Shore diving ocean city or Virginia beach

[Mscdex]

Afternoon everyone

Have any of you gone diving right off the beach at ocean city or Virginia beach? Is it even legal? I am broke and just don't want to pay for a boat ride.

 

[Rich Keller]

I did some research into dive sites on the eastern shore and could not find much. The feed back I got from locals was that the area is just flat, sandy, featureless bottom. The only exception that I know of is an outfall pipe in Bethany Beach that a couple of commercial divers I knew had worked on but I was not on that job so I do not know exactly where it is located. There is a mile long breakwater at Lewes but you would need a boat or kayak to reach it. There is another breakwater that starts from the beach just west of the ferry dock that is 0.4 miles long. I have not dove either location so I have no idea if it is worth your time. KB Diver Services is planning on doing some kayak dives in the Chesapeake but I do not think they have all the details worked out yet. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/mid-atlantic-states/496814-kayak-dive.html

 

[AfterDark]

Afternoon everyone

Have any of you gone diving right off the beach at ocean city or Virginia beach? Is it even legal? I am broke and just don't want to pay for a boat ride.

I think your problem is going to be the shallow water closer to land in that area. I think it may be mostly sandy bottom for miles away from land.

 

[Rich Keller]

Go to this site and look at chart 11214. It shows the location of the outfall, it seems to run under the middle of the Sea Colony Resort. I am guessing the people who stay there have no idea there is a sewer outfall pipe right in the middle of their beach. Atlantic NOAA Nautical Charts

Also on chart 12211 there is an outfall at 64th St in Ocean City.

Chart 12216 will show you the breakwater harbor at Lewes. There is a disposal site on the north side of the breakwater that might be worth checking out but the only way to get there is by boat.

 

[Mscdex]

Other than low viz and nothing to see, is there anything wrong with just showing up at the beach and gearing up?

 

[waterpirate]

A brief note about my back yard. It is not for the faint of heart, or skill. The lifegaurds here would not know what to do with you or react, so go stealthy. The shore break and rip currents here are brutal. There is a lot of stuff to see/junk if you can see it. About every 4-5 years the currents do something squirrely and the inshore vis can be 15'. Usually it is 6 inches to zero.

The breakwater in Lewes is dove a lot. Spearos and free divers frequent it. It should be dove at slack high tide only, preferably on the outer side. There is a world class down welling into a hole on the east end, avoid it. Be safe.
Eric

Almost forgot to mention Indian River inlet. Diving off the rocks is done at slack high tide also. The current is ferocious and the entanglement risk is high do to a lot of fishing from the rocks. Boat traffic is also very heavy.

 

[bt7csr]

Afternoon everyone

Have any of you gone diving right off the beach at ocean city or Virginia beach? Is it even legal? I am broke and just don't want to pay for a boat ride.

A few months old thread, but for everyone's future reference:

It IS legal to shore dive in Ocean City Maryland. Confirmed by researching state and city laws/ordinances, AND confirmed by email and phone calls to Ocean City government AND OC Beach Patrol. I have it in writing. A dive flag is A MUST! Too many boats.

Also, Bethany Beach Deleware! It is legal to shore dive in Bethany Beach city limits. Not legal in the surrounding parks, such as Deleware National Seashore and Fenwick Island.

I don't know what can be seen by shore diving these areas, but I'll be finding out in July 2016. If you're there at the end of July(last week) and want to meet for a dive, let me know!

Ben

 

[CT-Rich]

I went to college in Virginia, at Old Dominion University. That's where I took my assistant instructor course. No one ever talked about doing shore in Virginia Beach. Nothing there but a whole lotta sand.