New Jersey Dive Sites (25/30)

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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.



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! )


Shark River Bay Aerial
The new steps are just off the top edge of the photo, past the tennis courts.
Type:
inland tidal bay
Depth:
20 ft max, 15 ft in most places

This dive site, formerly known as 'L Street' has changed completely, and for the better. The town of Belmar has done something really nice for us divers and installed wide wooden steps down the bulkhead in Maclearie Park. This more than makes up for the loss of the boat ramp area, which is off-limits to all swimmers since it was rebuilt. I suppose the little cove by the ramp is still accessible from the beach, but the new site is much better, and far from all the dangerous boat traffic around the ramp and marina.


Shark River Aerial
Low tide, winter. Beach replenishment has all but filled in the "L".
Type:
smallish tidal river inlet with stone jetties or bulkheads on both sides
Depth:
15 ft

This inlet has an L-shaped jetty on the north side and a longer straight jetty on the south side. Both jetties are made of loose stones - hardly any concrete - and the bottom is sandy and usually clean. You can walk over the bridge from one side of the inlet to the other in about five minutes.



New Jersey Dive Sites

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Here are some ideas on minor yet important details that get little consideration. These topics are especially important to gear-laden New Jersey divers; much less so to unencumbered warm water divers.

A light and a knife are the first two non-essential accessories that you should get. Actually, neither one is non-essential, and only a fool would dive around here without both. Goody bags are used to carry booty from the sea. This includes food, treasure, and a lot of rusty junk that you're going to pick up because it is there. They can also be used to carry tools down with you.


2016 Update

Knives and bags haven't changed much in twenty years, but lights sure have. That section has been re-written to reflect modern technology. Nothing else new here, except that solid brass snaps have gotten harder to find and a lot more expensive. So if you find one on the bottom, leave it there for me!

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