SCUBA in Boston Harbor

[thebomer]

I am dreaming of the day when I have some extra cash and thinking about getting SCUBA certified. Anyone have experience in Boston Harbor and is it worth it for this area? How long is the process and when would/should I start if I am thinking about being ready for the boating season?

 

[carbineone]

Re: SCUBA in Boston Harbor

I do not know anything about diving in your area but I live in Nebraska and its a divers paradise.Kidding its not a divers paradise but I am sure you would have better than my prospects.I just do local lake diving and some are good for 30 to 40 foot visibility in small pits..Its a very fun sport even in Nebraska her so I am sure you would enjoy it.

 

[tlynch99]

Re: SCUBA in Boston Harbor

I am SCUBA certified, and actually did my checkout dives in Marblehead, it was in the late summer, and you really couldn't see anything. It was very cold, and it was something I probably wouldn't do again (Diving in mass, if I didn't have to). Diving in the Caribbean / florida on the other hand is awesome, and I am very glad I got certified so I can enjoy diving while on vacations.

What are you looking to do in boston harbor? I know some people dive and catch lobsters, I think you still need some sort of permit, I think there are also some wrecks people look at.

But you have to wear a thick wetsuit and a lot of lead weight to overcome the buoyancy of the wetsuit.

 

[carbineone]

Re: SCUBA in Boston Harbor

Bomer I guess you asked about the training time too,When I did PADI certification in the early 90s I went for two weekends.The first was a Friday night and Saturday and Sunday.This was classroom training.The next weekend was the same and that was the open water diving and pool training,cannot remember clearly what we did on what days but it was a two weekend process.I think now you can do some of the training online but that was not a option when I got certified.I only went as far as open water diver.The basic course and that time it was around 250.00 for the certification but who knows what it costs now.I bought all my dive stuff used from the shop I got my training at and that all cost me 450.00 at that time.Alot of people go out and buy 2500.00 worh of new stuff right off and that I say is a mistake.Theres alot of used equipment out there on Ebay and Craigslist for really reasonable pricing.But if moneys no object go ahead and buy all new too I guess...Bruce

 

[Expidia]

Re: SCUBA in Boston Harbor

40 years ago I used to recreational dive in Boston Harbor for lobsters. Back then the visibility was about 6 inches to 1 foot. We would sometimes do night dives too and that was even scarier. I doubt if Boston Harbor has better visibility today.

I've scuba'd in Marblehead area too. Not much to see and very low visibility, but we were going for lobsters.

The thing to do is get certified where you live and then take a diving trip package to Penny Camp in the Fl Keys. That was like diving in an aquarium with about 1 mile visibility.
It's an underwater protected park and one of the few places to dive on a Coral reef in the U.S.

I've heard places like Cancun have 2 mile visibility, but I've never been there myself.

 

[thebomer]

Re: SCUBA in Boston Harbor

Yeah, I'd only do it for lobster diving. Having bought the boat, I can't really afford diving vacations...