St. Ann's Beach

The cove on this day was perfect for diving. There is plenty to explore close to the shores, but the real joy is further out. Remember that you are in a residential area, so be mindful that you are representing 'all scuba divers' by your actions. The parking is well packed gravel. The mound of dirt at the entrance is temporary. At the time of this writing, a seawall further down the road was almost complete with a set of stairs down to the water. This is a look at the small driveway to the parking. The steeple of St. Ann's is above the tree tops in the back ground.

We dived this site on a day the NE wind blew us out of Nubble Light, on the theory that this would be more protected. Turned out there was quite a bit of surge, and we kicked a long way until we found something vaguely interesting to look at. Not sure I'd go out of my way again to dive this site, particularly if conditions were not right.

This is one of the best sites I've been to in Southern Maine. It's a bit tricky to find if you don't know what you are looking for (it's easy to drive right by the small access point). Just find St. Anne's church and look immediately to the left (facing the ocean). You'll drive through a tight access point surrounded by vegetation and come out on a small rocky parking area. There is about enough room for two cars or trucks. Suit up at your vehicle and be careful walking down the pebbly beach. It's not difficult but the small rocks can be loose. I think this dive is best at high tide or slack tide. You'll get the most out of it. We entered along the right side (facing the ocean) and followed the ledges out around the right side. There is a nice sandy bottom that meets some really tall ledge. Lots of things to explore. We found one hole that had half a dozen large fish (still trying to identify!). Bring a light with you even during the day because there are lots of holes to explore. We did not use a dive flag as it seems a bit tight for any boats to enter the area but I'm sure it couldn't hurt. This is a very enjoyable dive and does not require a lot of energy. We dove around 8am in August. The weather was perfect, the water was calm, and vis was round 20 feet! I think that is great for NE anyway! Lovely, secluded spot that is a joy to dive. Highly recommend.

I dove this site now 8 times last year and this year. I'm from Vermont and I've always linked up with some Maine divers to enjoy this site. It is one of the best in Southern Maine for plant life. Bring the camera, too, as you'll get some animal life, as well.

There's a lot of surge on rough days, but the high tide helps.