SCHEDULED BOAT DIVES
&
SHORE DIVES
SCHEDULE AND SIGN UP
BOAT DIVES
Unit
Operation Blue Pride schedules boat charters throughout the spring/summer/fall. This page will be updated as boat charters are scheduled.
Divers must supply all SCUBA gear for boat charters. If the Veteran needs to rent SCUBA gear, it is available to OBP Veterans on a first come, first served basis, under the OBP Equipment Program at United Divers (Somerville, MA), Portsmouth SCUBA (Portsmouth, NH) and Giant Stride Dive Shop (Warwick, RI).
TO ENSURE YOUR PARTICIPATION FOR ANY BOAT DIVE, OBP REQUIRES A REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT WHEN YOU REGISTER.
All boat dives are subject to weather conditions and COVID-19 public safety guidelines, applicable law, rules and regulations and Operation Blue Pride standards, procedures and policies.
Operation Blue Pride schedules boat charters throughout the spring/summer/fall. This page will be updated as boat charters are scheduled.
Divers must supply all SCUBA gear for boat charters. If the Veteran needs to rent SCUBA gear, it is available to OBP Veterans on a first come, first served basis, under the OBP Equipment Program at United Divers (Somerville, MA), Portsmouth SCUBA (Portsmouth, NH) and Giant Stride Dive Shop (Warwick, RI).
TO ENSURE YOUR PARTICIPATION FOR ANY BOAT DIVE, OBP REQUIRES A REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT WHEN YOU REGISTER.
All boat dives are subject to weather conditions and COVID-19 public safety guidelines, applicable law, rules and regulations and Operation Blue Pride standards, procedures and policies.
SHORE DIVES
MASSACHUSETTS SHORE DIVES
The Metro West Dive Club (MWDC) has agreed to allow all OBP members to participate in the MWDC's every Saturday, all year long, shore diving Program they call "The Date at 8."
All an OBP member needs to do is send an email to: [email protected], and ask to be added to the MWDC mass email list.
How does this work? Each week the MWDC sends out an email with the dive plan for that Saturday. You will receive the email sometime after Wednesday each week.
All the Club asks is that you RSVP if you plan to attend the dive(s). They can not always accept people who just show up unannounced. Typically, they dive on Cape Ann, which is Gloucester and Rockport. Gloucester has made parking anywhere in their city challenging for non-residents. The City of Rockport requires permits to use their beaches. Therefore, the Club needs to know how many people are planning to arrive and dive so they can request the appropriate number of permits and/or to plan the parking in Gloucester. If at the last moment you can not make it, that's not a problem, it's easier to over plan, than it is to under plan.
Here's the other reason you need to RSVP. If the maritime weather forecast is bad for Cape Ann, the Club will change the dive destination and this new destination is announced in the mass email. They may decide, based on the weather to go to Rhode Island, the Cape Cod sea shore, a lake on Cape Cod, New Hampshire or even Maine. They just don't want guests or members showing at the normal meeting location and wondering, where is everyone, when no one shows up because they drove somewhere else.
So first, there is zero pressure to join the Club. The Club welcomes all divers to join the Saturday dives every Saturday, all year long. Yes, they dive all year.
Next, the first time you go, they request you arrive between 7:15 AM to 7:30 AM and bring your diver certification card (sometimes called your "C" Card). Without proof you are a diver, you will not be allowed to participate. The Club representative will also take a copy of your "C" Card and require you to fill out a release of liability form. You are now good to dive with the Club all you want for the year and for free. The Club does require a new release of liability form to be signed annually.
Where do they meet? They "normally" meet in the parking lot of the Burger King or BK on MA Rt 128 North in the Rest Stop called the "Beverly Service Plaza," it's only a couple of hundred yards past Exit 46. You'll easily see all the cars and people standing around. If you're in the mood, people will start to arrive as early as 7 AM, some like to drink coffee, some eat breakfast and some enjoy the social aspect of the event. Normally they ask everyone to arrive by 7:30 AM.
The first thing they do is analyze and discuss the weather, then look at who wishes to accomplish what on the day's dive? Lobster hunt, take photos, some enjoying studying nature, beach and/or dive site clean ups, some train or practice skills, especially in the spring if they are not winter divers and of course...Fun Diving! Then they try to pair everyone up and match these dive teams to the correct dive site(s) available for that day.
The designated Club representative for that day and usually for each dive site will then brief up their dive site and make sure everyone is comfortable for the day.
