Difficulty
beginner
Viz (last reported 8298h ago)
Max Depth
20 ft
Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Old Garden Beach
Old Garden Beach is in a small and very scenic residential area of Rockport. It used by divers of all skill levels due to its ease of entry. This is a small, secluded beach with a sandy shore near Rockport Harbor. By swimming 100 yards or so straight out from the beach you can reach depths of 50', and the bottom topography includes huge boulders. Following the shoreline to the right, depths are considerably shallower – around 15-25 feet max – and the bottom is rocky. Both areas are home to many lobsters. This site has a very easy entry – there is a ramp from the street to the beach. There is a lot that is residents only during the summer, but parking is available on Old Garden Street during weekdays. On weekends, you can drop your gear off at the top of the ramp, and then park the car on adjacent streets (Atlantic Ave. is unrestricted). They will tow cars that are parked illegally. There is a "No Night Diving" sign posted – this contradicts MA state law and is unenforceable. At high tide the water level is right at the base of the ramp, and low tide reveals a stretch of sand. There are no restrooms or other amenities here. This site generally has very good visibility. Exposure is Northeast.
At the end of SR 128 in Cape Ann, turn Left on SR 127A (Cross Street). In one half mile, turn left (following SR 127A) onto Thatcher Road. After 4.3 miles, turn right onto Calebs Lane, and travel almost to the end (.25 miles), turning left on Old Garden Rd. The Beach will be on your right.
Access
shore
View
Nearby Shops
Tide Report
5
4
3
2
1
(10)
Currently viewing a specific review. View all reviews
Jason NYC
Aug 5, 2004, 12:00 AM
scuba
This public beach in Cape Ann is crowded on Saturdays with divers and swimmers of all ages but everyone seems to get along and have fun. No bathrooms and a small parking lot that is only for residents make this a tough place to park but once you get your stuff there the ease of shore entry (walk in the water from a sandy beach) and atmosphere make it an enjoyable place to dive. If you do park in the lot, you will be ticketed and then towed. One poor guy was left with nothing but his dive gear as he watched (from the water) his car get towed! The dive itself is a matter of snorkeling out about 100+ yards and dropping down to 20-40 feet where you will find kelp and plant covered boulders with lobster hiding EVERYWHERE! Crabs, stripers, starfish and more. Max depth for us was 39ft and I had 52 degrees on August 1st at depth. Chilly but only slight current and no surf on a very calm and sunny day. Gear up on the "monument" area by the lot once you unload your stuff. Restrictions are many at this spot so notice the sign that says you can't do anything like park, yell, and sit in the grass. Police seem most concerned about protecting local resident's privacy (understandably) but they can get a bit annoying when you consider that we put money into the community. However, the community seems to have plenty of money so divers are only tolerated in small doses. Just a rant. All in all, a very easy dive but not as good as our other dives on this trip. Folly Cove has this one beat by a mile!
Other Locations Nearby
