Admiralty
Dive
Center
360-379-3483
Point Hudson

Location: Point Hudson is located at the end of Water St. at the
eastern point of town. The dive site is actually at the jetty of Point
Hudson Marina. Park along the rock wall to respect the property
of the Maritime Center.

Description of Site: The site itself is pretty varied in it's
topography, with eelgrass along the beach, and a steep slope that
drops to 45fsw at the dolphin (the big concrete piling assembly in
the water). The jetty rock wall is always a fantastic dive with two
old barges sunk in 60fsw just off the tip of the jetty rocks. Our most
common dives are the 4 loops on the chart depending on the
tides and who we are diving with.
What to look for: Plumrose anemones, numerous types of nudis, giant barnacles, crabs of many varieties
including Decorator, Heart, Rock, Dungeness, and Hermit crabs. Fish include kelp greenlings, ling, CO sole,
flounder, painted greenlings, numerous sculpins, warbonnets, and several varieties of rockfish. And if you
look carefully you can find the elusive Spiny Lumpsucker.

Current Dependent? Yes, the current compresses at the jetty wall and max currents are slightly stronger
around the jetty than the rest of the dive site. Also be aware that there is no true slack between the flood
and the ebb, but there is a slack between ebb and flood. Locals know the back eddy and can make a
complete circle on a flood at Point Hudson, but don't try it unless you know the area. Otherwise you might
be walking back from Swain's, or end up out in the Sound

Starter Loop (Red): This is a great warm-up dive, or intro dive for newcomers to Point Hudson. We mosey
out over the eelgrass towards the dolphin and drop down and explore around it, then follow the 45-55fsw
depth curve over to the jetty rocks and barges. There is always so much to see it's like diving a new
location every week. There is an octo in the jetty again but since all we've seen is tentacles I don't know
what type. We usually mosey along back up the jetty wall with much to explore during safety stops in both
the eel grass and at the rocks.

Blue loop: Behind the dolphin you can grab the line that runs out to the 75fsw line and the beginning of the
pilings. This dive runs a bit deeper, up to 100fsw, and covers some jackstraw pilings, bottles with many
baby octos living inside them, and a couple of ballast rock piles. I found my first warbonnet couple here
residing in a crack of a piling, and a large grunt sculpin who was as curious about us as we were him. We
have found several stubby squid in the mud flats here as well. Keep your eyes open as the gunnels are
tucked in all over the structures. You can either navigate this as an "out and in" or a loop over to the jetty
following the secondary rope that terminates at the barges in 55fsw by the jetty tip.

Green loop: This one is a fun little flood drift dive, where we head out and follow the 60fsw curve along the
water looking around at all the leftovers of the shipping industry including bottles, sunk barge remains, and
the life here is on the micro scale. Nudis are found, sea pens in the sandy/muddy spots, grunt sculpins are
all over the place as are gunnels and some nice sized ling. Rockfish mosey through this area as it's a bit of
a "freeway" for those who visit multiple rock piles. Keep your peepers wide open for antique bottles as this
is commonly the place where we find the cool ones. It's also a popular spot for crabbing in season, as well
as where a few of us have seen squid and some very good sized shrimp.

Purple loop: Pure and simple, this is the go out and get to 100fsw. Advanced dive classes use this option in
the winter where there aren't motor homes in the campground. The toilet is home to 2 octos now, and what
beer bottles (circa 1970) you do find are likely to be home to a young GPO. It's a fun place to night dive
when the squid come through the bay. This area is relatively flat once you reach depth, so pay attention to
your compass and mind your gas as it's a busy boat area in the summer and fall and a free water ascent
can be dangerous

If you do decide to remove bottles, PLEASE gently inspect and empty them before taking them ashore.
We've lost several octos this year due to inattention from careless divers.

Swains and Nifty Fifties

Location/Where to park: There's two places to park, in the
left hand parking lot of Swain's where the rental Kayaks are
and in the little (5 car) location right by the Nifty Fifties.
Swain's has better parking options on those busy weekends,
but either way it's a fun dive site.

What to look for: It's a fun area with occasional small
current but not like Point Hudson. You will find pilings
upright and fallen, the remains of the old ferry dock, and
ballast stones in the deeper locations. Bottle hunters will
find treasures, most often by just shoving their hand in the
sand and mud. If you look hard enough you will find a patio
set (upright) just waiting for it's next guests. Ride the bike
thrown out there, but be sure to take a photo. Nudis are in
abundance throughout the year, as are rockfish, perch, and
sculpins. Sea pens, plumrose and burrowing anenomes,
and other invertebrates live here too.
Current Dependent? On the big exchanges it makes for a light drift, but overall quite manageable for
current, especially the closer you get to the beach. On a big flood or ebb you can stage a dive from
Swain's to Point Hudson, or Point Hudson to Swain's and have a fantastic ride.

