Hearthstone Point navigation

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Scuba-74

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Location
Longmeadow, Massachusetts
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Hi, I was curious if anyone could provide a more or less specific advise for navigating Hearthstone Point shore dive at Lake George? Maybe some compass headings and distances relative to a specific entry point? I've never been there, and thinking about diving it with my kids some time this fall.

From reading some threads and watching some videos I know that there is a plane, a boat, and a car on the bottom to be seen, and one video featured some sort of a large wooden cage, but none of the sources provide enough info on how to find all of them with certainty.

This 11-year old dive report mentions a yellow line that can be followed in the northerly direction in order to find a plane. Is that line still there? Does it run parallel to shore for the whole length of the beach, or do we have to enter at a specific point to find it? Also, the report advises to go north to find the plane, then "south-ish" to find the rest of the stuff. I'm assuming the author means more of SSE direction, not reversing the course 180 degrees? How far are the objects from each other, so we can have an idea if we miss them?

As usual, thanks in advance folks!
 
OK - first, Hearthstone closes next weekend. Next weekend is a huge car rally (not sure if it's in Hearthstone or just nearby), huge crowds. So unless you're going during this week you better plan for spring.

Don't have compass directions but if you dive from the right of the swimming area and go straight out you will come across a small wall leading down. Along that wall you will first come to a station wagon then a small boat. Both above 60'.

Just beyond and along the outer edge of the swim area is a OW checkout area. Toward the left side of the swimming area (viewed from shore) you will find a rope that's about 100' long (used to count kicks in 100'). Go straight away from the rope line once you reach the end (going away from the checkout area) and you should run into the small plane. It has no wings or tail, just the body. Plane is to the left of the swim area (looking from shore) and can also be found diving from the picnic area (enter at the far right of the picnic area and swim right at about a 30' depth).

Never heard of or seen a wooden cage. Was the video old or recent? Link?

I'm diving there this Tuesday to empty some tanks so I can get a Viz. Might dive on Thursday too, but the weather looks iffy. Be advised that the visibility is almost always pretty bad, and never very good.
 
OK - first, Hearthstone closes next weekend. Next weekend is a huge car rally (not sure if it's in Hearthstone or just nearby), huge crowds. So unless you're going during this week you better plan for spring.

Thank you for the reply, Kharon. I'm planning a day trip, so my understanding is I would be able to access the beach even after the campground closes for the season. I definitely want to avoid the crowds. Diving and crowds of any kind, above or below the water, don't mix and match for me :)

Don't have compass directions but if you dive from the right of the swimming area and go straight out you will come across a small wall leading down. Along that wall you will first come to a station wagon then a small boat. Both above 60'.

Just beyond and along the outer edge of the swim area is a OW checkout area. Toward the left side of the swimming area (viewed from shore) you will find a rope that's about 100' long (used to count kicks in 100'). Go straight away from the rope line once you reach the end (going away from the checkout area) and you should run into the small plane. It has no wings or tail, just the body. Plane is to the left of the swim area (looking from shore) and can also be found diving from the picnic area (enter at the far right of the picnic area and swim right at about a 30' depth).

So it sounds like the plane is to the left of the swim area, and car and boat are to the right? If we were to see all three in one dive, would you recommend starting on the left or on the right?

Never heard of or seen a wooden cage. Was the video old or recent? Link?

The structure I called a cage is in this video, starting at 4:55. Looking at it again, I don't think it's an actual cage, but I'm not sure what it is:

 
If you descend at the middle buoy, you will be near the southern end of the rope line. Toward the northern end is a buoyancy course, and another line that leads to the plane. I generally descend on the right side of the swim area (near the buoy closest to shore) , follow the ledge/wall to the car (as mentioned, visibility is often poor; and the car can be missed, even when you know where it is), then proceed to the boat (again, not knowing the layout, this is easy to miss. If you pass to the right of a large rock, come around it to the left). From the boat, head west, and you'll intersect the first line. (I have been going from boat directly to the plane, lately; but probably best to utilize the line at first.
As far as access after the campground is closed - I don't know. I do know that the dive schools use it after that; but <shrug>

@Kharon - unfortunately, I can't head up there this week (I was going to go today; but got lazy). Maybe we can get together for a dive next season...or, I'm willing to explore other local options, if there are spots you like.
 
