Sandy Hook Dive Sites (9/11) ~ New Jersey Scuba Diving

Sandy Hook Dive Sites (9/11)

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Shark River

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.

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Shark River - A Street

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! )

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Shark River - Back Bay

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.

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Shark River Inlet

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.

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Shrewsbury Rocks

The Shrewsbury Rocks are a wide area of rocky bottom that stretches from fourteen feet of water out to the fifty-foot mark off of Monmouth Beach. Some of the formations are twenty feet tall or more and can be very pretty under good conditions, which are unfortunately seldom this far north. The stone itself is a type of sandstone known as Greensand.

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Steel Wreck

Type:: shipwreck
Depth:: 80 ft

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Sylvanus

Type:: shipwreck, schooner barge, USA
Built:: 1919
Specs:: ( 281x45 ft )
Sunk:: November 28, 1921
foundered in a storm
Depth:: 85 ft

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Tampa III

Type:: shipwreck, party boat, USA
Built:: 1960, USA
Specs:: ( 72 x 20 ft ) 90 gross tons
Sunk:: Saturday July 4, 1970
collision in fog with freighter Mormacglen (12,700 DWT), 1 casualty
GPS:: 40°28.093' -73°53.578' (AWOIS 1986)
Depth:: 50 ft

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Three Sisters

Type:: shipwreck
Depth:: 80 ft

The "Three Sisters", as she is called, is an unidentified wooden-hulled vessel. She sits in 80 ft of water some 13 miles south of Atlantic Beach Inlet. She sits on a sandy bottom, spread out over a small area. Her boiler and a 4 bladed propeller are still visible. Wooden beams and planking spread out from the boilers aft towards the propeller. Occasionally some artifacts are found, mostly brass fittings. This is generally a decent wreck for lobsters and spearfishing. This wreck is in a main shipping channel, and large vessels make large wakes, so secure all gear.

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Triangle Wrecks

Shipwreck Finance — A salvage vessel moored to the superstructure of the sunken *Finance*.

Type:: shipwreck, tugboat, schooner barge, barge (?)
Depth:: 65 ft

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Sandy Hook Dive Sites

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Carp

Cyprinus carpio

Size
to 36"
( record over 6 ft )

Description
A heavy-bodied, laterally compressed minnow with a long dorsal fin and arched back. The first ray of the dorsal and anal fins is a stout, serrated spine. The small triangular head tapers to a blunt snout. The small, protrusible mouth contains no teeth and is located below the snout. There are two pairs of barbels on the upper jaw. Body color is brassy green on top grading to bronze or gold on sides. The belly is yellowish-white. Fins typically are yellow, orange, golden, or light olive in color. The wild type of common carp is completely covered with large, round scales. Mirror carp has a few very large scales scattered over the body and leather carp are virtually scaleless.

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