Consider New England Scuba Diving For An Experience With A Difference

By Ladonna Chambers


When most people think of great diving destinations, they think of places like Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the islands of French Polynesia or the Caribbean, where the warm water makes for an abundance of colorful marine life. However, anyone who has dived at a destination like the Antarctic Peninsula or off the coast of Cape Town will tell you that cold-water diving has its own special charm. If you want to have a thrilling new experience without having to fly halfway around the globe, though, you can't go wrong with New England scuba diving.

New England isn't only a destination to visit for its fall foliage or maple syrup. Its seashore, may islands and abundance of inland lakes offer plenty of dive sites for the adventurous. Even Vermont, which is landlocked, is a popular destination for scuba divers in the know.

The great thing about diving in the north-eastern part of the United States is that there are so many different types of diving you can do. There are caves and wrecks to explore and you can also try and get some lobster for the pot. In winter there is ice diving for the more adventurous and if you want to try diving at higher altitudes, you'll find plenty of mountain lakes to suit your needs.

If you're interested in saltwater diving, be sure to head for Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island or Connecticut. New Hampshire has a small stretch of Atlantic coastline too. In these waters, chances are good that curious seals will try to come closer and you might also see sharks or whales. There are about 150 shipwrecks to explore, among them the World War 2-era Coimbra off Connecticut and the German submarine U-853 off Rhode Island.

Heading inland, you'll find quarries, ponds and lakes to explore. There are in fact more than 2,500 of these bodies of water in the north-eastern part of the United States. Many freshwater diving enthusiasts head for Lake Champlain in Vermont, where the lake floor is strewn with historic wrecks.

Another option is to go aquarium diving. The New England Aquarium has a large and very active dive club. If this sounds too tame for you and you want to get out there during winter, you may want to try ice diving. This is challenging but there is a very special thrill to watching your air bubbles float up to the thick frozen ceiling above you.

The diving equipment you'll need depends on the type of diving you're planning on doing. However, you'll definitely need a wetsuit with a thickness of at least 5 mm because even during summer the water is cold. During winter, a wetsuit won't be enough. You'll be better off wearing a drysuit over some insulating underwear. You'll also need standard safety equipment and because of the generally murky conditions, a dive light is a good idea too.

If you want to dive in the region, it's a good idea to search diving websites and online forums first to find out what your options are. New England scuba shops and clubs are located near most of the main dive sites and will be happy to help you with tips and advice. They may even arrange trips for you so all you need to do is bring your camera.




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