Good to know. I thought that once they closed they shut the gate and you couldn't get in. If not, I'll be able to dive right up until the NYSDA End-It-All weekend. It will also make diving the right side of the swim area much easier. When there are people swimming they rather you go somewhat out of sight to the right so you aren't obvious to the swimmers. Once they are gone you can gear up at the pagoda and take the steps to the beach and enter to the right of the ropes. With swimmers there it's a slog down through muddy, swampy grass.

I don't know what that wooden thing is. I've never seen it. I'm diving there tomorrow. If I find it I'll try to pinpoint it's location. I can also get accurate depths of the objects if I run into them.

If I wanted to see the car, boat, and plane on a single dive I think I'd do it from the right of the swim area. You could also enter there and exit at the picnic area. It's not a long distance and you could easily drop your gear at the picnic area and walk back to your car. You'ld never lose sight of your gear. Probably 100 yards at most.
 
...or, I'm willing to explore other local options, if there are spots you like.

I'm still looking for a place that's worth diving from shore around here. I don't really consider Hearthstone more than a place to checkout new gear (which I'll be doing tomorrow) and a place to practice and keep skills fresh (which I will also be doing tomorrow).

Lake George has some places where the water is fairly clear and the bottom structure is interesting - but only accessable from a boat. I've yet to find a place worth shore diving for dives sake anywhere near here. A place I'd like to try is Shelving Rock but it's a fair distance down the hill through woods from the parking area. I finally located a wide path down where I might be able to put my gear on a hand truck and walk it down. Hoping to try that this fall before the season ends.
 
The lifeguards at Hearthstone don't generally mind if you enter at the swim area, then move outside to either direction. I've actually had them suggest that I do that, due to the slippery rocks on the right.
 
The lifeguards don't generally mind if you enter at the swim area, then move outside to either direction. I've actually had them suggest that I do that, due to the slippery rocks on the right.

Depends. We were told at a club meeting that the ranger asked us not to do that and instead enter more or less out of sight - non-compliance might result in diving being restricted to dive operators doing classes. Not wanting to PO the ranger we've been doing as asked.
 
Gotcha. I had been told that they didn't want us entering via the swim area; so I was using the picnic area, or coming down to the right side of the beach from the pagoda. As I was walking down one day, a lifeguard called me over & recommended that I enter at the swim area because the rocks are slippery; and said they didn't mind us coming in there as long as it was just for access & we moved to either side.
Thanks for the info
 
hhmoore and Kharon, thanks a lot for the input. When (and if) we make it there with my kids, I'll follow the plan to enter on the right of the swim area, and try to find the car and the boat first. We will most likely dive HP 100s, so we should have ample time to see all three unless we go completely off the course.

I'm not 100% sure that the site is accessible after the campground closes. I only assume that because a) the dive report I referenced in my first post was dated mid-October; b) state parks here in Mass are still accessible way after the end of the season (I realize NY may have different rules etc.). If my assumption is off base, I hope someone will correct me here.

I don't really consider Hearthstone more than a place to checkout new gear (which I'll be doing tomorrow) and a place to practice and keep skills fresh (which I will also be doing tomorrow).

I realize that it's not the dive of a lifetime opportunity, but it's better than what we have around where we live. It's about 2h15m from us, if you go the same distance in the other direction you hit Cape Ann with all the lobstahs, but I feel like I've done that too many times already this summer. This should be a nice change of scenery and the opportunity for my kids to practice their skills.
 

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