Things to do · Destination Guide
Giant Pacific octopus habitat, artificial reefs and cold-water shore diving beneath city skylines
Pick an activity mode to compare signature sites, skill fit, and gear planning notes before you lock your trip.
Scuba is the core experience. Seattle's Seacrest Cove 2 is a training-oriented, protected shore dive; Saltwater State Park has a granite artificial reef; Redondo offers sandy and built habitat; Tacoma's Les Davis has dedicated diver stairs. Experienced divers can consider current-prone Titlow. Expect cold, potentially low-visibility open water. No wreck or overhead penetration is implied.
Seacrest Cove 2
West Seattle shore stairs, artificial habitat and a protected dive cove, but mandatory boat lane and fishing-pier exclusion.
Saltwater State Park Artificial Reef
Public park rock reef and protected marine area; check tide/current, day-use hours and campground-versus-beach closure alerts.
Redondo Beach
Stairs to sandy slopes and artificial structures, with octopus protection, paid parking and a recently rebuilt pier.
Les Davis Marine Park
Tacoma diver stairs, concrete reef and protected octopus habitat; heed fishing pier and eastward tire-reef limit.
Titlow Beach
Old ferry pilings with anemones and a marine preserve; strong tidal flow makes it a higher-skill choice.
Alki Junkyard
West Seattle octopus protection area with cold-water wildlife; verify legal shore entry and current local conditions.
Operator Checklist
Arrange an orientation if new to Pacific Northwest diving. Seattle Dive Tours requires certification and recent dive experience for standard guided tours, and can recommend a refresher. Confirm suit, buoyancy, shore support, dive flag and compass plan; rent cylinders and weights locally. Use lights in dim water. Do not penetrate any wreckage or structures without specialized training and permission.
Conditions Fallback
Avoid