Another really nice feature of the Club, is that there are almost always instructors and divemasters present to help out any new divers or divers that are new to the dive site(s) for that day.
Then hopefully at precisely at 8 AM (henceforth the name, The Date at 8) everyone departs to go diving and have fun.
Hopefully everyone in OBP sees this for what it is, an awesome opportunity for our OBP members to get in a ton of Fun Diving all year long. With time, these diving opportunities will catch on within OBP and then we can create All-OBP dive groups within the The Date at 8.
MWDC looks forward to seeing you underwater!
All an OBP member needs to do is send an email to: [email protected], and ask to be added to the MWDC mass email list.
How does this work? Each week the MWDC sends out an email with the dive plan for that Saturday. You will receive the email sometime after Wednesday each week.
All the Club asks is that you RSVP if you plan to attend the dive(s). They can not always accept people who just show up unannounced. Typically, they dive on Cape Ann, which is Gloucester and Rockport. Gloucester has made parking anywhere in their city challenging for non-residents. The City of Rockport requires permits to use their beaches. Therefore, the Club needs to know how many people are planning to arrive and dive so they can request the appropriate number of permits and/or to plan the parking in Gloucester. If at the last moment you can not make it, that's not a problem, it's easier to over plan, than it is to under plan.
Here's the other reason you need to RSVP. If the maritime weather forecast is bad for Cape Ann, the Club will change the dive destination and this new destination is announced in the mass email. They may decide, based on the weather to go to Rhode Island, the Cape Cod sea shore, a lake on Cape Cod, New Hampshire or even Maine. They just don't want guests or members showing at the normal meeting location and wondering, where is everyone, when no one shows up because they drove somewhere else.
So first, there is zero pressure to join the Club. The Club welcomes all divers to join the Saturday dives every Saturday, all year long. Yes, they dive all year.
Next, the first time you go, they request you arrive between 7:15 AM to 7:30 AM and bring your diver certification card (sometimes called your "C" Card). Without proof you are a diver, you will not be allowed to participate. The Club representative will also take a copy of your "C" Card and require you to fill out a release of liability form. You are now good to dive with the Club all you want for the year and for free. The Club does require a new release of liability form to be signed annually.
Where do they meet? They "normally" meet in the parking lot of the Burger King or BK on MA Rt 128 North in the Rest Stop called the "Beverly Service Plaza," it's only a couple of hundred yards past Exit 46. You'll easily see all the cars and people standing around. If you're in the mood, people will start to arrive as early as 7 AM, some like to drink coffee, some eat breakfast and some enjoy the social aspect of the event. Normally they ask everyone to arrive by 7:30 AM.
The first thing they do is analyze and discuss the weather, then look at who wishes to accomplish what on the day's dive? Lobster hunt, take photos, some enjoying studying nature, beach and/or dive site clean ups, some train or practice skills, especially in the spring if they are not winter divers and of course...Fun Diving! Then they try to pair everyone up and match these dive teams to the correct dive site(s) available for that day.
The designated Club representative for that day and usually for each dive site will then brief up their dive site and make sure everyone is comfortable for the day.
Another really nice feature of the Club, is that there are almost always instructors and divemasters present to help out any new divers or divers that are new to the dive site(s) for that day.
Then hopefully at precisely at 8 AM (henceforth the name, The Date at 8) everyone departs to go diving and have fun.
Hopefully everyone in OBP sees this for what it is, an awesome opportunity for our OBP members to get in a ton of Fun Diving all year long. With time, these diving opportunities will catch on within OBP and then we can create All-OBP dive groups within the The Date at 8.
MWDC looks forward to seeing you underwater!
RHODE ISLAND VET CENTER SHORE DIVES
The Rhode Island Vet Center (Warwick) and OBP arranged for, and funded, shore dives last spring/summer at Fort Wetherill, Jamestown, Rhode Island. This is an opportunity to continue your diving skills and build your dive community. If you are not dive certified, OBP and the Vet Center have options available for certification.
The schedule will be available shortly and keep an eye on this page for scheduling and other information about the program.
Vet Center eligibility is required.
For further information, please feel free to contact Paul Santilli, LICSW, Vet Center, 2038 Warwick Avenue, Warwick, RI 02889, 401-739-0167.
The schedule will be available shortly and keep an eye on this page for scheduling and other information about the program.
Vet Center eligibility is required.
For further information, please feel free to contact Paul Santilli, LICSW, Vet Center, 2038 Warwick Avenue, Warwick, RI 02889, 401-739-0167.