New Jersey Scuba Diving

Sea Girt Artificial Reef

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3.6 Nautical Miles off Sea Girt
Depth: 60-75 ft

Sea Girt Artificial Reef

The Sea Girt reef is located atop an underwater ridge known as the "Klondike". This is an area of clean sandy bottom and usually has relatively good visibility. Fish life abounds on all sites in this reef, although lobstering is slim. There are many more Army tanks than shown here, as well as quite a bit of concrete rubble scattered throughout the reef. The Sea Girt Reef is one of the oldest artificial reef sites in New Jersey. Reef-building activities at this site date back to 1937. Minimum clearance at mean low water is 50 feet.

Horseshoe Wrecks

Horseshoe Wrecks reef — The barge-load of wreckage that will become the "Horseshoe Wrecks." the wreckage was pushed off three sides of the barge, hence the horseshoe pattern.

Type:: artificial reef, barges, tugboat
Specs:: ( huge junk pile )
Sunk:: Sunday December 23, 2012 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°08.203' -73°55.779'
Depth:: 80 ft

More: Horseshoe Wrecks ...

Ocean Wreck Divers IV "The Bow"

Ocean Wreck Divers IV reef — Please support the Artificial Reef Program so that they can sink the rest of this ship !

Type:: artificial reef, tanker ( front half only )
Specs:: ( 85 x 30 ft )
Sponsor:: Ocean Wreck Divers
Sunk:: Friday August 7, 1998 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°07.750' -73°56.345'
Depth:: 70 ft

More: Ocean Wreck Divers IV "The Bow" ...

Tanks / Clifford Lipke Reef

army tanks reef — An M-113 APC is pushed overboard to build a reef.

Type:: various types of Army tanks and other vehicles, 15 in all
Sponsor:: Friends of Clifford Lipke, NJ National Guard
Dedication:: Clifford Lipke
Sunk:: 1998 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°07.608' -73°56.650'

More: Tanks / Clifford Lipke Reef ...

Matt Turecamo / GA Venturo DPC-14

Matt Turecamo reef — Yes, that is wood grain

Type:: artificial reef, tugboat, U.S. Navy
Built:: 1943, Neponset, MA as DPC-14, later Matt Turecamo
Specs:: ( 86 ft ) 146 gross tons
Sponsor:: Sean Maubray, FCO
Dedication:: Captain Greg A Venturo
Sunk:: Thursday October 17, 1996 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°07.514' -73°56.465'
Depth:: 80 ft, main deck at 65 ft

More: Matt Turecamo / GA Venturo DPC-14 ...

Lewis F Boyer - Travis

Lewis F. Boyer reef — At launching, with namesake (inset)

Type:: artificial reef, tugboat
Built:: 1922, Tampa FL, as Lorraine D
Name:: named ( now ) for Travis Nagiewicz, Capt. Steve's son.
Specs:: ( 95 x 20 ft ) 125 gross tons
Sponsor:: Captains Steve Nagiewicz & Dan Crowell
Dedication:: Travis Nagiewicz
Sunk:: Wednesday October 31, 2001 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°08.179' -73°55.824'
Depth:: 75 ft

More: Lewis F Boyer - Travis ...

Rockland County

Rockland County reef

Type:: artificial reef, tugboat
Built:: 1960, Wilmington DE USA
Specs:: ( 105 x 24 ft )
Sponsor:: Spentonbush Red Star Company
Sunk:: Friday February 14, 1986 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°07.942' -73°55.879'
Depth:: 80 ft

More: Rockland County ...

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Snorkel

no snorkel

Here is an item that is useful in the tropics, but much less so around here. This is because the water here is not nearly as crystal clear as in the tropics, and the depths are often greater. Therefore it is unlikely you will be able to see anything interesting below from the surface.

On a boat dive, a snorkel is totally useless - leave it home. Chances are, the captain and crew will tell you to take it off anyway. The same is generally true for inlet diving where the entry is steep. A snorkel is just one extra thing to get tangled up, and you will probably have enough of that already. A snorkel might be useful in a surface swim from the beach out to a close-in dive site, if it is a good one with purge valve or a dry valve to keep the water out entirely. Even then, you are better off doing a backstroke out to the site, with your head out of the water so you can navigate by landmarks, or an underwater swim if the currents are favorable.

More: Snorkel ...