Is Diving in NJ that bad???

[Greg Di]

I will be getting my card in mid-late May this year and would like to get as much diving in this summer as possible. I live up in
Bergen County, NJ so driving down to a dive boat isn't out of the question at all.

The only diver I "know" is my uncle at this point. He has gone out of his way to tell me that there is no point in ever diving north of Florida. He tells me that visibility is a joke, that even if it was 100 ft vis, there would be nothing to see anyway and that the water is so cold that a drysuit is mandatory all the time.

I'm not a scaredy cat in anything I do. I rock climb. I ice climb. Pretty hardcore activities. I think that with proper training and hooking up with some good scuba mentors, that I might find myself diving quite often around here. I don't want to be a vacation diver.

So is my uncle polluting my brain? What are your thoughts???

 

[quimby]

Well hes absolutely right if your idea of diving is just wandering across a reef and thats it, Jersey isnt exactly reef heaven. But if you like lobsters, scallops and alike and can tolerate some of the best wreck diving around it might pass with a push. Take a hour and wonder around http://www.wreckvalley.com/ and chase the links just for kicks

PS I still miss it

 

[garyfotodiver]

I will be getting my card in mid-late May this year and would like to get as much diving in this summer as possible. I live up in
Bergen County, NJ so driving down to a dive boat isn't out of the question at all.

The only diver I "know" is my uncle at this point. He has gone out of his way to tell me that there is no point in ever diving north of Florida. He tells me that visibility is a joke, that even if it was 100 ft vis, there would be nothing to see anyway and that the water is so cold that a drysuit is mandatory all the time.

I'm not a scaredy cat in anything I do. I rock climb. I ice climb. Pretty hardcore activities. I think that with proper training and hooking up with some good scuba mentors, that I might find myself diving quite often around here. I don't want to be a vacation diver.

So is my uncle polluting my brain? What are your thoughts???

I am a NJ diver, certified in 1970, when equipment was not as sophisticated as it is now. I took my check-out dives in a quarry somewhere in the NW part of the state, and wore a 1/4" wetsuit in April. That summer I made several night dives in the Shark River Inlet, which is between Avon-by-the-Sea and Belmar. It was GREAT!! That December, I made my first wreck dive somewhere off the NJ coast. I wish logging dives was considered as necessary then as it is today; I don't remember much about this dive except that I lost a fin and my cookies. Still it was GREAT!!

Find a good LDS and see where your diving takes you. Lots of Luck!

 

[ScubaK-Dawg]

I enjoy doing Jersey wreck dives just as much if not more than doing the carribean diving. Granted, Visibility is not as good, it's colder, more gear intensive, and most of the wrecks are relativiely deep, but there are a ton of good things about Jersey to consider. Amazing wrecks. Lobster and scallops all over the place. The more challenging conditions make you a much more well rounded and competent diver. Personally, I get bored with the reefs after a while. I never get tired of diving our local wrecks. I highly recommend you check them out. I'm going out again in two or three weeks, PM me if you are interested in going.

 

[ScubaK-Dawg]

I just reread your post and realized you said you were getting certified in mid to late May. I would recommend taking an advance class before going out on a NJ boat dive. Just my opinion, but I think it will make you much more comfortable out there, since NJ diving is a little more advanced then the typical carribean dive.

 

[wrekdiver2]

I will be getting my card in mid-late May this year and would like to get as much diving in this summer as possible. I live up in
Bergen County, NJ so driving down to a dive boat isn't out of the question at all.

The only diver I "know" is my uncle at this point. He has gone out of his way to tell me that there is no point in ever diving north of Florida. He tells me that visibility is a joke, that even if it was 100 ft vis, there would be nothing to see anyway and that the water is so cold that a drysuit is mandatory all the time.

I'm not a scaredy cat in anything I do. I rock climb. I ice climb. Pretty hardcore activities. I think that with proper training and hooking up with some good scuba mentors, that I might find myself diving quite often around here. I don't want to be a vacation diver.

