Block Island Diving

[Rich Keller]

I am looking for information on diving on Block Island. Dive shops, beach dives and close to shore dive sites I can reach by kayak.

 

[ScubaSarus]

I'm going to suggest Mansion Beach as its the only place around here that I have seen a stingray with a 4 ft + wingspan.

Also the wreck of the Lightburn is rather shallow just off shore and a real nice colorful clear dive.

 

[Rich Keller]

Is there a dive shop on Block Island that can fill tanks? Where are Mansion and Lightburn located?

 

[AfterDark]

I think you'll need to go to the mainland for air fills. The Block is hard to access without ones own boat. Pt Judith Harbor port for the BI ferry pier is your best bet to find charters. You may be able to find fishermen that are willing to drop you off maybe with your yak at BI, pick you up and bring you back to Pt. J. You could take the ferry with a car but that's $$'s. I've lived here or MA all my life, I've got close to 2000 dives most here in NE. I can count the number of Block dives on one hand. A very nice place to dive with some of the best vis found in RI waters. Watch the tides and current, tricky.

 

[Rich Keller]

I think you'll need to go to the mainland for air fills. The Block is hard to access without ones own boat. Pt Judith Harbor port for the BI ferry pier is your best bet to find charters. You may be able to find fishermen that are willing to drop you off maybe with your yak at BI, pick you up and bring you back to Pt. J. You could take the ferry with a car but that's $$'s. I've lived here or MA all my life, I've got close to 2000 dives most here in NE. I can count the number of Block dives on one hand. A very nice place to dive with some of the best vis found in RI waters. Watch the tides and current, tricky.

I will be taking the ferry from Montauk with my gear and would rent a kayak there if I could find a useful place close to New Harbor to dive. Other then that it would just be shore dives.

 

[Gilldiver]

There was a small shop about half way between Old and New Harbor, but I don't know if they are open this year. Island Outfitters & Dive Shop Phone: (401) 466-5502


There are not many known beach sites on Block and I know of no dive boats out of Block, but there are many out of Point Judith, Narragansett, New London, and Long Island that could stop by Block to pick you up.
Beach diving will be limited due to beach access issues. But on the upper East side is the wreck of the Puszta that can be got to from the beach. There is also an old schooner barge about a ½ mile to the West of New Harbor, but it is right by the entry and the Coast Guard would be all over you on a Kayak, and in any type of limited visibility I would be very wary of the semi-piloted Eggharbor’s and Bertram’s on the way in or out. My experience in the area is that they would never see you before hitting you and getting pissed that you marred the jell coat or put a dent in the running gear.

The two wrecks on the South end off of Block Island light are the Essex and Lightbourne. To get to them from the beach would be difficult due to the climb down to the beach and then you have the swim out. If you are a good Kayaker you should be able to get to them, it may be a long paddle but I have seen paddlers out by them in the past. A lot will depend on the wavers and swells as the area is wide open to any seas out of the East, South, and West.
Here is a web site that can give you some background: Hunting New England Shipwrecks
As for beach diving, expect a lot of featureless sand on the northern half with more rock mixed in on the Southern end. At the Northern point be very careful of the rip, it is very strong at full flow.

 

[dovethat]

I would like to know if any tours would take me out to the U-boat off Block ISland? I'd love to dive it, but need help making it happen...

 

[gbirch]

I went out to the U-853 earlier this year with Atlantis Dive Charters (Wreck Diving and Scuba Diving at Atlantis Dive Charters) out of New London, CT. I found them to be curteous & helpful and ran a safe and well organized boat. I'll dive with them again on this wreck for sure (just wish it wasn't so far away for me!).

Happy Diving!

I would like to know if any tours would take me out to the U-boat off Block ISland? I'd love to dive it, but need help making it happen...

 

[munromh]

I know I'm a little late to this but I thought I'd put in my two cents. There hasn't been a dive shop on The Island for many years, the easiest way to get to The Island with a bunch of gear is by many of the ferries that leave out of Point Judith or New London, if you want to dive the U-853 I would also suggest Gary Chellis at Atlantis Dive Charters (New London CT) or Wayne Gordon on Canned Air (Point Judith), I do not know of any dive charters running off the The Island, the closest and "easiest" wreck to access via kayak on The Island would be the Montana just outside New Harbor (The Salt Pond); LOTS of boat traffic though. A little farther out would be the Sonar Barge. If you make it out to The Island don't forget to visit the Block Island Historical Society.

 

[Sean222]

You could also reach the Wreck of the Spartan which would be reachable by Kayak from Old Harbor(It's very shallow). In the Clay Head area you could hit the Puztsa.