T-DOCK - MUKILTEO

This site is very popular with Open Water students on weekends. It is not uncommon to find 20-30 student divers in the water at any given time.

There is ample parking for divers at the T-Dock, which includes a small section next to the Silver Cloud Inn, right near the staging area. Another parking lot is located across the street from the Inn

A word of caution: Currents can be very strong at this location, and it's entirely possible to have a surface current heading in one direction, while at depth it is running opposite. Slack Tide is the best time to conduct your dive at this site.

There are some other hazards to be aware of here. The ferry terminal is located adjacent to this dive site, and there can also be a fair amount of other boat traffic to avoid. Never play in traffic!

When beginning your dive, take a compass heading of 310 degrees and you should find at about 20 feet (depending on tide) a line set up for students. This line is approximately 100 feet long. Follow the line, going left to the end, where you will locate a big cement block. (Look around while you're in this area and you might see an octopus.) There is a big log that you will follow down to about 45 feet. Stay at 45 feet while continuing to the right and you will run into a large PVC octagon. If you are lucky, you may see harbor seals, octopi, crabs, and/or star fish.

Bear in mind that visibility for T-Dock can be affected by winds, current, tides and rain (river runoff). I recommend that you always use your compass when diving here. The natural slope is not necessarily the best way to get back to the beach.

All-in-all, this is a very good training site.

Directions from I-5 North:

  • Merge onto WA-526 via EXIT 189 toward MUKILTEO/WHIDBEY ISLAND FERRY
  • Turn RIGHT onto 84th ST SW/WA-525
  • Turn RIGHT onto MUKILTEO SPEEDWAY/WA-525
  • Turn RIGHT onto FRONT STREET
  • Arrive at MUKILTEO BEACH/796 FRONT STREET (left side- next to the Silver Cloud Inn)

Directions from I-5 South:

  • Merge onto WA-525 via EXIT 182 toward WA-99
  • Turn RIGHT onto FRONT STREET
  • Arrive at MUKILTEO BEACH/796 FRONT STREET (left side- next to the Silver Cloud Inn)