Passamaquoddy Bay anyone?

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Would anyone be interested in a camp and dive trip to Passamaquoddy Bay this year? It is northern Maine. I was fascinated to see that it is ranked among top 50 dive destinations in the world! (Book: 50 Places to dive before you die). It is mostly shore diving so I was thinking of dragging 6 tanks per person and either camping or getting a cabin. Cheap extended week diving done over a long weekend if anyone is interested.

 

[Rich Keller]

Looks like an interesting place but I never heard of it before either. Water never gets out of the low 50s with a 25' tide change you get 2 or 3 half hour slack tide dives a day in a dry suit. In the right spot you might be able to do a drift dive along the shore with a chase car to pick you up at the end but that might feel more like a roller coaster then a dive. Looked at NOAA charts 13394, 13396, 13398 and did not see much in the way of wrecks on either the US or Canadian sides. What do the shore dives have to offer there?

PS: There is a dive shop in Eastport for fills so you may not need as many tanks as you think. One 80 cu/ft or larger tank should get you at least 2 or maybe 3 half hour shore dives each.

 

[spectrum]

PS: There is a dive shop in Eastport for fills so you may not need as many tanks as you think. One 80 cu/ft or larger tank should get you at least 2 or maybe 3 half hour shore dives each.

There is a diveshop in Eastport and it does rent filled cylinders. My understanding is that there is no compressor/filling onsite.

---------- Post added January 6th, 2013 at 12:28 PM ----------

Looks like an interesting place but I never heard of it before either. Water never gets out of the low 50s with a 25' tide change you get 2 or 3 half hour slack tide dives a day in a dry suit. In the right spot you might be able to do a drift dive along the shore with a chase car to pick you up at the end but that might feel more like a roller coaster then a dive. Looked at NOAA charts 13394, 13396, 13398 and did not see much in the way of wrecks on either the US or Canadian sides. What do the shore dives have to offer there?

The Website is outdated but the sea life remains the same, check this out.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

When I picked up the book "50 Places to Dive Before You Die" I was very skeptical of Maine as one of them. I mean COME AWWWWN! When you see Maine listed along with Raja Ampat, British Columbia and the Arctic, tt sounds like paid placement. But I realized that there was no diving operation for miles. Instead the place was nominated by Jonathan Bird who is a traveling photographer. This guys goes all around the world for photos and he nominated this middle of nowhere!!! I emailed Jonathan a few years ago and asked him what was his deal? Why Passamaquoddy Bay was in the book? He emailed me back and said that its a hidden gem that very few people know about. Its basically British Columbia of the East Coast. What can be seen? Here is a quote: "Invertebrate life is unlike anything else you will find on the East Coast. People who have been diving all their lives in New England come up here and can not believe they are still on the East Coast. While there is some of the same sea life you will find south everything is much bigger and more prevalent. Some refer to Passamaquoddy Bay as British Columbia of the East Coast and the two venues are quite similar in appearance." (Pg 107). He goes on to say that besides the famed Wolf Eels you will see Tealias that capture small fish in their tentacles. "East port is the Tealia capital of the Atlantic." After reading this book I also made a thread about dives in New Brunswick Canada. Folks on this board responded by saying that the best diving in that area is Passamoquoddy Bay. It is seems to be a fairly well known thing among Canadians across the border in New Brunswick that if they cross to the US side they will be diving in the best cold water location of the region. I guess most Americans do not know about it because there is no formal diving operation.

 

[Rich Keller]

There is a diveshop in Eastport and it does rent filled cylinders. My understanding is that there is no compressor/filling onsite.

So where is the closest shop? Where is he getting his tanks filled?

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

So where is the closest shop? Where is he getting his tanks filled?

The closest shop to my knowledge is Down East Diving. Downeast Diving, Scuba Diving Maine the Way Life Should Be. Come Dive with Us!

I would not rely on them because I emailed them and also attempted to contact them over their facebook page but never heard from them. They may not be in business any more. Even if they are I am treating them as non-existent because I do not wish to be in the middle of wilderness with my only hope for tank fills being a dive shop that gets back to you whenever they feel like!!! I would strongly recommend that people bring 6 - 8 filled tanks each. The tides will not allow more than 2 dives a day so that is 3 - 4 days of diving.

There are very limited hotel options. I looked into camping and the campground had a cottage for 4 people for 90 USD per night:
Cottage & RV Rates We have the option of erecting our own tents but it would cost the same.

Besides the above very little info exists either in print or over internet. This is what makes this an "expedition." I was hoping if a few of us could go there, dive, take pictures and map out a few sites, it may open this place up as a cold water destination similar to Puget Sound or BC etc. The very few people who have dove there have said that the place is definitely very promising.

 

[Rich Keller]

The closest place I can find so far to get a tank filled is in Machias, about a 45 mile drive from Eastport. This is a hydro inspection station not a dive shop. You would need to check with them first to confirm they can and will fill scuba tanks. If so places like this would be filling with air only, no nitrox. Are you planning on staying in Eastport?

RH Foster Energy, LLC dba Machias Energy Services 32 Old County Rd. Machias, ME

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

The closest place I can find so far to get a tank filled is in Machias, about a 45 mile drive from Eastport. This is a hydro inspection station not a dive shop. You would need to check with them first to confirm they can and will fill scuba tanks. If so places like this would be filling with air only, no nitrox. Are you planning on staying in Eastport?

RH Foster Energy, LLC dba Machias Energy Services 32 Old County Rd. Machias, ME

I will be coming from DC so yes I will be staying in Eastport area for three or four days and doing two dives / day. I think it would be easiest if I bring filled tanks with me. It would save me the hassle of driving all over the place on dive day to get them filled and coming back to catch the tide.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Just to add one thing, the book actually recommends that divers wanting to dive the Passamaquoddy Bay should bring lots of filled tanks because there is no reliable fill station for miles.

 

[Rich Keller]

Just to add one thing, the book actually recommends that divers wanting to dive the Passamaquoddy Bay should bring lots of filled tanks because there is no reliable fill station for miles.

That sounds like the right way to go given the circumstances there.