Scuba Diving Article
Best Places to Scuba Dive on the U.S. East Coast
From New England to Key West the U.S. East Coast offers Scuba Divers a figurative and literal "treasure trove" of dive delights. Beginners and experts alike will find 100's of dive sites all up and down the East Coast, no matter what skill level of diving certification you posses, or specialty challenges you crave.
New England of course is known for lobster, and lobster diving is very popular in the northern waters of the East Coast. There are many boat charters that can get you out to the lobster grounds for a unique "bug dive". Being one of the main port sites in the U.S., wrecks also abound off of the coast of New England, making it a wreck divers playground. For those with the skills and expertise beyond recreational scuba diver and have advanced to Technical Diver, the allure of one of the most famous wrecks in the world rests in these waters - the Andrea Dora. There are many wrecks and other interesting marine habitats off the coast of New York's Long Island and the Jersey Shore. Both New York and Jersey's beaches offer some great beach dive sites. On the Jersey shore stretching from Sandy Hook to Cape May The New Jersey Artificial Reef Program has been creating marine habitats from intentionally sunk ships and other large items. Sea Bass, Porgies, Black Fish, Lobster and many other species of marine life now call these man-made structures home.
Moving a little further down the East Coast, treacherous currents and German U-boats had a field day with ships off of the North Carolina coast, and this popular dive site, the so called "Graveyard of the Atlantic" has some 2000 wrecks, all bathed in warm Gulfstream waters. Many of the wrecks here are accessible to even newly certified wreck divers, while others afford challenges that keep experienced wreck scuba divers coming back again and again. The warm waters of the Gulfstream have brought many tropical species of fish along with them who make their homes in and around these historic sunken vessels.
As we explore Scuba Dive sites down the East Coast, we get to what many consider the best dive sites in the country, and some say are among the top sites in the world. Florida and the Florida Keys. The Florida Coast line not only has an extensive artificial reef program like that of some of the other areas mentioned but as we get to Florida we start to see true natural coral reefs. The famous "Spanish Armada" was lost off the coast of Florida and the area stretching from West Palm Beach to Miami has been dubbed the Gold Coast because of all the Galleons that have met their fate in these waters. These and the many other wrecks in the area hold treasures beyond gold and silver. Sponges and corals and other marine life bursting with all the colors of the rainbow adorn and live among these now silent ships. A little further south you find the gems in the crown of East Coast Diving - The Florida Keys. Some 200 islands stretch between Key Largo and Key West. The waters of the Keys offer something for every level and interest of diver. Shallow high visibility dives for snorklers and beginners. In the Keys you can Dive with Sharks, Sea turtles, Rays, Manatees and all other manner of sea creature imaginable, or treasure dive in the waters that have revealed some of the worlds most famous and profitable wrecks.
What ever you are looking for in Scuba Diving you can find it Along the United States East Coast.
