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Shore entry

Niles Beach

Massachusetts, United StatesDirections
Open Water suggestedVery shallow (15-25 ft max); boat traffic from Gloucester Harbor and the adjacent yacht club moorings3–8 m depthShore entry5mm wetsuit typical

Niles Beach at a glance

Niles Beach is a shore dive site in Massachusetts, United States with depths of 3–7.6 m (10–25 ft). Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Cunner, American lobster, and Longfin squid. Recent reports put the water around 19°C (66°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 13h ago
0.3 mwaves — under half a meter expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 19°C · seasonal avg 19°C

Site hazards: Very shallow (15-25 ft max); boat traffic from Gloucester Harbor and the adjacent yacht club moorings

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Sat
Fri7:00–19:00
Sat7:00–19:00
Sun7:00–19:00
Mon7:00–19:00
Tue7:00–19:00
Wed7:00–19:00
Thu7:00–19:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:50 · Sunrise 6:18 · Sunset 18:59

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 5.6 km from site · graded 13h 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.

Dived here today — did the forecast match?

What Divers Say

Known for: Cunner, American lobster, Green crab
Best time: May-October; the go-to backup when storms or northeast swell blow out the open-coast sites — Niles is often flat calm when everything else is undiveable.

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. Jan34%6°C1.5 m
  2. Feb36%5°C1.4 m
  3. Mar35%5°C1.6 m
  4. Apr59%7°C1.2 m
  5. May70%11°C1.1 m
  6. Jun82%16°C0.8 m
  7. Jul90%19°C0.7 m
  8. Aug85%19°C0.8 m
  9. Sep77%19°C1.1 m
  10. Oct58%15°C1.3 m
  11. Nov43%12°C1.2 m
  12. Dec38%8°C1.4 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

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.

Data updated July 2026

Site details

Niles Beach sits inside Gloucester Harbor on Eastern Point, giving it some of the most protected water on Cape Ann. The gradually sloping sandy bottom only reaches about 15-25 ft, so it serves mainly as a training venue and a reliable backup when ocean-facing sites are blown out. Summer parking requires a Gloucester resident beach sticker, though walk-on access is open to all.

muckshore

Very shallow (15-25 ft max); boat traffic from Gloucester Harbor and the adjacent yacht club moorings — tow a dive flag and stay alert; cold water; reduced visibility after rain or boat wakes.

Reviews

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