How deep is Garbage Beach?

Garbage Beach has a depth range of 1.5–21.3 metres (5–70 feet). Check the dive site page for current conditions and any depth-specific guidance before planning your dive.

Can beginners dive Garbage Beach?

Garbage Beach is rated as intermediate difficulty, which may not suit new divers. A Open Water with current awareness; experience with tide planning recommended certification or equivalent is suggested. Consider your experience level, conditions, and local guidance before planning.

What will I see at Garbage Beach?

Divers at Garbage Beach in United States commonly report sightings of Tautog, Scup, Spider crab, American lobster, and Northern sea star. Marine life varies by season and conditions—check the site page for recent diver observations and photos.

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IntermediateShore entry

Garbage Beach

Q: When is the best time to dive Garbage Beach?

The best time to dive Garbage Beach is typically About 1 hour before high tide (slack water); early morning or late day in summer to find parking; north winds give the best conditions, avoid south winds.. Conditions vary, so check the latest reports and forecasts on the dive site page before your trip.

Massachusetts, United States

Open Water suggested2–21 m depthShore entry3mm wetsuit typical

Garbage Beach at a glance

Garbage Beach is a intermediate shore dive site in Massachusetts, United States with depths of 1.5–21.3 m (5–70 ft). Typically most favorable Jul–Aug · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Tautog, Scup, and Spider crab. Recent reports put the water around 23°C (73°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 4h ago

0.5 mwaves — under a meter expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 23°C · seasonal avg 23°C

Site hazards: Strong tidal current - Woods Hole passage has some of the strongest tidal flows in New England; abort or stay close to shore if you feel current building; heavy seasonal boat and ferry traffic in the harbor; typically poor visibility; avoid southerly winds.

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Mon

Sun6:00–21:00

Mon6:00–21:00

Tue6:00–21:00

Wed6:00–21:00

Thu6:00–14:00

Fri6:00–21:00

Sat6:00–21:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:00 · Sunrise 5:31 · Sunset 20:06

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 3.5 km from site · graded 4h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

What Divers Say

Known for: Tautog, Scup, Spider crab

Best time: About 1 hour before high tide (slack water); early morning or late day in summer to find parking; north winds give the best conditions, avoid south winds.

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

Jan80%4°C0.9 m
Feb82%3°C0.9 m
Mar80%5°C0.9 m
Apr87%9°C0.8 m
May94%14°C0.7 m
Jun99%18°C0.6 m
Jul100%23°C0.5 m
Aug100%23°C0.6 m
Sep94%21°C0.6 m
Oct92%17°C0.7 m
Nov80%12°C0.9 m
Dec78%7°C0.9 m

July and August havetypically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life seen at this site

Species noted at this site — not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

TautogCommonly seen
ScupCommonly seen
Spider crabCommonly seen
American lobsterCommonly seen
Northern sea starCommonly seen
Black sea bassSeasonal
Longfin squidSeasonal
Striped bassSeasonal
Summer flounderOccasionally seen

Fills & rentals nearby

No dive shops mapped within 25 km. Know one? Add it to the map.

Site details

Garbage Beach - officially Woods Hole Waterfront Park - is a well-known local dive in Woods Hole Harbor, Falmouth: a small lawn and pocket beach next to the Marine Biological Laboratory piers. Divers enter from the beach stairs or giant-stride off the second MBL pier into an eelgrass meadow with depths from about 5 ft near shore to as much as 70 ft at high tide farther out. The site must be dived around high slack water because Woods Hole's tidal currents are powerful, and harbor boat traffic is heavy in season. Visibility is typically modest, but the eelgrass and pilings hold abundant invertebrate and fish life.

muckshore

Strong tidal current - Woods Hole passage has some of the strongest tidal flows in New England; abort or stay close to shore if you feel current building; heavy seasonal boat and ferry traffic in the harbor; typically poor visibility; avoid southerly winds.

Reviews

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