Best Scuba Diving Near Seattle in Edmonds Underwater Park

A city park in the artsy Seattle suburb is one of the Northwest’s premier underwater attractions

written by James Sinks

In a very cool way, it’s a skate park.

And also a crab park, an anemone park and a cod park.

In the 1970s, a 27-acre property just offshore in the Seattle suburb of Edmonds was designated as a conservation area—and then became a city park for those brave enough for the Puget Sound’s chill.

More than a half century later, the submerged playground now attracts some 25,000 scuba divers and snorkelers annually—making it one of the most-visited dive spots in the Pacific Northwest—and helps the public appreciate the importance, beauty and fragility of the ocean.

Because marine life and birds are protected, you can’t fish, crab, kayak or bring dogs onto adjacent sand, so the place teems with colorful plants and animals starting at the water’s edge. Beneath the surface, it’s not unusual to come face-to-face with skates, urchins, jellies, ling cod and even harbor seals.

“There is so much to discover in our underwater backyard,” said Annie Crawley, an international underwater photographer who calls Edmonds home. She helps raise visibility about the park through her videos and website, and invites the curious to take scuba lessons and to join what she calls Annie’s Dive Team.

To her, the city park is both a jewel and a springboard to urge better stewardship of oceans and their inhabitants, even microscopic phytoplankton that are responsible for producing half of the world’s oxygen.

Easy to find and popular because Seattle is just 15 miles to the south, Edmonds Underwater Park is near the local ferry terminal and steps from Edmonds’ lively downtown district.

Only a short distance from Seattle, Edmonds makes a perfect weekend getaway. *(photo: Elise Giordano/Discover Snohomish County)*

To help underwater visitors navigate the park and not get carried by constant currents, volunteers have strung guide ropes between purposely sunk structures and boats. Volunteers also patrol for invasive species and maintain underwater signs.

While the park allows diving year-round, warmer months are more popular as visibility tends to be better—depending on the day, you can sometimes see as far as 40 feet. (Some days, it’s only 2 feet.) And when it’s easier to see, it’s easier to explore the park’s 2.5 miles of submerged trails, some which descend to a depth of 45 feet.

And no, the water is never warm, even in summer. Temps peak at 52 degrees, making scuba suits a required fashion statement.

You need to be certified or in a class to explore the park and can even dive at night with a free permit, but you’re never allowed to hit the water alone. Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran, all divers and snorkelers must swim with a buddy.

The happy upshot: You’ll have company to explore Edmonds’ vibrant, above-ground art and culinary scene.

Home to about 42,000 people, the suburb is a onetime logging camp and mill town in the former range of the Coast Salish peoples, and in its industrial heyday produced most of the region’s cedar roof shingles.

The inviting city sits along a mile of Puget Sound, looking across the water to the peaks of the Olympics to the west. As such, sunset views from Brackett’s Landing on the shoreline are a reliable crowd pleaser. Along with the underwater playground, Edmonds boasts forty-seven parks and recreation spots including a kayakable lake. Want to see sea life without a wetsuit? It’s also a launch point for whale watching tours.

In 2005, the suburban community was tapped as a national “Preserve America Community” for its heritage protection efforts. In 2018, it was named the state of Washington’s first Certified Creative District, a nod to its multifaceted art attractions. There’s an arts festival in June, a summer music series and galleries sprinkled in the walkable historic downtown, which radiates from a fountain-and-traffic roundabout at the intersection of Fifth and Main.

Find galleries and more in Edmonds’ walkable historic downtown. *(photo: Nate Watters/Discover Snohomish County)*

Cascadia Art Museum rotates regional exhibits in a redeveloped former Safeway grocery store. Statues and sculptures help to decorate Waterfront Walkway Park. On a jetty, a school of whimsical metal salmon twist atop poles in the breeze. And at night, rows of solar-powered lights embedded in the pavement create a “luminous forest” on Fourth Street.

Colorful art sculptures on poles along Edmonds waterfront with beach and buildings in background. — A metal salmon sculpture adds whimsy to a jetty. *(photo: James Sinks)*

For international travelers, Edmonds also offers the opportunity to pilgrimage to the headquarters of Rick Steves, a native who launched one of the world’s most-loved European tour and guidebook companies. There’s a library, store and travel advisors. And yes, Steves lives nearby and has been known to stop by.

Did getting wet whet your appetite?

Dive into crab and lobster rolls at MARKET Seafood Eatery. Sample Caribbean flavors at Calypso. Try the angry bar nuts and charcuterie at Kelnero. And it’s not uncommon to find award-winning bartender and chef Niles Peacock, whose sourdough pizza earned best-in-nation honors in 2022, serving up pies, salads, sandwiches and gluten-free dishes at his kitchen and bar near the ferry terminal. The place also has a dog-friendly patio.

Fresh lobster roll with chopped chives served with crispy French fries and lemon wedge, perfect for a seaside dining experience. — After a day on (or in) the water, tuck into a mouthwatering lobster roll at MARKET Seafood Eatery. *(photo: Feed It Creative/MARKET Seafood Eatery)*

For dessert, there’s a dairy wonderland at the local storefront of Seattle ice cream chain Molly Moon’s. Expect a line for sundaes with an assortment of toppings including Magic Shell. It’s not a typical topping, but you can buy Lactaid at the counter.

While downtown, you might accidentally walk right past one of the Seattle area’s most highly acclaimed cocktail bars, Daphnes. It’s understandable, as the establishment occupies only 250 square feet and there’s room for just nine at the bartop. The hole-in-the-wall doesn’t even have a full-number address: It’s at 415½ Main.

If you’re fortunate and seats are open, grab a spot. A few blocks from the water and the underwater park, let the conversation drift to ocean conservation, or anything deep, really.