Pete's Southern Maine Regional Dive Site Guide
Parsons Beach, Kennebunk (skin-dive site)

Located off route 9 in Kennebunk is Parsons Beach. I do not suggest this as a scuba site. The walk to the beach is a path of very soft loose sand and looks like too much of a chore. If you should try it let me know what you find. There are some ledges and interesting sights but the large marsh empties via the left (north) end of the beach with strong currents and potential visibility issues. If you want a long, relaxing and interesting skin dive this is the place though. Try to park near the bridge and for a 2 hour dive arrive early enough to get into the water 1 hour before high tide. The bridge and it's abutments forms a slight reversing falls as the marsh cannot fill up fast enough on the rising tide and then cannot empty fast enough on the falling tide. Enter from the ocean side of the bridge 1 hour before high tide and you will get flushed under the bridge and up into the marsh. Now just go with the current and take your time looking for small life and enjoying the ride. It's a dive on a September day when the seas have been kicked up by a hurricane or other storm. The water is still warm and it's sheltered. At high tide turn around and work your way back. Pay attention to where you go. Once you are down in the mash canals you really can't see much and things start to look the same. Be prepared to get flushed out this time as you go under the bridge. There is a small beach over to the right where you can exit and walk back to the road.

This Dive Site at a Glance: SCUBA: No SKIN-DIVE: Yes PARKING: Free TOILETS: None TIDE: High SEASONS: Ice out EXPOSURE: N/A ENTRY/EXIT: Easy FOOD: None GPS: 43.346298,-70.518794 Google Maps accepts GPS points. Here is a view of the parking area and walk to the site This is shown at low tide. At high tide the canals of the estuary are much more defined but this shows the approximate course.

Marine Life of the North Atlantic Diver Down Maine Atlas & Gazetteer The Certified Divers Handbook Neutral Buoyancy Scuba Diving