Newport Questions

[formernuke]

Which ones, the Block Island or Narraganset? Actually both are good dives. Red does the BI pinnacle but I don't think as often as the sub. If I has money to spend on charters I wouldn't be disappointed with either.

Are you still diving today? Where if a may ask?

Dive buddy injured her back and with vis at only a foot up in rockport on Wednesday decided not to get up before dawn and risk it.

And both pinnacles I was referring to.

 

[AfterDark]

Dive buddy injured her back and with vis at only a foot up in rockport on Wednesday decided not to get up before dawn and risk it.

If she's the same buddy you had at Ft Adams tell her I said hi and I hope her back gets better soon.

Are you diving News Years Day? Red usually has a tent, heater and food at FTW a good time.

 

[formernuke]

If she's the same buddy you had at Ft Adams tell her I said hi and I hope her back gets better soon.

Are you diving News Years Day? Red usually has a tent, heater and food at FTW a good time.

I was going for the frozen fin dive on new years.

I'll tell her

 

[TMHeimer]

Yes slack tide at Fort Adams. Beavertail is a lot of work, it is a nice dive however. All along Ocean Drive there is access to the water. You'll see people from rocks fishing. Those same rocks can be an entry point for a dive. I dive those sites when I need more lead for casting bullets, tons of lead sinkers all over the place. The water is shallow but no boats and very little current. Ocean Drive is the road Kings Beach and Green Bridge are on. West's Cove at Ft. Wetherill is a steep hill and rocky entry. Bull point has a shorter but steeper hill with 1' dia. rocks to walk on. New England is a tough place to shore dive. It is a place where youth is required for most shore diving sites. Look at FTW it's mostly old geezers like me or student divers, because it's one of the few easy entry and exits sites in the area. One does not see the walking heart attacks diving sites like Beavertail or even old divers like me that are in fair shape for that matter, it's just too much. You might want to check Giant Strides charter schedule for diving the U853 Red has several charters per year to the sub. It is a unique diving experience and it is close enough to the Gulf Stream in the summer to attract unusual life for this area. Dolphins have been seen at the sub, as well as Mola-Molas.
The way things are going I'm expecting Great White sighting to start being reported at the sub soon. Evidently one was tracked at the seawalls off Pt. Judith this past summer, that's closer than the sub.

Thanks again--I think I'm set on what to do. Ft. Adams is probably out, as we have one specific day we can drive up, so picking one with slack tide is doubtful. Ocean Drive--Other than King's and Green, you mentioned access to water all along--how about the entries from those rocks-difficult? By shallow, 20'? I do recall driving along there about 35 years ago.

 

[AfterDark]

You're welcome, the entries vary but most are pretty easy. Twenty feet is the deepest you'll find. Some of the rock formations are interesting, I've seen boulders 10'-15' feet long and carved out like a bowl 4'-5' deep. Those formations are sinker catches. When I removed the kelp laying over the rocks, I saw what I thought were rocks lining the bottom of the "bowl" but no it was sinkers! I'd bet I got over 40 lb of lead that dive. If you're up to a bit of a swim you could head out to Seal Rock in a straight line from the shore it's reachable. On the other side of Seal Rock you'll find deeper water and lots of fish it is however where you'll encounter the most current and some boats.

At the West end of Brenton Park on the drive there is an entry, I don't believe I've ever dove there but it does look doable. Parking is ample right across the road. Maybe this spring I'll dive it and post a report for you. Contact me before you come down here if you'd like, I'll make a dive with ya'll.

 

[TMHeimer]

You're welcome, the entries vary but most are pretty easy. Twenty feet is the deepest you'll find. Some of the rock formations are interesting, I've seen boulders 10'-15' feet long and carved out like a bowl 4'-5' deep. Those formations are sinker catches. When I removed the kelp laying over the rocks, I saw what I thought were rocks lining the bottom of the "bowl" but no it was sinkers! I'd bet I got over 40 lb of lead that dive. If you're up to a bit of a swim you could head out to Seal Rock in a straight line from the shore it's reachable. On the other side of Seal Rock you'll find deeper water and lots of fish it is however where you'll encounter the most current and some boats.

At the West end of Brenton Park on the drive there is an entry, I don't believe I've ever dove there but it does look doable. Parking is ample right across the road. Maybe this spring I'll dive it and post a report for you. Contact me before you come down here if you'd like, I'll make a dive with ya'll.

Thanks, will do. I must make note of where this post is.

 

[CT-Rich]

If you have only a day and you have not been to Newport. Ft Wetherill is the safe bet. If winds are light or from the North, Kings Beach and Green Bridge are over all better dives. The flip side is they are more likely to be complete blowouts. Going round the point at Wetherill is a good single tank dive with a lot of varied sea life. I usually keep the wall on my left from the boat ramp and stay at 30-35 fsw and it will take around 50’ to an hour.

Fort Adams HS never appealed to me that much, but maybe I just missed what others thought was interesting.

 

[TMHeimer]

If you have only a day and you have not been to Newport. Ft Wetherill is the safe bet. If winds are light or from the North, Kings Beach and Green Bridge are over all better dives. The flip side is they are more likely to be complete blowouts. Going round the point at Wetherill is a good single tank dive with a lot of varied sea life. I usually keep the wall on my left from the boat ramp and stay at 30-35 fsw and it will take around 50’ to an hour.

Fort Adams HS never appealed to me that much, but maybe I just missed what others thought was interesting.

Yeah, I was blown out at King's Beach in '06--may have not been that bad, but it was my 19th dive and I felt better just leaving the group and aborting. Green Bridge was OK, but heck of a surface swim out there. Then I cramped up, lost my buddy who had the flag and just went too fast, doffed my unit and used surf to eek out up onto the rocks (dive #20).
I've been to Ft. Wetherill twice since then. OK dives, but nothing great (ie. for me no decent shells). So we have that as a fall back if the surf looks dicey off Ocean Ave. Don't want 7-8 hrs. of driving that day for nothing.

 

[tkaelin]

Next summer. Can't go wrong with Ft W as far as ease of set up and entry. Almost always something to see (when you can see). Just a toss out - if you are driving that far, think of spending a night. Easy cheap at Burligame SP 20 minutes away or a guesthouse in Jamestown - Lionel Chaplin is a minute away and you can rinse and dry gear outside.

 

[TMHeimer]

Next summer. Can't go wrong with Ft W as far as ease of set up and entry. Almost always something to see (when you can see). Just a toss out - if you are driving that far, think of spending a night. Easy cheap at Burligame SP 20 minutes away or a guesthouse in Jamestown - Lionel Chaplin is a minute away and you can rinse and dry gear outside.

Thanks, but my brother is from VA. and he always drives to NJ for the night that same day as our dive. Just curious, is there a LDS in Jamestown now (I heard about what happened to "Ocean Divers" (I believe that was the name).