FT. W, R.I - alternative dive sites

[rzep]

Everybody is diving two coves and an island, some diving along Bull Point. Does anybody ever tried to go west from the mouth of an west cove, alongside cliff with an upper parking lot. I ventured once, a little bit this direction, but due to my son running short on gas we had to turn back.
Anybody care to share experiences: tides, depth, vis, topography?
rgrds
Tomek

 

[RIOceanographer]

Do you mean the right hand wall if you are looking out from the boat ramp at Ft W? If so then sure I've done that plenty of times.

There is a little cobblestone beach maybe halfway to the end of the cove along that western wall. The interesting part of the dive starts after that little beach so your probably better off staying on the surface until you get there to save your air. You can either swim out from the boat ramp or you can dive it by going down steep climb to that cobble beach (which is why local divers often call this site the "Goat Path" though I have no idea who first coined the term). I personally prefer the longer surface swim to hiking the goat path.

There is sort of a neat rock arch/swim through at one point near the point. There can be a little current out at the mouth of the cove, but in my experience it is pretty much always swimmable. The max depth is about 55 ft depending on how far you go around the point. (edit: corrected depth based on my log book).

Plenty of people dive there but since it is a little more work to get to than the rest of Ft Wetherill it typically has a bit less traffic.

Hope that helps.

 

[rzep]

Do you mean the right hand wall if you are looking out from the boat ramp at Ft W?

Well...yeah. Last time we took the goat path from the upper parking lot, dove towards the mouth of the cove and went right(east) along side of the cliff passing, "sort of narrow canyon" that is visible on the surface. I am wondering, if there is anything intresting pass that point eastbound. I am also curious if "the wall" continues passing the mouth of the cove, and if it does, how far she is from the cliffs.

There is sort of a neat rock arch/swim through at one point near the point. There can be a little current out at the mouth of the cove, but in my experience it is pretty much always swimmable. If memory serves, the max depth is something in the neighborhood of 40-50 ft depending on how far you go around the point. My logbook is sitting in my office at work so I can't double check the exact depths I've gotten there right now.

Plenty of people dive there but since it is a little more work to get to than the rest of Ft Wetherill it typically has a bit less traffic.

Hope that helps.

Thanks a lot!
rgrds
Tomek

 

[ScubaSarus]

Thats one of my most favorite dives into that canyon and down the cliff there to 55 ft. Just be careful of the surge in the canyon as it can be severe. Vis in that canyon is usually 20 ft min on a good day and sometimes 50 ft as the bottom is all rocky in there. Don't go to far to the end of the canyon as you can get wedged in.

 

[RIOceanographer]

Vis in that canyon is usually 20 ft min on a good day and sometimes 50 ft as the bottom is all rocky in there.

My experience with visibility there is more in the range of 5 to 15 ft.

Also to update my earlier post, I've logged a max depth of 55 ft at that site.

 

[RIOceanographer]

Well...yeah. Last time we took the goat path from the upper parking lot, dove towards the mouth of the cove and went right(east) along side of the cliff passing, "sort of narrow canyon" that is visible on the surface. I am wondering, if there is anything intresting pass that point eastbound. I am also curious if "the wall" continues passing the mouth of the cove, and if it does, how far she is from the cliffs.

The wall continues right around the point. I've never run out of wall before I hit my turn pressure.

I believe the "canyon" you mention is probably the same thing as the "rock arch" I was talking about, it is probably the most interesting feature along that wall.

 

[rzep]

THX guys!
Any knowledge of recent condition in F.W area(vis, temp). I've just acquired some new hardware I am itching to try and also test some patching job on my dry suit.
rgrds
Tomek

 

[AfterDark]

I don't know what the conditions are now my guess is not too good there's that storm to the south today.

At Ft W you might want to try diving in front of the big point on the channel side in front of cove without the boat ramp. It's at least 100fsw there. The wall and the bottom are covered with sea anemones, at night they're all open. Nice photo dive also found an old bottle there. Do it on the incoming tide, drift until the current is slack, then return on the slack or wait and drift back on the outgoing. I swim back to the cove at 20fsw 15fsw 10fsw to decompress or just for safety "stops".

 

[rzep]

At Ft W you might want to try diving in front of the big point on the channel side in front of cove without the boat ramp. It's at least 100fsw there. The wall and the bottom are covered with sea anemones, at night they're all open. Nice photo dive also found an old bottle there.

Agree! That one of the nices dive over there.
Thx.
Tomek

 

[ScubaSarus]

Just be aware of the current at the point on the channel side there in front of the DEM/Fort area. There has been a few divers carried into the channel by the current. And once in the channel, the current rips in certain areas.

It is a great dive.

The exit around back at the pier is quite tough so we usually do a giant stride off the pier and go around to the pebble/rocky beach in the cove. Or we dive off the pebble/rocky beach and turn around and come back to it.