Whytecliff Park-The Cut current predictions?

[gcbryan]

I've done the dive at the Cut in Whytecliff park once but I can't remember what info I used to predict the slack current. I live in Seattle so I'm not familiar with some of the details of the local Vancouver sites.

Any info would be appreciated.

 

[Diver0001]

From what I can remember (and it's been a dog's age since I dove Whytecliff) the water just outside the cut is so deep that the tidal currents are divable even outside of slack. If memory serves the flow feels like it runs parallel to the coastline there so I'm not aware of any risks involved in getting dragged deep or surfacing away from the shore.

Just outside of the cut is a little island where you have a chance of seeing seals and getting a little eddy outside of slack but even that's not going to bite you. I wouldn't dive there with winds higher than force 5, though. Wave forming can be significant and can leave you with a grinder of a surface swim to get back out of the water inside the bay.

You can get the tide tables for the Vancouver area from the internet. Check this site maybe:
http://www.tides.info/?command=view&location=Vancouver,+British+Columbia

I do'nt remember what the adjustments are for horeshoe bay but if you call a local dive shop they can tell you.

R..

 

[AtomicWalrus]

Current at The Cut can definitely be an issue, particularly if you're trying to swim around the point with the plumose gardens back into the bay afterwards. Check the Point Atkinson tide tables at this link: http://www.lau.chs-shc.dfo-mpo.gc.c...pe=showZone&language=english&region=1&zone=10 I've found the best times to dive the cut are right around slack tide. If the tide is changing more than about 1 ft/h, it's best to plan a 1-way dive with the current in your favor. For example, on an ebbing tide, dive from the Cut back into the bay. On a flooding tide, go from the bay to the cut. The current is dominated by the flow in and out of Howe Sound, which is next to Whytecliff Park. If you take a look at the Google Maps satellite photo of Whytecliff, you can see some of the water flow patterns around the park.

All that said, I've generally been able to figure out the currents at Whytecliff, but I have been surprised a couple of times when I encountered something different from what I expected. The tricky part is usually getting around the point with the plumose gardens to get back into the bay - seems like sometimes the outflow from the bay sets up a current that you really have to fight against after you've been helped along the whole way by the current past The Cut. If in doubt, though, get close to the wall and work at getting shallow. You definitely do not want to surface from the plumose garden if there's a lot of current. You're way out there, and it's quite a swim to get back into the shelter of the bay.

Anyway, my 2 cents...

 

[gcbryan]

Thanks guys. The one time I did this dive we went in at the Cut and followed the wall around and surfaced and got out on the beach on the bay side. I couldn't remember whether that was ebb or flow so your comments help a lot.

As I recall on the other side of the beach (bay) there is another rocky structure called the Pinnacle where you do the same thing...start the dive on the bay side and ride it around to the other side, get out and walk back. If anyone has anything else that I need to know about that dive I'd like to hear it.

Thanks for the tip about the wind as well.
Gray

 

[Diver0001]

As I recall on the other side of the beach (bay) there is another rocky structure called the Pinnacle where you do the same thing...start the dive on the bay side and ride it around to the other side, get out and walk back.

You can do that both ways depending on teh tides. You can also cut straight across the bay from the pinnacle to the other side (or visa versa) on the 50-55ft line (IIRC). You'll encounter some large square blocks along the way that will tell you if you're navigating right. The blocks are anchors for mooring buoys that used to be there when the location was in use as a marina in the 1980s. The swim across takes about 10 min or so.

R..

 

[Diver0001]

seems like sometimes the outflow from the bay sets up a current that you really have to fight against after you've been helped along the whole way by the current past The Cut. If in doubt, though, get close to the wall and work at getting shallow. You definitely do not want to surface from the plumose garden if there's a lot of current. You're way out there, and it's quite a swim to get back into the shelter of the bay.

Anyway, my 2 cents...

That's good advice. If you're feeling a lot of current there you can also try to get up 10ft off the bottom. That helps too.

R..

 

[gcbryan]

Thanks for all the info. We did 2 dives today and they were both great. We had 40-50 ft. vis, lots of cloud sponges, the harbor seal followed us around, and the weather/traffic worked out as well. I'll be going to the Cut and the Pinnacle more often.

 

[jeckyll]

Glad you had a good time. We did a night dive there tonight. The tricky bit was getting down to the water with all the black ice

Bjorn

 

[gcbryan]

Glad you had a good time. We did a night dive there tonight. The tricky bit was getting down to the water with all the black ice

Bjorn

Yes, I can well imagine We had a little snow but lucked out on the ice.

Gray