Nubble Tips

[spectrum]

Hi all,

My wife and I are planning to dive at Nubble this Wednsday PM. Hopefully 2 dives spanning high tide. I have 27 dives, she has done 21.

It looks like it's best to get your rig together down on the big ledge and come back down to don it after suiting up. Climbing down in full gear looks like a death wish. Any tips on the best methods for this site?

Also looking for good headings, we'd like to see 40-60 feet if it's in range.

Thanks,
Pete

 

[Cecil]

I normally rig at the car on this site. The walk down is not that bad and a short walk. The entry is also easy as all the divers have worn away the sea weed at the entry.

For two dives the normal procedure is to do the right side first. Just bear to the right across the cove and follow the wall near the sand. You should get your depth, just watch for current. A couple of weeks ago we cleared the island and there was a wicked current towards Wells. We had to turn and fight our way back. This is not normal and have not heard or seen this any other time.

For the second dive, try the 00 dive. Leave the cove on a heading of 00 which will take you towards the point on the left side. The left is a huge boulder field with canyons and drop offs, one of my most favorite places. Come back on a 180 heading (like duh).

Have fun and watch for Lobsterzilla (+20 pounder, last seen on the left, last year).

 

[nite_diver]

Hi all,

My wife and I are planning to dive at Nubble this Wednsday PM. Hopefully 2 dives spanning high tide. I have 27 dives, she has done 21.

It looks like it's best to get your rig together down on the big ledge and come back down to don it after suiting up. Climbing down in full gear looks like a death wish. Any tips on the best methods for this site?

Also looking for good headings, we'd like to see 40-60 feet if it's in range.

Thanks,
Pete

i will agree with cecil about the headings and the easy entry to nubble. suit up at the top and walk down and go from there. we are diving thurs nite at 6 if you want to come out with us. the more the merrier.

nite_diver

 

[Burke1973]

Have fun and watch for Lobsterzilla (+20 pounder, last seen on the left, last year).

I have seen this lobsterzilla, he beat his claws against his chest like king kong because he knew I could not touch him! :11:

 

[ScubaSarus]

Wow That sounds quite fun. Can I ask is it Saturday or Sunday that no diving is allowed.

 

[spectrum]

Wow That sounds quite fun. Can I ask is it Saturday or Sunday that no diving is allowed.

No Sundays through October.

Gotta go load gear, looks like dive 1 will be a shore dive in Kennebunnk, she woke up unsure about her ears. If she's good to go it's off to York. Then hopefully our first Night Skin-dive at dusk at Miuddle Beach in Kennebunk.

Pete

 

[ScubaSarus]

I sympathize with the ear thing. I just now cleared the water out of my ears from Sundays dive. Best of luck.

 

[spectrum]

Well thanks for all of thetips, sugestions and offers. They will go to good use but yesterday the sniffles my wife down so that was that. We'll get there. The day wasn't a waste though......

August 10, 2005

Well before we made it out of the house Lorna decided that scuba was out of the question. As she said better to miss a day of diving than a month. It took all I had not to twist her arm but I managed to be a good buddy and spouse.

We headed off to Kennebunkport with our 5mm suits and snorkel gear. The lot at Colony was full with folks even parked along the road. It kinda had that "been there done that" feeling anyhow. St. Ann's and the Walkers Point site were both way to wavy to be much fun. They were OK for scuba but too active to relax on the surface.

I headed off to a quiet spot in Cape Porpoise that was my heavy seas at high tide fall back last year but got an idea long the way. I turned off at Turbat creek road and went down to the end of the road where there is parking for perhaps 6 cars. The location is popular with kayakers. I had scoped it out last year but never got the right combination of parking and tide. Well today it all came together. It's a sheltered tidal area that drains to a mud flat at low tide.

We parked on the quiet street in front of a white picket fence and got ready. 5mm suits and beanies, no vests, nothing on the neck and 3mm gloves and we were off.

We swam across the open water out to where it meets the open seas, swells were probably close to 18" but they were gentle. The bottom was mostly sandy with lots of crabs running around. Out near the opening to the ocean we swam through stands of seaweed that reached for the surface. It was like wandering through a maze and gave Lorna a great chance to practice turning and maneuvering with only fin action. Out in this peaceful area the ocean water had been warmed by the rising tide to an amazing 78 degrees. The lowest we noticed during the dive was 68. We also saw some stripers and one long slender fish that was going like a bat out of hell!

Once out there we followed the shore line of an apparent island that some folks were playing on, my first thought was that it must be private property. A ways down I spotted a sign that did not look like a big nasty PRIVATE or KEEP OUT sign. I swam to shore and went up to check it out. Turns out it's the Vaughn's Island Nature Preserve maintained by The Cape Porpoise Nature Conservancy. Open to the public with camping by permit no less! I never knew.

We had already been out for 70 minutes on the water and a rest and explore sounded good to Lorna. We got out and dropped our gear save our wetsuits and booties and sat to enjoy the view. The bank of small rounded seas stones was just too inviting and soon we had laid down, snuggled like spoons in a drawer and proceeded to warm in the mid afternoon sun like two seals that found a high rock. Lorna found that her soft weight belt makes a dandy pillow. The gentle breeze in the trees and the lapping of the water on the rocky shoreline really let us unwind and it was about an hour before we decide to move on. I think there was a nap or something very close to one in there. We never did explore the island.

The ocean water felt real cool for a second in contrast to my sun warmed body but in 12 too short minutes we were across the cove to our put in point. No it wasn't the day I had planned but it's one we will always remember fondly.

Latter,

Pete