Red Diving HoodNovember 2016

by Bert Perry @Aerial51

Salt Island is a really cool dive but because of the parking issue we can only dive off-season. But during off season, when the hotels on the beach are closed, it is pretty easy dive. You can just park at the entryway to the beach and walk all the way to the island, if it is low-tide, and just decide which side you want to conquer and do it!

I think I only dove this site twice before, both on the right side of the island. We used to follow the reef/sand border which gets down to 40-something feet. It is a beautiful dive, with lots of rocks and crevices to investigate with pretty New England flora.

For a change this time we decided to conquer the left side of the island. The visibility was surprisingly good, reaching 20ft at times. The left side of the mountain is shallower and the reefs extend further out to the sand. Just like the other side, beautiful site, especially on a good viz day, with lots of rocks to swim around.

We reached up to 20ft of depth before we turned around. We came across one red searaven (with a messed up nose) and two pretty shorthorn sculpins, all I had to harass for some photos. >_< At some point a school of pollocks swim passed us.

Overall it was a great dive at Salt Island. One day need to make a full tour of it 🙂

Buddies: Bert, Dan, Jason

50 F, 21 ft, 76 min, 10-20 ft viz.

I knew it was too ambitious to go to Bass Rocks for the last dive of October. October is always a wash out. The winds come with October and they sort of calm down in November. November comes with more possibilities of good diving, last opportunity to say “bye” to most fishes until next spring.

We did suit up for Bass Rocks but once we ended at the ocean landing we saw that the entrance and exit was quite rough. So, quick discussion and change of plans we decided to go to Stage Fort Park. I wasn’t necessarily excited about that dive but it has been too long since I got wet, so I would take anything so we headed there. It was probably fun for the people on the streets to see a fully geared up diver driving the car 🙂

We didn’t dive the regular spot but Half moon Cove, down the pavilion. It is a small sandy cove/beach. The entrance is quite easy, walk down the paved ramp and enter the water. Under the water it is mostly sand and grass. Mike and Geoff in our group followed ~120 degree out and reached approximately 30ft waters “with big rocks where things can hide under”. It turns out that they had the most exciting dive with a big searaven sighting. Rest of us mostly saw hermit crabs, grubbies, a single pipefish. It is a quite boring dive when you get excited for a small cunner swimming around. 🙂

Buddies: Bert, Dan, Mike, Geoff.

52F, 20ft, 60 min, ~10ft viz