Lane’s Cove
Gloucester, MA 01930
Description
This site sits just outside of Lane’s Cove, a small harbor protected by a high seawall. Lane’s Cove is a working harbor so there’s a fair amount of boat traffic in and around it from commercial fishermen. You cannot dive inside Lane’s Cove so make sure to stay outside the seawall. It’s a nice site but has a reputation as a place where the locals are unfriendly to divers. Make sure to be respectful of the neighborhood and considerate by keeping noise to a minimum.
The Dive
Once in the water, a bottom of medium-sized rocks covered in a variety of multi-colored seaweeds follows a gentle slope down. Seventy-five yards or so offshore, the rocks get larger and less tightly spaced. One hundred yards North/North-West from the entry and exit point, a large ledge rises from the bottom, in some places as high as 20 feet straight up. It’s cut with cracks and crevices and medium-sized boulders are scattered about. Rocks give way to a muddy bottom around the base of the ledge. Depths reach 50-55 feet. This is a nice dive.
Entry & Exit
The walk from the parking lot to the water is up and over a small hill. To find the best route look at the end of the seawall, then 30 feet or so of rock that extends out from it to the right. Where the rock ends is a relatively easy walk up and over on dirt and grass. Once on top, there's a steep three-to-four-foot step-down. To get over it, go to the large rock slab approximately 20 feet to the right that rests at a 45-degree angle. Beside the rock is the best place to go down. Entry and exit are then made over a sloping ledge. They're easier at high tide but, even at low, when the rock is slippery, they're not difficult because there are a lot of rock shelves that can be leaned on for balance.
Exposure
North and West
Hazards
The site can become rough when the wind blows out of any northerly or westerly direction. The site is prone to swells even when the wind isn't out of these directions. Boat traffic can also be heavy so stay close to your flag and carry a line cutter.
Parking
Parking for this site is easy but there is a caveat. The parking at the end of Andrews Street along the seawall is marked by the Mass Department of Fisheries and is reserved for people who are actively fishing. Some residents believe this precludes divers from parking there due to the wording. Make sure to leave a note on your dash indicating that you are actively fishing/lobstering and make sure not to block in any boats/trailers that may need access to the ramp. If the lot by the seawall is full you can park in the upper lot at the corner of Andrews Street and Lanes Cove Road.
Gallery
Jerry Shine provided much of the written dive site content on the shore diving sites around New England from his 2005 publication: A Shore Diving Guide to New England which is currently out-of-print. His 2017 publication A Year Underwater: Twelve Months of Diving, Fraternizing with Marine Life, and Just Having a Great Time, from the St. Lawrence River to West Palm Beach is available for purchase on Amazon.
If lobstering be sure that you are licensed, have a gauge for the area you are lobstering in, have your numbers on your cylinder and flag, and don’t land any shorts, longs, notches, or eggers. For more information please reference the mass.gov regulations site here.