New York

Suffolk County

Divers will travel far and wide to find the best diving. But those who live in the United States have plenty of great diving on their doorstep as well, with plentiful access to the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. From warm-water reefs to temperate seas, here are some of the top places to scuba dive in the United States.

United States

Reef is made up of a barge and tires.  Lots of marine life including lobster.

Site is about a mile offshore and can only be reached by boat.  The site is sometimes marked by a buoy but due to a fair amount of boat traffic that is not usually the case.  Without a GPS you will have a very hard time finding this site.

Nissequogue

Smithtown Bay Artificial Reef

The site has a rocky bottom with lobster and other marine life.

LIE to exit 63 north to the end, right on 25A, bear left onto Echo, right on Lower Rocky Pt Rd, left on Hegerman Landing Rd to the end.  There is no parking at the site itself so you will need to drop your gear there and park else ware. 

Sound Beach is also known as Hagerman Landing.

Sound Beach

The Gwendolyn Steers is a tugboat that sunk in about 55ft of water.  The wreck sits upright and comes to within about 25ft of the surface.  It is 96ft long with a 20ft beam.  Visibility is usually poor, there is a fair amount of boat traffic and nets have been present in the past.

Access is by boat only.

Gwendolyn Steers Wreck is also known as Gwendolyn Steers.

Gwendolyn Steers Wreck

You can reach this site through Caumsett State Park but you will need to set this up in advance as you need a permit to drive to this site.  Shore access is a short walk from the parking lot.  Depth changes the further you go off shore and the greater the chance of boat traffic.  Area is good for lobster and other local marine life.

From either the LIE or Northern State take the Round Swamp Rd exit north to the end.  Turn right on Rt 25, left on Oakwood Rd, left on High St and right on Woodbury Rd.  Woodbury Rd turns into West Neck Rd and later into Lloyd Harbor Rd.

Lloyd Neck is also known as Caumsett State Park.

Lloyd Neck

The visibility is great and the current is very low if at all.  Lots of marine life and lobster.  This is not the easiest place to find or get to but well worth the trip.  Over the years this site has filled in with sand so at low tide you can snorkel about 80% of this site.

Long Island Expressway to Exit 68 North, Wm. Floyd Parkway to the end and make a right on to Rt 25A.  Make a left onto Randall Rd.  Make a right onto North Country Rd.  Make a left on Sound Road to the end. Turn left on Creek Road to the end, where you will find a small parking lot. To get to the jetties, you must swim or walk across the creek (Wading River), and then walk to the jetties.  Total distance is about a quarter of a mile to the east jetty.  I use a sit-on-top kayak to get from the lot to the jetties, this also makes it easy to get to the west jetty where I usually find more lobster.

Shoreham Jetties is also known as Shoreham Power Plant.

Shoreham Jetties

There is no name for this cove on the chart.  The site appears to have been used as a dumping ground for boats.  There are a few small barges and many boats sunk here.  I made this dive from a sit-on-top kayak that I put in from Cedar Beach.

The site is about 3/4 of a mile east of Cedar Beach and 4 1/4 miles west of Captree.  This site can only be reached by boat.

Shipwreck Cove

There are 4 wood hull boats sunk off the beach. 3 in a line, 1 half buried on the shore and another half buried boat about 200 yards away.  The access to the beach is about a half a mile east of the site.  I use a sit-on-top kayak to get there and dive but most people will have to walk.  Visibility is good with lots of marine life and lobsters.

Long Island Expressway to Rt 24 Exit and go north on Edwards Ave. Turn right onto Sound Avenue, and make a left onto Park Road and take it to the end. The boats are about 1/2 miles down the beach to the west.

Roanoke Pt Ships is also known as Roanoke Barges.

Roanoke Pt Ships

The south side of the jetty is the more sheltered side with better visibility.  There is a fair amount of marine life here with some lobsters.  Due to the sheltered nature and shallow depth this is also a good site for training and first dives. 

Take the Long Island Expressway to Exit 39 North, Glen Cove Road, Rt 107 to the end and turn right, then your first left onto Mill Hill Rd.  Mill Hill becomes The Place Rd. Make a left onto McLoughlin Street to the end is Morgan Park.

Morgan Park Jetty is also known as Glen Cove Jetty.

Morgan Park Jetty



13.5 miles south of Fire Island Inlet, along the southern shore of New York's Long Island

USS San Diego

Mattituck Jetties is a 5.0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in New York, USA East which is accessible from shore based on 1 ratings.

Mattituck Jetties

The Oregon is a wooden liner wreck. It sunk March 6, 1886 off the coast of long island, New Jersey. It rests in deep water and contains many fishes. The wreck is in pieces and many hull plates have collapsed on the sea floor.

Accessible by boat.

Smithtown Bay Artificial Reef

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Smithtown Bay Artificial Reef