Categories
Northern Oregon Coast

Hammond Boat Basin South Jetty

The south jetty at the Hammond Boat Basin is a good place to go diving if you’re in the general Astoria area and are interested in doing a little underwater hunting.  There is decent crabbing and spear fishing here.  The north and east sides of the jetty are exposed to the full force of the Columbia River where the current can really rip.  While the water is shallow near the base of the jetty, head north and things suddenly get deeper as you approach the main shipping channel.

Hammond Boat Basin South Jetty SCUBA Map.
Imagery ©2017 Google, Map data ©2017 Google.
The south jetty at Hammond Boat Basin is a good place to go crabbing and spearfishing.

 

 

Nearest Town:

Hammond, Oregon is just south of the Hammond Boat Basin South Jetty.

GPS Coordinates:

46.201513, -123.947773

Special Directions to Site:

Head north on Iredale Street from downtown Hammond.  Just past 5th Avenue there are some dirt tracks taking off to the right (east).  These go down to the beach.  Where Iredale Street turns west there is a pull-out.

Parking:

Most divers will probably park at the pull-out where Iredale Street turns west.  Some people also park down on the beach by the entrance/exit.

 

Site Orientation:

The dive site at Hammond Boat Basin south jetty runs north-south along the jetty.  If you stray too far north or east from the jetty, you’ll end up in the shipping lanes and in an area with a LOT of current.

Entrances and Exits:

The easiest entrance/exit is at the beach on the east side of the base of the Hammond Boat Basin south jetty.  It’s a nice walk in and out.  On the west side of the jetty, there aren’t many good places to get in and out but you can do it in a pinch.

Salt/Fresh:

Depending on the tidal flows, this is either a salt or a brackish dive.

Shore/Boat:

Hammond Boat Basin south jetty is a shore dive.

Normal Conditions:

You will likely encounter current on the east side of the jetty.  The full force of the Columbia River roars through here.  Occasional big waves come through the area that could cause some surge and surf as big ships pass.

Normal Visibility:

Depending on ocean conditions, river conditions, and the tide, you might get up to 10 feet of viz but usually it’s less.

Normal Temperature:

Expect between 45 and 55F water.

Best Time of Year:

Fall is a good time to check this dive site out although it’s accessible any time of the year.

Max Depth:

Along the jetty at high tide you will find 10-15 feet of water.  If you head north or east away from the jetty, the shipping channel drops to 50 feet or more.

Suggested Special Training:

Advanced open water training is a good idea to dive the Hammond Boat Basin south jetty.  Experience with diving in a high current area is also a good idea.

Difficulty of Dive:

We rate this as an intermediate dive because of the current and potential for low viz.

Distance of Walk to Entrance:

Depending on where you park, 20 to 300 feet of walking is in your future.

Surface Swim Length:

No surface swim is needed.

Special Site Notes:

Remember that the Columbia River has a roaring current during tide changes.  Be prepared for that.  Also viz can be very low here.  Be mindful of fishermen on the jetty and stay out of their fishing lines.

Closest Local Dive Shops to Get Air Fills and SCUBA Gear:

Astoria has a full service SCUBA shop.  We keep an updated list of dive shops and air fill stations at our Local Dive Shops page.

Nearby Restaurants We Like:

There are some good places to eat in Astoria.  We like the fish and chips place that operates out of an old boat in downtown.

Nearby Places to Camp and Diver-Friendly Hotels:

There are many campgrounds in the general area that have yurts, tent sites, and RV sites.  All are SCUBA diver friendly.  We haven’t tried any of the hotels around here so please let us know if there is one in particular that you know to be diver-friendly!

What Other People Have to Say About This Site:

Please write in the comments below your experiences with this dive site!

 

 

Categories
Northern Oregon Coast

Hammond Boat Basin North Jetty

The Hammond Boat Basin North Jetty is exposed to the ripping current of the Columbia River main channel but if you dive at slack tide, you can get halfway decent water conditions and a unique experience.  Old ruins on the north end of the dive site usually have good marine life although there is the potential for entanglement hazards.  Head away from land a few feet and you will find the water gets rapidly deeper as you approach the shipping channel.

Imagery ©2017 Google, Map data ©2017 Google.
The Hammond Boat Basin North Jetty is exposed to the ripping current through the main channel of the Columbia River as it rushes the last few miles to the ocean. Old ruins are interesting to check out although there are entanglement hazards.

Nearest Town:

The dive site at the Hammond Boat Basin North Jetty is just north of downtown Hammond, Oregon

GPS Coordinates:

46.206129, -123.951349

Special Directions to Site:

Head north from downtown Hammond toward the boat basin.  Follow signs for Seafarer’s Park.

Parking:

There is parking at the north end of Seafarer’s Park.  The last time we checked, parking was free although this could change.  Be sure to verify with the signs in the park.

 

Site Orientation:

The dive site sticks along the jetty from the entrance to Hammond Boat Basin at the south and east end of the dive site up to the ruins at the north and west side of the dive site.  If you head north and east, you will eventually run into the Columbia River shipping channel.  It’s a good idea to stick closer to land where you have at least a little protection from the current.

Entrances and Exits:

There are several decent entrances and exits along the jetty near the parking area.  We marked several on the map above but if you look around a little at the Hammond Boat Basin North Jetty, you will find a few other decent places to climb over the jetty rocks and enter the water.

Salt/Fresh:

This is a salt water dive.

Shore/Boat:

This is a shore dive.

Normal Conditions:

There can be a lot of current at this site.  Be sure to dive at slack tide.  SCUBA diving here during the tidal exchange could cause you to have a rather unpleasant drift dive.  There is regular boat traffic in the area both in the main shipping channel and coming into and out of the Hammond Boat Basin.  It’s a good idea to fly a dive flag.

Normal Visibility:

Depending on river conditions, you might get only 3 feet of viz or up to 15 feet of viz.  Be prepared for low visibility conditions.

Normal Temperature:

Temperatures can vary between 45 and 55F depending on the time of year.

Best Time of Year:

There doesn’t seem to be one best time of year here.  In the summer the parking lot can be full on the weekends.

Max Depth:

You can find 50+ feet of water if you head toward the main shipping channel.  Right along the jetty, the water is shallow (max 15 feet).

Suggested Special Training:

Advanced open water training is a good idea to dive the Hammond Boat Basin North Jetty.  Experience with diving in a high current area is also a good idea.

Difficulty of Dive:

We rate this as an intermediate dive because of the current and the risk of entanglement in the old ruins on the north end of the dive site.

Distance of Walk to Entrance:

Depending on where you enter, you might need to walk up to 200 feet.  At the entrances near the parking lot, you may need to wade through water before it gets deep enough to swim in.

Surface Swim Length:

No surface swim is needed here.

Closest Local Dive Shops to Get Air Fills and SCUBA Gear:

The dive shop in Astoria is full service and has an air fill station.

Nearby Restaurants We Like:

There is decent food in Hammond and great food over in Astoria.

Nearby Places to Camp and Diver-Friendly Hotels:

There are a lot of public campgrounds in the area with good camping.  We haven’t tried any of the local hotels so please let us know if you’ve found one that is SCUBA diver friendly.

What Other People Have to Say About This Site:

Please write in the comments below your experiences with this dive site!