New to the Boston area AND New England Diving!

Hi fellas!

My fiancee and I will be moving up to Boston next month (!!), and would like to explore the local diving options this summer.

Let's see, where to start....

First, until now, we have only gone diving in warm waters and have never worn a drysuit. However, we think we are ready to explore dive options closer to home. We will probably start going on guided boat dives at first, and then on shore dives as our knowledge of the local waters increase...

I have done some preliminary research on the forum/web and found the NEADC website to be very useful, with lots of info on local outfits and dive charters. Already thinking about joining the NEADC as early as July (great lecture series & great forum to meet NE divers), going on one of Captain Rob's trip to the Isles of Shoals, exploring some of the diving around Cape Ann, and perhaps even making a weekend trip to Maine to go on one of Sea Venture's shark-cage dives!

HOWEVER, we have no idea how cold things get in New England underwater.

The coldest we've ever been is probably low 70s in Madeira. We were probably wearing full 5mm wetsuits (cannot recall), but we were not wearing hoods/gloves/booties. After one 40-min dive, we were cold.

I've seen some water temps charts on the web, and looks like the warmest months are June/July/August/Sept - with temps in the high 60s / low 70s. We would probably limit our diving to those months for the first years or so.

We own hyperstretch full 5mm wetsuits, 5/3mm hooded vests, 5mm gloves, booties, and also full henderson microprene suits. We could probably wear the microprene suits under the 5mm, and the hooded vest on top (that thing really DOES hyperstretch!!), with 5mm gloves & booties.

In your experience, would this be enough to AT LEAST TRY and go on a charter or 2 this season (likely Isles of Shoals & Cape Ann to begin with)?? Or do we definitely need to get certified on drysuit diving from the start? What would you say is the warmest month(s) to go diving in??

Any advice / suggestions / tips would be appreciated, and also if you could point us to reliable boat charters that may be more familiar with NE newbies!!

Looking forward to exploring our new home's UW treasures!!

J. & A.

Just to keep it simple and answer one of your questions.....you will need at least a good quality full 7mm wetsuit with the boots, gloves and hood. The temps you're talking about are at the surface. At depth it never gets above 50-55 degrees(colder on the deeper wrecks) even in August/September. If you tend to get chilly in 70 degree water, you'll be very cold in 55 degree water.

I've had enough of the diving wet thing and I'll be going dry hopefully by the end of the summer($$$). Instead of investing in a new wetsuit, you might just save your money and go dry. Each dive will last longer, you'll be more comfortable and you'll extend your season and type of diving. I look forward to driving dry.

Also, welcome to the area. There's tons of diving in MA, NH and RI and you're already on the right track by posting on this forum.

LobstaMan

Welcome to New England -- lots of great diving here.

A couple of additional comments on water temps. There can be a significant difference between water temps in southern vs. northern New England. Water temps on the south side of Cape Cod, RI and CT can certainly hit the high 60s/low 70s, although that is late in the seaon (Aug & Sept). Water temps north of Boston (where Cape Ann and the Isles of Shoals-NH are), barely hit 60 by the end of the season, and at deeper depths, things are colder. Even into June, temps below the thermocline can easily still be in the high 40s on Cape Ann. At deeper depths (there are several wrecks in the Cape Ann area in the 90-100 foot range) the water temps are always in the 40s.

As you continue to head north into ME, water temps never get out of the 50s, even at the warmest point in the year.

All that cold water gloom & doom aside, there is plenty of good diving to be had, and it does not necessarily require a drysuit (although folks that continue to dive locally seem to eventually end up diving dry). For my first few years of diving, I wore a 7mm farmer john/jacket + hood/booties/gloves, and and was certainly comfortable from June-October. I also added a hooded vest during the colder months. I think the suits you have will not be enough to keep you warm, especially earlier in the season, but of course, every person is different when it comes to cold water tolerance. You could always try a shore dive with your current suits (via a club or other group dive) -- that's the only way you'll know for sure...a shore dive will be a low cost way to try this out in shallower water. Most local shops will also rent you suits and other gear you might need.

