|
Shark River Inlet
 Ocean Ave. and Bridge, Avon/Belmar, NJ
|
Max Depth: 21-25ft/6-8m
Average Viz: 11-15ft/3-5m
Entry Type: Shore
Bottom Composition: Sand
Aquatic Life: Might See Something
|
Spring: 56-60°F/13-16°C
Summer: 71-75°F/22-24°C
Fall: 66-70°F/19-21°C
Winter: Under 50°F/10°C
|
|
|
|
This is an active boat channel and all dives from Memorial Day to Labor Day
must be night dives! A diver down flag is a must!
Three choices on entry;
Avon side, free parking, beach showers in season, follow walk between boardwalk and Ocean Ave. down under bridge, there is actually a wall to sit on while you put on fins, step off wall into water when you can handle the incoming tide. This side tends to have a lot of fishermen so beware of mono. After slack high tide current starts to go out you need to make a choice, get back to entry and climb out over rocks, there is a piece of rebar that makes a nice handle, just don’t get impaled on it!
Or continue out to the Atlantic, not recomended in bad viz and surf, turn left around the rocks, walk back up the beach to the showers.
Forget something, need air? DiversTwo is the LDS
diverstwo.com/Belmar Beach entry, pay for parking, down stairs to rocks and climb in. I did this when I was younger, no more!
Belmar A street entry, probably the most popular site in the state. Free but limited parking. Don’t block the driveway to the apartments or the house to the west of A street. Whomever built the jetty was a diver, they built steps down to the water :) (This has been undated with a rough concrete ramp and two entry points) Watch the rocks underwater, they are slippery. Again enter when you can handle the incoming tide, swim toward the bridge, your compass will lie under the bridge, don’t end up in the boat channel! Here if you don’t make it back to the entry point when the tide changes you can climb back out over the rocks but it won’t be as easy as on the steps.
SwellInfo for Belmar;
swellinfo.com/surfreport/belmar-newjersey