Jaws took place on the east coast...

August 3, 2007 4:57 PM

Okay, it's Shark Week, and it's reignited my interest in this. I'd like to go diving, swiming or whatever with sharks. I live in New Jersey. How can I do this without breaking the bank?

What are my options for going cage diving or shark watching...as inexpensively as possible? I've seen sites for cage diving in California, and that's pretty expensive to begin with and across the country to boot.

Dream goal: watch great white sharks breech (off South Africa), or to go cage diving with them (off California). The sites for cage diving are pretty touristy, expensive, and across the country.

I'm open to any variation of "sharks" + "me" you're willing to suggest. sand tigers at aquariums have lost a bit of their excitement and I saw a Basking Shark in the wild once but I'd like more.../small>

posted by Brainy to sports, hobbies, & recreation (11 comments total)

Seems like the Bahamas would be the more likely choice for you.
posted by willnot at 5:02 PM on August 3, 2007

Here's a web page with more info.
posted by willnot at 5:05 PM on August 3, 2007

I got my hopes up when it said Long Island...but it's not the one across two rivers.

I just got back from a three week vacation so I can't really justify taking a big vacation anytime soon so I'm really looking for something that doesn't have much travel overhead.
posted by Brainy at 5:21 PM on August 3, 2007

I would google up dive shacks and dive training places along the east coast and ask them. When I used to surf in N. Carolina, Outer Banks, Cape Hatteras, there were definitely sharks and other awesome creatures there. I had a diver friend down there at the time and he used to go fool around with sharks all the time. (They were mostly smallish-probably not deadly, but he said they were fun anyway.)

If you end up going, get a cheapie wet-camera so you can post some pics!
posted by snsranch at 6:22 PM on August 3, 2007

I've surfed everywhere from Florida to New Hampshire and encountered sharks all along the way. They're out there waiting for you, believe me. Shallow, warm water is what you're after - even in New England. Your best bets for a sure-thing experience will be down south, but don't rule out hanging on the Jersey shore either. If there are monsters eating the occasional whale carcass off Block Island, there are definitely a few four footers waiting to give you a thrill off Manasquan.
posted by blaneyphoto at 7:17 PM on August 3, 2007

There are dozens of outfits in the Bahamas who run shark dives. These are kind where you dive in with a group sans cage and usually watch the divemaster do something silly like tease sharks with fish. Google "Bahamas shark diving" for lots of info.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:22 PM on August 3, 2007

Okay,

I just got back from Simonstown South Africa, and I went out with the Great Whites. Spent 7 days out there. I saw them breach. It's pretty fucking incredible. Astonishing. In fact, Africa itself is an incredible place. But False Bay, where the sharks feed on the seals in SA, is often choppy, visibility is limited, and it's cold.

In 7 days on the water, I saw maybe 4 natural breaches, and a dozen baited breaches. I even had a 15' white shark bite a decoy 5 feet from the back of the boat, where I was standing.
It was awesome.

Simonstown is a beautiful place too. Strangely felt a lot like Sausalito.

I've also dived with the sharks in the Bahamas. Mostly reef sharks and white tips. (I did see a hammerhead) For my money, though I would exhort everyone to go to Africa as soon as possible, the shark diving in the Bahamas is more unmitigated fun. If I HAD to choose one, that's the one.
If you can do both, by all means do. Restricted coach class tickets to SA can be had for something close to a reasonable price.

Get to Nassau (Jet Blue flies there now) and go to Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas. This is the joint. It's where they filmed Open Water, and that Jessica Alba thing.
Funny enough, Stuart Cove is the name of the owner, it's not named after a place called Stuart Cove.

The sharks there are very human acclimated, so it's pretty safe, but make no mistake, it's really incredible to get into super-clear water with 20 or 30 sharks.

Have fun!
posted by asavage at 2:02 AM on August 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

Another vote for shark diving in the Bahamas. I've had absolutely great times visiting Walker's Cay, an absolutely TINY island where all there is to do is eat, drink, swim, fish and dive (this is a good thing). I heard that the island suffered some damage in a storm a few years ago, but hopefully they've fixed it? If not, Nassau and other islands are great too.

The shark diving manages to be exciting and fun, without ever feeling outright dangerous. Divers go into the water and drop down to a sandy surface around ~30 feet down. Then someone on the boat drops a chumsicle into the water which is on a rope and drops down to ~15 feet.

You watch the sharks attack the frozen fish treat and collect broken teeth that fall directly into your hands.

When their meal is gone, the sharks take off, and you surface. You might immediately go on another more "normal" dive, and then go back to the hotel for a nice lunch of conch chowder and conch fritters.
posted by adamk at 10:38 AM on August 4, 2007

The aquarium in Camden, I believe, has swim-with-the-sharks experiences. I've never done it, though, and have no more evidence than hearsay.
posted by Netzapper at 11:03 AM on August 4, 2007

600 dollars will get you tickets to Roatan in Honduras and a shark dive. However, you have to be dive certified, which you can get for 250 in Roatan. While you're there check out the whale sharks, they're way cooler than any other shark you'll safely see.

I did this exact thing this summer, diving on Roatan is Amazing, and considering doing the great white cage dive in SF is 800, it is a pretty good deal to go to Honduras
posted by Large Marge at 12:46 PM on August 4, 2007

I have never done a shark dive myself but a brief web search uncovers a shark diving outfit on Long Island.

Just google "shark diving" + location. You'll find what you're looking for and you won't have to break the bank to do it.
posted by jason's_planet at 12:53 PM on August 6, 2007