You are definitely taking the right strategy by joining a local club. The NEADC normally has a full schedule of boat and shore dives -- these are great ways to meet other area divers and to get familiar with area dive sites. I've been a member for about 5 years and continue to find it to be $$$ well-spent. Most area dive shops (e.g., East Coast Divers, Mass Diving & Cape Ann Divers) also have weekend group dives that are coodinated by a DM from the shop...so on almost every weekend day from June to Sept you can find a group dive through one of these options. Most of these shore dives are at sites that are geared towards divers without much experience -- perfect if you are new to the area.

Regarding guided boat dives -- this is not the norm for most dive boats around here, in fact most don't even have in-water DMs (all of the crew stays on the boat). They do provide solid briefings and will help in forming buddy teams. If a guided dive is something you are looking for, definitely ask in advance. Boats are also not like the Carribbean in terms of gear handling -- you handle your own gear set-up, breakdown, etc. The crew will help you getting on/off the boat and slipping on/off your rig.

Hope this helps -- and welcome aboard. Look forward to meeting you guys sometime in the future. Happy to help with any other questions you have.

-Chris

Thank you guys!

We'll be joining the NEADC in July!

I think we'll go for drysuits. My fiancee tends to get cold, and for her to enjoy NE diving she definitely needs to be warm first!

I am looking at PG's drysuit diving course for August 25 and 28, includes 1 night of instruction / pool, and then 2 open water dives for $180, drysuit rental included. Any opinions/experiences with this outfit?

Also, has anybody gone on Sea Venture's shark cage dive in Port Clyde, ME? They seem to run a responsible operation (there are others that actually take people shark fishing...). We will probably not be drysuit certified by the time their shark-cage season ends this year (August), but we may get away with renting 7mms suits and using our hooded vests and gloves for this dive, since you don't go deeper than 10 feet in the cage.

Looking forward to meeting people in the club, and to joining you on some shore dives!

J.

Welcome to Boston J. & A.,


Boston Diver Services offers dive charters to the wrecks and ledges throughout the Boston Harbor Islands National Park. The waters surrounding Boston Harbor’s 34 historic islands offers some of the best diving in New England. Whether you want to explore wrecks from a bygone era or hunt for lobsters- we know where to take you. Come join us in exploring Boston beneath the sea.

Our charters are small in size, so we can customize them to meet your needs. With a minimum of two divers, we will run a charter on your schedule to the site of your choice. On multi group charters, the majority vote rules. The price for a two-tank charter (approx. 5 hrs.) is $60.00 pp.

The homeport for Boston Diver Services is Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina, which is conveniently located in East Boston. This location provides easy access to the outer harbor and the dive sites.

At Boston Diver Services safety is our primary goal. Captain Pat Breen & crew are trained first responders and are licensed DAN O2 providers. We will strive to make your diving experience memorable.

Give us a call today to book your charter or ask any questions you might have.

I agree with LOBSTAMAN, he pretty much covers it. On another note, if you are curious about drysuits and wanting to try one out- DUI is having their Demo-Days this coming weekend at Stage Fort. Its free, you dive with a divemaster or instructor, digital cameras are avilable to try as well.

Its a good time, I went last year.
http://www.dui-online.com/dog_stagefort_2005_diver.html

Thanks for the info mikswi. Unfortunately, we are still in NY and will not be able to make it to Boston next weekend.

We just booked our drysuit certification class with PG Dive, doing our openwater dives at the Isle of Shoals!

J.

PG Dive -- I woud definitely recommend them. They are a relatively new shop, and are very customer service oriented.

-Chris

Just wanted to say welcome to New England! I moved here a few years ago and had never been in water colder than 70 degrees. I knew I'd be unable to handle the water temps here in a wetsuit, and I took a drysuit course immediately. It took a bit of getting used to (the bouyancy issues in a drysuit are especially fun for the first few months), but I now go diving every chance I get - and it is wonderful being able to dive any time of year.

The Isle of Shoals will be a great place to do your first drysuit dives - many of the sites are shallow, and the seals are lovely.

PG Dive? THAT joker??? Run - FAST!! Just kidding. They are great - I wish I'd found that place sooner. They are customer-service oriented, and their pricing is better than any other local dive store in the area that I know of.