Need info from the NE folks......

[TexasZR2]

Well, it looks like I will have to change my screen name from TexasZR2 to ConnZR2. I will be relocating to the Bristol, CT area sometime around May and am seeking advice on the area.

1. What exposure suits do most of y'all (no, I won't stop saying "y'all") wear during the summer? I assume most people dive dry during the winter. I don't have a dry suit, but I'm sure it will get put on the list pretty quick.

2. What are some of the more popular spots to dive? What will the conditions be during the summer months?

3. I have my own AL80s and carry a 19cf pony for backup. Is this enough gas supply for most of the sites, or do I need to step up to an HP100 or bigger? I don't know my SAC, but I would rate my consumption as "average". I'm not the first up on boat dives, but definetly not the last either. Doubles are not in consideration at this time.

4. Any LDS in the CT area that people talk highly of?

5. First round is on me when I finally get up there and can meet some of you folks.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Matt

 

[MSilvia]

1. What exposure suits do most of y'all (no, I won't stop saying "y'all") wear during the summer? I assume most people dive dry during the winter. I don't have a dry suit, but I'm sure it will get put on the list pretty quick.

Those of us who don't dive dry usually wear 7mm suits. Typically, either a 2-piece farmer john and jacket combo, or a warm 1-piece like the Marino wool-lined Pinnacle.

2. What are some of the more popular spots to dive?

CT has fewer good sites than the rest of New England (in my experience), but there is a quarry that has opened up as a dive park. For ocean diving, Rhode Island is probably your closest "destination", although there are likely some adequate local sites that I don't know about. If you're willing to travel some, Cape Ann in Massachusetts is popular for shore diving, Boston Harbor Islands have some interesting wrecks, and there are a bunch of charter boat dives all along the coast. If you poke around the NELD threads, you're bound to find some other ideas too.

What will the conditions be during the summer months?

It's considerably different north and south of Cape Cod, with southern waters typically as much as 5 to 10 degrees warmer. In the peak summer months, the waters north of the cape are usually between 55 and 65 degrees at the surface, and between 40 and 50 degrees at depth.

3. I have my own AL80s and carry a 19cf pony for backup. Is this enough gas supply for most of the sites, or do I need to step up to an HP100 or bigger?

I dove with 2 AL80s for quite a while. It should do for most sites, especially with a pony. You'll get used to seeing a lot of people in doubles up here though... there are a lot of good sites up here that are on (or just past) the limits of what you can dive safely without deco. Not to worry though, there are tons of good shallower dives too.

4. Any LDS in the CT area that people talk highly of?

Yes, but I'll save that for people who visit them more often than I do.

5. First round is on me when I finally get up there and can meet some of you folks.

Excellent. I look forward to drinking... I mean, meeting you.

 

[Gilldiver]

Where will you be working? I'll guess Hartford or a bit west.

New England Diving of CT is in Wallingford and is a full gas Tech dive shop. Paul & Pat are good people. http://www.nedive.com/

SCUBA Shack in Rock Hill is just south of Hartford and has just been bought by the same guys who are running the Brownstone Quary in Portland. They also are the only GUE/DIR shop in the Northeast. http://www.scubashackct.com/

As for diving, I mentioned the Brownstone Quary, in Long Island Sound there are 3 charter boats out of the CT side. Atlantis in New London, Orbit in Bridgeport, and Captain Sam down Norwalk/Stamford way. In the Sound expect 5-15' vis with winter temps in the 30's and late summer vis can be 2' and less with temps around 70. I use a 1/4" farmer john in the summer and a dry suit for the other 9 months.

Most go out to Rhode Island and hit the wrecks around Block Island - Submarines there are the Greman U-boat U-853, USS Bass, USS L-8, and way south in 250/275' is USS Spikefish. All of the USS boats were sunk as targets. Other wrecks are the Black Point (victom of U-853) the Idean, Larchmont, Lake Crystal, Lake Hemlock (in the Sound), Mary Arnold. etc.

Pick up Gerry Gentiles books on "Shipwrecks of Rhode Island and Connecticut" and "SHIPWRECKS OF MASSACHUSETTS: SOUTH." He is currently researching a book on Northern Mass. http://www.ggentile.com/intro.html

All the dive shops have some typr of club and there are a few independent clubs around. If you are mostly into travel the Innerspace Club in Manchester may be a good one for you.

