Hello from Criehaven Island, Maine

[Bent Benny]

Hello forum! I am a newly certified diver. I am a lobsterman and live on a remote island about 18 miles off the coast of Maine. We don't have running water, very limited electricity, and only about 30 total residents on the island in the summer.

I just got certified about 10 days ago but I have already logged 9 dives. I plan to keep this up through the summer/fall as my work schedule allows. Being on the island makes it easy to just hop in my boat and go dive for an hour or so. The shack I live in is built on a dock that extends into Criehaven harbor so I have even just walked out my front door and down the dock to get a dive in.

So far I have mostly been spearing flounder with a pole spear in shallow water and trying to find scallops in deeper water (50ft-75ft). I've gotten plenty of flounder but the scallops have been harder to find.

I have been having a hard time diving more than 1 tank per dive. The water has been about 52F on the surface and in the 44F range at depth. I have a Henderson fire fleece 2 piece 7mm wetsuit that keeps me warm for the first tank, but by the second tank the cold starts to get to me. So I just got a drysuit. The shop needs to put some different boots on the suit but it should be ready for me in a few days. I'm really excited to be able to stay a little warmer down there which will increase my dive time and reduce my ait consumption.

Anyway I could go on and on. I look forward to getting to know everyone.

 

[Snoweman]

I grew up in Maine. Never heard of Criehaven Island. I have heard of Ragged Island, though.

 

[Wookie]

I grew up in Maine. Never heard of Criehaven Island. I have heard of Ragged Island, though.

Same place.

Criehaven was the name of the plantation from the original land grant, much like Langtown Plantation between Rangely and Stratton. Criehaven Plantation gave up it's organization in the 20's and reverted to an unorganized township.

Some of the earlier charts list it as Ragged Arse Island, but that's rude.

 

[Snoweman]

Same place.

Criehaven was the name of the plantation from the original land grant, much like Langtown Plantation between Rangely and Stratton. Criehaven Plantation gave up it's organization in the 20's and reverted to an unorganized township.

Some of the earlier charts list it as Ragged Arse Island, but that's rude.

Yeah..., I had to look it up. That's how I knew about Ragged Island (but not Ragged Arse Island). I assume the OP is diving alone. Not something I would do. But I wouldn't dive in those chilly arse waters in Maine, either.

 

[Wookie]

Yeah..., I had to look it up. That's how I knew about Ragged Island (but not Ragged Arse Island). I assume the OP is diving alone. Not something I would do. But I wouldn't dive in those chilly arse waters in Maine, either.

Been there, done that. I was Aqua Diving Academy's first PADI instructor. That lasted a month or so.

 

[iamrushman]

howdy and welcome from southeast florida....enjoy your dry-suit.