Hi Mullannix and welcome to the forum.
Bottle hunting underwater is a great hobby. I've been diving since I was twelve and I'll be 60 in May. I still love getting into the water. I'm also a commercial diver, so I make my living underwater for the most part. I've been actively bottle hunting for 14 years and I have a few suggestions for you.
Get together with A couple of divers that share your interest and have a similar experience level. It is a must to have a partner to go with. Don't dive alone. Don't get so caught up in the bottle hunt or dig, that you run your tank down to zero! I know a couple of guys that have done this and now the dive shop one guy was going to won't fill his tanks!
Most of your bottle finds will be near the shore, in the embankment, so plan on digging, stirring up the mud and dirt, reducing your visibility. You will usually find fallen trees, tree trunks, tires, cars, brush frames, bicycles and all kinds of trash to move or dig around. A lot of opportunity for underwater hang-ups and entanglements Wear real good gloves... The glass shards can cut you terribly and you may not feel it until you surface. Your hands can get so cold, you may not feel the injury underwater. I could go on, but I've taken up too much time already.
As far as finding places to dive, remember that people back then (mid 1800's and up) did the easiest thing possible, so if a house was close to a river, pond, lake the trash went into the water. Look for old houses, old foundations, old docks, pilings, ramps, hotels, ferry landings. On many old maps, you can find street names such as "Ferry road" "Old ferry landing" "landing road" "Water Street" these names were associated with the old use of that particular road/way and the name was continued over the years.
Look for debris along the bank of the river, old cans, cars, junk and broken bottle pieces (shards) can be a good idea of where to start looking. Old railroad bridges, abutments, paths and crossings are good sometimes. Go to the local historical society and start asking questions. Most of them are manned by older volunteers and they love to talk. Old maps, historical maps, Sanborn maps, geological survey maps will be of utmost importance. Old postcards, photos and books of your area of interest will help as well. In the end, keep a file on the places you have researched and try to keep a log of what you found and where you found it.
Finally, I don't know what your experience level is, but never "over dive" your comfort/experience level. So if you are not accustomed to diving in strong current, don't. Low on air, don't go back in. A good rule of thumb is, if the hair on the back of your neck goes up, your body is trying to tell you something (police officers call it that "hinky feeling"). Rethink your dive plan and proceed with caution. Hope I've answered some of your questions and that I've given you a few tips and things to think about. Be safe, Stay safe, Dive safe... and take a lot of pictures! We want to see what you find.
Wayne,
Southern Maine Diver
