Scuba Diving in NJ: What Are the Different Types of Scuba Diving?
Scuba diving sparks dreams of the tropics, flecked with a rainbow of exotic marine life. But scuba diving in NJ lets you meet 336 fish species and 28 mammals that swim in our local waters.
You can see rays, barracuda, tuna, swordfish, even whales and dolphins at the right time of year. Want more?
New Jersey’s coast is home to thousands of shipwrecks. Dive back in time to the 18th century, World War II, then flash to today. Scuba diving in NJ puts it all on your doorstep.
But what are the different types of scuba diving in NJ? If you’re new to scuba diving, you will want to choose the right types of dives for you.
Our scuba diving guide will get you to the right depth.
What Is Scuba Diving?
Scuba stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. Divers use tanks with compressed air, 79% nitrogen, and 21% oxygen, to mimic our surface air.
Scuba gear includes wetsuits, buoyancy control devices (BCDs), masks, fins, and depth gauges. With these, divers explore underwater worlds.
Night Scuba Diving in NJ
Night dives open your eyes to lifeforms you never knew existed.
Bioluminescent creatures flutter in the shadows of the sea. Shrimp, lobsters, crabs, and angelfish shimmer by, while rays glide moonlit on the ocean bed.
Deep Dives
Like night dives, deep dives require PADI Advanced Open Water certification.
Dive as deep as 100 feet (30 meters) to explore shipwrecks, meet deep-sea life, and descend down seawalls.
Wreck Diving
Scuba diving in NJ lets you explore thousands of shipwrecks, some as old as the 18th century.
Trawlers, tankers, battleships … wreck diving lets you see them all. You can study a wreck diver specialty course at an advanced level.
Muck Diving
Muck is the sediment on the ocean bottom. Muck divers search for artifacts, species like octopus, and rare remnants of coral.
Like night dives, muck dives introduce us to a new world under the waves.
Drift Dives
Glide along, weightless in the ocean currents, watching fish flutter past. That’s drift diving.
Our scuba diving tips: stick with your dive group and go with the flow.
Scuba Diving in Caves
Cave diving is the marmite of the diving world. Cave divers swear there is nothing like it. But caves take strong nerves, neutral buoyancy, and experience in enclosed spaces.
Caves can be miles long, and many are still unexplored.
Rescue Diving
Certified rescue divers save the lives of people in trouble under the water. With experience and rescue diver certification, you can join them. You will need first aid skills, plenty of dive experience, and a cool head under stress.
The Tham Luang cave rescue in 2018 is one of rescue diving’s triumphs. Thirteen people are still alive because of rescue divers.
Take the Plunge
We hope our guide to scuba diving explained the types you can try. Scuba diving in NJ is perfect for wrecks, certification, and exploring our coastline.
Our team at Scuba Guru are all PADI, TDI, IANTD, and DAN-certified instructors. We know scuba diving in NJ, and it is our passion. Try out scuba diving, raise your level, or experience a new type of dive with our team.
Join us on our next dive. Get in touch today!