I haven't dived outside of California, Nevada, Hawaii and one yucky dive in Ensenada, but I would love to dive in Europe and the PNW someday.
Cold water diving outside the PNW
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... I really, REALLY want to go dive some Great Lakes wrecks ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
ianr33
Contributor
This looks like some pretty cool diving:
NATURE. Under Antarctic Ice. Photo Essay | PBS
The white/gray spiky things are ice crystals
Norbert Wu's book "Under Antarctic Ice" is stunning.
NATURE. Under Antarctic Ice. Photo Essay | PBS
The white/gray spiky things are ice crystals
Norbert Wu's book "Under Antarctic Ice" is stunning.
Check out my buddy Kevin Lee's "real" cold water photography.
Kevin Lee's Photos : Arctic, Antarctic, South Georgia, and Norway Diving | SmugMug
Kevin Lee's Photos : Arctic, Antarctic, South Georgia, and Norway Diving | SmugMug
There's plenty to enjoy here in Maine and new England in general. In Maine the dive charter business is virtually non existent. There are a few but most are intermittent and hardly an industry. As such most diving us from shore or private boats. Bob Michaelson's site captures a lot of what we enjoy. As you get down towards Cape Ann, MA and Boston, MA there are some top notch charter operators that do a steady business.
The diving up in Eastport, Maine is often cited as the most spectacular on the east coast. The cold water and 25 foot tides support a vigorous ecosystem where plant and critter life abound. Many of Bob Michaelson's favorite shots were taken in Eastport waters. Amazing dives can be made from shore or boat. It's high on my to-do list.
Where I am, just south of Portland the critters are now making their way from deep water. Peak sightings will be mid June though September. This is also a very reasonable period for diving wet. Outside of those periods certain seasonal phenomenons will be spotted. The lack of bright light depletes the plankton and if the storm Gods are kind to us spectacular visibility can develop in the off season. Plant growth can be very colorful with ledges appearing as meadows. We have some heavy brown kelp that has flourished since the urchins were hunted to near extinction a few decades ago. The urchins are making a comeback and the heavy growth is starting to thin, revealing the rocky bottom contours, it's nooks and crannies and the critters that make their homes there. With few exceptions it's hard to get past 40 feet on a shore dive. As such 60+ minutes on a single tank is common, :90 is not uncommon for my wife and I. Given the lack of depth and limited diving population mixed gasses are hard to come by and that sort of technical diving is nearly non existent in the recreational world. If the activity in our dive club is any indication we may be on an upswing of active divers.
We have had the pleasure hosting a number of board members at some of our favorite sites.
Pete
The diving up in Eastport, Maine is often cited as the most spectacular on the east coast. The cold water and 25 foot tides support a vigorous ecosystem where plant and critter life abound. Many of Bob Michaelson's favorite shots were taken in Eastport waters. Amazing dives can be made from shore or boat. It's high on my to-do list.
Where I am, just south of Portland the critters are now making their way from deep water. Peak sightings will be mid June though September. This is also a very reasonable period for diving wet. Outside of those periods certain seasonal phenomenons will be spotted. The lack of bright light depletes the plankton and if the storm Gods are kind to us spectacular visibility can develop in the off season. Plant growth can be very colorful with ledges appearing as meadows. We have some heavy brown kelp that has flourished since the urchins were hunted to near extinction a few decades ago. The urchins are making a comeback and the heavy growth is starting to thin, revealing the rocky bottom contours, it's nooks and crannies and the critters that make their homes there. With few exceptions it's hard to get past 40 feet on a shore dive. As such 60+ minutes on a single tank is common, :90 is not uncommon for my wife and I. Given the lack of depth and limited diving population mixed gasses are hard to come by and that sort of technical diving is nearly non existent in the recreational world. If the activity in our dive club is any indication we may be on an upswing of active divers.
We have had the pleasure hosting a number of board members at some of our favorite sites.
Pete
dumpsterDiver
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You have to understand that the Pacific is a much older ocean than the Atlantic..soit has a much higher diversity than the Atlantic..particularly with respect to macro invertebrates, fish etc.
OP
Oh, Max, those pictures are gorgeous! That's exactly the kind of thing I was hoping for. I hope some folks from Norway and such points will come on this thread and tell their stories, too.
Pete, I was amazed to see that you guys have wolf eels, too! And some very fascinating fish. Thank you for the link!
Pete, I was amazed to see that you guys have wolf eels, too! And some very fascinating fish. Thank you for the link!
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Ayisha
Contributor
Then please do.
We have awesome wrecks in Kingston (Lake Ontario) and Tobermory (Georgian Bay/Lake Huron), Ontario. Lake Erie has beautiful huge, wrecks. The Wexford in Lake Huron is a playground. Brockville (St Lawrence River) has excellent wrecks on the U.S. and Cdn side, and in warm water too. Sorry, there isn't that much marine life compared to what Lynn is looking for, but most of the wrecks are very intact and well preserved due to the fresh water. Les Escoumins in Quebec is extremely cold water, but beautiful with a lot of life and colour, I've heard, but I haven't been. There are some pics from someone's trip report here Ontario Diving but I think you have to register to see them. Registration is free and simple, though.
huwporter
Contributor
How about the kelp beds of the Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand:
NZ 2011
Big fish at Fish Rock, New South Wales, Australia:
South West Rocks - Jan 2009
Or Fly Point for weird critters:
Fly Point on Vimeo
The Tuggerah is technically a wreck, but it's hard to see the metal past the fishlife:
SS Tuggerah on Vimeo
Cheers,
Huw
NZ 2011
Big fish at Fish Rock, New South Wales, Australia:
South West Rocks - Jan 2009
Or Fly Point for weird critters:
Fly Point on Vimeo
The Tuggerah is technically a wreck, but it's hard to see the metal past the fishlife:
SS Tuggerah on Vimeo
Cheers,
Huw
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