Local Diving


If you live on Long Island take advantage of the fact that you are surrouned by water. No, it's not the clear blue turqoise water you went diving in last winter while on vacation but it's also not the mud puddle that many believe it to be! There are plenty of quality dive sites on Long Island. Beginners can hone their skills on 15 to 40 foot dives in the Long Island Sound while more experienced divers can venture out to the shipwrecks that litter the South Shore.

When to go:
If you are planning to dive in the Sound there are a couple of things you should consider. First, unless you own a drysuit your dive season will probably be limited from May through October. Most divers will want a 7mm suit with hood, boots and gloves for the months of May and October when water temps are normally in the mid 50's or so. Once the water gets into the upper 60's many divers will switch to a lighter 5mm suit though you can still use a 7mm without a problem. The water is at it's warmest during July and August where it can range from the low to high 70's, on occasion it will even get into the low 80's! Visibility tends to be better when the water is colder but that does not mean you won't get good visibility during the summer months. Many things will effect visibility, wind, (in particular heavy North winds) long periods of heavy rain and tides can have a negative impact on the visibility. Luckily during the summer the wind usually blows South/Southwest. If it has rained continuously for a day or two then chances are most sites will be murked up, of course there are some exceptions to this. For local diving in the sound give us a call. Our dive boat goes out frequently during the summer months. No buddy? No problem, we'll find one for you.

The South Shore also has many good dive sites. There are inlets and bridges to dive that are accessible by shore. Some of these sites can be tricky as far as tides and currents are concerned so give us a call if you have questions about a particular site. There are also some great shipwrecks you can dive but you'll have to get on one of Long Island's dive charter boats to get to them.The depth of the wrecks vary from 60 to 130 feet and well beyond that for those who are trained to dive beyond recreational limits. If you've never done a deep wreck dive in local waters it is recommended that you either take a specialty course or buddy up with an experienced wreck diver who is willing to show you the ropes. Since most of the wreck diving is in water deeper than 60 feet it is a requirement on many boats that you are certified as an Advanced Open Water diver. Also you'll want a 7mm wetsuit or a drysuit because the water is cold once you get below 50 feet or so.

 



Smithtown Artificial Reef

map and Newsday article (PDF document)



Schedule of upcoming local dives

 

Local Photos by Dean McCormick


Smithtown Reef

Smithtown Reef

Mt. Sinai Jetty

Oldfiield Point

Oldfiield Point

Block Island Wreck Dive

Mt. Sinai Jetty

Block Island Wreck Dive

Block Island Wreck Dive

Gurneys Barge

Gurneys Barge

Gurneys Barge

Mt. Sinai Jetty

Smithtown Reef

Smithtown Reef

Smithtown Reef

Block Island Wreck Dive

Block Island Wreck Dive