How is diving in MA?

[MidnightRain]

Hi everyone! I am a new diver getting certified in FL. I am going to be going to grad school and I am looking at Boston as one of my choices. How is the dive scene in Mass? Is it year-round or summer? Really just looking for general info. FL is full of open waters and places to explore so I am just wondering how that compares. Thanks in advance!

 

[GiraffeMarineSalvage]

I can only speak to general New England diving: year-round can be genuinely enjoyable with a drysuit and the will to dive in a Vermont winter, but the vast majority of divers locally limit themselves to seasonal diving.
If you connect with people that have a boat there's infinitely more you'll be able to explore than if limited to shore-dives, but cold-water low-visibily diving is going to be dramatically different than diving in Florida. It might be fair (especially in the colder months) to call it an acquired taste, but that doesn't mean there aren't both fresh and saltwater diving opportunities if you make the effort... Ideally someone with more Boston-specifc knowledge can chime in, and maybe your prospective school (even if mainly undergrad students) has a dive club you could contact.

 

[DreadnoughtNH]

I’m from the wee bit of coastline that is NH and I agree with the above: diving here is an acquired taste. If you are a FL diver, you may find the experience here…bracing?

In summer the highest water temp we get on the surface is 65ish, plunging to mid to low 50s at depth. Most folks dive a full 7mm Farmer John or drysuit (I do a 7mm full suit for the few dives I do). It’s also very very VERY brown with low viz (5’-10’ would be a good day near shore). Boat dives are a little better to get better viz.

Upsides? Lobster and cold water mussels!

 

[rhwestfall]

@Luis H

 

[Doc Harry]

The diving is great!
Get yourself a drysuit with dry gloves, a thick 400gm Thinsulate undergarment, and steel tanks.
You'll be fine.

 

[Ross19966]

Most of my past diving is in Maine, summer and winter. The rocky coast line makes for interesting diving especially if you are shore diving. Diving from a sandy beach is pretty boring unless there is so,ething there other than sand. Treasure hunting under the fishing piers is interesting. People drop all kinds of things off the pier. I found a Rolex Submariner once, cell phones are pretty common and of course lead fishing weights.

 

[Mr. Dooley]

I live in Boston currently, and dive pretty much every weekend unless we get weathered out (including winter).

Within two hours of Boston, you can hit a ton of shore dive sites - Cape Ann has a bunch, Cape Cod has a good pond for practicing, Rhode Island has multiple shore dives as well. So you'll have PLENTY to choose from. However many of the sites are unremarkable, shallower-ish sites often with poor visibility and not always a ton of life. A lot of folks dive for lobster and scallops which is cool, just not my speed personally. Some of the more noteworthy shore dives have hazardous entries and aren't for everyone. However, there absolutely ARE some very enjoyable shore dives to be had - Folly Cove and Old Garden Beach come to mind. Ultimately depends on what you're in to. For me, the abundance of sites has had my shore diving experiences be more about skill work than sightseeing - with some notable exceptions.

Boat dives are another story, however. In my opinion this is where New England diving shines. Shipwrecks, wall dives, etc. Some pretty rad sites. Plenty of charters operate within an hour or so of Boston. Boston Scuba even operates a dive boat right from the city proper! Very cool.

As mentioned, waters get COLD around here. I recommend exploring the possibility of a drysuit. There are divers who dive year round, and various dive clubs you can join to meet buddies and learn about the local spots.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[BoltSnap]

I originally came from diving the "warmer" waters of southern Mediterranean and lived in Worcester and Boston. I LOVE diving in New England and dove from Main to Rhode Island for decades. I have been diving all over the world and still think that diving New England is one of the best areas to dive in the world. It isn't easy and you don't fall in love with it right away. My first dive ever in the Boston area (and in New England) was in April 1984 at Back Beach in Rockport, Cape Ann. There are wrecks, marine life, underwater formations, lobsters. etc. to dive. You'll never get bored there. My favorite locations in New England are Cape Ann and Rhode Island (Jamestown, Narraganset). To enjoy the diving there you should use a drysuit with warm underwear.

For safety and most enjoyment, you should learn about the tides and how they affect diving and the currents they produce there. Tidal range increases as you go further north. I highly recommend that you hook up with an experience local instructor for orientation to diving there. Diving in Cape Ann, north of Boston, is different from diving in Cape Cod, south of Boston. Diving in the north part of Cape Cod is different from diving in the southern part of Cape Cod. Maine is very different especially when it comes to tides and how you dive there. Rhode Island is fantastic too. I used to split my summers between Cape Ann and Rhode Island.

(I loved it so much and became VERY experienced diving in New England, I was the president of the WPI Scuba club for two years when I was in undergraduate school)

 

[BoltSnap]

Boston Scuba even operates a dive boat right from the city proper! Very cool.

Do they run a good safe operation? Are the sites they visit good sites and worth the trouble?

 

[BoltSnap]

Lobster and cold water mussels!

You forgot the Scallops!!