New England, United States
    Straitsmouth Island

    Folly Cove Shore Dive Site

    Best months: Jul–Sep

    Protected Area

    Straitsmouth Island

    Why dive here

    With 35+ marine species recorded in the area - including nurse sharks - Folly Cove Shore Dive Site offers some of New England's richest reef diving. Water ranges 4-19°C, warmest July, August, September.

    Best timeJul–Sep
    WetsuitA 5mm wetsuit
    Marine lifeNurse Sharks · 35+ species recorded
    Water4-19°C · warmest July, August, September
    CharacterReef dive

    Folly Cove is one of our absolute favourite shore dives in New England, especially if you’re into the smaller, often overlooked critters. It’s got this mellow, sandy bottom that slopes gently out, eventually giving way to a mix of rock formations and a good spread of eelgrass. Visibility can swing, as it does in New England, but on a good day, after a stretch of calm weather, you can get a solid 8-10 meters. We love just cruising along, poking around the eelgrass beds for Northern Pipefish and checking under rocks for Green Sea Urchins. The entry is super easy from the beach, making it a great spot for newer divers getting comfortable with cold water, or experienced folks wanting to slow down and really observe. We’ve spent entire dives just watching Striped Killifish dart around, or spotting Common Sea Stars clinging to the rocks. It's not a deep dive, maybe 10-12 meters max if you really push it, but the real show is in the shallows. Our advice? Go at high slack tide; the current can pick up a bit on the outgoing. Keep an eye out for sand dollars too, especially in the sandier patches.

    Safety Notes

    Cold water this month (avg 15°C). Drysuit or thick wetsuit (7mm+) recommended.

    Today05:5017:1011h 20m daylightGolden hour 16:32

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    Conditions

    Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Folly Cove Shore Dive Site

    Folly Cove Shore Dive Site Ocean Conditions

    Monthly averages for Folly Cove Shore Dive Site, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (42.6, -70.6) (0km away)

    ExcellentGreatGoodFairPoor★Best monthsThis month

    October Averages

    Sea Temperature

    15°C

    59°F · Range: 12.8–18.1°C

    Air Temperature

    10°C

    50°F

    Wind Speed

    3.78 m/s

    7.3 knots

    Atmospheric Pressure

    1017 hPa

    Based on 4 years of monitoring data · Data sources: Open-Meteo marine data

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