Redondo usually doesn't have much current, however there can be a bursty current here known as the 'Redondo River' on large ebbs. Usually it is short lived, so hunkering down for a bit can let it pass. You can typically swim against it, but on a big ebb, you might find yourself doing the 'Redondo crawl' right in front of the MaST Center. It’s most prone to happen when there's an ebb of greater than 10 feet. If you're not comfortable in current, avoid these times; otherwise, leave some extra air if you're diving a big ebb here.

Navigation can be tricky here, so be sure to bring a compass. The bottle field and other parts of the site have bowls and misleading contours—just because you're going uphill doesn't mean you're heading home. Southeast typically takes you back toward the pier.

Des Moines was recently named the 'Sixgill Capital of the World,' and this site is the heart of that activity. These sharks are typically seen here from July through August; you can check the latest visibility reports on this page for recent sightings or visit sixgillsharks.org for dedicated research. For more on general marine research happening right here at the site, check out the Highline College MaST Center.