Yeah I have heard of some places further north where the water is "trapped" in coves and the like and gets pretty nice. It's a bit far for a daily swim... but certainly sounds like a nice place to cruise to.
Certainly the breadth of possible gunkhole locations in the PNW makes So Cal look down right boring. The cruising guides I have been reading state that there are about 450 islands in the Puget Sound / Victoria Island area... "more coves than one man could explore in a lifetime."