New Jersey Scuba Diving

Type:

shipwreck, steamer, USA

Built:

1848, Jeremiah Simonson, Greenpoint NY USA

Specs:

( 275 x 32 ft ) 984 gross tons

Sunk:

Saturday December 27, 1866
beached to prevent foundering in a storm; old age & decay - no casualties

Horton's Point is located in the beautiful town of Southhold, NY, and is revered by some (myself included) as one of the best beach dives on Long Island. Horton's Point boasts a wide variety of marine life to include flounders, blackfish, striped bass, crabs, mussels, jellyfish, and bugs (lobster to the layman). Not only is the Point a great place to dive, but it also has a historic lighthouse overlooking the beach. This is a great place to get rid of the spouse and kids while you get in some quality diving. Depth tends to be in the 14-18 ft range, which is generally matched by the visibility. There is an abundance of large boulders in the water providing a near reef-like marine habitat and current is very low even during the changing of tides as long as you don't go out past the protection of the actual point.

However, with all of the good news, there tends to be some bad as well. First off, because the beach is situated below a fairly large cliff, you are forced to get suited up at your car and walk down about 120 stairs to the water. The Stairs are mostly kept in good repair by the local town, but you have to watch your step toward the end of the summer and in the off-season. Getting down the stairs is not nearly as hard as getting back up the stairs, especially after a long dive. I usually take one or two breaks while heading back to my car by hanging my tank on the rail to get the weight off of my shoulders.

This brings me to another point. As with every town in Long Island, parking tends to be a problem. The lot outside of the lighthouse fence is marked as being for Southhold residents only. I have never heard of anyone getting a ticket while parked in this lot, but there is always a first time. Also, during prime-time summer season, the lighthouse can get pretty busy which fills up the lot. The lighthouse usually allows patrons to park inside the fenced-in area, but I would be careful doing this because the fence may close while you're fighting to catch a bug 14 ft underwater (and you thought the stairs were bad).

-- Roger T. Mailler