at Octopus hole?

Yes, I was looking at the tides and the will be huge swings while we are at Mike's.

Tides for Triton Head starting with March 24, 2015.

Day High Tide Height Sunrise Moon Time % Moon
/Low Time Feet Sunset Visible


Tu 24 Low 2:30 AM 4.2 7:07 AM Rise 9:52 AM 16
24 High 8:05 AM 11.6 7:30 PM
24 Low 2:56 PM -0.4
24 High 9:33 PM 10.8


W 25 Low 3:26 AM 5.3 7:05 AM Set 1:01 AM 25
25 High 8:51 AM 10.9 7:32 PM Rise 10:38 AM
25 Low 3:47 PM 0.0
25 High 10:43 PM 10.4






Tides for Admiralty Head starting with March 26, 2015.


Day High Tide Height Sunrise Moon Time % Moon
/Low Time Feet Sunset Visible


Th 26 Low 3:48 AM 5.4 7:01 AM Set 1:58 AM 35
26 High 8:44 AM 7.7 7:32 PM Rise 11:26 AM
26 Low 4:07 PM 0.4
26 High 11:58 PM 7.8


F 27 Low 5:19 AM 5.7 6:59 AM Set 2:48 AM 45
27 High 9:37 AM 7.1 7:33 PM Rise 12:20 PM
27 Low 5:11 PM 0.9


Sa 28 High 1:12 AM 7.9 6:57 AM Set 3:31 AM 55
28 Low 7:02 AM 5.5 7:35 PM Rise 1:17 PM
28 High 10:42 AM 6.6
28 Low 6:18 PM 1.2


Su 29 High 2:09 AM 8.0 6:55 AM Set 4:07 AM 64
29 Low 8:17 AM 5.1 7:36 PM Rise 2:16 PM
29 High 12:04 PM 6.4
29 Low 7:22 PM 1.5

So is that big of a tidal change going to make it an issue while at Mike's?

 

[TSandM]

Octopus Hole is a wide spot in the road, with a goat track down to the water. The only time I have done it, there was still snow on the ground, and I had to have my 6' dive buddy get my gear down for me. Sund Rock has a drive down to a nice parking area, and the entry is easy.

 

[Keith.M]

So I guess he also brought your gear back up?

I think I will find myself in that same situation as your buddy.