Offering 3,500 miles of beautiful coastline with coves and bays in no short supply, the state of Maine is an outstanding place to enjoy some fantastic shore diving. Along the way you'll see stately old lighthouses, and if you're so inclined, you'll find plenty of great photo opportunities while enjoying your dive. Here are just five of the best shore dives in Maine.
Biddeford Pool - Maine Dive Sites
The site of an old US Coast Guard station, Biddeford Pool is a relatively shallow dive, with an abundance of marine life including numerous striped bass and the seals that congregate in the area to hunt them. Back in the Coast Guard Days, this site was called Fletcher's Neck Lifeboat Station. Brave Coasties dragged their lifeboats out into the surf in the early days, later switching to modern power boats. You can sometimes find little bits of "treasure" dropped overboard, along with some big crabs and lobsters. Maximum depth is 25 feet and visibility is usually between 20-30 feet. Topside, you can visit the old Coast Guard station, which is now a museum.
Fort Foster - Maine Dive Sites
An active military site between 1873 and 1948, Fort Foster is a popular historic site with people from all walks of life. For divers, Rocky Beach offers large boulders to explore, along with a forest of eelgrass interspersed with lovely sandy patches. Home to a wealth of marine life including various fish and plenty of crustaceans, Fort Foster features maximum depth at 25 feet and offers visibility between 20 and 30 feet most of the time. The site is well-sheltered, making it great for newer divers. There are restrooms and other amenities topside, making this a great place to come spend the day.
Nubble Light - Maine Dive Sites
A beautiful area with a historic lighthouse established in 1879, Nubble Light is located in Cape Neddick, near York Village. Often offering extremely calm conditions as well as visibility that can sometimes exceed thirty feet, the site is best at high slack tide, as the rocks can be very slippery. Once in the water, you'll find there is plenty to see, including lobsters and crabs among the boulders, plus schooling pollock and other fish. Keep your eyes open for the torpedo rays and bright yellow skates that are often seen here! Maximum depth at the lowest tides is 48 feet. As this site is very popular, it can sometimes be crowded. Dive on a weekday if you can!
Wells Beach - Maine Dive Sites
With a sandy entry area and plenty of critters to see, Wells Beach is an excellent site for all divers and is even suitable for snorkeling. You'll find intriguing rock formations here which are home to sea stars and other macro life, and teeming with crabs and lobsters; plus, there are lots of flounder and other fish to see along the way. As the site is popular with fishermen, flags are required. Use caution around Bucklin Rock if snorkeling as there can be cross currents here; otherwise, this site is extremely easy to explore, with maximum depth at 20 feet and visibility is usually between 10 and 20 feet.
Twin Lights - Maine Dive Sites
Sometimes called Two Lights, Twin Lights is a nice shallow dive site where you can sometimes find old Coast Guard artifacts, Twin Lights is located just about 5 miles south of Portland. With a rocky bottom where plant life flourishes and marine life is abundant, the site is best during cool weather before the algae has a chance to bloom. Maximum depth at low tide is 40 feet, and visibility is usually between 10 and 20 feet. If you're lucky, you'll encounter skates and rays as you explore.
One caveat while diving in Maine - taking lobsters while diving is against the law. Not only are there hefty fines, you could have your dive gear and perhaps even your vehicle confiscated. Instead of hunting for your own dinner, enjoy the many great eateries topside. Check with Maine's dive shops for current conditions and other up to the minute information; in addition, you can get air fills and rent or buy any equipment you might need.