Washington Scuba Diving Guide
Washington scuba diving — and cold-water diving in general — relies on good planning and proper attire. Use this guide for regional hubs across Puget Sound, Hood Canal, the San Juan Islands, and the coast — visibility tools, tide stations, dive shops, and per-site briefings.
Cold-water scuba diving in Washington rewards divers who plan around tides, currents, and visibility. Most local divers wear drysuits year-round. Giant Pacific octopus, wolf eels, and colorful invertebrates make the state a world-class temperate-water destination. New to cold water? See our visiting-diver guide .
Regions
Getting started
- 🆕 New to diving? See our getting started guide.
- 🥶 New to cold water? See what to expect.
- 🗺️ Map of dive sites in Washington
- 🏪 Dive shops near Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia
Washington Dive Sites
Diving near Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia.
Top sites
Nearby dive shops
🏪 Choosing a dive shop? Read our guide to choosing a dive shop in the Pacific Northwest.
Recent Dive Reports
| DIVE SITE | VIZ | UPDATED |
|---|---|---|
| Mukilteo Edgewater Beach Park | A silty 10-15 feet, <5 feet in the shallows | |
| Salt Creek | A clear 30+ feet, 20+ feet in the shallows (high tide) | |
| Skyline | A clear 15-20 feet | |
| Redondo | A silty 10-15 feet, 5-10 feet in the shallows (incoming tide) | |
| Pulali Point | 30+ feet, 15 feet in the shallows | |
| The Pinnacle | 30+ feet, 15 feet in the shallows | |
| Three Tree Point | 15-20 feet, 5 feet in the shallows | |
| Driftwood Pond 1 | A clear 10-15 feet | |
| Seacrest Cove 2 | A silty 15-20 feet, 10 feet in the shallows | |
| Mukilteo T Dock | A silty 15-20 feet, 10 feet in the shallows (high tide) | |
| Edmonds Underwater Park | A snowy 5-10 feet, 15 feet in the shallows (outgoing tide) | |
| Sekiu Rocks | A clear 30+ feet, 20+ feet in the shallows (low tide) | |
| Clallam Bay West | A silty 20+ feet (incoming tide) | |
| Octopus Hole | A hazy 20+ feet, 15 feet in the shallows (outgoing tide) | |
| Sund Rock | A hazy 15-20 feet, <5 feet in the shallows (outgoing tide) | |
| Alki Junkyard | A clear 20+ feet, 15-20 feet in the shallows | |
| Les Davis | A chunky 15-20 feet, 5-10 feet in the shallows (incoming tide) | |
| Rockaway Beach | A chunky 10-15 feet (incoming tide) | |
| Point Whitney | A clear 15 feet, 15-20 feet in the shallows (high tide) | |
| Port Blakley | A clear 20 feet (low tide) | |
| Elephant Wall | 15-20 feet, 10-15 feet in the shallows | |
| Flagpole Point | 20+ feet, 10-15 feet in the shallows | |
| Shilshole Wreck | A chunky 10-15 feet, <5 feet in the shallows (low tide) | |
| Tacoma Pipeline | A snowy 20+ feet (low tide) | |
| Lake Crescent | A clear 40+ feet | |
| KVI Tower | A clear 20 feet, 5-10 feet in the shallows | |
| Keystone Jetty | A hazy 15-20 feet, 5-10 feet in the shallows | |
| Bremerton | A clear 20+ feet, 40+ feet in the shallows (high tide) |
Current/Tide Stations
Many dive sites in Washington are current-sensitive and best dived around slack water — the brief windows when currents drop near zero between tide changes. The charts below combine the major tide and current stations in the region. Watch our currents, tides, wind, and waves guide for help reading these charts. See individual dive site pages for site-specific timing.
Charters
No charters are currently known to be running in the area. If you hear of any, let us know!
Dive Clubs
Dive clubs are a great way to get to know the area. Many dive shops offer group outings or charter trips (see our shop listings). There are also various diving meetups you can join. Some focus on specialties like underwater photography or tech diving; others on site maintenance and conservation. If you're new to local diving, many club members are happy to meet up for a casual shore dive or help you get oriented at a site—just reach out and ask. Here are some of the known dive clubs in the area:Restaurants
To find diver-recommended eateries near a dive site, use the 🍔 Nearby food link on that site's page.
Pacific Northwest scuba diving regions
🗺️ see on mapMetro areas
- SeattleCentral Puget Sound
- BellevueEastside · Central Puget Sound
- TacomaSouth Puget Sound
- OlympiaSouth Puget Sound
- EverettNorth Puget Sound
- AnacortesNorth Puget Sound
- BellinghamBellingham Area
- Port AngelesStrait of Juan de Fuca
- VancouverHowe Sound
- VictoriaVictoria Area
- SidneyVictoria Area
- NanaimoNanaimo Area
- Courtenay / ComoxNanaimo Area
- Campbell RiverDiscovery Passage
- PortlandOregon region
- SalemOregon region
- EugeneOregon region
- HillsboroOregon region
- BendOregon region
- Coos BayOregon region
Help your fellow diver!
- ✏️ to share visibility, conditions, or diving tips.
- 🍔 after your next dive.
- 👥 This page is maintained by divers. Contact us to suggest a dive shop, charter, top site, dive club, or other useful resource.