Rockaway Beach - 9th Street Report

[ScottNY]

Dove today, (Fri. 7/29), at 9th street just west of Atlantic Beach Bridge.

Got our tanks from...
http://www.diveincny.com
which is about 15 - 20 min. away in Rockville Centre. (Helpful shop folks who gave directions and sometimes dive area. They'll show you around if you schedule them and just tip the divemaster guy. No one was available today though.)

Here's a web site with info about the dive site...
http://www.njscuba.net/sites/list_li_shore.html#Beach 8

I posted on another thread that it was kind of like swimming in your toilet when the flusher is broken and after several guests have used it. (Extra special gear rinsing today! : )

Water temp was amazingly, (to me anyway), warm at 73 degrees at 30' There were some starfish, horseshoe craps, spiny spider crabs and some other semi-tropical looking 5" long fish I couldn't identify. (Possibly mutants... but who knows.) And some small amounts of sickly looking coral like things.

If you decide to go here, there's a couple of things to note. It says "No Parking" everywhere, but people just park and it doesn't seem to be an issue. But maybe on slow revenue months for the city that changes. Also, when you get to the site area, (by taking Sea Girt, then a left on 9th), you want to take the 1st left and go to next street. We didn't do this. We went straight on 9th and entered right at the jetty there. (There were signs about "Certified Divers Only" so we figured we had the right place... but we SHOULD have been on the other side, (west), of the old boarded up restaurant or whatever it is that's right there.)

If you go left after turning on 9th, and then park, there's a fence with a space in it and another jetty to the east of the sea wall. (We didn't do this, but it's info from the dive shop guy.) Going out from there, there are cables that lead to some platforms that they do dive training on. Supposedly, this area has a bit better viz and some more fish/coral, etc.

Remember also to check the tide tables for the area. You have to go at high or low slack and that's good for 40 min to an hour. Otherwise, the current gets strong and you go bye bye. There is some boat traffic in the area, including some fisher folk. We used a dive flag, but of course, those things can trail a bit.

All in all, not thrilling, but it's right nearby if you happen to be in Queens/LI area so it was something to do.

We're going to try going back to the right spot at the site in the next couple of weeks and see how that is.

Scott

 

[Soggy]

Is this the same as "Far Rockaway Beach" on Rockaway Island? I used to do Karate training there once a year in the ocean. It was quite an experience with 450 Karate students on the beach at once.

 

[TTSkipper]

Not 100% sure Soggy but that could be the beach right next to the semi-private beach that divers use. About this time last year you were able to see some tropicals at Beach 9th. I have a few pics of small butterfly fish and I believe someone I dove with saw a small trumpet fish there before.

Just so that you know, there is legal parking on Beach 8th street which is the next street over, but there is also a large group home or something of the sort on Beach 8th street. I was there a month or so ago and while we were kitting up I had all kinds of people come over and talk to me or just to themselves but right next to me. It can make for an interesting experience.

Some people who are more familiar with the area can time the tides right and drift down to the Atlantic Beach Bridge, hang around there for slack and then drift back with the outgoing tide. I have never done this myself.

TTSkipper

 

[grouchyturtle]

It can make for an interesting experience.

Understatement of the year!

 

[ScottNY]

Is this the same as "Far Rockaway Beach" on Rockaway Island? I used to do Karate training there once a year in the ocean. It was quite an experience with 450 Karate students on the beach at once.

I've no idea. I do know that next time I'd really like to have others with me who would be hanging out on shore near the truck. There were some folks around that made me think... "Hmmm... from their perspective we're going to disappear under the water for a 1/2 hour or more. Plenty of time to score a new SUV!"

Though I suppose it would make for a great story, I'm not quite sure how I'd deal with wandering around in a wetsuit with no money, no id, no cell phone and a ton of gear!

: )

Scott