FettSolo
Contributor
Why Isles of Shoals?
After moving to NH last year, I searched online for interesting diving and came across the Isles of Shoals. The primary interest in going was to see grey seals, which are regularly seen (and interacted with) on dives there. I booked two days of diving, each of which would have two dives (so, four total over the course of the weekend). My girlfriend came along as a snorkeler.
Dive Operator and Boat
I booked the dives via Portsmouth Scuba, but the actual boat was run by Cyntillation Aquatics LLC. Portsmouth Scuba was very friendly on the phone, and they immediately refunded my money for the second day after it was cancelled due to stormy weather. Even though Portsmouth Scuba was not present on the actual dives, I had such positive interactions with them (I stopped by their shop as well) that I would definitely dive with them in the future.
As for Cyntillation Aquatics LLC, it consists of Captain Bob and his wife Jeanne. The two of them are extremely friendly and personable. They will help you load gear into the boat, put your gear on (not necessary for me, but still appreciated), hand your camera down to you (definitely appreciated!), and anything else you might need. I thought they were just great people all around, and certainly took excellent care of everybody.
The boat itself fit everybody (Bob and Jeanne, four divers including myself, and my girlfriend), but it was a little tight with all the gear. They only ever take four divers, which makes sense, as anymore would just be too crowded. There is a cooler to store food and drinks (they bring chips, Gatorade and water for you), as well as a head below.
We met the boat at Great Bay Marine in Newington, NH at 830am, were on the water by 9am, and came back just before 3pm. It took about 30min for the boat to reach the Isles of Shoals.
The Dives
As I said earlier, due to weather we ended up only having one day of diving, so two dives at the Isles. I did both dives solo, which Bob had no problem with. The first was Mingo Rock, part of Duck Island. Depth is 60ft+, though I stayed around 20ft to keep an eye out for seals. Lots of kelp and rock crabs. I had a few passes by grey seals, but none too close. Dive time for me was about 80 minutes (I was the first one to descend and the last one to ascend). Water temperature was 62 degrees Fahrenheit. I wore a 7mm wetsuit with a hood, gloves and booties, but for some this would definitely be a drysuit dive.
The second dive was Southwest Ledges (I think it was called that), also part of Duck Island. This was a much shallower area, never dropping below 20ft or so. I thought the kelp was more dramatic on the first dive, but still plenty here, along with rock crabs, lobsters, and nudibranchs. The seals were much more interactive here, nibbling on divers' fins and coming in for a closer look (though from what photos I've seen, not as close as they could!). This was another 80min dive for me, with the temperature at 62 degrees again.
Bottom Line
I would highly recommend a dive trip to the Isles of Shoals. Both my girlfriend and I had a fantastic time. The sites were beautiful, the seals were awesome, and we were well taken care of by Bob and Jeanne. Before we had made it back to shore, I already knew I would want to come back out here!
After moving to NH last year, I searched online for interesting diving and came across the Isles of Shoals. The primary interest in going was to see grey seals, which are regularly seen (and interacted with) on dives there. I booked two days of diving, each of which would have two dives (so, four total over the course of the weekend). My girlfriend came along as a snorkeler.
Dive Operator and Boat
I booked the dives via Portsmouth Scuba, but the actual boat was run by Cyntillation Aquatics LLC. Portsmouth Scuba was very friendly on the phone, and they immediately refunded my money for the second day after it was cancelled due to stormy weather. Even though Portsmouth Scuba was not present on the actual dives, I had such positive interactions with them (I stopped by their shop as well) that I would definitely dive with them in the future.
As for Cyntillation Aquatics LLC, it consists of Captain Bob and his wife Jeanne. The two of them are extremely friendly and personable. They will help you load gear into the boat, put your gear on (not necessary for me, but still appreciated), hand your camera down to you (definitely appreciated!), and anything else you might need. I thought they were just great people all around, and certainly took excellent care of everybody.
The boat itself fit everybody (Bob and Jeanne, four divers including myself, and my girlfriend), but it was a little tight with all the gear. They only ever take four divers, which makes sense, as anymore would just be too crowded. There is a cooler to store food and drinks (they bring chips, Gatorade and water for you), as well as a head below.
We met the boat at Great Bay Marine in Newington, NH at 830am, were on the water by 9am, and came back just before 3pm. It took about 30min for the boat to reach the Isles of Shoals.
The Dives
As I said earlier, due to weather we ended up only having one day of diving, so two dives at the Isles. I did both dives solo, which Bob had no problem with. The first was Mingo Rock, part of Duck Island. Depth is 60ft+, though I stayed around 20ft to keep an eye out for seals. Lots of kelp and rock crabs. I had a few passes by grey seals, but none too close. Dive time for me was about 80 minutes (I was the first one to descend and the last one to ascend). Water temperature was 62 degrees Fahrenheit. I wore a 7mm wetsuit with a hood, gloves and booties, but for some this would definitely be a drysuit dive.
The second dive was Southwest Ledges (I think it was called that), also part of Duck Island. This was a much shallower area, never dropping below 20ft or so. I thought the kelp was more dramatic on the first dive, but still plenty here, along with rock crabs, lobsters, and nudibranchs. The seals were much more interactive here, nibbling on divers' fins and coming in for a closer look (though from what photos I've seen, not as close as they could!). This was another 80min dive for me, with the temperature at 62 degrees again.
Bottom Line
I would highly recommend a dive trip to the Isles of Shoals. Both my girlfriend and I had a fantastic time. The sites were beautiful, the seals were awesome, and we were well taken care of by Bob and Jeanne. Before we had made it back to shore, I already knew I would want to come back out here!
