Spot to Launch a Dive Kayak on Cape Ann?

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RecklessAmateur

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Messages
56
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Location
Philadelphia, PA USA
# of dives
500 - 999
I've been diving the shore dives on Cape Ann for a few years, and love 'em but not the entries and exits. I have done some kayak diving and would love to tackle some Cape Ann sites (Cathedral Rocks? Folly Cove?) but not sure where I could launch a kayak. Any ideas? David
 
Lane's Cove has a boat ramp off to the left. Old Garden Beach and Back Beach would also be fairly easy to get into the water. I'd only attempt to bring a kayak to Cathedral if I had a death wish.
 
There is also the Granite Pier (I think that's the name) boat ramp in Rockport. It's just up the street from Back Beach


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Thanks gang. Not a problem diving from a kayak at Cathedral Rocks, right, you just don't want to LAUNCH a kayak there?

Yep. It's a very nice dive that can get deep for Cape Ann pretty quickly. Just has an ugly cliff to hike scuba gear down, much less a kayak.
 
Thanks gang. Not a problem diving from a kayak at Cathedral Rocks, right, you just don't want to LAUNCH a kayak there?

Don't know about launching a kayak but just normally getting in and out can be a problem. It has a history of difficult entry/exit esp if you are not experienced with the area. What looks calm and easy can turn pretty quickly (while you're out diving) into a difficult scenario.

My buddy and I carried our tanks down because it looked so good from the road... I got down there and the surge with the incoming tide, full moon, and winds made us rethink the dive. We decided not to dive it that day. It would have been an easy entry but I was not 100% sure it would be calm coming back out an hr later.

The dive part of CR is great though. Just be extra careful if you dive there.
 
I've only dove it once and did two dives. 1 hour before high tide had quite a bit of surge, but it isn't a bad entry because you can walk pretty far out on the flat rocks to the right of the entry spots. Be careful with footing as it can be slippery, but not slippery at all like Lane's cove. The surge can be quite difficult on the exit - I got thrown around like a rag doll at first since I was not sure of the best way to get out. Once you decide to swim in, make sure you commit all the way. When you get to the rocks, just brace both arms on different rocks to steady from the surge and it wasn't unmanageable at all. Would have been much easier had I known what I now know!

The current worked out pretty well since it saves a lot of finning going out/in depending on the direction.
 
The CR entry and exit are what convinces me to try diving from a kayak launched from somewhere nearby. Avoids all the slippedity dippity. Tanks, David
 

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