New York, United States has 30 public dive sites on PickADive. Use the list below to compare mapped sites by depth, access, difficulty, ratings, and reviews before opening a site page.
The wreck of the schooner A.E. Vickery, which struck a shoal near Rock Island Lighthouse and sank on 15-16 August 1889, on the US side of the St. Lawrence River near Clayton in the Thousand Islands. One of the most popular dives on the river: a buoy line leads down through a swift surface current to the shoal head at 25-30 feet, with the bow near 65 feet, the stern dropping over a ledge to about 110 feet, and broken masts trailing into the channel to roughly 180 feet.
Atlantic Beach Reef is a 413-acre NYSDEC artificial reef about 3 nautical miles south of Atlantic Beach in 55-64 ft of water. Built from scuttled vessels, barges, pontoons, railcars, bridge sections and concrete rubble, it forms a productive habitat for black sea bass, tautog and scup. Visibility is typically 10-20 ft and conditions are exposed Atlantic, making it an intermediate boat dive.
A long-established shore dive at Far Rockaway near the East Rockaway Inlet in Queens, once home to the 'Almost Paradise' dive shop. Underwater jetties at 8th and 9th Streets give some shelter from current and host surprising biodiversity. Still frequented by local dive clubs and instructors for its easy access and training value.
A well-preserved mid-1800s canal boat wreck in Cayuga Lake, one of the Finger Lakes, lying in about 70 feet of water roughly half a mile offshore and two miles northwest of Aurora. The hull and deck are identifiable (covered in algae and mussels), with cargo-hold ports still defined, a large rudder attached to the stern, an intact bow, and coal still in the holds. A boat dive guided by local Finger Lakes operators.
The Champlain II was a 244-ft sidewheel steamer launched in Burlington in 1868 as the Oakes Ames and converted to a passenger vessel in 1874. She ran hard aground near Barn Rock north of Westport, NY on the night of July 16, 1875, and today about 160 ft of her lower hull and machinery debris rest on a sloping bottom in 15-35 ft of water close to the New York shore. The site is a designated underwater historic preserve marked by a yellow mooring buoy with underwater interpretive signage, and free annual diver registration is required.
The wreck of the propeller freighter Dean Richmond, a 238-foot vessel lost with all 23 crew in the great storm of 14 October 1893 off Dunkirk, New York, near the New York/Pennsylvania line in Lake Erie. The wreck lies inverted in about 95 feet of water with the upside-down hull standing roughly 30 feet off the bottom. A favorite advanced Lake Erie wreck dive, often paired with the nearby Indiana.
Fire Island Reef is an 850-acre NYSDEC artificial reef about 2 nautical miles south of the Fire Island Lighthouse in 62-73 ft of water. It holds dozens of scuttled vessels, barges, pontoons, drydocks, Tappan Zee Bridge materials, railcars and concrete forms, with ongoing deployments (concrete forms added 2025). Black sea bass, tautog and scup are abundant; visibility runs 10-20 ft, an intermediate Atlantic boat dive.
A NYS DEC Submerged Heritage Preserve off Diamond Island in the south basin of Lake George. The centerpiece is the Forward, a roughly 45-foot wooden launch and one of the earliest gasoline-powered boats on the lake, sitting in about 40 feet of water. Developed in 1997-98 as an interpretive 'underwater classroom' with a triangular trail of stations including a zebra-mussel monitoring point, fish observation zone, simulated archaeology site, a Secchi disk, navigation course and signage.
The HMS Culloden, a British 74-gun warship, ran aground and was burned to the waterline off what is now Culloden Point near Montauk on January 24, 1781. In about 15-25 ft of water in Fort Pond Bay, it became New York's first designated underwater preserve and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979. It is a shallow shore dive, though notoriously hard to locate—usually only rust stains and scattered hull remain visible; artifact removal is prohibited.
The Huntington/Oyster Bay Reef is a 50-acre NYSDEC artificial reef in Long Island Sound, about 1.16 nautical miles northeast of Lloyd Point, in 47-53 ft of water. Built from concrete buoy sinkers, it is a lower-relief Sound reef that attracts tautog, black sea bass and scup. Visibility is typically 10-20 ft and varies with tide, making it an intermediate boat dive.
Kismet Reef is a small 10-acre NYSDEC artificial reef in Great South Bay, just north of the South Beach between Kismet and the National Seashore dock, in 16-25 ft of water. Built from barges, concrete barriers, blocks, slabs, culvert and rubble, it is a sheltered, shallow bay reef good for newer divers. Visibility is limited and tide-dependent; black sea bass, tautog, scup and flounder use the structure.
A NYS DEC Submerged Heritage Preserve protecting the Land Tortoise, a 1758 radeau (a seven-sided floating gun battery) in the south basin of Lake George. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998 and described by the Smithsonian as the oldest intact warship in North America. It rests upright and remarkably complete in roughly 105-107 feet of cold water, making this an advanced cold-water dive.
The wreck of the Lizzie D, a 122-gross-ton tugboat that sank on 19 October 1922 carrying a contraband cargo of Prohibition-era whiskey. The 'Rum Runner' rests upright and largely intact in about 80 feet of water roughly eight miles southeast of Atlantic Beach Inlet. Its moderate depth and proximity to shore make it a popular summer wreck dive; bottles have historically been recovered from the wreck.
