New Jersey Scuba Diving

Underwater photography can be as rewarding as it is challenging. Once the realm of professionals and determined enthusiasts willing to spend thousands of dollars on specialized and esoteric equipment, this hobby is now available to the rest of us thanks to modern developments in inexpensive but capable digital systems.

2016 Update

There is no hope of keeping up with camera technology. This page is more about basic principles than the actual equipment, which will all be obsolete in six months. Actually, strobe lights haven't changed that much.

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Most folks catch fish with hook and line. A successful fisherman combines skill, knowledge, and experience with a good deal of luck to essentially trick a fish into catching itself. If the fish won't bite, you go home empty-handed. However, scuba divers have a much more dynamic method available to them - spearfishing. Spearfishing is more akin to hunting than to hook and line fishing: rather than relying on a convincingly presented bait or lure, the spearfisherman enters the environment of his quarry and pursues it on its own terms.

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A different sort of hunting is "bring 'em home alive". An aquarium can be a fascinating way to observe and photograph marine life, especially when the weather or season is not conducive to diving. Freshwater aquariums are easier to set up and maintain, especially for the novice, and a number of the local species of Sunfish are as attractive as anything you can buy in a store.

Marine aquariums are more difficult but offer many more possibilities in what you can keep - the marine environment contains many types of invertebrates and fishes that are simply not present in freshwater, such as horseshoe crabs, starfish, anemones, urchins, and many more. Many of these creatures can simply be picked up at low tide. When collecting stinging creatures such as anemones, keep them in strict solitary confinement during transport, or they will sting everything else to death, including each other. Once established in an aquarium, they are not usually a problem, as the other critters quickly learn to stay away.

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Statewide Estuarine & Marine Waters
All coastal waterbodies, except those under Waterbody Specific Advisories

1. Lobster:
   do not eat green gland ( tomalley )
   
2. Striped Bass:
   one meal per month
   pregnant women & children - do not eat
   
3. Bluefish:
   for fish over 6 pounds: six meals per year
   for fish under 6 pounds: one meal per month
   pregnant women & children - do not eat
   
4. American Eel:
   four meals per year
   pregnant women & children - do not eat

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