Hathaway's Pond

Hathaway's Pond is a twenty-acre reclaimed trout pond in Barnstable, Massachusetts, a kettle hole used by divers all year. It is a beach dive, with entry from the small parking area to the right or from the main swimming beach. Stay out of the roped-off swim area in summer. No power boats are allowed, but you still need to fly a divers flag. It is used for student certification dives and by classes on windy days when the ocean is rough, it can get very crowded on weekends when ocean sites are blown out, and it is good for winter ice diving.

The bottom is sand with rocks around the edge and short grasses to about 25 feet (7.6 m), with silt below that. Maximum depth is around 58 feet (18 m). A 35-foot (11 m) cabin cruiser, the Field & Sea, was sunk on purpose in 1979 and sits upright at about 30 feet (9 m). It is safe to enter and swim through. A stolen car also rests on the bottom at about 30 feet, and a wooden diver's platform sits at about 20 feet (6 m), 70 feet (21 m) off the swimming beach.

Trout, bass, sunfish, perch and catfish are plentiful in the summer months, and the pond is stocked with trout every year. Take care around the sunken boat and car, and watch for broken glass on and near the shoreline.