Rockport Ma.

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

David Sutton

Contributor
Messages
168
Reaction score
22
Location
Southwick Mass
# of dives
Hello to all, I have been diving in rockport for a very very long time, both shore and from my boat, last year while I was up there I had talked to a few locals and powers that be. seems they are getting tired of all the divers at back and front beach. several time over the last few years I have talked with dive instructors about showing more respect for the area in witch we all use. yesterday while I was there it seems to be happening again. We CANT use the side walks for our personal set up areas for diving. When i see a old lady have to walk in the street to get around divers it boils my blood. this WILL get us kicked out. when I talked to a few class members I got the attitude that hey SO WHAT! WE pay taxes, If WE as a dive community don't start showing more respect than we have been over the last few years they will pass a ordenance to have us REMOVED. the parking has already gone up to 2.00 a hour now.

Yesterday there were a lot of check out dives and before I left I must have picked up at least 9 or 10 tags from new gear. If you like what we do and where we do it at we better get involved in looking after it. I have a boat and spend most of my time off the shore looking in but not everyone can do that .

Please , please get involved !!! if you see this stuff going on take the time to teach the newbies how important it is to respect what we have before its to late.
 
We were at Back Beach a couple weeks ago with a check out dive class. A Rockport PD cruiser stopped and told the lead instructor that you have to get a permit (free) to take a class there from now on. He was very personable about it.

You're absolutely right. People in general, not just divers, have less and less respect for personal property and personal space. It's too bad it has come to this, but I don't blame the residents. Unfortunately, one inconsiderate person paints the whole hobby, regardless if you're a diver, motorcyclist or any other group.
 
Every once in a while I used to bring a couple of bugs to the guy who owned that ranch across from Magnolia Rocks just as a "Not all divers are D-bags" gesture. It has to be a huge PITA to have knuckleheads undressing in the street, laughing and shouting in front of your house every weekend. I haven't dove there in a few years but they were always grateful and gracious.

And not for nuttin' but the instructor who stood there and allowed his students to trash the area and obstruct the sidewalks needs a dope slap. Do you know what store he operates out of? A call to the shop owner would be in order.
 
Well said!

I often see people complaining about the residents and it's important to be good neighbors. I know if I lived in a house by the water I wouldn't want to deal with rude people every summer weekend, regardless of if they were divers.

Another pet peeve of mine for Cape Ann is parking at the sites, namely those with resident parking. When I lived in Gloucester a few years back and had a resident sticker it annoyed me to no end when non residents took up all the beach parking (not just divers). A parking sticker and access to the beaches are one small perk to living there.
 
Diving is a part of Cape Ann/Rockport/Gloucester summer life. Getting along is another part. There are some locals who adamantly refuse to acknowledge the right of others to access the water. It's not their purview to refuse, or hinder what is public beach access. And I say this as a property owner there who doesn't appreciate the oft-elitist, or greaseball attitude of some knuckleheads who live there. That said - divers do share the responsibility of using areas in such a way that it does not impinge on the rights of those who have property near these areas and have to put up with divers who don't act responsibly.

On a similar note - this goes on in California all the time. And years ago on Cannery Row the last thing any business owner wanted to see were the tushies of divers changing in and out of their gear @ the Breakwater, or near the restaurants. At one end of the spectrum the businesses do realize that divers do spend money when they are in town. And I am sure divers use local businesses in Cape Ann too. In short - it's a balancing act.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tug
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom