Long Island Sound Diving?
- Thread starter saltfly
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
lmorin
Contributor
I live on the north shore. Have never dived in the Sound. In fact, when looking into certification at the LDS, I probably blanched when the owner said that when he takes a class out to do their open water cert dives, he only takes 2 at a time into the water because if they're more than an arm's length or so away, he can't see them! Hearing that, my wife and I went to Florida for certification. Visibility is almost certainly better away from shore, but I have heard, from many sources now, how poor the visibility is off the north shore.
On the other hand, there are places on the south shore that are much better, visibility-wise. They general have access to the open ocean. See this link for more info.
If you go, please post a report. I'd like to know more.
On the other hand, there are places on the south shore that are much better, visibility-wise. They general have access to the open ocean. See this link for more info.
If you go, please post a report. I'd like to know more.
DuckyDiver
Contributor
Diving on the North shore seems to depend on the wind, among other things. When the wind comes from the south the conditions are typicaly better. When it's from the east or north east it tends to stir things up a little. I see this demonstrated a lot when I am out in the southold aria. Vis over there seems to be good. A lot of people like cedar beach also.
I am a newer diver and live on Long Island. I have never dove on the north shore, but i will say the best diving in New York will be off shore on the south shore. the visibility will be better off shore and there is plenty to see and some really nice wrecks. Like some others have said LI diving is tougher then a keys dive but it can be great
EastEndDiver
Contributor
I have done hundreds of dives in L.I. sound mostly on the west side which tends to be a lot more rocky .I have always enjoyed diving the sound lots of lobsters ,fish ,wrecks and if you are into antique bottles they are all over the place .The vis can be almost decent to bad on any given day.
I can verify that the sound has all mentioned above and more.Its a matter of knowing when and where to go. I keep a privateer in New Rochelle and dive wrecks and rock areas .Old bottles fom 1800's are not as plentifull as once but can still be found.Lobsters,fish can be caught.3 tugboats ,intact, are within 10 minutes to 1 hour from your dock in Huntington.
Visibility can be 1' to 15' on any given day,usually 5'.South shore has better visibility but is a long haul/alot of fuel to run out from the sound to ocean.If interested pm me and I'll send you a couple of spots to try near you.
Gilldiver
Contributor
I'm up Bridgeport way in CT. Here are some things to think about:
Visibility: Lets just say the Sound is not the Caribbean, The diving in the central sound area can have some better visibility, but the magic temperature number is 45F. Below that and the plankton drop out and the vis opens up. Above and it drops down towards zero by late summer. There have been times off of Milford in the spring when I have seen close to 20' of vis and by late summer we are in 1' or less. A lot will also depend on rain related runoff coming down the rivers. No matter what you should be comfortable as a solo diver and buddy contact can not be assured at any time due to the limited visibility.
You should always be ready for mono, nets, and lobster pot lines to get tangled in. Have at least 2 knifes and be ready to cut your way out if needed. You should also be ready to take you gear off on the bottom to clear an entanglement and then put it back on.
Currents: One of the main things is to dive the tide and currents. I don't even try some places on a spring tide, especially near the Race of anywhere West of Execution Rocks. Get a copy of the tide tables and see when you want to hit a particular area. I like to go just after slack so that there is a bit of current to move the stirred up silt away from you. If you are at slack, it will just hang around you.
Depth: For depths, the sound will rang from flat mud/silt bottoms which can extend a few miles out in the 15-35' range up on the CT side between Bridgeport to East of New Haven to about 150' in the channel on the Southern side near Middle Ground and Port Jefferson. The deepest areas are over near the Race where it gets to below 330' in some holes.
Temperature: Temp wise, the winter will see temps down into the 30s and the summer can see surface temps into the high 70s. I use a wet suit in July, august, and the 1st half of September.
Wrecks: Lets just say there are a lot of them, but you need some info and a good boat and bottom sounder to find them. In the area between Stamford and Eaton's Neck and around Anchor and Cable reef NOAA has charted over 200 wrecks. Most are old barges and such which were scuttled to get rid of them, but there are some better. One is the 'Benj F Packard' which is a 250' long full rigged ship which was scuttled in 1939. She is in 190' and the deck is at 160 or so. Out at the Race, the Volund is popular and at 60 to 100 feet and fairly open vis not bad to start with.
Boat access, there are some State boat ramps that can be used, but you sometimes just have to know where they are. Commercial dive boats are limited and I only know of the two boats out of Orbit in Bridgeport, Atlantis out of New London, Captain Sam may still run out of Stamford and the Sea Turtle runs out of Montauk and will do wrecks in the Sound.
Visibility: Lets just say the Sound is not the Caribbean, The diving in the central sound area can have some better visibility, but the magic temperature number is 45F. Below that and the plankton drop out and the vis opens up. Above and it drops down towards zero by late summer. There have been times off of Milford in the spring when I have seen close to 20' of vis and by late summer we are in 1' or less. A lot will also depend on rain related runoff coming down the rivers. No matter what you should be comfortable as a solo diver and buddy contact can not be assured at any time due to the limited visibility.
You should always be ready for mono, nets, and lobster pot lines to get tangled in. Have at least 2 knifes and be ready to cut your way out if needed. You should also be ready to take you gear off on the bottom to clear an entanglement and then put it back on.
Currents: One of the main things is to dive the tide and currents. I don't even try some places on a spring tide, especially near the Race of anywhere West of Execution Rocks. Get a copy of the tide tables and see when you want to hit a particular area. I like to go just after slack so that there is a bit of current to move the stirred up silt away from you. If you are at slack, it will just hang around you.
Depth: For depths, the sound will rang from flat mud/silt bottoms which can extend a few miles out in the 15-35' range up on the CT side between Bridgeport to East of New Haven to about 150' in the channel on the Southern side near Middle Ground and Port Jefferson. The deepest areas are over near the Race where it gets to below 330' in some holes.
Temperature: Temp wise, the winter will see temps down into the 30s and the summer can see surface temps into the high 70s. I use a wet suit in July, august, and the 1st half of September.
Wrecks: Lets just say there are a lot of them, but you need some info and a good boat and bottom sounder to find them. In the area between Stamford and Eaton's Neck and around Anchor and Cable reef NOAA has charted over 200 wrecks. Most are old barges and such which were scuttled to get rid of them, but there are some better. One is the 'Benj F Packard' which is a 250' long full rigged ship which was scuttled in 1939. She is in 190' and the deck is at 160 or so. Out at the Race, the Volund is popular and at 60 to 100 feet and fairly open vis not bad to start with.
Boat access, there are some State boat ramps that can be used, but you sometimes just have to know where they are. Commercial dive boats are limited and I only know of the two boats out of Orbit in Bridgeport, Atlantis out of New London, Captain Sam may still run out of Stamford and the Sea Turtle runs out of Montauk and will do wrecks in the Sound.
EastEndDiver
Contributor
If you have a boat try Ft.Slocum,Pea island,Huckleberry island,the rock piles between huckleberry and Pea .That is just a start as Oly5050 said there are intact wrecks if I can find my old loran numbers I will give you them.I started diving Long Island Sound 30 years ago.As you go North on the west side you will find lots of rock ledges and piles all along the coast and also dotted amongst the small islands.We used to travel maybe as far as lower connecticut didn't have to go any great distances.
I take students to Huckleberry for training dives..
Similar threads
- Question
