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Map of Rockaway Reef
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IntermediateBoat entry

Rockaway Reef

New York, United States
Open Water suggested10–12 m depthBoat entry3mm wetsuit typical

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

Rockaway Reef at a glance

Rockaway Reef is an intermediate boat dive site in New York, United States with depths of 9.8–12.2 m (32–40 ft). Typically most favorable Jul–Aug · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Scup (porgy), Summer flounder (fluke), and Tautog (blackfish). Recent reports put the water around 24°C (75°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 1h ago
0.5 mwaves — under a meter expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 24°C · seasonal avg 23°C

Site hazards: Open Atlantic swell and current near a busy inlet; heavy fishing pressure and tackle; boat traffic; limited visibility; scattered rock rubble.

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Fri
Fri14:00–20:00
Sat7:00–20:00
Sun7:00–20:00
Mon7:00–20:00
Tue7:00–20:00
Wed7:00–20:00
Thu7:00–20:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 6:05 · Sunrise 6:32 · Sunset 19:11

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 4.3 km from site · graded 1h 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: Scup (porgy), Tautog (blackfish), Black sea bass
Best time: Summer through fall on calm slack-water 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. Jan89%4°C0.5 m
  2. Feb92%4°C0.5 m
  3. Mar87%7°C0.6 m
  4. Apr91%11°C0.5 m
  5. May97%17°C0.5 m
  6. Jun97%22°C0.4 m
  7. Jul99%27°C0.3 m
  8. Aug99%26°C0.4 m
  9. Sep98%23°C0.6 m
  10. Oct95%18°C0.5 m
  11. Nov98%12°C0.4 m
  12. Dec91%5°C0.5 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

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 June 2026

Site details

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.

boatreefwreck

Open Atlantic swell and current near a busy inlet; heavy fishing pressure and tackle; boat traffic; limited visibility; scattered rock rubble.

Reviews

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