I decided to get some open circuit “practice” in on Sunday and Monday and left the rebreather at home. Me and Annie dove Folly Cove on Sunday while Lewis joined us on Monday (Patriot’s Day) at Back Beach. As much as I hate shore diving I didn’t really want to pay for another two days of charter fees. It was also pretty windy so I didn’t want to end up getting blown out and then go to a less than optimal dive site. 4 days of diving in row in April is a lot when the water temperatures are still covering around 39f degrees.
On Sunday we did a nice low tide dive at Folly Cove. We had the place to ourselves and took a chance parking right there. Thankfully no ticket but I imagine it won’t be possible to park there in the next couple weeks without a Gloucester resident sticker.
Max depth: 45ft
Runtime: 66 minutes.
Visibility: A solid 15-20ft and water temp a bone chilling 38-39f at depth.
Lots of different species of nudibranchs but my camera was having major fogging and condensation issues and I didn’t take my video lights but managed to save a few shots. Everything else was out of focus..
After the dive we ended up at Cape Ann Brewery as usual for post-dive liberations. Sunday was my third day in a row at Cape Ann Brewery. I think I’m starting to know the menu and beer selection better than the servers.
On Monday myself, Annie, and Lewis met at Old Garden Beach. While it looked dive-able there was a bit of a swell coming in so we opted to head to Back Beach which was a lot calmer and sheltered. Also a small PSA..Be careful putting gear on the new concrete wall at Back Beach. Once stuff falls behind the rocks it’s almost impossible to get. I ended up having more lens condensation issues but hopefully after tonight’s o-ring cleaning and new desiccant packets I should be back to normal.
Max depth: 25ft
Runtime: 54 minutes
Visibility: ~20ft
Water Temp: 41f
