List of US mainland ocean shore dives?

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Well, I haven't done many, except a couple in New England. Fort Wetherill in Rhode Island is a good dive, basically a big rock wall, and a good beach to walk in and out on.

Summer temps around 70F, vis decent, say around 20-30'. Good to dive with a buddy, which I would recommend anyway.

And the park itself is green and part rocky, nice picnic spot

You never get that VIS at wetherell anymore. They have been doing dredging outside the channel. Last winter I got around 10 foot the few I've made this summer have been 5 if I'm lucky.

Better diving here is marblehead or cape ann. Little bit colder but tends to be better VIS.
 
Kings Beach Newport RI easy access, parking deepest about 40FSW current runs east to west, vis can be good when the weather is right. I've had 20'+ but the usually is about 10' which here isn't bad
Donna @Kings Beach 8-17.JPG

Green Bridge Newport RI limited roadside parking, easy access long surface swim to dive site. Deepest 30-35FSW there are several dives that can be done here. There is the Prices Neck wall to the west. The 3 rock reefs and a longer swim, the wall along the shore is pretty but shallow, however by continuing east the diver will find deeper water and can follow the wall by turning north when the water gets deep. This wall dive takes a lot of air or a long surface swim. Visibility can be spectacular here I've encountered 30' vis on some dives. Any swells over 2' will turn this site into a seaweed filled washing machine, vis will be less than 10' and chucks of seaweed will be suspended in the water and covering the bottom.
Green bridge cove.jpg

It's about 200 yards to the opening in the background west is to the right. The cove is a nice snorkeling site also.
 
Fort Adams State Park is located on the west end of Ocean Drive it is actually inside Narragansett Bay at the end of a large channel known as the East Passage. Fort Adams has more than one dive site and there are different ratings for some. Diving can be done during the fall and winter in the cove where the beach is located. Diving year round can be done behind the Eisenhower House, however not all dives there are Easy.

Here’s the link from the RI DEM web site describing Fort Adams:
http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bpoladm/plandev/survpdfs/v2se14.pdf

Entry and exit is easy a short walk from the paved parking lot down some stairs or across the beach to a firm gravel bottom.
Depth is very shallow 15fsw to 25fsw
Current there is no current in the cove. Behind the Eisenhower House the current has to be considered; it can be very strong and could move a diver into the path of some very large ships going in and out of the East Passage. Most sites behind the Eisenhower House will be found under the Blue ratings.
Visibility 10’ sometimes more especially during the winter months
Boat Traffic: During the summer the cove is a mooring site for many boats most of them sailboats with deep keels and small quiet motors or none at all. It is not advised to dive in the cove during the summer at least during the day. Night time sees little to no boat traffic. Night diving would be safer in regards to boat traffic during the summer.
The beach and docks are in Brenton Cove. Ample paved parking can be found near the water.
Behind the Eisenhower House there is a road along the water that can be seen on the chart below. There are several parking lots with water access along that road. Following that road you will find a small section of sea wall. Parking on the side of the road is allowed and if you park at the seawall you can gear up and enter the water right there at the small rocky beach.
Some weekends there are classes here, so the bottom can be kicked up. Try to dive during slack tide and swim in the direction the tide will be coming from post slack so you can drift back to the exit rather than have to pull yourself along the bottom. Current and tides are more of a concern than any other environmental conditions when planning dives in RI.
Reference the section of chart below for a rough sketch of the area.

This small section of chart will give you an idea of the depths found in the East Channel. Very deep water can be found very close to shore in this area. Further south at Castle Hill the depths can get to <200fsw! Deep channels mean large ships with deep drafts. Across the channel if you look closely you’ll see a few other dive sites, Wetherill, Bull Pt and the Dumplings.
On the right side there is Brenton cove and the docks. The beach is more towards the end of the cove. The shallow area off the beach is usually free of boats as it is too shallow for most of them. This is another good place to bring young children to snorkel or do shallow scuba.
Artifacts i.e. old bottles can be found in the cove. There is an old tire reef in the cove it is home to many lobsters. Night dives here can put a few bugs in your bag.
 