So is my uncle polluting my brain? What are your thoughts???

Rule 1: don't believe everything you are told (even if it is your uncle)

Rule 2: don't knock it til you try it.

I don't care for fish or reefs....I like wrecks...there are countless wrecks off NJ and NY. With the exception of maybe North Carolina and definitely Truk Lagoon, I'll stick to diving around here.

I agree with ScubaK-Dawg, go for your advanced. The wrecks aren't all that shallow and the extra knowledge and dives under your belt will help out alot!

 

[padiscubapro]

I will be getting my card in mid-late May this year and would like to get as much diving in this summer as possible. I live up in
Bergen County, NJ so driving down to a dive boat isn't out of the question at all.

The only diver I "know" is my uncle at this point. He has gone out of his way to tell me that there is no point in ever diving north of Florida. He tells me that visibility is a joke, that even if it was 100 ft vis, there would be nothing to see anyway and that the water is so cold that a drysuit is mandatory all the time.

I'm not a scaredy cat in anything I do. I rock climb. I ice climb. Pretty hardcore activities. I think that with proper training and hooking up with some good scuba mentors, that I might find myself diving quite often around here. I don't want to be a vacation diver.

So is my uncle polluting my brain? What are your thoughts???

I have dove all over the world, and in jsut about every condition possible.. I'll never give up the wrecks off ny/nj there is so much marine life and history.. The wrecks sitting in the colder water current areas have incredible anenomies and other life that is dependent on a good food supply.. Personally I would put Florida way down on the list of good diving..

Most reefs get boring pretty quickly, they dont change much. The wrecks up here change with every storm, so you can see the same wrecks 100 times and its different each trip..

You will definately need some extra training.. even the easier wrecks (especially off Long Isalnd) are still in the 80ft range alsthough we do have a few interesting shallow wrecks in the 45 foot range..

People used to great vizability have to cover alot of area since they are not used to looking at things closely and miss alot.. Make a habit of getting up close and personal and you be surprised what there is to see..
I know when I go to dive sites in Clear water I generally try to concentrate on a small area and I surprise the people I dive with who have been on the sites many times finding things they never saw which have obviously been there for ages.
Three popular activities with NE divers is 1- lobster hunting, 2- artifact hunting, and 3-spearfishing..

The typical viz on offshore wrecks is usually at least 20-30ft although much better does occur.. alot of the wrecks of NJ will have double this on good days.. go further offshore (and deeper) and 60ft plus is pretty common as long as you stay away from the Hudson outflow (for example the mud hole).

 

[rscalzo]

That was Hamburg Quarry, now the site of a housing complex. But the quarry itself was still there last time I went up.... :11:

I am a NJ diver, certified in 1970, when equipment was not as sophisticated as it is now. I took my check-out dives in a quarry somewhere in the NW part of the state, and wore a 1/4" wetsuit in April. That summer I made several night dives in the Shark River Inlet, which is between Avon-by-the-Sea and Belmar. It was GREAT!! That December, I made my first wreck dive somewhere off the NJ coast. I wish logging dives was considered as necessary then as it is today; I don't remember much about this dive except that I lost a fin and my cookies. Still it was GREAT!!

Find a good LDS and see where your diving takes you. Lots of Luck!

 

[landfish]

NJ/NY diving is great.
yes colder less vis
you need more equiptment and training
the advance course is a good idea but i would take a wreck course to
padi has the wreck/deep
take that and then have fun
like someone said alot of history is out there find out where you are going and read up on the wreck it can be very very interesting
once you catch that first lobster or find anytype of artifact it is over for you
no where else will match up!

 

[quimby]

That was Hamburg Quarry, now the site of a housing complex. But the quarry itself was still there last time I went up

Could have also been Bluestone in Phillipsburg which probably had the same fate. I kinda remember Hamburg having its open and closed days and Bluestone was pretty open for the 60's and early 70's