COVE 2 - WEST SEATTLE

This is a very popular site for students and experienced divers alike, so be prepared for crowded weekends all year round. It is quite common to see instructors and students from our local dive shops diving alongside advanced divers using rebreathers.

The best parking for this site is on the street (Harbor View Ave SW). The small lot provided for Seacrest Park and the Elliot Bay Water Taxi has a 2 hour maximum limit, so it's usually not practical to park there if you plan on doing more than 1 dive.

Hazards at Cove 2 include boat traffic, logs in the water, and slippery rocks during low tides. You can dive here most of the time with very little change from winds and tides, but I don't recommend this site during an extremely low tide because the entry gets very tricky due to floating logs and jagged, slippery rocks.

As with most of the shore dives in the area, this site is very easy to navigate. There is a slope from the beach down to about 120 feet, depending on the tide. Visibility ranges from zero feet to 30 feet, although I have been told 100 feet of vis has been recorded here. The worst visibility usually occurs after a lot of rain and run off from the river.

From 15-60 feet you will find the most aquatic life: logs filled with anemones, crabs, star fish, and a number of different species of fish and nudibranchs. Move slowly and look under rocks and logs and you may get to see an octopus. Keep your fins from touching the bottom as it is very silty and you can quickly lose visibility. I strongly recommend a light for diving at Cove 2. Your best bet is a HID 10 watt or better.

Important note: Always use a diver down flag at this site and make sure you read the sign posted by the city about the "NO SWIM AREA". This is strictly enforced!

This site is definitely on my top 10 list of the best dive sites in the area. It has everything: good parking, public facilities, easy access to the water, close proximity to the city, and a plethora of marine life!

Directions from I-5 North:

  • Take the W SEATTLE BR exit - EXIT 163A - toward SPOKANE ST
  • Stay STRAIGHT to go onto WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE
  • Take the HARBOR AVE/AVALON WAY ramp
  • Turn RIGHT onto HARBOR AVE SW
  • Continue on HARBOR AVE SW for 1.3 miles
  • Arrive at SEACREST PARK/COVE 2 (1660 HARBOR VIEW AVE SW) - (right side - next to Alki Crab & Fish Co.)

Directions from I-5 South:

  • Take the W SEATTLE BR/COLUMBIAN WAY exit - EXIT 163
  • Take the W SEATTLE BRIDGE/SPOKANE ST ramp toward SAFECO FIELD/SEAHAWKS STADIUM
  • Turn SLIGHT LEFT to take the W SEATTLE BR ramp
  • Turn SLIGHT LEFT onto WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE
  • Take the HARBOR AVE/AVALON WAY ramp
  • Continue on HARBOR AVE SW for 1.3 miles
  • Arrive at SEACREST PARK/COVE 2 (1660 HARBOR VIEW AVE SW) - right side - next to Alki Crab & Fish Co.)