Lurking New Diver

[MSilvia]

I did my Advanced Open Water in Machias, and my checkout dives were off MDI... in March. I've since made hundreds of dives in New England, and less than 25 in water over 70 degrees.

 

[RIOceanographer]

any other divers that learned in Maine and that maybe continued to dive New England and weren't drawn into diving to go to the tropics!

I was certified in MA as a teenager. I lived in FL in college for 4 years where I did my advanced and rescue certs and plenty of diving for fun. I've done about 20 dives in Hawaii. I've done a handful of dives in the caribbean. The remaining 95% of my dives are right here in New England and I always miss it a little whenever I am diving any place else. I am always glad to get back.

Cold water diving is definitely harder. It takes more work to lug all that extra gear and deal with bulky exposure suits. The lower visibility makes things like navigation tougher. But all of that does not mean that tropical diving is more fun, it just means it is easier. I personally think the diving here is awesome and it is worth the added challenges.

Besides, I'd argue that overcoming the challenges can be part of the reward. There is a certain satisfaction in succeeding in doing something challenging. People don't run marathons because they are easy.

I'll admit, cold water diving isn't everyone's cup of tea. You'll find plenty of people who prefer a nice easy relaxing dive in the tropics and can't stand the cold. You'll also find plenty of people like me who just love New England diving. It is like asking someone what their favorite food is, there is no right answer. Everyone has their own tastes, it really just depends on what you are looking for.

In terms of things you can see, you don't need coral reefs or tropical fish to have amazing or beautiful marine life. We have fantastic anemones, really cool local fish like cod, sea ravens, goosefish, dogfish and torpedo rays, cool inverts like squid and nudibranchs. We've got seal dives too. We've got awesome rocky shore diving within easy reach to anyone without a boat. We've also got some of the most interesting wreck diving in the world right here in New England, and we're talking real historic wrecks, not some planted artificial reef. It is true that we don't have the grand vistas provided by the 100+ ft visibility that you find in the tropics, but it forces you to take a closer look and see a lot of the little things you might otherwise miss.

Your tastes may vary but give New England a fair shake before you make up your mind!