Nubble area dive shops/ sites

[alby320]

Hi, just wondering if anyone knows if there are any dive shops or places to get tanks filled near nubble lighthouse ? My cousin and I dive there a few times a year and we are from MASS, if anyone knows that would be great. Also has anyone ever dove short or long sands beach in York, ME ? If so how were they ? Thanks in advance

 

[reefseal]

Nearest shops are are NH Seacoast. Portsmouth Scuba and Atlantic Aqua Sport in Rye, NH. There was a shop in York area many moons ago and closed. Don't know why would bother diving long sands beach.. Long swim out, shallow, sand when you have Nubble to dive. There are other sites in NH e.g. Great Island Common and sites off Rye (Pulpit Rock, Seal Rocks, Ordiorne point..)

 

[oldflounder]

The only reason possibly to dive the N end of Long Sands would be if you had to stay in the York area and you wanted to get away from a strong N wind. Long Sands is protected from those winds by the Nubble protrusion out into the ocean. You would want to dive it at high tide. There would probably be some interesting marine life in the rocks in the middle of summer. You have to swim quite aways [1200'] along the shore to get depth [40'.] I haven't dove it yet but it is on my list of places to check out in the near future. Portsmouth is only a 10 minute drive from the York exit to the Portsmouth exit and it's on your way home. As Reefseal states there are several good sites along the NH coast. You just need to do some research and some advance scouting. If I get blown out at Nubble I go back that way and stop at sites along the way until I find one I like. My favorites are Fort Stark, Peirce Island, Great Island Commons and North Beach at Hampton. All have something different to offer. No matter what the conditions are at least one of them is diveable.

 

[alby320]

cool, thanks for the input guys. Long sands looks like it would be a very long swim to get depth, at low tide there is alot of flat sand lol. I have also wanted to check out hampton beach and salisbury beach this summer as well.

 

[spectrum]

Hi, just wondering if anyone knows if there are any dive shops or places to get tanks filled near nubble lighthouse ? My cousin and I dive there a few times a year and we are from MASS, if anyone knows that would be great. Also has anyone ever dove short or long sands beach in York, ME ? If so how were they ? Thanks in advance

Here is a link to my guide to southern Maine dive sites. Included is a link to Maine's known fill stations. The 3 southernmost are all in Portland. Sadly the York shop is gone and the one that was in Lyman (1/2 mile from me) closed almost 5 years ago. To the south it's the Portsmouth and Rye shops.

I have not added it to the guide yet but I had a great dive up the left side of Short Sands last summer. Lot's of skate flounder, lobster, crab, you name it. It consisted of knitting along the base of the ledges. Most of dive was in the 12-18 foot range. We turned early compared to usual dives, my buddy was a new diver/power breather. I look forward to diving it again soon. Lacking dramatic terrain I will probably hold off until the critters are back in force.

Some time before planning that dive I stopped to ask the life guard about diving there. He couldn't site any restrictions but was quick to point out that they leave at 4:00 (or was it 5:00). We arrive one Sunday at 5:00 got nice parking near the sore and bath house.

The north end of Long sands looks to be a similar situation and it's on our to-do list.

Pete

 

[spectrum]

cool, thanks for the input guys. Long sands looks like it would be a very long swim to get depth, at low tide there is alot of flat sand lol. I have also wanted to check out hampton beach and salisbury beach this summer as well.

Depends what you call depth. I'm fine with dropping into 6 feet of water with bright light and critters and working my way out from there on the bottom. At high tide the base of the ledge would soon be in a nice spot.

 

[oldflounder]

I'm not too sure about Hampton or Salisbury Beach, but a mile north of Hampton you have the N end of North Beach, Hampton which has ample parking [though 25 cents per 10 minutes], a bathhouse, easy access, a place to practice surf entries on a rough day, a gazillion tourists to pester you and some fun diving, especially if you surface swim out about 1200' to the ledges offshore. A scooter comes in handy here.