Dive Downeast Maine
A
well-camouflaged crab on the ocean floor.You've never seen anything like it!
Unlike tropical seas, the cool Atlantic teems with life. In a typical dive, you may see rock crabs or green crabs, starfish, sea urchins, sand dollars, periwinkles, sea cucumbers, nutrient-rich sea lettuce, Irish moss, kelp, an occasional small fish or flounder, and even a lobster or two (sorry, it's illegal to take them home).
Most marine life is found at 20-30 ft., so you can sightsee for quite a while on a tank of air. If you've only dived in the Caribbean, be prepared for less visibility and colder temperatures here. That's the way the inhabitants like it.
Your guides
Two PADI-certified divers will guide your trip:
Harry Fish, a Dive Master, is a lifelong resident of Downeast Maine who made his first dive when he was 18. Since then, he has made hundreds of dives in Maine and the Caribbean.
Aaron Fish Herzog, Harry's nephew, is a Rescue Diver. Born in Florida and raised in Maine, he has dived in the Gulf of Maine, the Bahamas, Bonaire, and Honduras.
Your dive choices
There are two prices for each dive: one if you bring your own gear, and a second if we provide it. One tank of air and a weight belt are included with each dive. Light snacks and cold drinks will also be provided.
1. Harbor Dive: Deep Cove, Winter Harbor - Maximum depth: 35 feet
| Deep Cove Harbor Dive | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dives are for certified divers only. | Cost per Diver | |
| Your Gear | Our Gear | |
| 1 diver | $315 | $350 |
| 2 divers | $215 | $250 |
| 3 or more divers | $155 | $190 |
On this easy shore dive, you'll enter the water from a clean popplestone beach with no sand or mud. Inshore, you'll swim among rocks, boulders, and ledges inhabited by a variety of coastal marine life. A deeper area farther out is carpeted with sand dollars. If the sea is calm, you can wend your way through rocky swim-thrus.
This protected cove is a great spot for non-divers, too. They can sunbathe or picnic on the beach's large flat ledges while you're diving.
In case of strong southerly winds, we'll dive from Frazier's Point in Winter Harbor instead.
Preparing for a dive at Deep Cove2. Wreck Dive: Hancock Point - Maximum depth: 50 feet
| Hancock Point Wreck Dive | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dives are for certified divers only. | Cost per Diver | |
| Your Gear | Our Gear | |
| 1 diver | $515 | $550 |
| 2 divers | $315 | $350 |
| 3 or more divers | $230 | $265 |
On this boat dive, you'll be able to explore the wreckage of the Crabtree Ledge lighthouse, toppled by ice in 1950. Large slabs of cast iron, masonry, and brickwork are scattered over a sloping bottom.
You can also swim over the remains of sailing vessels that struck the ledge in the 1800s. The wood has long since rotted or been taken by the sea, but modern divers have found ballast stones, anchor chain, broken china, clay pipes, and other fragments of cargo.
Undersea
life at Hancock Point3. Lighthouse Dive: Mistake Island, Jonesport - Maximum depth: 60 feet
| Mistake Island Lighthouse Dive | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dives are for certified divers only. | Cost per Diver | |
| Your Gear | Our Gear | |
| 1 diver | $315 | $350 |
| 2 divers | $215 | $250 |
| 3 or more divers | $165 | $200 |
This boat dive will drop you in a sheltered area between the huge pink and gray granite ledges near Moose Peak Light. You'll have a first-hand look at undersea life that thrives at the edge of the open ocean. We've also seen porpoises and a minke whale in this spot.
Moose
Peak LightHow to get to the dive locations
- Winter Harbor: Take U.S. 1 to Route 186; follow Route 186 south into Winter Harbor. Meet in the parking lot of the Hannaford supermarket in Winter Harbor.
- Hancock Follow U.S. 1 to Dunbar's Store in Sullivan. Meet in the store parking lot.
- Jonesport: Take U.S. 1 to Maine Route 187; follow Route 187 south into Jonesport. Turn south at Sawyer Square and meet in the parking lot of the Jonesport Town Marina.
To schedule a dive
For information about reservations and payments, please click here. To schedule a dive, contact Dive Master Harry Fish by e-mail or by phone at 207-598-7473. Please be prepared to leave a phone number where you can be contacted.
To schedule a dive
To schedule a dive, contact Dive Master Harry Fish by e-mail or by phone at 207-598-7473.
Please be prepared to leave a phone number where you can be contacted.
Dive trips are for certified divers only
Open Water certification is required for all our dives. You must have a C card.
SCUBA instruction available
Are you or a family member interested in learning how to dive? We can arrange PADI-certified instruction. Contact us for details.
Check the tide tables
We recommend checking the tide tables to choose a day for your dive when high tide is between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Because of the 10-12 ft. rise and fall of tide, recreational dives are limited to within 2 hours on either side of high water.
Interested in a coastal cruise?
We'll be glad to customize a vacation experience that includes a 3-hour tour on the Aaron Thomas through Coastal Cruises, our sister enterprise, along with a dive trip. For more information, please contact us .
All Dive Downeast trips are led by a PADI-certified Dive Master.