Getting back into water; any advice on Martha's Vineyard?

[mello-yellow]

I will be spending the weekend of April 25-27 on Martha's Vineyard, and plan to get back into water for the first time (not counting a pool session) since October. We'll be staying at Harborview Hotel on the eastern side of the island; does any of you know of any dive sites nearby?


High tide will be at noon on Saturday and 1 pm on Sunday.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Are there any dive shops on the Vineyard?

 

[mello-yellow]

There is one; it will be closed that weekend. I spoke to the owner and he suggested diving in Oak Bluffs Harbor; said I would need to call harbormaster for permission.

 

[Mr.X]

I haven't tried Martha's per se - but it didn't seem too different than Nantucket. I have paddled the shallow areas around Nantucket. And that's all there was to do unless there was a charter at port leaving for the Andrea Doria, or other major deep wrecks during the summer. The eel grass beds, harbor areas might be enough to quench the thirst for diving, but when I was around the islands or Woods Hole we typically got a charter from P Town and did some shallow wrecks to catch lobstah's.

Perhaps you might get lucky enough and see a bit of the early migration of Horseshoe crab???

Best - X

 

[Mr.X]

Did you manage to get some underwater time at Martha's?

X

 

[mello-yellow]

No, the weather was atrocious and decided to pass.

 

[agilis]

A long, long, time ago, before Chappaquiddick, I used to spend a few weeks on the Vinyard every summer, staying mid-island on the Webb farm. I had some rudimentary scuba equipment, and got my tanks filled to 1800 psi at a hardware store in Edgartown. I dived Vinyard Haven a few times: lots of rock piles, old bottles, unidentifiable wreckage, lobsters everywhere, huge tautog. My favorite dives, and the clearest water, was in the Menemsha inlet area. Just beautiful. Amazing fish life.

Life was sweeter than a berry.

This was back when God was a boy, so I'm sure a great deal has changed.

 

[Mr.X]

There is nothing better than a Cape Cod summer, and especially on the islands. Thankfully, on Nantucket (and I imagine Martha's) they still remain idyllic. I think Thomas Hart Benton sums it up nicely with his paintings.

Cheers

X

 

[mdlark]

Ha Ha that time of year ? Good luck finding him ! Traffic is almost non-existant. School isn't out yet.

---------- Post added May 8th, 2014 at 11:20 PM ----------

Agilis hits it on the head. The best diving there is not deep either.
Contact me next year. we can dive the Port Hunter. Worth the doing.
It is about half way across to Falmouth.
Any time of year would be fine with me if I had company. Alone, I spearfish it for Tautog once in a while in summer.
Live in Falmouth have a small boat, ready to go year round. I'd have to go to the Vineyard to pick you up
as the swim would be about three miles for you to meet up. Hard on you in such temperatures.
So you buy the beer after. Perhaps Agilis would like to join us but perhaps he knows better!
The dive is dependent upon the tide and is a lot nicer when it isn't blowing a gale. Winter just doesn't want to let go and every time it isn't frigid it is blowing 30 mph.
Great for the restaurants and bars !
A tentative plan and window is needed, that's why the Port Hunter isn't dived more. Most locals are predators so the winter is not so great but for a tourist it is a sight to see
and I get bored in the house.

---------- Post added May 8th, 2014 at 11:25 PM ----------

The bicycling is awesome on both islands. The ferry to MV is bike friendly and....just do it.

 

[mello-yellow]

I doubt I will go to Martha's Vineyard in summer, but boat dive out of Falmouth sounds lovely! I plan to be on Cape Cod the weekend of June 6-8 -- would you like to get together?