Warning: The ferry does traverse close by, and the sound of the engine can be rather loud and
disconcerting. Stay low and surface close to shore.
Fort Worden

Location/Where to park: Fort Worden State Park has upper
grounds on the cliff and as you drive through the park follow the
signs to the marine science center. At the bottom of the hill by the
water you will find parking
along the beach with picnic tables conveniently located. You will
be diving either under the marine science center dock, or under
the mooring buoys to the left of the marine science center.

Purple Loop: It's a shallow dive that takes you under the center
and swimming around the pilings looking at all the shrimp, giant
barnacles, kelp crab, spider crab, clown dorids, and tons of perch
and rockfish. Bring a light, and remember that if you have to bail
out, the top is open under the dock even at high tide. Plumrose
Anenomes are taking over the pilings up high which makes for a
breathtaking sight. And if you venture in far enough in the pilings
you might notice a "waterfall" stirring up the water. Not to worry,
it's the water flushing from the display tanks inside the center. Can
you find the Science Center underwater cameras?
Blue Loop: swim out to the first mooring buoy by the marine science center and drop down, that buoy is
very close to the corner of the old mine wharf that used to be there, as you follow the old pilings (max
depth is 30 feet) you can continue from mooring buoy to mooring buoy. The furthest left 2 mooring buoys
have an artificial reef under them that houses octopus, rock fish, greenlings, ling cod, sculpins,
anenomes of many varieties, and nudies. In the winter you can find hooded nudies throughout the
eelgrass beds that run along the beach front. Somewhat current dependent, avoid during big exchanges,
and keep an eye out for the back eddy that exists around the 25' depth curve.

Green Loop: This one is very beautiful, but very current sensitive. You dive the kelp beds on the northern
side of the Point Wilson light. Advanced divers only, and for your first dive we recommend diving with a
local. Diver hazards including kelp, currents, surge, and boats. If you can catch it on a slack day it's a
great beach dive, otherwise dive this with a live boat to follow you. Do not try and dive Point Wilson as
the currents are strong and unpredictable. Up and down wellings regularly occur and standing waves
are common. We do dive Point Wilson but only specific times of year with a live boat, on neap exchange
days, and with advanced divers only. The rocks are cut from centuries of water flow and quite beautiful,
but dive times are short to make sure divers dive within slack windows
"The Ranger"

This dive requires some dedication on the part of the diver. At
high tide is a long walk in knee high water, and at low tide you
have to walk the sand flats all the way to the end of the Port of
Port Townsend breakwater before you get to water. But the
dive is worth doing at least once.

Location/Where to park: Turn into the Port Townsend Boat
Haven and Boat yard (turn right at the McDonalds intersection).
Drive through the yard to the water and look for the rail fence
that runs along the beach, park near the point where the south
breakwater wall meets land and gear up. There is a break in
the fence where you can access the walkway. Walk parallel to
the breakwater wall until you reach the big railroad structure
off the corner of the breakwater. This is a fine place to
submerge.
Diving Info: Good crabbing can be found around the trestle landing, and if you run parallel to the
breakwater following the 45fsw curve you will come across the Ranger. To plan a bit, take a look on
Google satellite images of the area and they have a shot at low tide where you can actually see the
wreck. You can swim through, there are numerous perch, rockfish, greenling, sculpins, and lingcod
hanging out all over this wreck. It's a favorite of ours if you are looking for giant, lazy, photogenic fish.
The jetty rocks have plenty of stuff to poke around and look into as well, but it is shallow, so it's more like
a snorkel event than "dive".

Current Dependent? Yes, and no. It's small movements of water so all levels can dive the boat, but we
have learned that ebbs tend to have some pretty sorry visibility. It tends to fare best at flood or slack for
best viewing.

Warning: This is a mud bottom, so be careful about silting as it will go from 15' of vis to Braille diving if
you are inattentive and playing mud puppy on the bottom. And do be careful, in bad visibility you can
easily swim headfirst into the hull, the landing trestle, or a random piling missed by DNR during the
removal project.. Yes, you can hear a diver's head go "thunk" underwater.