Dive reports from today please

[ScubaGypsy]

We dove off the brownstone wall today at Fort Adams in Newport. Similar reports here as the previous posters in that we entered around 1250 (just post high tide), 58' max depth, 40 mins, 43 F surface temp, 39 F bottom temp, 8-10' viz.

Tomorrow we're planning on diving King's Beach off of Ocean Drive in Newport around 0930. We're debating on following this up with a later afternoon dive at Bull's Point in Jamestown.

 

[JBert]

Almost at 50! Then we go!

 

[spectrum]

"Free-range golf balls", huh? They're always better than the caged ones.

Thanks for the report. My guess is that viz will be too crappy to bother going tomorrow.

I continue to be amazed at where golf balls are found. Golfers must be like dogs, compelled to mark their territory by whacking a few in the water wherever they go.

The lesser sun today won't help but the seas are even flatter. The skies go downhill by noonish. Yesterday's visibility was probably a 4 on a local scale, I have seen much much worse.

We're heading to Fort Foster in a bit. We'll walk out to see the dive beach and work our way north seeing how the winter has treated some favorite and future dive sites.

 

[rzep]

I went to Brownstone quarry to check recent patching job on my dry suit. Water temp 46 on the surface and as low as 37.6 on the bottom. Vis was crappy in the first
30-40' layer (around 4-5') much better deeper, reaching almost 15' on the bottom by the wall opposite to the main gate. At 80'+ was pretty dark but enough ambient light to navigate. After almost an hour(55min) I felt little cold and head back to the shallows.
rgrds
Tomek

 

[fencingfish]

Got wet with my buddy on Cape Ann yesterday. We scoped out OGB and Pebble but neither looked too inviting, Pebble looked very surgey and OGB had some divers packing up saying vis was terrible. We ended up going to Back Beach where it was flat calm and you could see the bottom in the shallows. Total dive time was 49 minutes, with temperatures between 39-41*F and a max depth of 25'. Vis wasn't great, probably about 5-10 feet, very sharp thermocline just below the surface ~43*F. Saw my first ever nudibranchs! Also saw a small winter flounder and my buddy saw a decent sized bug. Lots of life, spring is definitely here!

When we were leaving Pebble (on Penzance street) after you round the corner past Pebble Beach you are faced with another cove. Usually when I've seen it, it's been cashing surf, but yesterday it was flat calm. Anyone ever dove there? What's the bottom like? depth?

 

[DavidInNH]

The other cove is Loblolly Cove. I dove it a long time ago (maybe around 2002?) and it was a good night dive. Two problems there: no parking so you have to park at Pebble and very slippery loose rocks so you want to get it closest to high tide. I don't remember the details of the dive but kinda remember it as a nice one. Sorry for the lack of detail.

 

[trappist]

Went in too We did ~45min (I need still to check my comp for the exact time), around Salem... We needed to get back were we could not dive last month to break the curse on my frozen-before-dive regulators
Basically, there is nothing to see except sand, sand and did I mention sand ?? !!!
I feel lucky that we saw 4 crabs (one was fully covered by little snails) and one gunnel, this last gunnel was really worth it (let me have an excuse please).
We searched and searched to get deeper, but only reached ~12ft after 30min, was time to get back... at the end, used ~2/5 of the tank... ready to go in again and finish up the air
I need to get back in Cape Ann, definitely better ! And since I hear some winter flounders are finally showing up, I'll be sharpening my prongs this week to get ready for next dive !

 

[ScubaGypsy]

.......snip.......we're planning on diving King's Beach off of Ocean Drive in Newport around 0930. We're debating on following this up with a later afternoon dive at Bull's Point in Jamestown.

We did indeed do both dives today. Dove King's Beach in Newport at 10 am for 42 mins, 31' max depth, 10' viz, 43 F surface and 39 F bottom temperatures. Didn't see much life though, only a few crabs and small lobsters. Surprisingly a strong surge.

Dove Bull's Point in Jamestown at 1 pm for 40 mins, 63' max depth, 10' viz, 41 F surface and 39 F bottom temperatures. A little more life here with small gunnels, more crabs and lobsters. Very little current or surge.

Beautiful RI spring weekend, hopefully this is a sign of many more to come!

 

[gbirch]

Got wet with my buddy on Cape Ann yesterday. We scoped out OGB and Pebble but neither looked too inviting, Pebble looked very surgey and OGB had some divers packing up saying vis was terrible. We ended up going to Back Beach where it was flat calm and you could see the bottom in the shallows. Total dive time was 49 minutes, with temperatures between 39-41*F and a max depth of 25'. Vis wasn't great, probably about 5-10 feet, very sharp thermocline just below the surface ~43*F. Saw my first ever nudibranchs! Also saw a small winter flounder and my buddy saw a decent sized bug. Lots of life, spring is definitely here!

When we were leaving Pebble (on Penzance street) after you round the corner past Pebble Beach you are faced with another cove. Usually when I've seen it, it's been cashing surf, but yesterday it was flat calm. Anyone ever dove there? What's the bottom like? depth?

I think you are probably referring to Loblolly Cove. This is a nice little spot and I have done this dive quite a few times. It's only shallow, but if you enter round about High Tide there is a nice dive along the right hand side of the cove out to the point, which is usually where you find most marine life. There are also somre really nice boulder formations and small swim-throughs at the point. IMHO, this little cove is one of Cape Ann's un-sung dive spots. If you want deep, you won't find it here (max is probably 30-40ft at the point). There is also an interesting reef in the middle of the cove that's fully submerged at High Tide. I intend to take a tour or two around that this Summer.

The one draw-back with Loblolly (and probably the reason so few people dive it) is the parking. There is a parking lot at the end of the dirt track on the right of the cove, but that is resident parking only, and be warned, the local law enforcement patrol it regularly.

The trick is to drive down the dirt track on the right hand side of the cove, pull into the little boat launch on the left just before the parking lot and unload your gear, then drive over to Pebble beach and park there if you can (that can be tough on a sunny weekend!), then take the 1/2 mile or so walk back to Loblolly. Once you are suited up, just stroll down the boat ramp for a really easy entry over sandy bottom and enjoy a relaxing dive in an interesting, quiet little cove.

I'm reluctant to post this because I like seclusion, and in the dozen or so times I have dived this spot with my son, we have NEVER seen any other divers.. so, Ssssshhhh. Don't tell anyone!

Happy diving!

 

[gbirch]

Went in at Folly Cove for a 50 min dive at 3:00 Sunday. Started on left hand wall, stayed shallow as my son was chilly (well, that's my excuse anyway ), so didn't get much deeper than 25ft, then traversed across the sand & came in on the right hand side. Viz was poor (~6ft), water temperature at that depth was 39 Degrees. Not too much sea life yet except for the huge snails in the sandy bay and, of course, the ubquitous carpet of Sand Dollars. Surface was a little choppy, but no problems getting in or out. Not the best dive I've ever done, but at least the season is starting to get underway! Looking forward to things warming up (which, of course, is a relative term in New England!) and conditions improving over the next few weeks.