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Point Pleasant Rail Road Bridge - Point Pleasant NJ


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Point Pleasant Rail Road Bridge is a shore accessible salt water dive site, located at Broadway, Point Pleasant, NJ. This dive site has an average rating of 3.50 out of 5 from 4 scuba divers. The maximum depth is 21-25ft/6-8m. The average visibility is 31-35ft/9-11m.

The best place to dive in the Manasquan River is the Railroad Bridge at Gull Island Park, which is set up specifically for divers. (The west half, the east half is for fishermen) This location is used heavily for training dives, but if you can avoid the crowds it can be a very interesting spot, with a wide variety of marine life. Powerful tidal currents will limit your dive time, but otherwise there are no time restrictions, unlike the inlet. Have to dive during slack high tide time. Its an easy dive but sometimes the current is strong so watch the tide tables. You might find something, but odds are you wont.

To get away from the students and find clearer water go west under the bridge which means the tide will need to be almost slack, watch out for fishing lines coming down from the bridge! Then work north along the railroad causeway, I usually go north shallow and then return deeper. The bricks are from the old bridge and were made in Bricktown :) Do not go under the marina or wander into the north channel.

There is a Port-o-John in the parking lot, one picnic table that is usually grabbed by some instructor for his class but plenty of grass to set up on. A 7-11 across the street for snacks but if you want a sit down meal, Spikes next door has been voted one of the best seafood dives (not that kind of dive) on the Jersey shore. There is a bait shop at the other end of Channel Drive that does air fills

§ 13:82-3.17 Diving and swimming

(a) General provisions with respect to diving and swimming are as follows:

1. Underwater diving with or without an underwater apparatus is permitted in all navigable waters in New Jersey unless otherwise prohibited in this section.

2. Any person while diving shall mark his or her position with a buoyed flag:

i. Such flag shall be displayed so that it is visible all around the horizon from a buoy, float, boat or other floating object;

ii. Such flag shall be a minimum of 14 inches by 16 inches, shall be rigid to enhance visibility and shall be a red background with a white diagonal stripe running from one corner to the other.

3. No person shall operate a vessel within 50 feet of the buoyed flag.

4. No person shall display a flag at times other than when diving is in progress.

5. No person shall swim or dive in a narrow, confined or improved channel or in a marked fairway, under a bridge, or impede, obstruct or interfere with passage of watercraft therein.

6. No diver shall surface more than 25 feet from the buoyed flag except in an emergency

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Comments

ChristopherBurgert - 3/18/2022 9:07 AM
I started scuba diving here last year, and it’s become my favorite spot.
BeekeeperGreg - 7/26/2015 5:00 AM
I went scuba diving here on 7/25/2015. Average viz: Under 5ft/2m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
Vis was only 3’ at slack high
BeekeeperGreg - 9/14/2014 5:15 PM
My wife and I dove today. Even with two different classes about 12 divers, still a good dive only crossed paths with other divers once. Water had a little slit but vis 5-10’. Water temp 73. Saw a few tropical fish and loads of native fish. Also the Warfside patio bar has good cheeseburgers for $10, overlooks the bay just down the road from Atlantic Spear and Scuba shop on Channel drive.
BeekeeperGreg - 9/03/2014 8:00 PM
Rating Added: 3
Must dive high slack tide
The six times I’ve been there the vis is 5-10’
Different fish every time, parking is really close
Free parking and no fees.
LatitudeAdjustment - 10/10/2011 10:30 AM


As you can see from the photo the site is used by instructors and rescue units on weekends who silt up the area in front on the beach, best option is to swim under the bridge and explore amonge the bricks along the railroad causeway however ever since they built the new bridge the current under the bridge has increased.


Stay near the causeway, there is a new channel from the marina to the river and you don’t want to get under boat traffic!


Dive needs to be at high slack tide however the tide tables can be off as much as 40 minutes here.