Nubble/Ft. Stark 9/3/11 dive log

[oldflounder]

I went to Nubble yesterday am for low tide. It was pretty poor conditions there. Even though the winds were out of the s and sw it was pretty churned up. Swells were 2-3', though well spaced, occasional 12"surf on the rocks. Not bad diving conditions but the viz was gross. I could only see a couple feet past my fin tips and there was a lot of sediment in the water column and on the surface. I was there this past Thursday with almost practically flat seas,15' viz and a fine sediment clouding up the water. This stuff yesterday might have been the vegetation in the water after Irene that's been ground up/broken down over the past week. I haven't seen this kind of crap in the water there before.

Anyway after 5 minutes i called the dive and packed up knowing I would be wasting my time there.

Later in the day, when it got closer to high, I went to Fort Stark for a dive. The ocean was getting a little angrier than it had been earlier so I dove the harbor side. The viz was still pretty gross, just past my fin tips, but the sediment in the water was mostly fine and brown and cloudy. I explored around the old wharf to see how far out the remnants went and then tested the current directions around the jetty. The ocean was crashing over the top of the jetty by now so I didn't go far on the ocean side because of the surge on the shallow ledges. There seems to be a prevalent outgoing current along the bottom at all tides in this harbor. I went in just before high and 1 hour later I was still dealing with the outgoing current. I am not sure that there is a slack time through this harbor. This is worthy of further investigation - there is potential for drift diving here irregardless of tide.

Oh well - maybe next week it'll be better.

 

[porgyhunter]

Hey O.F. We all have those dives. Hope the Vis clears up soon. I know figureing out the currents at the Cape Cod Canal took some time. Good slack happens 2hrs before low tide. Maybe try that? Wish I was closer I'd take you up on your dive requests. Thanks for the report

 

[oldflounder]

Hey O.F. We all have those dives. Hope the Vis clears up soon. I know figureing out the currents at the Cape Cod Canal took some time. Good slack happens 2hrs before low tide. Maybe try that? Wish I was closer I'd take you up on your dive requests. Thanks for the report

Good morning Porgyhunter - actually I don't want slack tide. I am glad that there appears to be an outgoing tide through the harbor coinciding with an upriver current on the other side of the fort at high tide. Think of a big V. I am thinking I can make my entry at the beach on the harborside of the fort which would be at the upper left of the V, then I could surface swim out to the edge of the boat channel and catch a ride on the outgoing current around the jetty - bottom of the V - and into the river currents. Then I could ride the incoming high tide river currents up to the upper right side of the V.

Also, the more I study this harbor, the more I think it always has an outgoing current along the bottom. It has the strong Piscataqua River upstream of it and 2 jetties each side of the mouth of the harbor which might restrict the force of the incoming tidal flow and keep it up on the surface waters. There seem to be the same opposing currents on the other side by Peirce Island. On the surface you're going one direction and 30' down you're going the other.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[porgyhunter]

Hey O.F. Googled up Ft. Stark...Neat area. The current maybe the river, especially after all the rain. I see what you mean about the ocean side...would be hard with NE..E..SE wind. Is ''the nubble'' marked on the map?What is it near so I can Google it

 

[oldflounder]

Hello Porgyhunter - Google up Cape Neddick/Nubble Lighthouse/York, Maine. That should get you there. It's the best all-around dive site in the Northeast when the conditions are favorable!!!

 

[porgyhunter]

Hey O.F. Thanks I googled up ''The nubble'' Looks like a great dive. Do you enter behind the island the light house is on? Hows parking there?

 

[DavidInNH]

A few of us dove Nubble on Friday night (9/2) and we spent some time following a torpedo ray. It was a decent sized one and we met up with it twice. Visibility was not good but the ray was the high point of the dive.

 

[oldflounder]

David - Hopefully it will improve for next weekend. High will be late morning. Summer is coming to a close. Getting close to time to get the drysuits back out.

Porgyhunter - There is parking on the land adjacent to the island. The island tself is posted "No Trespassing." On a busy tourist day the p-lot is crowded but there is a quick turnover usually. In the fall and winter it isn't crowded. Don't make a special trip up from the Cape. The conditions are too iffy there - very dependent on wind direction and speed. Contact someone up here before you come so that you will have a guide and someone that can give you local conditions for the days of your trip.