Tire Reef

Recommended type of dive: Shore

How to dive this site: Gear up in the parking area and enter the water to the left of the two cement pilings in front of the white building known to locals as "The Rake Station". Both flood and ebb currents here run to the west almost always. The only time the current runs to the east is the beginning of a large flood movement. For best results dive here on a slack period, unless you plan to drift dive down the length of the beach. Once underwater, drop down the gravel slope until reaching the bottom at 50 - 60' The tire reef is lying on the sandy bottom and is continuously shifting but is home to many rockfish, greenling, sculpin, wolf eel, octopus and starfish. A set of cement pipes lies 100' to the southeast of the tires. A stack of cement blocks is 200' to the east of the pipes and 100' south of the shore. For those interested in navigation, this is an excellent place to practice. The area around the tire reef is littered with thousands of old bottles. The bottles extend down the length of the beach towards the ferry. For an excellent drift dive of this area, see the Admiralty Beach dive.

Directions to the site: GPS Coordinates: N. 48 09.814 W. 122 38.252.

From Oak Harbor - Follow SR20 South to Coupeville. Once there, turn left onto Main Street. Follow it towards the Keystone Ferry. Continue on past the ferry landing and follow Keystone Road approximately 1.3 miles before turning right on Keystone Avenue. Pull into Driftwood Park where parking is available.

From Clinton - Follow Highway 525 North until turning left onto Wanamaker Road just past Admirals Cove. Follow Wanamaker towards the ocean by turning left onto Keystone Avenue. Pull into Driftwood Park where parking is available.