Potters Cove is located on the north east end of the island just north of the Newport Bridge off Freebody drive. This is a good site for Quahogs and flounder, a limit of each can usually be taken here. The large beds are out in the channel and that is about a 100-150yd swim. I prefer to do the swim underwater. Diving here during high slack is recommended, also be out of the channel before the change. If you find yourself out in the channel and feel the current getting stronger head for shore right away. There is a point of land that makes the south shore of the cove if you can make it past west of that point you’ll be out of the worst of the current and close to shore.
Don’t expect too much in the way of scenery it is a mud bottom but great for hogs and flat fish. Spider crabs are abundant here; I’ve seen blue, red, and green crabs here also. The tide brings in lots of life; jellyfish are also common in large numbers. There are lobsters living in the shale rocks that make up the southern end of the cove.
Potters Cove is on the edge of being a Blue site because of the current in the channel. Other features keep it in the EASY category
Entry and exit: There is a small parking lot and a wide stairway of 6-8 stairs ending on a soft sandy beach. It is a short walk out to deeper water. You can choose to surface swim or not.

These are the stairs leading to the water; below is the parking lot at Potter Cove.

Depth in the cove 10’-15FSW in the channel >30fsw
Current: in the cove is noticeable but not strong. In the channel the current can be very strong and fast.
This picture shows the water in the channel outside the cove. You can almost see it moving.

Visibility: is very good here, it has never been <10’ and often reaches 20’ (the times I’ve dived it, but then I do pick my times carefully.) It gets flushed with clean water from the sea twice per day which also accounts for the abundance of hogs and crabs here, the larvae are brought in from the sea and settle on the bottom. The thermo cline in the channel is the perfect temperature for these critters.
Boat Traffic: Traffic here can vary. It is a popular cove where people drive their boats into and anchor for the day. Also small sail boat races take place here. Some days you will find dozens of boat anchored there use caution.
There is a real beach here and swimming is possible for a few hours during high tide.
Spearfishing is good off the rocks in the channel just make sure diving is done during slack periods. An hour before high tide might be a good time to try.
Easy on /off the main roads and ample parking most days makes it a pretty nice spot.

Sorry none of the pictures copied
 
Narragansett
Pier 5 is located off the main street in Narragansett GPS: 41° 25.327' N 71° 27.326' W
Here’s a link with some info http://www.exploreri.org/siteReport.php?siteID=212&src=criteria
And pictures!


Here are 2 aerial views of Pier 5. The rocky coast line is seen in each picture.
Entry and exit: to the left of the boat ramp there is a small rocky area that divers use, the use of the ramp is prohibited; of course if it’s off season no boaters or anybody else around, nobody is going to bother you. If someone launches a boat on top of you, you’re bad! A short swim out and you’re ready to dive. Surf could be present some days use your judgment. The walk in is gravel and rock bottom.
Depth is 25-30FSW at high tide.
Current: usually none to light current.
Visibility: is about the usual 10’ and as usual sometimes more or at times less.
Boat Traffic: it’s a boat ramp; there is boat traffic there all summer. Respect the boater’s right of way and hope they respect your dive flag. A good idea is to come up right under your flag. Most of the traffic will be in front of the ramp so avoid that area except when entering and exiting.
The bottom is rocks and seaweed with patches of sand. Black sea bass, togs, stripers, blues and other native fish are found here. Of course lobsters and crabs, eels and skates. This is another pleasant and easy dive for newbies and young divers, on a calm day. On rough days here it increases the difficulty of the entry and exit and because of the shallow depths it ruins the visibility.
Check out the sunken barge to the left of the ramp on Goggle Earth it can be seen outlined underwater just off the beach, you be the judge if you can do the swim there and back. It is a favorite spear fishing spot.

Sorry none of the pictures copied
 
Breakwater cove in Monterey, often very easy Entry and exit, lots of parking, restrooms etc. one of the most used training spots in NorCal but don’t let that fool you it’s actually a great dive site once you go beyond the hoard of students. Really can’t overly describe it, it changes often yet remains the same. Sometimes you can’t see beyond your mask and other times exceptional viz.

