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 varied geography in the region means that you're spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing what type of diving you want to do. Whether you're into wreck diving, cave diving, diving at high altitudes, night diving, diving for oysters or lobster or even ice diving, you'll find it here. The only real limit is how skilled you are.
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.
New England has around 2,500 lakes and ponds. Many of these make for great freshwater diving. Vermont's Lake Champlain, for instance, is a popular destination for diving wrecks as old as 200 years. You'll also find several quarries to explore underwater.
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.
In terms of equipment, you'll need the usual safety gear for scuba diving. You'll also need a wetsuit in summer or a drysuit in winter, since the water is cold even when the weather is warm. Another thing to keep in mind is that visibility isn't great and a dive light will come in very handy.
If you're interested in New England scuba diving, first do some online research. There is such a variety of options that you may want to get some advice from fellow divers on what is best for your level of skill. The area has many dive clubs and shops that can help you.
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 varied geography in the region means that you're spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing what type of diving you want to do. Whether you're into wreck diving, cave diving, diving at high altitudes, night diving, diving for oysters or lobster or even ice diving, you'll find it here. The only real limit is how skilled you are.
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.
New England has around 2,500 lakes and ponds. Many of these make for great freshwater diving. Vermont's Lake Champlain, for instance, is a popular destination for diving wrecks as old as 200 years. You'll also find several quarries to explore underwater.
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.
In terms of equipment, you'll need the usual safety gear for scuba diving. You'll also need a wetsuit in summer or a drysuit in winter, since the water is cold even when the weather is warm. Another thing to keep in mind is that visibility isn't great and a dive light will come in very handy.
If you're interested in New England scuba diving, first do some online research. There is such a variety of options that you may want to get some advice from fellow divers on what is best for your level of skill. The area has many dive clubs and shops that can help you.
