The 1781 sinking of the HMS Culloden in Fort Pond Bay, just west of Montauk Point, has naturally created one of Long Island’s premier dive sites. Photo by Eco-Photo Explorers.
Photos: Top: The imprint left behind by a cannonball on the wreck of the HMS Culloden by Eco-Photo Explorers. Left: An Atlantic Bay Scallop in Long Island’s Peconic Bay by Eco-Photo Explorers.
Natural Dive Sites. The 1781 sinking of the HMS Culloden in Fort Pond Bay, just west of Montauk Point, has naturally created one of Long Island’s premier dive sites. HMS Culloden was one of the British fleet of 14 war ships assigned to guard the local waters during the Revolutionary War. Sadly, it failed in its mission and came to rest in 15-25 ft of water off Will’s Point (now Culloden Point) in Montauk. Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays, also considered one of the top diving locations around, has recently been upgraded and reconstructed. Fortunately for divers, the piers and pilings at the north and south ends were preserved, leaving prime diving opportunities intact. When planning any diving excursion, be sure to ask about certification, which is required by most businesses. If you are looking for scuba training on the East End, contact Hampton Dive Center in Riverhead. Whether you’re diving for recreation, curiosity or research, opportunities abound in our East End waters. It just took us going a little deeper to help find them.
It is fairly easy to find a place to go for a swim on the East End, with all the natural waterfront, coastline and swimming pools. If your passion is diving, however, finding the safest and tested locations is not as simple.
Good and safe diving locations in our area mostly fall into four categories: County and State Parks, Artificial Reefs, Charter Boats and Jetties. and Natural Dive Sites. The non-profit Long Island Divers Association (LIDA), along with offering lessons and certification, has become the de facto official center for information about local diving. According to LIDA President Barry Lipsky, its mission, along with encouraging the diving experience on Long Island, includes identifying and saving quality dive sites, protecting the rights of divers to waterfront access, and educating divers about the unique nature of our local ocean waters. Lipsky points out that our offshore diving areas differ from most others in several ways. Besides the sea floors being dotted with antique shipwrecks, the waters are colder,
darker, and have more currents than other geographic regions. County and State Parks. Cedar Beach sits on the south side of the North Fork facing Shelter Island Sound in the Peconic Bay. Cedar Beach County Park in Southold is free and open to the public, boasting over 2,800 feet of shoreline. There is a broad variety of marine life for viewing, including crabs, scallops, snails, fish and sponges. The area is regularly used by Cornell Cooperative Extension for marine life studies and experiments. Orient Beach State Park has 45,000 feet of frontage on Gardiner’s Bay, with two designated areas specifically recommended for scuba diving. Divers are required to obtain a permit to dive from New York State. Also on the North Fork is Clark’s Beach in Greenport, commonly referred to by the mysterious name
“Secret Beach”. Be sure to contact LIDA to arrange a visit and to get instructions for the lock, since LIDA controls beach access. Artificial Reefs. One of the most ambitious programs affecting the New York State diving community has been the development of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s “Bureau of Marine Habitat Artificial Reef Program”. Thanks partly to major support by LIDA, Barry Lipsky and Governor Cuomo, in 2018 a plan was approved to build a dozen artificial reefs in the ”Marine District”, each 12 miles off the Atlantic coastline in 125-foot deep water. The reefs have multiple benefits. Firstly, building materials for the reefs are primarily large vessels that are out of commission and need disposal sites. Secondly, marine life is naturally attracted to these structures,
providing sea life with a safe living and breeding space, and plenty of subjects for study by divers. Our local artificial reef, Shinnecock Reef, is constructed from the materials of three barges, a tugboat, a wood drydock, two wood boats, a steel cruiser, a steel and concrete tower, two steel trawlers, surplus armored vehicles, and steel and concrete bridge rubble (mostly from the reconstruction of the Tappan Zee Bridge). Charter Boats and Jetties. Charters like Sea Turtle Charters in Montauk specialize in shark and scuba dive charters. Three recommended locations for diving include Fort Pond Bay at Navy Road and both sides of “the jetties” (Montauk Harbor eastside and westside).
64 • AFLOAT USA Hamptons May/June 2022
AFLOAT USA Hamptons May/June 2022 • 65
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker