Matinecock Artificial Reef

Matinecock Artificial Reef

0.5 nautical miles north of Peacock Point, 0.06 sq miles
Depth: 30 - 40 ft

side-scan sonar image of Matinecock Reef, click to enlarge

New York has a very successful 'flying barge' program
Type:
artificial reef, barges
Depth:
30 - 40 ft
Name Description Sunk GPS
46 ft steel Thursday
Aug 22, 2019
40°54.604'
-73°37.477'
40 ft steel Thursday
July 25, 2024
40°54.613'
-73°37.394'

rock reef
A hopper barge full of rock

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.


Almost all diving activities, whether in the tropics or in colder waters, will require some sort of exposure suit. For local conditions, this means either a full heavy wetsuit or a drysuit. For the tropics, there are thinner wetsuits and fabric skins, but these are never warm enough for use around here. Water temperatures in the north Atlantic vary from just above freezing at depth during the coldest part of the year to the mid-seventies at the surface during the warmest. Typically, you can expect high-fifties to low-sixties at depth even over the summer.