BEACH 6th-9th STREET

DIRECTIONS:                                          (Far Rockaway, Nassau County)

Take Sunrise Highway into the town of Lynbrook; turn south onto Broadway and continue. Broadway will change into Empire Avenue. Drive south, cross over Seagrit Boulevard and turn left on Seagrit Avenue. Then turn right on Beach 8th Street and take it to the end. Parking is usually not a problem, and at worst there will be a short walk. Please note that parking and water access can also be found on Beach 6th and  Beach 9th Street.

CONDITIONS:

This site had been privately owned and operated. A small fee was charged for parking but the owners provide fenced in and guarded parking, showers, rinse tanks, and rest rooms. (see update listed below) Free access to the area is still available on Beach 6th. Water entry is easy at Beach 8th & 9th Street. Just walk across the beach and jump in. There are two or three small jetties jutting out from the beach. I usually enter the water and swim along the jetty in front of Beach 8th Street. The depth drops off very quickly to about 25 feet, only 30 feet off the beach. There are a few rock piles where blackfish and an occasional sand shark, or striped bass can be seen. According to Peter Nawrocky, a local underwater photographer and instructor, this site is excellent for macro photography. He reports visibility to be as good as 30 feet on good days.

Keep in mind that you are right in the Atlantic Beach Inlet, and the current can be quite strong if you swim out too far. Most of the fish stay close to the jetties, and I recommend that divers do the same. This spot is also used for fishing, so bring a sharp dive knife, as lost monofilament line can cause snags.

According to Captain Steve Bielenda, a local diving instructor, there is a submerged jetty a little bit west of Beach 8th Street just off Beach 9th Street. This area is a little less known, and therefore should be a more lucrative hunting ground for divers in search of lobsters.

My friend, Mike McMeekin, told me that once while diving here about 20 years ago, he spotted a shiny object lying amongst the mussels off a jetty slightly east of Beach 8th Street. The object turned out to be a beautiful antique gold ring with a sapphire and two diamonds. We are not sure how the ring got here, but I am convinced that hundreds of divers swam right over it before Mike's keen eyes found the prize.

Linda Pratt from Broadway Divers e-mailed to update the information on this dive site. She reports that