Cape Diving Near Mashpee

[TightLines]

I'm being dragged down to Mashpee / Hyannis this weekend for a wedding and was thinking that I'd like to get underwater on Saturday morning.

I'm a warm water diver (growing up in FL) and was looking to take my first "cold" water dives this summer. My original plans were to do a bit of shore diving around Cape Ann but as the summer has started I've been too busy to make it up there from Boston.

Anywho - I was looking for a good shore dive recommendation and am also considering a dive with Cape Dive Locker but would really like to try to keep it as cheap as possible.

Since it will be my first dive in a 7 mm suit I'm not looking to go for lobster but something a bit less challenging and a bit more scenic.

Any recommendations on location, tides, wind for a shore dive?

A strong opinion on sticking with a guided dive?

Thanks in advance.

 

[reefseal]

Both shops (CC dive locker and CC sea Sports) can find you buddies in area looking to go out. Some good safe shore dives would be Sandwich town Beach or near Dennis, Corporation beach / Sesuit Harbor. You would need to dive at high tide so won't have to swim far out. Some dive woods hole (Garbage beach) but I wouldn't recommend diving without someone who has done it before. You could end up in trouble with currents and don't want to be surfacing anywhere near the path of Ferry.

 

[TightLines]

I'll actually have a dive buddy with me (girlfriend).

What should we expect at Sandwich Beach?

 

[reefseal]

Sandwich town beach is an OK dive. Past the sand, you'll get to eel grass, Rocks/boulders. The lobsters burrow into the clay bottom. You'll see Crabs, horseshoe crabs, flounder, moon snails. It's kind of a cool night dive. I've seen squid, comb jelly fish. There are blues, striped bass.. I prefer to dive at high tide only because less of a swim out. Best to go at end of day/dusk or early AM for parking.

http://www.scuba-newengland.com/DiveSiteDetail.asp?DiveSiteID=70&StateID=MA

 

[jefffalcone]

I would definitely skip a dive guided by the dive locker.

Sandwich town beach is a nice easy dive, pretty shallow and a little boring. I like garbage beach, but I agree with reefseal that you should only do it if you can find someone who knows it to go with you. It can be pretty confusing and if the currents are strong, it can be pretty unpleasant and a little dangerous.

 

[reefseal]

Jeff,

You around 4th july weekend? We have to do dusk dives at Garbage Beach! will have my son and daughter who will both be certified by then.

 

[jefffalcone]

I wont be around but I think my brother will