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Where in the world can you dive on a train ?
Newport Beach California !
NEWPORT BEACH PIER-TRAIN
This is the idea season to dive the sunken Newport Beach train
~~~~~~~ BUT ~~~~~~~
Be aware of the dangers--Check in with the life guard before diving
1) Dory fleet
2) Pole fishermen
3) Entanglements - fishing line
4) Long shore drift
(but there is NO rain, sleet, ice or snow)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Newport pier, and "the train" is a seasonable diving area, and the spring and summer months are certinly NOT the season for diving that area, As most who shore dive Laguna Beach realize the prevailing summer swell are from the south -right into the pier, there is excessive traffic during the summer, the Dory fleet, the surfers and certainly the elbow to elbow fisherman on the pier, with hooks baited for young juicy divers.
Now, during the fall and winter months and especially during the santanas is an ideal safest season to dive the pier. The surf is lower or none existent, but please be aware there is generally a alongshore drift so it is advisable to enter the water on the left side of the pier, directly in exit path of the Dorys, swim on the surface until fishermen are encounter, submerge under the pier and swim out under the pier and dive UNDER the pier to avoid fishermen and their hooks.
If the Lifeguard station is manned it is always adviseable to check in and advise them of your dive plan. They are all surfers/divers and very knowledgeable of the conditions and may advise to abort the dive.
Swim almost to the end of the pier and the remains should be visible under the pier on the left side directly under the cleaning station. Sadly a portion of the train was removed some years ago by a newly minted super duper PADI instructor teaching salvage and he took the parts home ! (gone forever !) However there should be enough remaining to recognize it as a train a to create the event as a diving adventure.
If the conditions are ideal the truly adventurous may want to proceed out beyond the end of the pier to depth of about 80 plus feet into the Newport canyon where the remnants of the box car wheels rest..Yes, Newport has a canyon-but mostly mud. My son and I dove the "wheels" on several occasions when the condition were perfect - be prepared for mud, fish, sharks and of course rail road wheels protruding out of the mud
Reverse the procedure on the return to shore.
In the event the dive visibility is less than ideal the pilings and the bottom are a treasure trove. Every inch is covered with debris and or marine life, including the ever present fish hooks and mono fishing line, on occasion the lines are attached to a discarded fishing pole. There has also been numerous occasions when legal lobsters have been taken on the pilings..So there is some thing for every one..the adventure diver, the junk collector, the wreck diver, the photographer and the hunter.
Additional information maybe found in "Diving West," 1972, (first California dive guide)OC section, Ron Merker and Sam Miller, also "Great piers of California," Jean Femling, 1984, (a OCC instructor) and an article by Dave Haldane (not related to THE Haldanes!) in the LA Times of many many moons ago.
The Newport Pier and the train are indeed one of the best keep secrets of Orange County diving, (where recreational diving began in US) however, it is not with out hazards and needs a certain amount of prepration, skill and the ideal time to dive, but it does afford an unique underwater adventure. Where else in the world can you dive on a train?
Soooo Be careful when you dive it !
Now you know !
Sam Miller, III
Newport Beach California !
NEWPORT BEACH PIER-TRAIN
This is the idea season to dive the sunken Newport Beach train
~~~~~~~ BUT ~~~~~~~
Be aware of the dangers--Check in with the life guard before diving
1) Dory fleet
2) Pole fishermen
3) Entanglements - fishing line
4) Long shore drift
(but there is NO rain, sleet, ice or snow)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Newport pier, and "the train" is a seasonable diving area, and the spring and summer months are certinly NOT the season for diving that area, As most who shore dive Laguna Beach realize the prevailing summer swell are from the south -right into the pier, there is excessive traffic during the summer, the Dory fleet, the surfers and certainly the elbow to elbow fisherman on the pier, with hooks baited for young juicy divers.
Now, during the fall and winter months and especially during the santanas is an ideal safest season to dive the pier. The surf is lower or none existent, but please be aware there is generally a alongshore drift so it is advisable to enter the water on the left side of the pier, directly in exit path of the Dorys, swim on the surface until fishermen are encounter, submerge under the pier and swim out under the pier and dive UNDER the pier to avoid fishermen and their hooks.
If the Lifeguard station is manned it is always adviseable to check in and advise them of your dive plan. They are all surfers/divers and very knowledgeable of the conditions and may advise to abort the dive.
Swim almost to the end of the pier and the remains should be visible under the pier on the left side directly under the cleaning station. Sadly a portion of the train was removed some years ago by a newly minted super duper PADI instructor teaching salvage and he took the parts home ! (gone forever !) However there should be enough remaining to recognize it as a train a to create the event as a diving adventure.
If the conditions are ideal the truly adventurous may want to proceed out beyond the end of the pier to depth of about 80 plus feet into the Newport canyon where the remnants of the box car wheels rest..Yes, Newport has a canyon-but mostly mud. My son and I dove the "wheels" on several occasions when the condition were perfect - be prepared for mud, fish, sharks and of course rail road wheels protruding out of the mud
Reverse the procedure on the return to shore.
In the event the dive visibility is less than ideal the pilings and the bottom are a treasure trove. Every inch is covered with debris and or marine life, including the ever present fish hooks and mono fishing line, on occasion the lines are attached to a discarded fishing pole. There has also been numerous occasions when legal lobsters have been taken on the pilings..So there is some thing for every one..the adventure diver, the junk collector, the wreck diver, the photographer and the hunter.
Additional information maybe found in "Diving West," 1972, (first California dive guide)OC section, Ron Merker and Sam Miller, also "Great piers of California," Jean Femling, 1984, (a OCC instructor) and an article by Dave Haldane (not related to THE Haldanes!) in the LA Times of many many moons ago.
The Newport Pier and the train are indeed one of the best keep secrets of Orange County diving, (where recreational diving began in US) however, it is not with out hazards and needs a certain amount of prepration, skill and the ideal time to dive, but it does afford an unique underwater adventure. Where else in the world can you dive on a train?
Soooo Be careful when you dive it !
Now you know !
Sam Miller, III
