Where to dive if I just moved to NYC

[lowviz]

@happy-diver Hank Garvin on the Garloo. Wow. What a dive! The kid and I had a wonderful day. Got so bad overnight that the anchor was cut. Many memories.

Other than that, well I'm just flummoxed by all my friends and don't know what to say
but it won't last very long at all so that's okay

If I put a dent in your Karma, let me know and I'll help you pound it back out...

 

[happy-diver]

Yeah Hank Garvin, wow he gets quite a few mentions in the NE wreck books I've read
Don't know how comfortable I'd be tied to the end of that line when that ocean picks up

I'm okay now thanks, my Karmas popped back out again just like a plastic bumper bar


Progressive wreck diving, that's also my thing

 

[KathyV]

Thank you everyone for taking the time and answering, I really appreciate it.
@KathyV
Thank you so much for your offers and questions!
It might sound strange, but we don't usually plan a budget, we just try to go for the best diving in the lowest price possible. For example I have the buget for a week in Cozumel, but not for a week in the Galapagos. I'm willing to pay up to 300 for a return ticket from NYC, and about 100 dollars a night for accommodation, and 2 dives a day. Maybe it sounds like a budget then
Time of year - flexible but prefer winter time when NY is freezing....

You do have a budget and it is pretty tight because winter is the peak season in the warm-water destinations. Everybody wants to head south when it is freezing in the north.

The water can be quite cold in Florida and the Bahamas in the winter and spring IMO - and kind of cold in the Turks and Caicos, too. As you go further south into the Caribbean, the Yucatan, or Central America then water gets warmer as I am sure you know already.

I did a quick search and I found nonstop, direct, roundtrip airfares for around $500 in January on JetBlue from JFK in NY to GCM (Grand Cayman).

If they still have any availability for the Holiday Package (through Jan 18 2020) at the Cobalt Coast resort it might work for you. The price of $1480 x 2 comes out to $423 per day for 2 people over one week. That price includes transfers, accommodations, 3 meals a day, 2 boat dives per day, taxes, and hotel service charges.

Not included are the dive shop tips, nitrox - if you use it, and alcoholic beverages. The package also includes unlimited shore dives on the house reef but that end of the island can be windy in the winter - so you might not get much shore diving. I'm partial to Cayman so I keep an eye out for bargains and that is a good price for the high travel season in my opinion.

Dive Free with 7-Night Holiday Special

 

[oly5050user]

Scuba New York is putting a trip to cayman brac for presidents week in Feb at about $2700. Includes airfare hotel 3 dives per day 3 meals per day

 

[caydiver]

Used to live in NY but moved to somewhere the diving is better at least for me. I would definitely look around at local clubs and join one. They often do group trips which can really cut back on prices and you you are diving with friends. The viz on Long Island is nothing like here in Cayman but it is a great way to get in some dives and improve your skill set. Same for Hudson River. I think there is even a group at City Island. The Galapagos is an amazing trip but the water is cold, soooo cold. However that’s what makes the diving so incredible. All those mag creatures feeding on nature’s bounty. Lots of diving in Florida Keys and sometimes the airfares and travel time fit a better for a quick trip. Just not going international saves airport time. Have only been fishing off NJ coast, so cannot comment on what’s it got to offer. Hope you enjoy the big Apple. Sounds silly but if I had stayed up there I was planning to volunteer as a dive cleaner at the big tanks at the Aquarium. Just thought it would be a learning experience and I would have my head in the water!

 

[doctormike]

If you live in NYC and want to get involved with the local diving community, I can recommend the NYC Sea Gypsies.

While some of our activities involve local diving in the NY/NJ area (which it sounds like you are not interested in), most of our members don't actually participate in that. We have regular meetings each month with great speakers (we just had Jill Heinerth, have had Gaelin Rosenwaks, Erika Bergman, Christina Zenato in the past, our upcoming speaker for next week is Bruce Konefe, one of the cave divers who ran the rescue of the Thai soccer team last year).

We also have monthly underwater photographic meetings and other social events. It's a great place to meet divers, learn from others' experience, and plan trips, if that's your thing.

Click on the link, and maybe come to the October meeting on the 28th, no charge!

 

[divad]

^^^ Yeah, do this. I always meant to, but was too shy.

 

[hilljo88]

Sea Gypsies are a good group to catch up with for social nights and local dive info. Local boat diving tends to feature wrecks, longish boat rides and typically cold water, current and low viz. Some other shore diving possibilities are Ponquoque Bridge in Hampton Bays, Fort Wetherill in Rhode Island. Dutch Springs is a quarry dive in Western PA, good for training and more fun than it sounds.

You can find inexpensive flights to Florida and the Caribbean if you shop around and have flexible timing. (I have a flight to Grand Cayman from JFK booked at $113 one way for late October. Holiday periods are much more expensive.) Search SB or Google locations and you'll find lots of info on good dive sites and dive operators. Some favorites with easy flights are: Cancun and Maya Riviera/Cozumel, Caymans, Curacao/Bonaire. Bahamas (features sharks), St Thomas/St Croix, St Lucia. Some great diving off of the south coast of Cuba, usually done via (expensive) liveaboard.

Here's an example of what's possible: We'll take an early Thursday morning flight to Grand Cayman, be in the water at Sunset House by 2:30 PM. We'll do a 70 minute plus shore dive on the house reef, do a second dive later. Friday and Saturday we'll do a combination of 2 tank boat dives and shore dives, and Sunday morning we'll do 1 or 2 shallow shore dives. Might snorkel or just sightsee in the afternoon. Fly back early Monday and be back in NYC before noon. We can do 10-12 dives over the long weekend, only missing 2 days of work.

 

[doctormike]

Sea Gypsies are a good group to catch up with for social nights and local dive info. Local boat diving tends to feature wrecks, longish boat rides and typically cold water, current and low viz. Some other shore diving possibilities are Ponquoque Bridge in Hampton Bays, Fort Wetherill in Rhode Island. Dutch Springs is a quarry dive in Western PA, good for training and more fun than it sounds.

Yes, but most of our members are warm water divers and there is a lot of diving going on within the club that aren't officially sponsored club dives. People make friends at the meetings, and often travel together after meeting that way. Much better than relying on instabuddies. For example, had two groups go to Tulum this year to do the Cenotes.

So while I love local NYC area diving, I realize that it isn't for everybody, and the club is about a lot more than just that....

 

[-JD-]

-snip-
Dutch Springs is a quarry dive in Western PA, good for training and more fun than it sounds.
-snip-

Actually, EASTERN Pennsylvania. +/- 2 Hours from Manhattan. https://www.dutchsprings.com/ Map: Google Maps