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Point lobos is a world class site except when it isn’t and has limited access, no pics from lobos on my iPad, great diving but the “ramp!” Try to hit it at high tide! At low tide… enough kelp to make you understand streamlining.
 
Great idea for a thread.

A few from South Florida

Blue Heron Bridge
Bunny Dive (1) LOL.
Dive at slack high tide to avoid current risk
Shallow muck dive (15-20 ft), Temp 72 (Low) in Jan/Feb and 88 (high) in Aug or so
Luck of the draw we've had 5ft viz and 50ft viz or more.
Amazing sightings from Manatees, to Squid/octopus, sea horses, pipefish, blennies, .. we are always surprised.
Rates as one of the best shore dives .. (ok lets not start that, haha, but !!)
Scuba Diving Break at the Blue Heron Bridge

Lauderdale by the sea
Shallow reef dive, easy(1). Temp 70 (Low) in Jan/Feb and 85 (high) in Aug or so
Some cannons and and anchor in the snorkeling area before the reef
20-30 ft on first reef but you can head out to the 2nd or 3rd reef lines also which get to 60-90 ft
Usually 30-50 ft viz or more. Reef has a nice swiss cheese look in places with nurse sharks, large rays, cornet fish. Also lots of nice macro
Shore Diving in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea

Yellow Brick Road
Easy (1) Shallow dive but watch the wind/wave forecast to entry / exit.
Temp 70 (Low) in Jan/Feb and 85 (high) in Aug or so
Site is over an old outfall structure of bricks, with lots of cool macro stuff between the bricks
Usually 30-50 ft viz or more
Yellow Brick Road Dive Site off Hollywood Beach

Just to add, from Hillsboro Inlet south to Hollywood the first reef is an easy dive. Lots of areas to park, you also have Dania at Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park where there is an erojack reef. And what is cool, the reef changes a bit as you run south. The reef off of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park has a bit for relief and a larger drop off on the eastern edge.

Also, in this same area you have twin ledges that just south of Oakland Park Blvd, when you run out of reef on the 1st reef, a 5 min swim due east brings you onto a secondary reef that is well worth a visit.

As as stated you will see everything depending on time of year, tarpon, sharks (saw a hammerhead in August) a lot of deep water fish will come in in the early morning.
 
Breakwater cove in Monterey, often very easy Entry and exit, lots of parking, restrooms etc. one of the most used training spots in NorCal but don’t let that fool you it’s actually a great dive site once you go beyond the hoard of students. Really can’t overly describe it, it changes often yet remains the same. Sometimes you can’t see beyond your mask and other times exceptional viz.

View attachment 682163 View attachment 682164 View attachment 682166 View attachment 682167

Point lobos is a world class site except when it isn’t and has limited access, no pics from lobos on my iPad, great diving but the “ramp!” Try to hit it at high tide! At low tide… enough kelp to make you understand streamlining.
E389E06D-CA11-493F-A51E-866AFC60AFD1.jpeg

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Some topside pics of the breakwater and San Carlos Beach. The second one shows where the outfall pipe would be, which runs out from those buildings in the distance. The pipe leads out to the metridium fields which is a wonderful dive.
Parking is $12 for the whole day. Get there early on weekends in the summer because the place will be mobbed with OW classes. Lot’s of great food near by either at the Monterey Wharf or walking down towards Cannery Row. There is no shortage of topside attractions in Monterey, I would rate the town a 9-10 for food and attractions.
 
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Some topside pics of the breakwater and San Carlos Beach. The second one shows where the outfall pipe would be, which runs out from those buildings in the distance. The pipe leads out to the metridium fields which is a wonderful dive.
Parking is $12 for the whole day. Get there early on weekends in the summer because the place will be mobbed with OW classes. Lot’s of great food near by either at the Monterey Wharf or walking down towards Cannery Row. There is no shortage of topside attractions in Monterey, I would rate the town a 9-10 for food and attractions.
At the end of said pipe on a good day
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