amajamar
Contributor
And the best part about diving in New England is...
how well we all get along with each other...
!
how well we all get along with each other...
!
A quick question about diving in MA
- Thread starter MADiver
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Damselfish
Contributor
For everyone who enjoys diving in NE, I'm pretty sure there are more who don't, or wouldn't. There's really no point in implying that the people who feel differently about it than you are wrong in some way. All someone can do is try and find out.
(For the record, I dove here about 2 years before I lost interest. What killed it for me were the exposure protection, the general hassle, and not seeing enough of interest to make it all worth it. The viz didn't do much for me either. I rarely saw anything approaching 25ft, 10 was more common. I suppose I can thank diving here for teaching me to be fine with diving in low viz, but that's about all I can say for it.)
(For the record, I dove here about 2 years before I lost interest. What killed it for me were the exposure protection, the general hassle, and not seeing enough of interest to make it all worth it. The viz didn't do much for me either. I rarely saw anything approaching 25ft, 10 was more common. I suppose I can thank diving here for teaching me to be fine with diving in low viz, but that's about all I can say for it.)
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That pretty much sums up most of the diving I do - anywhere! If diving around NE gets boring here are a couple of ways to make it more interesting for a bit before it gets to be too much of a hassle:
A. Get a scooter - visit places you ordinarily could not
B. Get a rebreather - it doesn't make it really more interesting, but makes it necessary to get out there more often!
C. Find a wreck and take your time taking stuff off it without the feds knowing you found it!
D. Make sure to know which restaurants to go to after a quick dive - In Glosta I would recommend Lobster Pool (closeby), Causeway Diner near Stage Fort (often crowded), if you towel off enough go to Main st and hit a bunch of the restaurants there as Gloucester could certainly use the tourist dollar during these hard economic times.
Cheers,
X
large_diver
Contributor
I agree with the comments about trying some wetsuit diving before you buy. I think I dove in New England (mainly Cape Ann) for about 4 years before investing in a drysuit. You don't have to wait that long, but as others have said, it's certainly worth making sure you are relatively gung ho about NE diving before plunking down $2k.
Regarding drysuits - I've had my DUI TLS 350 since 2004 (tri-lam material) = good freedom of movement and quick drying. If buying a custom, make sure you find someone who is experienced in measuring for drysuits, front entry is most convenient, pee valve can be convenient (good to stay hydrated while diving and you may not always have a chance to de-kit conveniently to pee), Cape Ann has lots of rocks = rock boots, rugged knee pads are good investments. One other nice thing about tri-lam suits is that you can layer your undergarments accordingly to let you use it in water from 40-70F. I've used mine in frigid Feb water on Cape Ann to the FL keys to cold lakes in Switzerland to 65F water in Italy to year round diving here in the UK.....changing undergarments from shorts/t-shirt in the Keys to 450g thinsulate jump suit for the colder stuff.
Best of luck - and hoping that you and your wife come to love New England diving
Chris
Regarding drysuits - I've had my DUI TLS 350 since 2004 (tri-lam material) = good freedom of movement and quick drying. If buying a custom, make sure you find someone who is experienced in measuring for drysuits, front entry is most convenient, pee valve can be convenient (good to stay hydrated while diving and you may not always have a chance to de-kit conveniently to pee), Cape Ann has lots of rocks = rock boots, rugged knee pads are good investments. One other nice thing about tri-lam suits is that you can layer your undergarments accordingly to let you use it in water from 40-70F. I've used mine in frigid Feb water on Cape Ann to the FL keys to cold lakes in Switzerland to 65F water in Italy to year round diving here in the UK.....changing undergarments from shorts/t-shirt in the Keys to 450g thinsulate jump suit for the colder stuff.
Best of luck - and hoping that you and your wife come to love New England diving
Chris
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MADiver,
I moved to MA in ’83 when I was attending WPI. I was born and raised in Libya and moved to the US when I was 17. I dove in the Mediterranean a great deal before I started to dive in Cape Ann. I fell in love with diving in New England especially Cape Ann and have done a couple of thousand dives there. I dove New England from Maine to Rhode Island and I believe that NE has some of the best in the World (I dove all over the world). I love the marine life, underwater topography, challenge and the topside New England charm that you can’t find anywhere!!
