About New Jersey Wreck Diving

Diving in New Jersey

So you are a certified diver in Philadelphia. You are tired of lakes and quarries. It’s time to step it up to New Jersey wreck diving. There are thousands of wrecks up and down the coast and most are dive-able. With that being said NJ isn’t for everyone. It is chillier then most people are used to (45-60 degrees) and the visibility can vary from 5 feet to 50 feet but expect 10-15 average viz and darker then you may be familiar with.

Equipment is a little different too. You’ll need a heavier duty BCD to hold lights and wreck reels and you should be wearing a redundant air system such as a pony bottle or a double tank set up “doubles”. You should be familiar with these items and the 7mm wetsuit or drysuit system, hood and gloves and the amount of weight it will take to make you sink.

Taking all this into consideration thousands of people enjoy local diving in NJ. The wrecks can be semi intact like the Stolt Dagali or a pile of rubble and twisted plates. Either way there is something for everyone…artifacts, lobster grabbing, spearfishing or even picture taking. At Scubadelphia we have a copy of Herb Segars book “Beneath the Garden State” with excellent pictures of local sealife. Gary Gentile penned the books “Shipwrecks of New Jersey”. Another source of info is njscuba.net. It’s a well maintained website with great pictures and maps of Jersey waters.

If you are still not sold on the idea of North Atlantic wreck diving give us a call or stop by the dive center. We run 15 charters a year on many different experience levels. Let us show you the fun in NJ Shipwreck Diving!