Long Sands - York, ME

[spectrum]

Has anyone done an exploratory dive at this beach, most likely the north end?

Old flounder, I think you had it on your back-up/to-do list?

Pete

 

[oldflounder]

No Pete - I haven't done it yet. It will be an alternate site when Nubble is blown out and the tide is in. So far this year the weather gods have been favorable whenever I've been in the area. I think it would be a nice critter viewing dive along the rocky shore. Probably a great night dive also. I saw my first squid at Nubble on Friday night in the shallows by the lighthouse boat mooring ball. Neat little critters!

 

[spectrum]

No Pete - I haven't done it yet. It will be an alternate site when Nubble is blown out and the tide is in. So far this year the weather gods have been favorable whenever I've been in the area. I think it would be a nice critter viewing dive along the rocky shore. Probably a great night dive also. I saw my first squid at Nubble on Friday night in the shallows by the lighthouse boat mooring ball. Neat little critters!

You're absolutely right about the night dive idea!

Spotting squid while exiting a night dive at Nubble is very common. A few years ago we saw a sculpin sitting on the rocks when a hapless squid came buy. The mouth opened wide and with one big gulp it got sucked in and was gone.

 

[Maine Diver]

Pete, did you dive this weekend?

 

[oldflounder]

I'm doing a night dive at Nubble tomorrow - Tuesday - after sunset. It looks very favorable and I want to get in a dive before the weather cools off and rain comes. If I don't go in the coves I am thinking about going over there. I'll post a report if I do. High is about sunset and the water will cover those rocks pretty good. The warm weather recently and the front coming in tomorrow night might bring some critters in against the shore.

 

[oldflounder]

I have an update on Long Sands tonight. I think I will do two dives. This evening while the tide is coming in I am going to explore the rocky shore along the Long Sands/residential part of Nubble. I am curious to see if there is a long shore current along there where the ocean wraps around the peninsula. It would be awesome to find a drift dive current from Long Sands to the lighthouse. Doubtful, but it's worth a try anyway. I'll surface swim out and follow the shore back. I'm not going to follow the current tonight. I just want to see if I can feel/see one. After that I will just stay in my wet gear and go to the lighthouse for a night dive after sunset.........to be continued.

 

[oldflounder]

I went to Long Sands last evening. Got there about 6:45. I was hoping it was going to be a repeat of the previous beautiful evening on Monday. It was clouding up pretty good. Seas were 3-4' with 3' surf on the sands. The surfers were enjoying it. The rollers were close together. I had planned on surface swimming out about 1200' along the shore to where I wanted to start my dive back. Seeing all those rollers coming in I figured I would have been exhausted by the time I got there. I changed my mind and went to the lighthouse instead. There will be another time.

 

[spectrum]

Sounds prudent to me. The whole point of those wall dives is to enjoy tranquility and nice visibility, not to go for a washing machine ride.

Short Sands on the left blew my mind I want to get to both sides sometime soon as well as Long Sands.

Thanks for the update,
Pete

 

[oldflounder]

Regarding Short Sands - I went over there last evening to change into my dive skin, etc. in the bathhouse and I was looking at the left shore where you are talking about. I was looking at this area on Google Maps the other day. They have a map of it at low tide. There looks to be a huge chunk of ledge about 200 yds away that sticks out into the water. I bet at high tide that would be some interesting diving - esp. as a night dive with the critters that must frequent that area because of discarded food by beach go-ers. It involves a long surface swim though to get out by it. Sounds like a plan for some night this summer when the tourists have gone away for the day!

 

[spectrum]

Regarding Short Sands - I went over there last evening to change into my dive skin, etc. in the bathhouse and I was looking at the left shore where you are talking about. I was looking at this area on Google Maps the other day. They have a map of it at low tide. There looks to be a huge chunk of ledge about 200 yds away that sticks out into the water. I bet at high tide that would be some interesting diving - esp. as a night dive with the critters that must frequent that area because of discarded food by beach go-ers. It involves a long surface swim though to get out by it. Sounds like a plan for some night this summer when the tourists have gone away for the day!

Probably true. I know last summer we dropped down in 6 feet of water and tacked for the left ledge and followed the shoreline. At high tide around 6PM in July I was blown away with what I saw. I was with a new diver so we turned in about :20 at 17 feet or so. Even at that the full cast of characters was there in quantity. Farther out and in the dark it can only get better.

In 04 when were skin-diving a lot I did the right shore and that seemed to have huge sloping ledges that went forever in my limited range. There is slight beach walk or surface swim but even a sandy bottom can offer surprises.

Pete