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Gloucester's waterfront of brick buildings, steeples and moored boats seen across the open harbour — Cape Ann & Stellwagen Bank

Cape Ann & Stellwagen Bank · United States · Reef

Old Garden Beach

A ramp entry onto a boulder reef starting at 6 m (20 ft)

Area photo: Paul Keleher from Mass, US · CC BY 2.0

Old Garden Beach, known to local divers as OGB, is a Rockport shore dive from a sandy beach. A short swim offshore leads to a line of moderately sized boulders where the rocky reef starts at about 6 m (20 ft); most dives stay at 6–14 m (20–45 ft), with 15 m (50 ft) and more straight out from the beach.

Also known as OGB.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Old Garden Beach: typical dive to 15 m (to 50 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit15 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

42.6586° N, 70.6076° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

Divers kit up, walk down the large ramp to the beach and straight into the water. The beach is sand, and a slight swim offshore leads to a line of moderately sized boulders. This is where the rocky reef begins, at about 6 m (20 ft), and it is the part of the site most divers spend their time on.

Average depths at Old Garden Beach are usually between 6 and 14 m (20–45 ft) along the reef. Swimming directly away from the beach leads deeper, to 15 m (50 ft) and beyond, so set a turn point before heading out. Come back across the boulders to the sand and exit up the same ramp.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Old Garden Beach
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodFairFair

Season follows Cape Ann & Stellwagen Bank: Cape Ann Diver II generally runs from 1 April to 31 October; winter and off-season diving depends on weather and demand.

Dive videos

Old Garden Beach · Dive Atlantic on YouTube

Questions divers ask

How deep is Old Garden Beach?+

The rocky reef starts at about 6 m (20 ft), average depths are 6–14 m (20–45 ft), and swimming straight out from the beach reaches 15 m (50 ft) and more.

Sources

  1. Diving Cape Ann — Undersea Divers
  2. Old Garden Beach — Scubago

More dive sites in Cape Ann & Stellwagen Bank

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Back Beach

A shallow training site known for its lobsters

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Dry Salvages

A rock outcrop with a resident seal colony

to 21 mintermediate

Wall

Folly Cove

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Wreck

Josephine Marie

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to 32 madvanced

Wall

Lanes Cove

A wall to 20 m (65 ft) with a chance of torpedo rays

to 20 mintermediate

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Loblolly Cove

A quiet boulder ledge with lobsters away from the beach

to 12 mbeginner

Wreck

Patriot

A 2009 fishing-boat wreck on its side at 30 m (100 ft)

to 30 madvanced

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