Shore Diving near Anacortes or Friday Harbor

[coldsmoke]

Can anyone recommend any shore diving near either Anacortes or Friday Harbor. I am trying to plan a trip there Labor Day and any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Hunter

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Contact Anacortes Diving and Supply ... they're a nice, friendly bunch who could help you out ... http://www.anacortesdiving.com/Home/index.asp

Looks like they're planning a dive at Keystone Jetty for Labor Day ... perhaps they'd invite you to join them ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[airsix]

I haven't done any shore diving around Anacortes yet, but on a charter last year the first mate told me that the shore diving around Anacortes is as as good as any of the sites the boat will take you to. I waited for a follow-up comment and he said "What can I say. People like the boat ride."
-Ben

 

[coldsmoke]

Thanks Bob and Ben. I will contact the dive shop and see what they say.

Hunter

 

[dsteding]

I haven't done any shore diving around Anacortes yet, but on a charter last year the first mate told me that the shore diving around Anacortes is as as good as any of the sites the boat will take you to. I waited for a follow-up comment and he said "What can I say. People like the boat ride."
-Ben

I'd agree with that based on my one dive at Skyline Wall. A bit tricky with the currents, but it was a really fun scooter dive.

 

[coldsmoke]

dsteding,

Do you have any more info you could share on the shore diving near anacortes. Where is skyline wall. Is it do-able without scooters? Thanks.

Hunter

 

[dsteding]

dsteding,

Do you have any more info you could share on the shore diving near anacortes. Where is skyline wall. Is it do-able without scooters? Thanks.

Hunter

Uh, I do, at home in my PNW Shore Dives book. It is called something else in there, look for the dive by Skyline Marina in Anacortes.

It is doable without scooters, but may be a bit of a PITA.

A good description is here, pay attention to the slack before ebb suggestion, and do this on small exchanges only, we were there on a ~5 foot exchange and there was a bit of current starting at the end of our dive.

[EDIT: Looks like slack before ebb is in the morning on Labor Day Weekend-and that exchanges are not that bad that weekend . . . you may see us out there on Scoots]

-Doug

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Uh, I do, at home in my PNW Shore Dives book. It is called something else in there, look for the dive by Skyline Marina in Anacortes.

It is called "Burrows Passage" ... but everyone knows it as Skyline Wall ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[coldsmoke]

We are on a charter in the AM. I am looking for a place to go in the evening. If the tides aren't right for Skyline, is there another place? We're looking for something Saturday afternoon/evening as we are only doing a 2 tanker on Sat. Sun. we are doing a 3 tanker and will be starting the drive back to Montana so we won't get anymore diving on Sunday. We are staying in Anacortes. The charter is picking us up in Anacortes on Sat morning but then dropping us off in Friday Harbor after the 2 tanks. We will take the ferry back to Anacortes. Sunday morning we take the ferry back to Friday Harbor to catch the boat and Sunday night the charter takes us back to Anacortes. I think it got set up this way so cut down on shuttling gear across the ferry.

Any more ideas? Also, a few of us are planning to come over on thursday for some shore diving in/near Seattle. I have pm'd lynne and she may be able to join us and show us around a bit. Anyone else care to join?

Hunter

 

[JackConnick]

Skyline Wall can be very tricky. You don't want too small an exchange as the back eddy never sets up. But not too large either . Anacordes Diving can help you with it.

Keystone Jetty, Langley Marina on Whidbey
Lime Kiln Point on San Juan Isd is awesome, again a tricky site as there are backeddies that form on either side of the point, but a ton of life, maybe even orcas going by.
Rosario Beach near Deception Pass is ok too.

I am in the process of writing/photographing the Scuba diving section for ExerienceWA .com Tourism website, but haven't finished it yet. I'll try to write up a couple of those soon. There are some TRs on my blog.

Jack