Thursday, June 6, 2013

Consider New England Scuba Diving For An Experience With A Difference

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 is famed for its spectacular fall scenery. However, if you want to head for the water, the area also has an abundance of dive sites. The rugged coastline and many islands off Maine, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut are home to a large variety of marine life. You can also head inland and dive in the lakes here, so even landlocked Vermont is a great scuba diving destination.

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.

The states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut border on the Atlantic coast. This means that they are the places to go to if you're looking for saltwater dive sites. Wreck diving is a favorite pastime here, with everything from fishing boats to warships lying at the bottom of the ocean. If you've always thought that submarines can't sink, be sure to visit Rhode Island and explore the wreck of U-853, a German U-boat sunk during World War 2. Marine life in these waters includes shoals of fish as well as sharks, whales and seals.

The inland parts has plenty of dive sites too. With about 2,500 lakes and smaller ponds and several quarries, you can take your pick of freshwater dive sites. One spot that you shouldn't miss out on is Lake Champlain in Vermont. Here, centuries of boat traffic across the lake has meant that there are age-old wrecks to explore.

You don't have to wait for summer to go diving. Ice diving may not be for the faint-hearted, but it's a thrill like nothing you'll ever experience underwater. If this sounds too extreme for you, contact the diving club at the New England Aquarium for aquarium dives.

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're planning on doing some diving in the area, first do some research on the best dive sites for you. There are several New England scuba clubs and dive shops that you can contact for advice. Then make sure that your camera works well under water.




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