Is New Jersey wrecks good for beginner divers?

Yes, partly: 1 of the 10 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Shark River Inlet (Belmar / Avon). The others need more experience or a higher certification.

What is the water temperature in New Jersey wrecks?

The water is usually between 3 °C and 21 °C over the year.

What marine life can you see in New Jersey wrecks?

Divers regularly see crustaceans, tautog and anemones.

New Jersey wrecks

Diving in United States

10 documented dive sites, 1 of them for Open Water divers. Known for crustaceans.

Best months: Jul–Sep
Water: 3–21 °C
Levels: Open Water, Advanced, Experienced, Technical
Nearest airport: EWR

When to go

Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.

Pick a month

Best
Good
Possible
Closed
Not documented yet

New Jersey wrecks in November

Possible

Sea: 14 °C; at the surface
Air: 13 °C; 6 °C at night
Rain: 70 mm; one of the driest months
Wind: 14 km/h; on average

Exposure suit: 7 mm full suit or 8/7 mm semi-dry · if you feel the cold: 8/7 mm semi-dry or drysuit. How we choose

Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.

Compare with another destination

For most divers the season starts in June; prime season runs June–October (PADI Travel), with the warmest water Jul–Sep. With a drysuit you can reasonably dive late April to early December, and hardy drysuit divers dive all year. Hurricane season from August/September can stir up the water.

Source: njscuba.net

Dive sites in New Jersey wrecks

From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.

Open Water friendly

usual dive down to 18 m1 site

Jetty / pier

down to 9 m

Shark River Inlet (Belmar / Avon)

Shallow jetty and bridge dive at 15 ft with an easy giant-stride entry on the north side, crabs, fluke, eels and blackfish.

Open Water
Tautog

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m5 sites

Jetty / pier

down to 14 m

Barnegat Inlet jetties

Outside face of the north jetty of Barnegat Inlet to 45 ft, where spearfishing is reported to be excellent.

Advanced

Jetty / pier

down to 9 m

Manasquan Inlet (Point Pleasant / Manasquan jetties)

Rock-jetty dive to 30 ft on a tidal inlet at slack water, with huge spider crabs, big fluke in the sand and eels.

Advanced

Wreck

down to 24 m

Mohawk

A 387-foot passenger liner lying in 80 feet of water about eight miles out of Manasquan Inlet.

Advanced

Wreck

down to 24 m

Venturo Tug (Sea Girt Artificial Reef)

An upright tug on the Sea Girt Artificial Reef, main deck at 65 ft, a short ride from Point Pleasant.

Advanced

Wreck

down to 26 m

Pinta

A wreck from 55 to 85 ft whose top is covered with anemones and hydroids, with lobsters between the wood planks.

Advanced
Anemones

For experienced divers

usual dive down to 40 m2 sites

Wreck

down to 40 m

Stolt Dagali

The 145-foot stern of a tanker lying in 130 ft of water 18 miles off Point Pleasant, its highest point at 65 ft.

Experienced
Cod

Wreck

down to 44 m

USS Algol

An intact, upright former navy cargo ship, the largest vessel of New Jersey's reef program, superstructure from 70 ft.

Experienced
Tautog

Technical and specialty dives

2 sites

Wreck

down to 43 m

Arundo

A WWII freighter torpedoed in 1942, now a debris field of army truck parts and locomotives at 110-140 ft.

Technical

Wreck

down to 52 m

Ayuruoca

An upright freighter in 170 ft with masts still standing and codfish among the trucks on her decks.

Technical
Cod

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

Reported here, season not documented yet:

Crustaceans
Tautog
Anemones
Ragged-tooth sharks
Sharks
Turtles
Cod

Where is New Jersey wrecks?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Point Pleasant Beach (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

Nearest airport: EWR

New Jersey wrecks: frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive New Jersey wrecks?: The best months to dive New Jersey wrecks are Jul–Sep. For most divers the season starts in June; prime season runs June–October (PADI Travel), with the warmest water Jul–Sep. With a drysuit you can reasonably dive late April to early December, and hardy drysuit divers dive all year. Hurricane season from August/September can stir up the water.
Is New Jersey wrecks good for beginner divers?: Yes, partly: 1 of the 10 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Shark River Inlet (Belmar / Avon). The others need more experience or a higher certification.
What is the water temperature in New Jersey wrecks?: The water is usually between 3 °C and 21 °C over the year.
What marine life can you see in New Jersey wrecks?: Divers regularly see crustaceans, tautog and anemones.
How do you dive New Jersey wrecks?: The nearest airport is EWR.

About this page

Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash

Photo credits

Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash