Dive Sites (35/45)

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Sea Girt Inlet is reduced to an outflow pipe. The water it releases is often so contaminated with goose droppings that it causes beach closings for miles around.




Type:
shipwreck, sailing ship
Depth:
85 ft

A large wooden sailing ship, more intact than most. The hull is almost complete, 8-10 feet high, with a Navy-style stockless anchor in one side of the bow, and bowsprit lying in the sand below. The bowsprit indicates that this was a true sailing ship and not a schooner barge. I saw no sign of towing bits, bow, or stern. The stern is broken down.


Type:
shipwreck, barge
Specs:
( 250 ft ? )
Depth:
85 ft
compass

A very large intact steel deck barge, lying upright, north-south. The southern end is partially collapsed and opened up, allowing easy access to at least part of the inside. Rust holes in the deck let light in throughout the rest of the interior, although they are too small to fit through. A great spearfishing site, and not bad for lobsters. The crane lies about 1/4 mile away.



Type:
shipwreck
Depth:
95 ft

The "Seawolf", as she is called, is a large steel-hulled wreck that faces in an easterly direction. Her bow rises 14 ft or so off the bottom. Most of the wreck comes off the bottom only a few feet. She has a large fishing net draped over her midships.


Shipwreck Sebastian
Type:
shipwreck, tanker, England
Built:
1914, England
Specs:
( 310 ft ) 3110 tons, 36 crew
Sunk:
Thursday May 10, 1917
fire - 1 casualty
Depth:
270 ft

Shark River - Looking back from the end of the south jetty
Looking back from the end of the south jetty.
Type:
smallish tidal river inlet with stone jetties or bulkheads on both sides
Depth:
15 ft

The Shark River is your best bet for shore diving in the northern half of the New Jersey coastline, far better than the Manasquan River. Shark River offers at least four different locations to dive: either side of the inlet, with rock jetties to explore, slightly upstream at A Street in Belmar, and upriver in the back bay area at L Street, Belmar. The wreck of the Malta is also just a few blocks south on the beach, but hardly worth diving.


Shark River - A Street
View of the up-river area, looking southeast. Either side is diveable upstream to the first road. The entry location is just to the right of the apartments.

Yet another place to dive the Shark River is on the south side, near the intersection of 1st Avenue and A Street, behind the apartments. There is limited but very convenient free parking. A small cement stairway leads down to a concrete ledge above the water. Climb down between the big rock and the bulkhead, where you will find more steps underwater. ( Whoever B.M and M.M. are - thank you! )



Type:
shipwreck, sailing ship, Italy
Specs:
566 tons
Sunk:
March 4, 1881; ran aground in storm - 1 survivor
Depth:
25 ft

Also known as the Italian Wreck, the Ajace was sunk at 4:00 AM on March 4, 1881. At the time, she was carrying a small cargo of scrap railroad iron and 2,040 empty petroleum barrels. While bound for New York from Belgium, the Ajace was caught in one of the worst storms of the year and ran aground off Rockaway beach. Many sources report that Captain F. Morice, seeing that all hope was lost, opened his private supply of brandy and shared it with his crew. Soon after, the crew became badly beaten from the pounding of the waves and drunk from the brandy.

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