Matinecock Reef is a 41-acre NYSDEC artificial reef in Long Island Sound about 0.5 nautical miles north of Peacock Point, in 30-40 ft of water. Built from a barge and seven pontoons with concrete slabs added in 2025, it provides moderate relief for tautog, black sea bass and scup. Visibility is typically 10-20 ft and tide-dependent—an intermediate Sound boat dive.
Mattituck Reef is a 50-acre NYSDEC artificial reef in Long Island Sound about 2.37 nautical miles northwest of Mattituck Inlet, in 72-100 ft of water. It holds a sunken vessel and concrete buoy sinkers and is one of the deeper Sound reefs, making it an advanced/deep boat dive. Black sea bass, tautog and scup gather on the structure; visibility is variable.
McAllister Grounds (Fishing Line) Reef is a 425-acre NYSDEC artificial reef in the Atlantic Ocean about 2.8 nautical miles south of Long Beach, in 48-53 ft of water. Despite its 'fishing line' name it is a developed reef built from vessels, barges, scow pieces, steel miter/dam gates, a turbine, rock and concrete forms, with concrete blocks/forms added in 2025. It supports black sea bass, tautog and scup; visibility is typically 10-20 ft—an intermediate Atlantic boat dive.
Moriches Reef is an 850-acre NYSDEC artificial reef in the Atlantic Ocean about 2.4 nautical miles south of Moriches Inlet, in 70-80 ft of water. It holds about a dozen sunken vessels plus barges, armored vehicles, Tappan Zee Bridge materials and railcars, with concrete forms added in 2025. A productive advanced boat dive for black sea bass, tautog and scup; visibility typically 10-20 ft. Charter boats such as the Sidekick run from East Moriches.
A popular shore dive on Shinnecock Bay in Hampton Bays, just east of the old Ponquogue Bridge span. The bridge pilings and rubble form an artificial reef teeming with marine life, and the proximity to the Shinnecock Inlet brings in clear ocean water and seasonal tropical strays carried north on the Gulf Stream. Considered one of the best shore dives on Long Island.
The wreck of the Cunard liner Oregon, a 518-foot transatlantic steamship that sank on 14 March 1886 after a collision off Long Island (all aboard were rescued). The wreck lies roughly 18 miles south of Long Island in about 125 feet of water, rising to around 85 feet at its highest point. Notable features include nine boilers, the large compound engine and the stern steering quadrant. A classic deep boat dive of Wreck Valley.
The Port Jefferson/Mount Sinai Reef is a 50-acre NYSDEC artificial reef in Long Island Sound about 1.79 nautical miles northeast of Port Jefferson Inlet, in 88-94 ft of water. Built from a barge and concrete buoy sinkers with concrete blocks added in 2025, it is a deep Sound reef best suited to advanced/deep divers. Black sea bass, tautog and scup hold on the structure; visibility is variable.
Rockaway Reef is a 635-acre NYSDEC artificial reef in the Atlantic Ocean about 1.6 nautical miles south of Rockaway Beach, in 32-40 ft of water. Built from a barge, 60 steel buoys, Tappan Zee Bridge materials, rock and assorted concrete, with rock rubble scattered throughout, it is a relatively shallow but exposed reef. Black sea bass, tautog and scup are common; visibility runs 10-20 ft—an intermediate boat dive close to NYC.
Shinnecock Reef is an 850-acre NYSDEC artificial reef in the Atlantic Ocean about 2.0 nautical miles south of Shinnecock Inlet, in 76-84 ft of water. It holds numerous scuttled vessels, barges, railcars, a drydock, rock, Tappan Zee Bridge rubble and steel, with the 130' barge Henri and the vessel Asylum added in 2025. A productive advanced boat dive for black sea bass, tautog and scup; visibility typically 10-20 ft. The Half Time charters out of Shinnecock.
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Plan a dive in New York, United States
Compare nearby sites
New York has 30 public dive sites in the PickADive catalog. Start with the map when coastline, nearby alternatives, and travel distance matter.
Current public data shows 16 intermediate and 8 advanced dive sites. Listed depths range from about 2m to 44m where available. Boat is the most common listed access type. Use those signals as a starting point, then confirm the plan against training, equipment, and current local guidance.
Check conditions close to the dive
PickADive can help with research and comparison, but it does not certify that a dive is safe today. Weather, current, visibility, entry, boat traffic, and local rules can change quickly.
Common questions about diving in New York, United States
What are the best dive sites in New York, United States?
Use the ranked list on this page to compare 30 public dive sites in New York. PickADive highlights ratings, reviews, depth, access type, difficulty, and mapped location so you can move from destination research to a specific site page. 4 dive sites are recorded with shore access and 26 with boat access.
Are there advanced dives in New York?
Yes. PickADive currently marks 9 dive sites in New York as advanced or expert level. That includes 1 marked expert. Listed depths in the catalog reach about 44m at the deepest sites, and 26 dive sites are recorded as boat access. These dives deserve extra attention to depth, access, current, visibility, and local guidance.
What depths can I expect in New York?
Listed PickADive depth data for New York ranges from about 2m to 44m. Both shallow shore entries and deeper boat sites appear in the catalog: 4 dive sites are recorded with shore access and 26 with boat access. Use that as a research starting point, then verify current conditions and site-specific guidance.
Can I see New York dive sites on a map?
Yes. Use the map link on this page to compare New York dive sites by location, coastline, nearby alternatives, and individual site details.