Depth: 16 - 25 ft 120 yards north of South Beach, between Kismet and National Seashore dock This reef is very close to land, it could even be a shore dive
Named for the nearby hamlet of Kismet on Fire Island. I didn't know that, anyway.
Reef site coordinates differ from NOAA Navigational Charts.
Not Shown:
1,000 tire units
This reef is very close to land, it could even be a shore diveside-scan sonar image of Kismet Reef, west end, click to enlargeside-scan sonar image of Kismet Reef, east end, click to enlarge
All manner of concrete, steel, and stone rubble from dredging, demolition projects, and other construction is used as artificial reef materials. This material is generally available at very low cost or free from construction companies who are more than happy to get rid of it. Transportation costs determine where this material is used by the Reef Program.
When light travels from a less-dense medium like air to a more-dense medium like water, the rays are refracted or bent towards the normal or perpendicular of the surface between the two mediums. In crude terms, light going from air to water will tend to be straightened, while light going from water to air will tend to be ... um ... crookeded. Confused yet? Take a look at the figure below.
( Tautogolabrus adspesus )
In this figure, you can see the light rays traveling from an object in the water to your eyes, neglecting the effect of the flat glass lens of your mask. The blue lines trace the actual path of the light rays through the water and into the air, or conversely, through the air into the water - the direction really doesn't matter. As you can see, the rays are bent toward the perpendicular of the surface on the water side, and away from it on the air side.