Q2-Spring-2016_Alert-Diver

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PHOTO CREDITS
Rates are per person based on double occupancy and include
roundtrip airport transfers (except for Parador Villa Parguera),
hotel taxes and service charges. Rates do not include airfare,
may require specific qualifications, and are subject to availability,
currency exchange and standard terms and conditions. Blackout
dates, holiday surcharges and other restrictions may apply.
CSOT #2111993-40 • WASOT #603254639 • FSOT #ST38781
Tanya Burnett 800-328-2288
Adventure awaits.
5 nights + 3 days of diving
RIO GRANDE
Wyndham Rio Grand Mar
Beach Resort
Rain Forest Adventure
from $1,277
VIEQUES
W Retreat and Spa
Bioluminescent Bay Adventure
from $1,354
FAJARDO
El Conquistador
Catamaran to Private Island
from $985
LA PARGUERA
Parador Villa Parguera
Snacks Onboard Boat
from $514
HOW TO DIVE IT
Getting There
To get to Keystone Jetty, take the
Mukilteo Ferry (25 miles north of
Seattle) to Clinton on Whidbey
Island. Then drive 22 miles north on
state Highway 525, turn left to the
Port Townsend Ferry and Fort Casey
State Park, and drive the remaining
3.5 miles to Keystone. Park facilities
include bathrooms, hot showers,
cold freshwater showers for gear
rinsing, picnic tables, barbecue pits
and plenty of parking. A one-day
pass costs $10, or an annual pass costs $30. For night diving, contact
the park office. Hotels, a campground and restaurants are nearby.
Conditions
Diving at Keystone Jetty is possible year-round. Sea temperatures range from 45°F to
52°F, and visibility ranges from 10 to 50 feet. In general, fall and winter deliver the best
visibility, and summer and fall have the best topside weather. Current is almost always a
factor here; it can be quite strong during large exchanges, so be sure to plan your dives for
slack. Check current tables (use Admiralty Inlet, subtracting 31 minutes for slack before
flood, and adding 1 minute for slack before ebb), and consult the local dive shop. Usually
you’ll want to enter the water about 30 minutes before the predicted time for slack current.
Don’t dive Keystone during a strong south or southeast wind, because the wind chop and
surf break can be formidable.
My better half with her better eyes spots a pipsqueak of an octopus no
bigger than my fist. It’s going to take many a meal before this little guy
resembles the bruiser we glimpsed earlier. I find a larger GPO tucked
inside a rotted-out piling stump. Then we spot another recluse well down
into a hollow metal pipe lying on the bottom. If only it were nighttime, I
muse, the octo army would likely be out and about, prowling for dinner.
My mind drifts back to an 11 p.m. dive here years ago under a full
moon, when we encountered a big, bold octopus on the sand just beyond
the pilings. What a fantastic dive that was — GPOs, sailfin sculpins, a
wolf-eel, warbonnets….
Oh well, we’ll just have to try again tomorrow or the next day. Great
diving at Keystone is as easy as falling out of the car and rolling down the
beach. So we’ll be back. Keeping it local is hard to beat. AD
The abandoned wharf provides
yet more habitat for critters.