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

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.

Rocky Point

Sound Beach

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

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.

Smithtown Bay Artificial Reef

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

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

This site has a sand and gravel bottom extending out to about 150 yards, after that it is mud bottom.  There are large rocks and boulders close in making it good for lobster and spear fishing.  There are large rocks to the west for at least a half a mile.  The point itself is 1/8 of a mile east of the access point.  I would recommend starting at the point towards the end of an incoming tide and drift dive the whole way down and either walk or swim back depending on the current.

LIE exit 71 north on Edwards Ave to Sound Ave east to Depot Ln north.  Depot Ln turns into Duck Pond Rd, take it to the end.

Duck Pond Pt.

This is a long jetty with very little current except at the end of the jetty where the current can be strong at times and wakes from boat traffic can make it a tough place to swim.  You can not dive on the inside of the jetty due to the current and boat traffic.  There is lots of marine life with a few lobster.  At low tide you can snorkel this site end to end.

Sunrise Hwy. east, after you cross over the canal take the first exit, North Shore Rd.  At the end of the exit ramp go straight onto Canal Rd. north, right on Old North Hwy. and make your first left into Meschutt Park.

Shinnecock Canal Jetty is also known as Meschutt Park Jetty.

Shinnecock Canal Jetty

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

This dive needs to be timed so that you make it at slack tide only due to the strong current. High slack tide will give you the best visibility. There are lobster and lots of other marine life. Late in the season I have even found tropical fish there brought up by the gulf stream.

Take Sunrise Highway to Exit 65 South. Make a left onto Montauk Highway, then a right turn onto Ponquogue Avenue. Take this to the end and make a left on Shinnecock Avenue. Turn right on Foster Avenue, when you see the new bridge you can turn left just before it for the northern side of the bridge. For the southern side drive over the new bridge to the end of the road and make a U-turn onto the service road.

Ponquogue Bridge is also known as Old Ponquogue Bridge.

Ponquogue Bridge

Shinnecock Jetty 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.

Shinnecock Jetty

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.

Sound Beach

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Sound Beach