New England Aquarium Dive Club Events
Join us for a variety of events during the year from our big Great Annual Fish Count to beach cleanups, our Boston Sea Rovers booth and more.
Dry Dive/Beach Cleanups
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Join the dive club for a full day tour of the best dive sites on Cape Ann! We will be driving all over Rockport, Gloucester, and the surrounding areas doing our annual “Dry Drive” and clean up on Cape Ann. This is a great chance for divers new to the area, newer cold water divers, and any other interested divers, to learn the ins and outs of local dive sites including entrance/exit tips, parking and more. Our club practices “we clean up each dive” and a beach cleanup is done at each dive site visited. A lunch stop is also planned along the way and we will plan for dinner at the end.
Register for the next event.
Monthly Shore Dives
Learn More about the Monthly Shore DiveNEADC shore dives are conducted typically once a month. These dives are usually at a more accessible site, on Cape Ann and is a great way to get into New England diving if you are new to the club. It is a chance to meet your fellow club-members and experience some of New England’s best dive sites.
Monthly Boat Dives
Learn more about NEADC Boat DivesThe NEADC partners with local dive charters to offer boat dives typically once a month. Experience New England diving without having to carry your gear across the beach.
The boats fills up quickly so make sure to reserve your spot ASAP!
Great Annual Fish Count
July 18, 2026
Learn more about the GAFC belowEach year, the New England Aquarium Dive Club partners with REEF for this fun event! New England divers turn out in record numbers to help researchers by surveying fish populations. Count fish and win prizes!
View The Flyer
Visit us at Boston Sea Rovers!
Come visit us at Boston Sea Rovers
March 14 &15, 2026!
Each year the NEADC has a booth in the Exhibit Hall and we do a group dinner on Saturday between the Daytime talks and the Evening Film Festival! The NEADC is also a proud sponsor of the Boston Sea Rovers Internship each year.
Great Annual Fish Count
Count fish and win prizes! Each July, the New England Aquarium Dive Club sponsors the GAFC in partnership with REEF. New England divers turn out in record numbers to help researchers by surveying fish populations. After the dives, we gather at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester for door prizes and a BBQ!
Before the Event
GAFC Pre-RegistrationDonate PrizesInterested in coordinating a site?
Sign up for a REEF number
Participants need to have a REEF Member # prior to the day of the event. A REEF member # is required in order to submit a survey and get a door prize ticket. Already a member? Log in to look up your REEF Member number.
Pre-Register for the event
You must pre-register for the event AND submit a survey in order to be eligible for the door prizes. Most dives begin at 8 am, with any Maine dives starting at 7am. Sites with Coordinators are listed on the registration page. Register below to sign up for a dive. If there are any questions, email Greg Hunter, NEADC VP.
Fill out your REEF survey
Pre-fill it out the survey on your phone (must save the survey number) or at the event. Any dives in July count for a prize entry. Only one prize entry per diver (no matter the number of surveys).
BBQ!
Bring your own bottle to help the ocean: Water, lemonade, and ice tea will be available for free!
BBQ: There will be food tickets available for a reasonable rate. We will start serving lunch at 11am, with the group photo at 2:30pm followed by the door prize drawing.
Group Photo
Join us for the group photo at 2:30 pm before the prize drawing.
Great prizes!
The Prize drawing includes a big range of prizes by many different donors. Examples have included dive and photo gear, dive charters, jewelry and a wide range of other dive and non-dive related prizes. When your number is called, pick your prize!
Must be present to win (or have someone designated to pick up your prize.) Prizes will not be mailed out.
Donations are tax deductable! Contact us if you are interested in donating. Prizes do not need to be dive related!
To Pre-Register for a GAFC Dive Site
We are also looking for site coordinators ! If you’re an organization, dive shop, or even an individual who wants to help coordinate a dive site for the event, let us know. Site coordinators don’t need to lead the dives or even enter the water, they check off names of registered divers, and makes sure the waivers are filled out. Contact us if you’d like to help out. Non-diver site coordinators also get a free prize ticket!
1
Locate your REEF ID
A REEF member # is required in order to submit a survey and get a door prize ticket.
Already a member? Log in at REEF.org to look up your Member number. If the email lookup is not working, email data at reef.org and they can look up the number.
2
Select a Dive Site
Review the list of Dive sites
3
Pre-Register
Pick a Dive site and register. This also allows us to have a head count for food so please register event if diving another day.
4
DIVE & Celebrate!
Most divers dive the day of the event. However surveys done earlier in the week/month can count for a prize ticket if the survey number is provided.
Fantastic Prizes!
We have some amazing prizes this year from sponsors all over New England, with more added every day! This year’s donors include:
Andy Martinez/Marine Life of the North Atlantic
Aquatic Specialties Dive Shop
Backscatter
Boston Sea Rovers
Christina’s Ocean
East Coast Divers
Festive Fish
Joy Marzolf/The Joys of Nature
New England Aquarium
Spicy Shark
Ted Maney/UMass
Undersea Divers
Stage Fort Park
The GAFC will be held at the Stage Fort Park Visitors Center, and parking is right across the street. There are two beaches suitable for diving – Half Moon Beach, and Cressy Beach. Locations are on the map below.
Please Note: Parking is $40 unless you are a Gloucester resident. You must book your parking space in advance. The City of Gloucester is using Blinkay to handle parking payments. Payment will not be accepted at the parking lot.
Visit the Blinkay website or download the mobile app from the App Store or Google Play Store. Once you can create a new account or login, you will need to enter your vehicle’s information, beach, pass type, and date of your visit.
When you arrive at the parking lot, attendants will check your your license plate to confirm your registration.
For more information visit the city of Gloucester Beach Information page.
Tax Deductable Donations!
Are you a dive shop, business owner or individual who would like to donate one or more prizes? Prizes can be dive or non-dive related. Previous prizes have included dive and photography gear, gift certificates (including for restaurants) and more. All prizes are fully tax deductable. Donors have different donation level options available. All donors are thanked on our website, social media and at the event.
Contact us to Donate