Submitted by: Brian Nyenhuis
From the Spokane Bridge, take the Admiral exit or the Harbor Ave exit. From the Admiral exit (short route-2.5 miles), drive up Admiral Way, cross over California Ave at the crest of the hill and proceed down the other side, remaining on Admiral Way. Follow this to 63rd Ave SW and take a right. Go straight a few blocks until in runs into Alki Ave. At the stop sign, take a left and drive one block to the dive site. From the Harbor Ave exit, (3.5 mile route) take a right at the intersection following the off ramp. Proceed on Harbor Ave, following it past the boat launch. As you round the Duwamish Head, the street converts into Alki Ave. Continue heading westward on Alki Ave SW past Alki Beach on the right and eateries on the left. Upon reaching the stop sign at 63rd Ave SW, continue straight for 1 more block. Park along the street in this area. The entrance to the dive site is at the end of the asphalt park along the water's edge, and where the condos and private property begin. At the west end of the park, there are steps leading down to the lower section.
The dive site can be located by either finding the surface marker buoys, which are tethered to anchor blocks at about 60 feet and approximately straight out from the end of Alki Beach Park, or by taking a compass heading of 320 degrees from the edge marking the end of the park's asphalt surface and the sandy private property. There is a wall along the waters edge onto which your dive gear can be staged. Enter the water and descend from either the buoy, directly onto the guide rope, or surface swim out a distance, typically to a point where you are just able to see the bottom, and descend to the bottom and navigate a short distance to the guide rope. The guide rope runs along the bottom and is anchored by cinder blocks every 10 feet. The guide rope begins in about 45 feet of water. It first descends along a gradual slope, leading you to two large anchor blocks at 60 feet, before turning east at about 50 degrees and running parallel to the beach. On both sides of the guide rope are debris fields and tire reefs. It is suggested that you dive the first half of your dive on the lower or deeper side of the rope, checking out the points of interest. At the point where you turn to come back, you might then switch to the upper or more shallow side of the rope to investigate as you head back in. The end of the rope is marked by a large tire reef, consisting of several clusters of tires in an area of about 20 feet in diameter. A casual dive might take 30 minutes to reach the end. Things to See:
The origin of the name of the dive sight has always been questioned. The junkyard consists of bathroom fixtures, such as tubs, toilets, and faucets. You may recognize car parts such as a transmission, an axel, and of course tires. Some of the more modern items of interest are computer monitors and keyboards. Truly JUNK, but not to the degree that one might envision. The marine life that live here are the various gunnels, perch, ling cod, rockfish, painted greenlings, grunt sculpin, rat fish, small red ruby octopus, and the larger variety of Giant Pacific Octopus. Also keep your eyes peeled for the large selection of nudibranch that can be found among the debris as well as the hooded nudibranch that might be found in the eel grass at the 10-20 foot range. Hazards:
This dive site is near Alki Point and there may be boat traffic heading to and from the boat launch. Always display a dive flag if possible. This is a current sensitive dive site. If using the Tidelog, use the current prediction for Admiralty Inlet and adjust the time corrections for slack. For minimum current before flood, adjust by "minus" 36 minutes from the scheduled slack. For a minimum current before ebb, adjust by "minus" 13 minutes from the scheduled slack. Optimal dive conditions would be to dive slack before ebb, or high tide. Enter the water a few minutes before slack and ride an ever slowing current to the end of the rope line. As the ebbing begins, you should have a slight current carry you back the other way, back to the starting point. Another concern is wind. Alki Point is very exposed to the wind. If winds are coming from the north, it is likely that waves have been created and surge is now an issue. Surge will certainly stir up things below the surface. This is not a desirable dive site when the visibility is below 10 feet. Points of Interest:
Parking can be a problem here. This is a multi-use area with bikers, joggers, roller bladers, and pedestrians all using the on-street parking. Parking is free, however. Some dive shops use this dive site for open water classes and will exhaust all parking. An afternoon dive might avoid this conflict. Park bathrooms are a block away, at the intersection of 63rd and Alki Ave. Eateries are all along Alki Ave SW, as you head back down Alki Ave or can be found at Admiral Junction, where California Ave and Admiral intersect, at the top of the hill.