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Paul Desmarais

Registered
Messages
58
Reaction score
38
Location
Connecticut, USA
# of dives
50 - 99
Hi All, New to the forum, just relocated home from Egypt after two years abroad. I started diving in the Red Sea and look forward to continuing back home.

I am not really sure how to classify myself as a diver... I completed 75 logged dives in the relatively short time I've been diving, but they have all been in warm water and with (mostly) excellent visibility.

Looking forward to trying some different conditions here in New England.

I particularly enjoy night diving.
 
Welcome to SB. Are you planning any CT shore diving? Let me know if you find any with good depth and parking. Hope to get back down that way, but this Summer looks doubtful with the border closed. I hear there are charters that go out from the L.I. South shore that get pretty booked up in Summer. Who knows now with the virus.
 
Welcome to SB. Are you planning any CT shore diving? Let me know if you find any with good depth and parking. Hope to get back down that way, but this Summer looks doubtful with the border closed. I hear there are charters that go out from the L.I. South shore that get pretty booked up in Summer. Who knows now with the virus.

I honestly do not know what my diving plans are. I do hope to do some local diving; the shop where I bought my gear is in Bridgeport and they run frequent trips locally. It's a little cold at the moment for me... My sister dives up in the Newport, RI area and said there are some good wrecks up that way.
 
Hi Paul, I think your sister has the right idea. I haven't heard of any diving worth doing in the Sound, most CT/Western Mass divers go to RI or to Cape Anne. There are also some lakes in CT that are divable, not the Red Sea but they cure the need for a quick fix from time to time. Most of the diving you will do in the NE will require at least a 5 mil except for a short time in the summer. Drysuits or a 7mil are the best way to extend the diving season.
 
Welcome aboard. Check out the US - New England forum where dive sites and locations are discussed frequently but not as much during the winter months. My local summer diving is a CT lake and Ft Wetherill in RI. If you don't know about FT W you can read up about it on the NE forum.
 
Your LDS in Bridgeport runs boat dives in the Sound, Fort Wetherill is a shore dive with a nice little area for BBQ. A longer drive gets you to south shore of Long Island or NJ for more ambitious wreck dives. You'll have to get used to colder water, limited viz, etc.
 
Welcome.

This is much different than red sea warm clear water.

We are happy to see 10ft vis up here and the water is much colder.

Start with local shore dives so you can get used to the water difference before booking charters.

The only CT shore I know is stonington Beach, but I've never been to the Bridgeport area. Me a people I know head to cape ann, cape cod or RI.

I would recommend looking into a drysuit as they massively extend your dive season to year round if your willing.

Let me know if you want to check out the above sites.
 
I have been diving in limited viz in Alexandria. Alex harbor and Cleopatra city, the viz was about half a meter. It was like diving in pea soup. Not much marine life, and the dive master was a complete nitwit. At one point, he started scraping the algae off artifacts so I could see them better. I had to swim away, losing myself in the muck, to stop him. Still, the hieroglyphics and stuff were pretty cool, and the fighter plane wreck and interesting, even if I could only see two feet of it at a time!
 
I have been diving in limited viz in Alexandria. Alex harbor and Cleopatra city, the viz was about half a meter. It was like diving in pea soup. Not much marine life, and the dive master was a complete nitwit. At one point, he started scraping the algae off artifacts so I could see them better. I had to swim away, losing myself in the muck, to stop him. Still, the hieroglyphics and stuff were pretty cool, and the fighter plane wreck and interesting, even if I could only see two feet of it at a time!

Sometimes we see worse up here.

I did one with @AfterDark and @DanSinks in woods hole last year. At 6 inches we lost sight of other divers. Relied on ok I'm on @AfterDark right side @DanSinks is on left I can see @AfterDark he can see @DanSinks and we have to stay within 6 inches of each other so if there is an issue we can rely messages. Another up in NH first time diving with this woman we lost all vis literally zero, I reached out and grabbed her hand, we we got back I told her sorry not trying to hit on you but in that I wanted to make sure we stayed together, she said no problem and she wanted to do the same but was worried about offending me.

By contrast on Saturday I had over 20 feet of VIS.

It's good you have low VIS experience buts you a leg up from a lot of others who move up here. Still a 7mm and especially a drysuit is much different than a 3mm or a rash guard. But we are a friendly group and welcome new arrivals.
 
Hi All, New to the forum, just relocated home from Egypt after two years abroad. I started diving in the Red Sea and look forward to continuing back home.

I am not really sure how to classify myself as a diver... I completed 75 logged dives in the relatively short time I've been diving, but they have all been in warm water and with (mostly) excellent visibility.

Looking forward to trying some different conditions here in New England.

I particularly enjoy night diving.

Welcome Paul! Diving in CT is difficult without a boat. The Long Island Sound is full of wrecks. The water however is dark, cold and can move very quickly. The Long Island Race near Fisher Island can take a diver for a very fast ride. Fisher Island is home to the wreck of Orlinda in 20FSW and is very close to the island's shore; 15'-20' vis is not uncommon there. Block Island is just off the CT coast and is home to some of the best wrecks in the area. If you have money to spend on charter diving then CT can be a good location for diving. If like me you are limited to shore diving than RI or MA is where you want to go. Your sister has it right, Newport has some great shore diving when the weather is right.
 

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