Beach 8th Street, Queens

Beach 8th Street, Queens

New York, USA East
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Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Beach 8th Street, Queens

A Paradise Not Lost By Bob Sterner (http://www.sternereditorial.com) http://www.nedivenews.com What's old is new is the good news about Almost Paradise. Beach 9th Street, Far Rockaway, Queens, N.Y., is back to being called Beach 8th Street, for the traditional hole in the fence that's given so much pleasure to generations of divers, local fishermen and kids splashing into the cool eddy between the jetties that form the site. Diving here no longer costs $20 a head for everyone in the car to park in the now closed Almost Paradise lot, although I'd still be glad to do so for the showers and facilities to rinse salt out of gear while getting a burger and a soda after a nice dive. Riding the tide change to the bridge and back is discouraged in post-9/11 days, although serious tautog spear-fishers still return from there with dinner. At least they know what they're bagging. Shore fishers bring home lots of dinner too from this thriving patch of sand just off JFK Airport's runways. When dinner divers miss a shot, they missed it. When shore fishers lose a fish, their bottom tackle stays on the bottom hooking and killing sea creatures for decades. A fish killed wantonly that Barbara Krooss caught me looking at not long ago tells the story of glittery bottom tackle underwater. It's there to kill generations of fish unless you cut it off and remove it from pilings and other underwater obstructions. It might sound counter-productive, but you can make friends with the shore fishers who hate you for blowing bubbles around their favorite cast sites if you return the bounty of hooks, weights, spinners and other lures that they lost underwater. At the base of the piling where this fish lost its life to a lure we found a horseshoe crab barely alive and hopelessly snarled in a tangle of fishing line. It didn't stick around for a portrait after being freed. Otherwise little has changed at the humble beach where thousands of divers have earned their c-cards. Divers still queue up a half-hour before high and low slack tide for optimum visibility. Many still avoid the crowd by diving as the current runs by ducking behind pilings. It's great training for low-vis conditions at a place where you can't get lost so long as you can follow a compass needle north to the shore. At mid-channel, high-tide, it is about 40 feet to the surface, but you don't want to go there because of heavy boat traffic. Lobsters, crabs, flounders, bergals, sponges, mussels and plants galore that drew divers to this humble site decades ago are still there for those willing to venture through the hole in the fence to see what's beneath the waves of Reynolds Channel. See more photos and stories of diving this and other sites at Sterner Editorial (http://www.sternereditorial.com). Found in the Rockaways, near JFK Airport in New York City
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Jason NYC
Jason NYC
Jul 3, 2006, 12:00 AM
scuba
I thought I would give an update for Beach 8th Street, formerly called Almost Paradise, the name of the business that used to run a shore diving facility here. Basically that now means park at your own risk and use the potty before you arrive or go in the water. Two years ago I first dove here and it was a great little property in Queens but Almost Paradise has since closed. Construction has not begun, and doesn't look like it will begin anytime soon, on the condos slated to be built here on the beach. Someone has removed a bit of the fence so access to this little piece of beach is once again possible (and has been for some time) but who knows for how long. SO, here is the honest skinny on what is now Beach 8th Street as of today. First, you MUST dive at slack tide and carry a dive flag. Boat traffic and currents are relentless otherwise. Don't let this scare you though. Once slack arrives the place turns into a big bathtub. Very calm. Second, be prepared for visibility as low as 1 foot (yes ONE) or as good as 10 feet but probably 5 or less like we had today. Third, this is an interesting part of NYC. You are basically diving off the beach in Far Rockaway by JFK airport, in the middle of low income housing units and adult assisted living communities. It is safe, but just keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings. Most of the characters you WILL see are harmless. Slack tide also brings 30+ divers on weekends so you won't be alone. My favorite part of today was listening to a local fellow puke as we suited up, lol. Fourth, make sure you park on the Beach 8th street side and not Beach 9th street or you won't have access to the safest diving location. If you have a GPS then park by the Rockaway Manor Home for Adults (145 Beach 8th St Far Rockaway, NY 11691) and center on N40 35.728 W73 44.579. Arrive early, maybe 1+ hrs early or more, or you won't get parking due to other divers and classes. Suit up at your car after checking out the sandy beach entrance. Fifth, the dive has lots of life like snails, crabs, horse shoe crabs, bass, lobster, jellyfish, Corona bottles, fluke, mussels, kelp and god knows what else. Temps on 7/2/06 were 60f at 20 feet. Depths to 40+ but that takes you into the boat channel. This is an easy but low viz dive as long as you go at slack. Also, watch out for fishing line and people casting from the rocks. Finally, This (http://didieterdiving.com/resources/resourcesindex.html) dive shop lists current slack tides and can assist with rentals and info too, as they seem to always be there on weekends with classes. Have fun and see you there! If you dive at the end of the summer, you may even see tropicals.
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