Nubble Light is an excellent dive site, not much farther from Metro-Boston than any of the Cape Ann sites,
travel-time-wise. There is a small cove, easily accessible from the parking lot, by walking carefully down of slabs of rock. The scenic lighthouse overlooks this site. There is plenty to see in shallow water, but depths of 40 feet or more can be found if you swim to the opposite side of the cove. Depths exceed 80 feet if you swim beyond the cove, but this is not recommended unless you are a strong, experienced diver with the requisite equipment. The bottom is a mixture of rock boulders, sand and gravel. Sea life is abundant and varies depending on time of year and water temperature. You can find lobsters and Crabs, big anemones, nudibranchs, black sea bass, flounder, skates, striped bass, and, if lucky, the resident torpedo ray. There is a restaurant serving hamburgers, fried clams and so forth, public restrooms and a pay phone all within the parking area.
There is rarely any surge or current in the bay, but you do need to watch for a strong current at the mouth of the channel between the shore and the lighthouse between tides. Scuba dive with a flag. Its the law, and there are also numerous tour boats and lobster boats in the area; exercise caution if ascending away from the immediate shore.
Exercise caution as you make your way to the water. The rocks are slippery even when they appear to be quite dry. You are advised to crouch and shuffle. If you fall, stay down and crawl. There is nothing worse than trying to stand up at Nubble Light only to continually fall and slip towards the water!
The tide change here is extreme and only the highest rocks are always dry. Also, this is a popular spot for both divers and sightseers. In order to not confuse your gear with others, and to keep the pictures nice for the tourists, leave all unused gear in the car.
Torpedo Rays are capable of generating a stunning electrical charge. These fish are generally docile and are not aggressive. But, when disturbed, they have a disconcerting habit of swimming up and toward you while discharging their 220 Volt shock, instead of swimming away. Simply observe good diving habits and do not touch or startle this big guy, and you should be fine. It is more disc shaped than the skates we usually see on Cape Ann, and has a more "fish like" tail.
There is no diving allowed on Sundays from April 1 to Oct. 31 or on any holidays between those dates.
Map : Take Route 95 North to Exit 4 in Maine. At the end of the ramp, take a left onto Route 1. After passing signs for an amusement park, look for Route 1A, a sharp turn to the right. Follow this into the center of town and take a right onto the main street with tourist shops. Proceed on through until you come to a stop sign. Turn left, and take your next right. You are looking for Sohier Park. a/k/a the Nubble Lighthouse parking area. If available, pick a spot near the top of the hill.
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The North Shore Frogmen's Club is an adult (male and female 21 or over) dive club of 100 plus members. We meet weekly each Thursday, at 8 PM at the Beverly Golf & Tennis Club, 134 McKay Street, Beverly, MA.. Guests are always welcome.
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This Page Last Updated Tuesday, April 22, 2008 8:15 PM
