New Jersey

Camden 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

Here's a fin-tastic opportunity for those who are scuba certified to dive in the Shark Realm exhibit. You'll get face-to-teeth with sandtiger sharks, sandbar sharks, nurse sharks, green sawfish and barracuda.  Guests will receive instructions regarding procedures and guidelines before entering the encounter. 

Camden/Philadelphia

Camden

Adventure Aquarium

The visibility here is usually good, although the silty bottom stirs up at the slightest touch. The usual diving area has a maximum depth of about 60 ft, although in other spots the reservoir is much deeper. Entry is a short hike down a grassy slope to a pebble beach. There is an underwater training platform, and often you will find an O/W class there. Water temps get up into the high 70's later in the season, although it is chilly below the 30 ft thermocline.  The surrounding park is an exceptionally beautiful place, and many people go for swimming, fishing, picnicking, hiking and cycling.  Unfortunately, compared to the ocean, Round Valley is a relatively dull dive. Mud, rocks, snails, and a few fish can be found, as well as huge stands of water plants later in the season.  NJSCUBA.NET has very detailed info and nice photos on Round Valley.

Located by the town of Clinton, NJ in Round Valley State Park.  About a 90 minute drive from NYC.  About 40 minutes away from another popular local dive, Dutch Springs.

Round Valley Reservoir

It's used a lot for training and open water checkouts because there are numerous platforms submerged at 25 - 30 ft. There are also quite a few attractions including a sunken fire truck, Cessna air plane, school bus, Sikorsky helicopter, trolley car, several boats and other assorted vehicles. There are also remnants of some of the quarry equipment.



Dutch Springs

This is a slack tide only dive. It doesn't look like much from the surface. However, there is a large variety of marine life. A nice lazy day dive.

Divers can park at the parking lot and the short 20 yard walk to a wooden access ramp to the small beach takes only minutes.

Railroad Bridge

It offers very easy entry, parking next to the water. Underwater it offers local salt water fish and occasional tropical species

Point Pleasant

The Manasquan Railroad Bridge

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

Manasquan Jetty

Being in the back basin the current is less from tidal changes than in the inlet so you can get in a longer dive. The trade off is there is less to see but it is a good place to practice skills or test equipment. The site is used by some instructors for classes on weekends and can get silted out in the shallows. Best time is early evenings during the week, check the tide tables for high tide. All diving is west of the boat ramp, between the boat ramp and Rt. 35 is a low wall perfect for putting on the tank. Walk down the beach, not the boat ramp! Since you'll be diving next to a boat ramp, in front of a floating fishing pier or west under the sailing school a flag is a must! The second choice for an entry are the steps at the sailing school. In the shallows are sea grasses, as you go deeper (max 20') and under the boat channel it's sand. Things you'll see besides things lost by student divers, fishermen and boaters are the usual Jersey crabs, blueclaws, stone, hermits and horseshoe. Seabass, Sea Robins, Flounder, starfish, some shrimp and the occasional Seahorse. In late summer and into fall we get tropical's, mostly butterflies, some damsels, triggers, small frogfish and I have seen squid. After the dive there is a hose near the boat ramp for washing down boats but it works for divers too. At the west end of the beach near the sailing school is a beach shower but it's not always on and a bathroom that maybe locked if the lifeguard is off duty. If you like this and would like to explore east of the boat ramp contact DiversTwo in Avon about doing the clean-up dive one Saturday morning in October when the USCG closes down all boat traffic.

L street beach is located at L street and Rt. 35 on Shark River in Belmar NJ.

L Street Beach

This quarry is riddled with lots of sunken objects. Boats, trains, trucks, and lots of old motorcycles. There are convenient lines linking all of the sunken sights so navigation is impossible to lose. At the access, there is a lagoon around 30 feet deep. Then, it drops to the maximum depth of 80 feet. Visibility is much better than most other quarries in the region.

Access is quite easy. There are stairs into the water and also a floating dock for a giant stride entry. Very easy access.

Guppy Gulch

Abandon limestone quarry, turned into Scuba park.

Millardsville

Willow Springs is also known as Millards Quarry Pond.

Willow Springs

Willow Springs Park is a lovely little scuba park on Millards Quarry Pond with tons of sunken attractions like cars, trains, boats, and other goodies.  Water is COLD!  Viz is usually about 10-20 feet at best.  If you are familiar with Dutch Springs Scuba Park then you get the idea.  Nice facilities, heated bathrooms, full service dive shop, swimming area, ramp for handicapped divers. From the Willow Springs web site:  "Over 600,000 divers have safely certified with us at Willow Springs Park. You are invited to join them at one of the finest diving facilities in the Northeast.  You'll find that we have designed the park specifically for your convenience and safety, with dozens of attractive features"  All Divers: $20.00 a day, Non Divers: $6.00. Night Diving $10.00 by special arrangement.  No Boats, No Pets.  Season Passes Available ($140.00) Passes good March 1, 2005 to Feb. 28, 2006. Weekends 1st Weekend in March - Memorial Day, Daily - Memorial Day - Labor Day.  Weekends Labor Day - To Weekend before Thanksgiving.  WWW.WILLOWSPRINGSPARK.COM

www.willowspringspark.com/WGdirect.htm gives you all the info you need to get to Richland, PA.

Willow Springs Park

US tugboat sunk April 16, 1947 (collision with Norwegian freighter Bandeirante). It lays on its port side in 90ft of water.

Of surf city.

Adventure Aquarium

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Adventure Aquarium