New Jersey Scuba Diving

Shrewsbury Rocks

Shrewsbury / Elberon Rocks

The Shrewsbury Rocks are a wide area of rocky bottom that stretches from fourteen feet of water out to the fifty-foot mark off of Monmouth Beach. Some of the formations are twenty feet tall or more and can be very pretty under good conditions, which are unfortunately seldom this far north. The stone itself is a type of sandstone known as Greensand.

Further south are the Elberon Rocks ( or Grounds. ) This is a wide expanse of somewhat lower rocks and rough bottom. Much lower outcroppings occur even further south, such as the Klondike Rocks.

from AWOIS: 1538

FE331SS/89 -- OPR-C147-HE-89; CONTACT #12 FROM ABOVE SURVEY; DIVERS FOUND A LARGE ROCK THAT WAS COVERED WITH CORAL AND OTHER SEA LIFE, AND HUNDREDS OF LEAD FISHING WEIGHTS; SURROUNDING BOTTOM WAS SAND; ROCK HAS A VERY STEEP NORTH FACE AND, AT THAT POINT, RISES ABOUT 8 FT OFF THE BOTTOM; PNEUMATIC DEPTH GAUGE LEAST DEPTH OF 46 FT. (UPDATED MSD 7/91)

Shrewsbury / Elberon Rocks
Looks almost like a Caribbean reef. Almost ...
Shrewsbury / Elberon Rocks
Shrewsbury / Elberon Rocks
Colorful sponges, coral, hydroids, and anemones
Shrewsbury / Elberon Rocks
Shrewsbury / Elberon Rocks
A section of sandstone sawn-through by the boat's anchor chain
Shrewsbury / Elberon Rocks
Ledges and crevices
Shrewsbury / Elberon Rocks
Shrewsbury / Elberon Rocks
A rocky pinnacle

George Washington is reported to have fished the Shrewsbury Rocks, and on any nice day you can easily make out the location of the rocks from high on Twin Lights by the concentration of boats there. The Shrewsbury Rocks are tall enough in places to merit not just one but two navigation buoys.

Images courtesy of
Donna L. Blaszcak
uwimages@earthlink.net
Nature Photographer

Shrewsbury Rocks at lower-left in this NOAA side-scan imagery
Close-up, with Twin Lights at upper-left

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The Buddy System ?

Here are a series of excellent articles regarding the buddy system, reproduced from their original sources before they "wink out", as so much good web content does. With regard to the Buddy System that is so entrenched in dive training, these articles are all negative. I feel no need to present counter-balancing positive arguments since you can get that from any dive instructor with any of the major certifying organizations.

When you first get certified, you will have had the buddy system drilled into you. At this point, you still have basically no idea what you are doing, so just do it that way. A lot of what is in the basic open-water certification is silly and even unnecessary, but it won't get you killed.

As a newly-certified diver, you are a danger to yourself and everyone around you. Be glad that any operator will take you out, and don't rock the boat. If they want you to dive with a buddy, dive with a buddy. As crew, I've spent numerous dives paired up with newbies to make sure they have a good time and get back to the boat OK. Shallow-water shore diving can get very tricky, and things can go very wrong, and if you are not experienced, having a buddy can be a lifesaver.

More: The Buddy System ? ...

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I make no claim as to the accuracy, validity, or appropriateness of any information found in this website. I will not be responsible for the consequences of any action that is based upon information found here. Scuba diving is an adventure sport, and as always, you alone are responsible for your own safety and well being.

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