Here is a general web site that is what I think you are looking for. http://www.wreckhunter.net/

Pete

 

[Dave Sutton]

Rhode Island is the prime area, but the CT shore has some nice spots as well, if you can get a small boat. Inflatables are valuable things to own around here. Naturally, our wreck diving is tops, I run EXPLORER to anything between the U-853 (130 feet, can be done at 100) to the Andrea Doria right out of Point Judith RI. Rhode Island has some of the finest beach diving and spearfishing in the USA. Feel free to contact directly if you want any advice. 7mm wetsuits work fine, 5mm in the summer is OK, and alu 80's allow about 75% of the diving to be done with ease. Let me know if you want to wreck dive with us, and I do spearfishing guiding here as well if trophy striped bass are of interest.

Dave

 

[TexasZR2]

Thanks for the info and suggestions.

Pete, I will be working in Bristol. My company is in the process of starting a plant in the vacated General Motors building there. I'm not sure where I will end up living, but am looking at Waterbury and places south and west.

2' of vis in the summer? WOW! I'm thinking I need to budget for more trips to FL and the Carib......

Dave - I will look you up when I get up there. Spearfishing is definetly in the future and I look forward to some of the easier wrecks. I'll have to start looking at the fishing regs for up there.

Thanks again for the responses guys. I look forward to meeting some of y'all.

 

[Gilldiver]

Thanks for the info and suggestions.

Pete, I will be working in Bristol. My company is in the process of starting a plant in the vacated General Motors building there. I'm not sure where I will end up living, but am looking at Waterbury and places south and west.

2' of vis in the summer? WOW! I'm thinking I need to budget for more trips to FL and the Carib......

Dave - I will look you up when I get up there. Spearfishing is definetly in the future and I look forward to some of the easier wrecks. I'll have to start looking at the fishing regs for up there.

Thanks again for the responses guys. I look forward to meeting some of y'all.

It takes a special breed of divers (or are we insane) to do a lot of diving in the Sound. But we do have a lot of wrecks that have never been dived.

The vis thing you just get used to and start seeing with your hands.

CT Shore diving is limited do to water access, not a lot, and that the Sound is shallow on the north side especialy west of New Haven with a mud/silt bottom. You can be a mile out and still need to look out for oyster stakes (less then 30'). Most go out to RI or up to Cape Ann or Maine for the visability and bottom structure.

The one thing that you will have going for you were you will be a central location, the RI beaches are about 90 minutes away in the morning (after noon drive will be longer) and the southern VT ski slopes can be made in 2.5 hours. Then Boston is 2 hours away and NY can be made in 2.5 hours. For NY, on a weekend, go to Bridgeport or Fairfield and take the Metro North train- $26 round trip and 90 minutes from Fairfield (on the way back get a beer from the cart on the ramp - $2 for a king size, cheepest beer in the city). Puts you right in Mid town at Grand Central on 42nd St. 3 blocks from Times square.

 

[all4scuba05]

I heard the Thunderfish will be going out of Mystic this summer. Capt Palmer is quite a character.

 

[spectrum]

2' of vis in the summer? WOW! I'm thinking I need to budget for more trips to FL and the Carib......

Think of it as diving in a more intimate space.

Pete

 

[wreckedinri]

I heard the Thunderfish will be going out of Mystic this summer. Capt Palmer is quite a character.

Apologies for the thread hijack, but if I may ask, where did you hear that Capt. Palmer and the Thunderfish will be based in Mystic in 07? Was it a reliable source? He has been at PJ in RI "forever". There haven't been any changes to his vessel's location on his website yet.

 

[ScubaNorth]

Well, it looks like I will have to change my screen name from TexasZR2 to ConnZR2. I will be relocating to the Bristol, CT area sometime around May and am seeking advice on the area.

1. What exposure suits do most of y'all (no, I won't stop saying "y'all") wear during the summer? I assume most people dive dry during the winter. I don't have a dry suit, but I'm sure it will get put on the list pretty quick.

First welcome to the area. Second wouldn't "all y'all" being of course the plural of y'all have been more accurate or I have I been living in NE for too long? I may have people who think I am insane but diving in NE is as good as it gets. FL & Tropical diving is wonderful but NE is really fantastic too. The vis is only part of the challenges you will have but it is well worth it. CT, RI and MA have great dive locations and a fantastic dive community. Hope the move works out for you, best of luck in the new job location.