Puget Sound · United States · Wall · Reef
Sund Rock
Wolf eels in the rock on the north and south walls
Photo: Dan Hershman · CC BY 2.0
Sund Rock is a designated conservation area on Hood Canal where no hunting or gathering of any kind is permitted, and the area is known for abundant and diverse life. Two rock walls, north and south, carry the diving down through 70 to 80 feet (21 to 24 m) depending on the tide, with a reef-like shallow called the fish bowl between them and a pair of sunken boats nearby.
Also known as Sund Rock Marine Preserve, Sund Rock Conservation Area.
Where it is and how deep
47.4366° N, 123.1174° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
Access is the first part of the dive. A somewhat steep but short hike takes you down to the water, and from there it is a surface swim of anywhere between 250 and 600 metres depending on the entry used. This is not a current-sensitive area, so the planning is about the swim and the cold rather than about hitting a slack-water window.
Underwater the site is built around two structures, the north wall and the south wall. Both carry down to 70 to 80 feet (21 to 24 m), the exact figure depending on the tide, and between them sits the fish bowl, a reef-like area full of life that repays being worked slowly on the way in or the way back. Wolf eels are the animal people come for, and lingcod and giant Pacific octopus share the same rock.
There is more structure for divers who want it. A sunken boat lies north of the north wall, a second wrecked boat sits between the two walls, and the fish pen wall extends beyond 100 feet (30 m), which puts its base past the dive most people are doing here. Nudibranchs, anemones and sea cucumbers are on the rock as well, and the area is known for abundant and diverse life inside a preserve where nothing may be taken.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Nudibranchs
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Puget Sound: Diving runs all year; visibility is often best in fall and winter, while summer brings 16 hours of daylight.
Know before you go
- The surface swim runs between 250 and 600 metres each way, so a dive that goes long leaves you cold and tired for the swim back.
- The fish pen wall extends beyond 100 feet (30 m), and it is easy to follow the rock down past the depth the dive was planned for.
Photos from Sund Rock
Dan Hershman · CC BY 2.0
Dan Hershman · CC BY 2.0
Dan Hershman · CC BY 2.0
Dive videos
Deep diving & the GIANT PACIFIC OCTOPUS - Sund Rock - DIVE DRY ROAD TRIP EP04 · Azul Unlimited on YouTube
Scuba Diving in Sund Rock Marine Preserve, Hood Canal, WA [4K] · Cascadian Montage on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What can you see at Sund Rock?+
Wolf eels are the draw, alongside giant Pacific octopus and lingcod, with nudibranchs, anemones and sea cucumbers on the rock. It is a designated conservation area where no hunting or gathering of any kind is permitted, and it is known for abundant and diverse life.
How deep is Sund Rock?+
The north and south walls run to 70 to 80 feet (21 to 24 m) depending on the tide, and that covers most of the diving. The fish pen wall carries on beyond 100 feet (30 m) for divers who want the depth.
Sources
- Sund Rock — Wikipedia
Photo credits
- A frosted nudibranch with a full crown of pale, orange-tipped cerata rests on a rock at Sund Rock. by Dan Hershman, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A frosted nudibranch crawls across the rusted, encrusted side of a sunken boat. by Dan Hershman, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A frosted nudibranch with translucent, ruffled cerata sits against a dark rock background. by Dan Hershman, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A pale nudibranch with slender, tipped cerata moves over a rock beside a branching hydroid. by Dan Hershman, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
- When is slack water? Tides for diversOcean science · 7 min read
- Why you get cold diving, even in a wetsuitBody & health · 8 min read
- Cold-water diving: is it worth the drysuit?Cold water · 8 min read
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