What's the diving like in Boston?

[ClassAction]

Hi,

Just wondering what the diving is generally like up in mass. I've done a few boat dives outside of Boston harbor with a friend (Brewster Islands), so I know it's cold and the vis is typically not that great. BUt I'm wondering whether there are active dive clubs that go out every week. Also, how are the charter boats? In NJ, there are several boats that go out but (1) it can be tough to get a spot, and (2) they get blown out all the time. Is this the case up in mass? My wife and I are thinking about relocating... Thanks in advance!

 

[Northeastwrecks]

In a word, great. I regularly dive the North Shore of Boston and the RI wrecks.

There are a few active dive clubs. I'm a nominal member of Metro West Dive Club, www.mwdc.org. I don't dive with them often, primarily because I have my own team of regular buddies. But they are a nice group of people.

New Jersey probably has more boats; however, it is usually possible to get a spot with someone like Cape Ann Divers. In order to avoid space issues, along with a host of other problems, I prefer to use operators where I can charter the entire boat, then fill it with my buddies. Unfortunately, my favorite RI operator is pulling the boat this weekend, so that means I'll go out with CAD until Gauntlet (new tech boat) completes sea trials later this month.

Getting blown out happens more frequently than I'd prefer; however, it is generally manageable. The North Shore has a few relatively sheltered sites. RI is less sheltered, but Block Island sometimes shields you from the worst of the weather.

In terms of relocating, after San Antonio and Oslo, Boston is my favorite city in the world. There is less to do than NYC, but it feels a bit more intimate.

 

[MSilvia]

Aside from Cape Ann Divers two boats and whatever there may be in RI, there are a lot of smaller charter operations up here too, so there's almost always space available on some boat or other. I don't think you'll find a much better dive boat than Capt. Fran Marceaux's DayBreaker.

There are a lot of clubs up here, and a lot of active divers who aren't active club members besides. There is great diving in RI and on the North Shore, but there are also a ton of excellent sites that are much less popular for those with access to boats of their own.

Personally, I love diving up here.

 

[PK]

Shore diving is also really great around here. THe vis is about 15ft or so, which I think is still enjoyable since I usually keep just a few feet above the bottom. You see some great underwater life too.

Lot's of people go to Cape Ann in Rockport, MA because there are tons of great shore dive locations. York, ME has a really nice dive site. Rhode Island has some good shore dives also. So, there are a lot of great places to dive and lots of active divers around here.

In addition to MetroWest Dive Club, we also have the New England Aquarium Dive Club (www.neadc.org). They're both great clubs.

Let us know if you have any specific questions. We're happy to help!

 

[PeaceDog]

The diving is really, really good. You should try it sometime.

 

[scubadobadoo]

I did a long weekend of shore diving in Cape Ann and had a blast. Atleast 20 shore diving sites can be had and most are lovely ranging from very basic (Back Beach) to advanced (Cathedral Rocks). I can't wait to go back. Go to shorediving,com and look in the Mass. section and you will have all the info you need on shore diving the NE area including detailed photos and diver reviews of various shore dives. I was there this past August and temps were 60-52 degrees and viz was 10-25 feet depending on conditions and the spot. Life was always abundant with stripers, rays, torpedo rays, crab, lobster galore, anemone, and much more.

Cape Ann is about a 30 minute drive, without traffic, from Boston. Cape Ann Diver's were good and had plenty of tanks and weights to rent. They also have a nice web page with a map of all the dive sites. Make sure to dive Folly Cove! I love it! The topside reminds me of a colder and less dramatic southern California. Then again, I grew up in Fl. so anything with hills is dramatic to me. Good luck!