The waters may not be Caribbean blue, but experienced divers know that Cape Ann’s rocky coastline contains New England-style rewards. So strap on a scuba tank and wade in. While others paddle and power overhead, making their way above the whipping waves, linger and explore in the cool waters. (Wearing, of course, a 7-millimeter-thick wet suit.) On summer weekends, experts from Cape Ann Divers lead free guided dives from the shore for certified divers at any of more than a dozen points. Dive to 70 feet off Cathedral Rocks, or see the stripers swim during summer off Cape Hedge. Good lobstering for those with quick hands, and a permit, is to be had off Salt Island and Bass Rocks. Or see the deteriorating state of the Chester Poling, an oil tanker sunk off Gloucester Harbor in the 1970s, or the Nina T, a trawler that followed less than a decade ago. Not certified? Cape Ann Divers offers a multiday course in pool and ocean “classrooms.” And for those looking for more adventure, two boats are ready to take divers farther offshore. – Tom Haines

Cape Ann Divers, 127 Eastern Avenue, Gloucester; group certification course, $250; half-day offshore trip, $75 per diver; 978-281-8082; capeanndivers.com