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Map of Isles of Shoals
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IntermediateBoat entry

Isles of Shoals

New Hampshire, United States
Open Water suggestedBoat entry7mm or semi-dry + hood typical

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

Isles of Shoals at a glance

Isles of Shoals is a intermediate boat dive site in New Hampshire, United States. Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see harbor seal, American lobster, and cunner. Recent reports put the water around 16°C (61°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 3h ago
0.5 mwaves — under a meter expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 16°C · seasonal avg 17°C

Site hazards: Open-ocean exposure and swell, currents around the islands, cold water, boat traffic

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Sun
Sun6:00–21:00
Mon6:00–21:00
Tue6:00–21:00
Wed6:00–21:00
Thu6:00–21:00
Fri6:00–21:00
Sat6:00–21:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 4:54 · Sunrise 5:27 · Sunset 20:10

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 3.1 km from site · graded 3h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Loading tide predictions

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: harbor seal, American lobster, cunner
Best time: Summer and early fall on calm days

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.

  1. Jan45%6°C1.3 m
  2. Feb32%4°C1.3 m
  3. Mar31%4°C1.5 m
  4. Apr59%6°C1.2 m
  5. May68%11°C1.1 m
  6. Jun86%15°C0.8 m
  7. Jul87%17°C0.8 m
  8. Aug85%18°C0.8 m
  9. Sep76%18°C1.1 m
  10. Oct57%14°C1.2 m
  11. Nov51%11°C1.1 m
  12. Dec38%8°C1.3 m

July hastypically 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

  • harbor sealCommonly seen
  • American lobsterCommonly seen
  • cunnerCommonly seen
  • pollockCommonly seen
  • northern red anemoneCommonly seen
  • nudibranchsOccasionally seen
  • kelpCommonly seen

Fills & rentals nearby

Facts from OpenStreetMap, corrected by the community — listed by distance only. Details change; confirm with the shop.

Shop facts come from OpenStreetMap and community corrections, shown nearest first. PickADive lists facts and contacts only — no listing is sponsored or ranked.

Site details

A cluster of rocky islands about six miles off the NH/ME coast, straddling the state line, that is the premier boat-diving destination for New Hampshire charters. Sites around Star, White, Lunging and Smuttynose Islands offer kelp-covered ledges, boulder fields and walls with abundant lobster, fish life and frequent harbor seal encounters, in some of the clearest water in the region.

boatreefwall

Open-ocean exposure and swell, currents around the islands, cold water, boat traffic

Reviews

No reviews yet — this site is waiting for its first. Dived here? Your rating and a few lines help the next diver.

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