The main challenge for me to overcome was the cold U/W and topside (I come from the desert). I can’t remember how many times I went in the water to dive and came out with snow coming down. Water temperatures vary from around 38F to almost 68 in Cape Ann. I started diving in NE in wetsuit (layers) and eventually got a drysuit and never looked back. Issues to keep in mind when starting diving in NE:
1. Since you learned to dive in the tropics, I highly recommend that you do your first dives under instructor/dive master supervision.
2. You need to get comfortable with diving with all of the thermal protection you will be using prior to going in the ocean. You should jump in the pool with your gloves, hood and possibly the thick wetsuit and practice using your equipment including BC, mask, regulator, etc. with all of thermal protection on you.
3. Start at an “easy” site such as back beach in Rockport during high tide and calm seas. You should try to practice your various skills during the first couple of dives including buoyancy control. You should also get a proper orientation on the site from a person familiar with the site.
4. Keep in mind the environmental issues such as tidal changes, possible currents, etc.
Please note that if your goal is to move to a dry suit eventually, you need to take that into consideration when you choose your BC. You need to make sure that the BC you own will still fit over a dry suit.
I regards to the dive season in NE, I generally started diving in the spring in Rhode Island (usually Jamestown and Narragansett) and worked my way up to Cape Ann and Maine as the season progresses. I do this since water is warmer further south but gets warmer in the North as we get into the summer and early fall.
F.Y.I. Cape Ann Divers in Gloucester offers guided shore dives during the dive season. They also offer boat charters. You need to pick the trip that fits your skills and experience.
Diving in MA is awesome, you just need to focus on small areas and have fun exploring. You have to be careful of two things while diving in MA; lobster traps and their lines and more importantly, the lobstermen!!!
If I can do it, you certainly can!!
Enjoy it!!
I moved to MA in ’83 when I was attending WPI. I was born and raised in Libya and moved to the US when I was 17. I dove in the Mediterranean a great deal before I started to dive in Cape Ann. I fell in love with diving in New England especially Cape Ann and have done a couple of thousand dives there. I dove New England from Maine to Rhode Island and I believe that NE has some of the best in the World (I dove all over the world). I love the marine life, underwater topography, challenge and the topside New England charm that you can’t find anywhere!!
The main challenge for me to overcome was the cold U/W and topside (I come from the desert). I can’t remember how many times I went in the water to dive and came out with snow coming down. Water temperatures vary from around 38F to almost 68 in Cape Ann. I started diving in NE in wetsuit (layers) and eventually got a drysuit and never looked back. Issues to keep in mind when starting diving in NE:
1. Since you learned to dive in the tropics, I highly recommend that you do your first dives under instructor/dive master supervision.
2. You need to get comfortable with diving with all of the thermal protection you will be using prior to going in the ocean. You should jump in the pool with your gloves, hood and possibly the thick wetsuit and practice using your equipment including BC, mask, regulator, etc. with all of thermal protection on you.
3. Start at an “easy” site such as back beach in Rockport during high tide and calm seas. You should try to practice your various skills during the first couple of dives including buoyancy control. You should also get a proper orientation on the site from a person familiar with the site.
4. Keep in mind the environmental issues such as tidal changes, possible currents, etc.
Please note that if your goal is to move to a dry suit eventually, you need to take that into consideration when you choose your BC. You need to make sure that the BC you own will still fit over a dry suit.
I regards to the dive season in NE, I generally started diving in the spring in Rhode Island (usually Jamestown and Narragansett) and worked my way up to Cape Ann and Maine as the season progresses. I do this since water is warmer further south but gets warmer in the North as we get into the summer and early fall.
F.Y.I. Cape Ann Divers in Gloucester offers guided shore dives during the dive season. They also offer boat charters. You need to pick the trip that fits your skills and experience.
Diving in MA is awesome, you just need to focus on small areas and have fun exploring. You have to be careful of two things while diving in MA; lobster traps and their lines and more importantly, the lobstermen!!!
If I can do it, you certainly can!!
Enjoy it!!
I did close the shop on nov 1, but I am still teaching, and still have my training drysuits.
To the OP feel free to PM me and we can work something out.
marcosdutra
Contributor
with drysuit you stay dry but not very warm in cold waters
:blinking:
:blinking:
Not sure if you're serious.... but....
With enough insulation, one can be toasty even on long dives in the coldest of water.
If that weren't the case, a warmth-loving wuss like me wouldn't dive at all here in New England....
Dave C
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