Cave vs. Wreck

[ScubaGypsy]

I certainly lean towards the caves but I find myself in the Boston area so am thinking about the local wrecks once it warms up a bit. I'll be in Florida in May for some diving (hopefully finally finish Full Cave!) and the NSS-CDS workshop but after that I'll probably look at a few NE wrecks. From looking at the depths, Trimix is a gotta-have cert with boats regularly diving 170'+ in these waters.

Not to mention cold, current, low-vis, and heavy seas. Oh well...

There are certainly a number of wrecks throughout New England that are deeper than 130' and should require trimix, however there are also many other shallower and unique dives. North Shore has some wonderful sites as does southern New England including Rhode Island and the Cape. We have an active shore diving group that dives Narragansett Bay as we lobster and clam gather as well as bottle hunting. On another extreme, this past weekend my wife and I took an ice diving class on Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire. What a wonderful experience as Sunday we did a wreck dive on the Weetamoo (an intact 50' double-decked steamship launched in 1902 and intentionally sunk in 1926 at a depth of 70'). In West Rutland Vermont there is an abandoned marble mine from the late 1800's that has submerged passages for cave diving.

The common theme for each of these dive experiences is cold and low viz but alas, it makes the cave diving experiences in Florida, Mexico and other sites that much more to be enjoyed!

[FW]

... In West Rutland Vermont there is an abandoned marble mine from the late 1800's that has submerged passages for cave diving...

There is a good looking sump dive in Vermont too, but getting gear to the water is "sporting"
FWIW, it has been dived already.

[piranha]

Ice diving...can get cold..
Imagine Ice cave diving..that would be a challange..
Living in Maine, 1/2 the dive year is ice diving..
Thanks Florida..for having caves..and the liquid form of water

[Sludge]

the Boston area so am thinking about the local wrecks once it warms up a bit.

Putting a lot of faith in that global warming, aren't we?

[MORGAN]

In West Rutland Vermont there is an abandoned marble mine from the late 1800's that has submerged passages for cave diving.

My wife and I did our open water checkout dives there years ago, in the OW part of the quarry. In April, with snow on the ground, and water temperature of 46 degrees. Also did our first overhead dives there, in a cavern class. Cold water and low visibility. When we got to the Florida springs, the crystal clear 70 degree water was kind of a shock! Now we're spoiled.

We've done some offshore wreck diving, as well as the old wooden shipwrecks in Lake Champlain. But we were cavers before we were divers, and caves are really our primary reason for diving. Even though we live 1490 miles from Luraville, my log shows that of my last 250 dives, 186 of them are Florida cave dives. Looking to add caves in the Yucatan and the Bahamas before too long.

Mike

[stairman]

Well remove the water and Id rather walk thru a cave then climb around on a rusty boat. I know I know, the history , the sea life, the barnacles [wow], My choice is caves.

[Wendy Thurman]

There are certainly a number of wrecks throughout New England that are deeper than 130' and should require trimix, however there are also many other shallower and unique dives. North Shore has some wonderful sites as does southern New England including Rhode Island and the Cape. We have an active shore diving group that dives Narragansett Bay as we lobster and clam gather as well as bottle hunting. On another extreme, this past weekend my wife and I took an ice diving class on Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire. What a wonderful experience as Sunday we did a wreck dive on the Weetamoo (an intact 50' double-decked steamship launched in 1902 and intentionally sunk in 1926 at a depth of 70'). In West Rutland Vermont there is an abandoned marble mine from the late 1800's that has submerged passages for cave diving.

The common theme for each of these dive experiences is cold and low viz but alas, it makes the cave diving experiences in Florida, Mexico and other sites that much more to be enjoyed!

I'm going to pass on the ice- I think I'd do it in Antarctica (the Wetpixel guys are tentatively putting together a trip down there) but generally just don't do cold! I do understand the shore diving off the Mass. north shore isn't bad and the wrecks can be "eased" into with many accessible ones not terribly deep. The water will have to warm up before I venture into New England waters, though.

[Jaydubya]

I'm a wreck diver and I used to think caves were just something for the off-season; however, with exhorbitant fuel surcharges and more blowouts than I can count in the past couple of years, I've decided to finish my cave training this year. I'm going cave because I'm a frustrated wreck diver - but I don't get sea sick

[OutlawCaver]

Caves are dark, silty places with very few things to spear or junk. I have yet to dive one that was worth going back to. I suggest all wreck divers stay clear of the worthless caves. Real men dive wrecks and only wussies dive in caves.

[Garth]

Cave diving is an extreme discipline that only few have the pleasure of partaking in. I have not been able to yet. So I will not vote, not pass go and therefore not collect two hundred dollars until I have experienced all the options.