Newport, RI sites?

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Business is taking me to newport, Rhode Island, but I get the weekend free! I am looking for info on dive sites that I can access from public beaches- I have no real preference about type of dive- ie wreck etc.- I just want to enjoy my weekend off.
 
I have only dove on scuba in RI a few times, I go freediving there often.

Popular scuba sites include Fort Adams (in Newport), and on Jamestown just across the bridge Fort Wetherill, and if conditions are calm enough Beavertail. Wetherill and Adams will have lots of classes. There are some good boat dives (U-853 for example) contact the shops for info.

Shops I like:

Let's Go Diving
Ocean State Scuba (good place to learn kayak diving David Swain wrote the PADI manual)
Narragansett Pier Dive Shop

The shop in Newport seems nice enough, I just haven't dealt with them.

The freedivers go to a much wider range of shore dive sites but they are usually too long a walk for scuba divers. You could also rent a kayak from the shops if interested.

Ralph


 
I'll second the vote for Narragansett Pier Dive Shop -- although this is about 30-40 minutes from Newport.

http://www.pierdive.com

There are several dive decent shore diving sites close to the shop. They can rent you anything you need. I wanted to do a night dive last summer and didn't have a buddy -- they paired me up with one of their DMs and kept the shop open late sho I could rent/return gear -- very helpful folks.
 
Fort Wetherill in Jamestown is a nice shore dive. Last weekend saw a few lobster, flounder etc...
Watch out for the weekends though - It gets very crowded!! Last weekend it looked like a diver's convention! There must have been close to 100 divers.

and bring your 7mm wetsuit and gloves! Temp was about 65 at the surface.

http://www.riparks.com/fortweth.htm

Other extremely helpful information on area dives:
http://pages.map.com/stcc/RHODEISLAND.HTM


Have fun! :D
 
I was there Saturday morning early. I was headed to Beavertail but the road was closed due to a downed power line so I went to Wetherill.

Your right, very crowded as usual. I entered by the cove on the side and swam up the bay (freediving as I traveled) to the first island in the Dumplings, circled it, then headed back. Saw almost no fish (1 striped bass, 1 small tautog) except the ubiquitous cunner. Fought a moderate current on the way out then on the return the current had shifted and I had to swim against a weak current again. I'll never understand the currents in Narragansett Bay, they always seem to be going in the opposite direction I would predict from the tides.

Ralph
 
Yep, that was me.

Normal scuba floats have too much drag when swimming on the surface. The boogie board has almost no drag and you can carry plenty of stuff on it. You can also use it for support if tired.

The water is unusually cold this year, surface temp in the bay should be near 70F.

Were you there for a class?

Ralph
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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