the surly diver: Map: Redondo Beach

Redondo Beach, Des Moines, WA

An inverted black and white version of a map of the dive site at Redondo Beach. The map was originally created in August, 2008 and was last updated in June, 2010. ©Scott Okumura

This map was our second to complete and took approximately eight dives to plot. I was encouraged to create a map for this site because it is a popular training site and one that new divers return to often to build their confidence and skills.

It's a relatively easy site to navigate because of the 3" diameter rope that connects the major features. This also made plotting easy.

Little has changed in the years since the map was created, though I will be conducting another update soon and I am considering exploring different formats. My original idea was that the map would be interactive and provide information (detailed description, photos, and/or video) on rollover of key features.

Changes to the site that I am aware of:

The VW bug is corroded down to the chassis and is barely recognizable.
The aluminum lamp reflectors are dispersed more widely now, no longer in three orderly piles.
The PVC dome has collapsed, possibly dredged by an anchor.
The ladder from the boat on the Deep Line has been moved (by divers) to the observation pipe.

Also, there are several features to the north that I would like to include in a revised version:

A large boulder, roughly 50' north of the low rock pile.
Several stacks of blocks arranged in rings, three blocks high, also north of the shallow line.

A close up of the Deep Line that is connected to the MaST pier. ©Scott Okumura

The Deep Line is longer than it looks from this overhead topographical view. It is trailing down a fairly steep slope (roughly 30º) and ends in a bottle field that extends well beyond what I've mapped. The slope becomes a gentle, sandy plain at around 90 fsw. Because there are few features beyond the line, it is easy to get disoriented and I suggest using a compass to safely navigate a return if venturing away from the bottle field. Boat traffic is not a problem over the site, but can be if you find yourself on the surface beyond the end of the Deep Line.

The Shallow Line marks an easy dive and offers lots of points of interest. At night, many small red octopuses can be found in the open, along with stubby squid, bay pipefish, ratfish, and occasional skates and dogfish. If you head northeast from the north end of the Shallow Line, you will eventually meet the outer edge of a large eel grass bed where you will find many pacific spiny lumpsuckers at certain times of the year.