Mukilteo T Dock is one of the most used dive sites north of the City of Seattle. Great for divers who are north of the city and want to avoid rush hour traffic. The site is used by a range of divers from Openwater classes to Tech 1 Divers.
The bottom in the shallows (15-20 feet) is made up of sand and small gravel and has a low amount of silt due to the currents. As a result, silt out’s caused by bad finning techniques are less likely in the shallows as opposed to other sites with lower flow. At the same time, the currents can be strong. So in order to avoid an unplanned cardio workout, check your tide and current charts when doing your pre-dive planning.
There are some manmade attractions (known as “junk” to non-divers) including a “Geo Dome” which contains abundant life. The Dome is great to practice your trim and buoyancy due to the height of the structure.
The site is very popular during crabbing season due to the abundant amount of Dungeness and Red Rock Crab.
Due to its close proximity to the Mukilteo Whidbey Island Ferry you do get to listen to the poor maintenance done on the Ferry bearings and propellers. This is a great training experience for new divers to realize that even although you can feel the sound pulsating off your chest, the boat really is a ¼ mile away.
To get to the dive site head down to Mukilteo. Stay in the left lane and do not get into the ferry line. When you get to the bottom of the hill, turn to the right. You will pass the ferry line traffic on your right and a hotel on your left. The entrance to the water is at the eastside of the hotel. You will need to pay for parking and at times parking is limited.