Image a warm wind blowing through your hair as your stare out over clear blue water. You look into the water and can see divers descending down to some of the most incredible wrecks you have ever seen. Where am I you wonder…? Am I in the Caribbean somewhere… No you’re in North Carolina!
This is what diving the wrecks of North Carolina is like during the July and August months. It’s this time of the year that the Gulf Stream has actually moved closer to the North Carolina coast and is in reach of diving by boat. I have personally seen this and dove these wrecks and that is how I know.
This trip is for 4 days of diving, 2 dives per day, and 5 nights of lodging. The price is based on double occupancy in each room. |
|
|
TRIP Itinerary |
Sun July 20th |
Travel to North Carolina and Check into Rooms
Possible Group Meeting that night |
Mon July 21st |
2 Dives
|
Tues July 22nd |
2 Dives
|
Wed July 23rd |
2 Dives
Fish Cookout Supplemented with Burgers and Stuff (If Everyone Wants To)
|
Thus July 24th |
2 Dives
|
Fri July 25th
|
Return Home from NC
|
Trip Highlights
- Pony Bottles will be topped off with air for free as a courtesy.
- The boat is a short walk from the Motel.
- Dive Shop is where the boat is. Short walk to drop off tanks to be filled.
- All gear can be left on the boat.
- Hose and dunk tank is available at the dock to rinse gear.
- Air Fills are done at the Dive Shop which is right where the boat is.
- A large cooler with ice is provided by the boat to keep your lunch in.
|
Special note to anyone diving doubles. Due to the extended time that you will be able to stay down, in order to be fair to the other divers who are not able to stay down as long, there are some diving restrictions that are being put in place. They are as follows…
Your maximum dive time is 60 minutes (60 Minute or less time on your dive computer)
Your maximum SIT time is 1.5 hours
These limits are being put into place to keep it fair to the other divers and so that we don’t return to the dock at a very late hour.
FAQ (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS)
Q1. What are the surface temperatures like? What should I wear?
Q2. What is the water temperatures like? What should I wear to dive with?
Q3. How big of a pony/stage bottle can I bring?
Q4. Why is my deposit non-refundable?
Q5. What other expenses are there then the cost of the trip?
Q6. Are there rental tanks available?
Q7. What happens if the dive is called off due to weather?
Q8. What happens if the weather is just not real nice?
Q9. Does the boat provide lunch and drinks?
Q10. Can we drink beer on the boat?
Q11. Are there non-smoking rooms available?
Q12. Can we go to <insert wreck name here>?
Q13. Are we going to do 2 dives on 1 wreck per day?
Q14. What wrecks are we going to see?
Q1. What are the surface temperatures like? What should I wear?
A. The surface temperatures are between 80° and 90° with the average being 85°. You will be wearing mostly shorts and t-shirts. Light cloths mostly with some sweats for possible overcast days.
Q2. What is the water temperatures like? What should I wear to dive with?
A. The water temperatures are between 70° and 80° with the average being 75°. Most divers are comfortable with a 3mm wetsuit. If you tend to get cold try wearing something heavier. If you tend to be hot then a 1mm Wetsuit or dive skin. I saw guy’s diving with a 7mm farmer john but only wearing the top section.
Q3. How big of a pony/stage bottle can I bring?
A. Weight on the boat is the key issue here. A pony/stage bottle is smaller then an 80 cuft bottle. If you plan to use a pony/stage bottle that is 80 cuft or larger please let me know. I will do what I can to make arrangements for it. Only 1 pony/stage bottle per diver is allowed.
Q4. Why is my deposit non-refundable?
A. I have to commit to a number of divers and pay for those divers in full to the boat captain 45 days prior to the date we go. I can not afford to have anyone decide not to go at the last minute as this will make me liable for the cost of that missing diver.
Q5. What other expenses are there then the cost of the trip?
A. You will need money for gas / tolls, food, and air fills. You will also want to bring additional money for souvenirs and tipping the crew on the boat.
Q6. Are there rental tanks available
A. Yes. they have LP 95s steel and a few larger tanks din or yoke configuration. Cost is 17$ with a 30% Nitrox fill each and they can cover about 14 divers.
Q7. What happens if the dive is called off due to weather?
A. The captain will refund our money for that day. We will not get a blowout dive voucher. The refund will be given to each diver as soon as I get it and figure out who gets what amount.
Q8. What happens if the weather is just not real nice?
A. The captain will determine the maximum distance he can travel depending on the weather. If the weather is good enough to reach an inshore wreck then that is where we will go. It will still be a great dive but not with the blue water.
Q9. Does the boat provide lunch and drinks?
A. LOL, Ya right. The boat only provides fresh bottled drinking water if the diver forgets to bring some. The diver is responsible to bring his/her own lunch and drinking fluids. The water on the boat is for drinking. Not for rinsing gear, heads, hands, overheated bodies etc…
Q10. Can we drink beer on the boat?
A. No, This is my decision to not allow drinking on the boat even if it’s on the way back in after the second dive. As soon as we hit the dock then we’ll crack’em open together.
Q11. Are there non-smoking rooms available?
A. No, The owner of the motel explained to me that because of the limited number of rooms they have, they can not restrict any rooms to just non-smokers or smokers.
Q12. Can we go to <insert wreck name here>?
A. We have paid to go offshore which is defined as 33 miles or less offshore. There are wrecks further offshore and if we want to go see them we can for an additional $15 per person. It would have to be a unanimous decision by all divers to go before we commit to it. I will have to pay the additional fee to the captain before the boat leaves the dock.
Q13. Are we going to do 2 dives on 1 wreck per day?
A. This is up to us. The captain is more then willing to take us anywhere we want to go. After the first dive we will vote to see if we stay on the wreck or go to another wreck. Majority wins the vote.
Q14. What wrecks are we going to see?
A. These are the wrecks we want to see and are in the area where we want to go.
The U-352
A German Submarine (VII-C Class) 218 feet long was sunk April 9, 1942 by the United States Coast Guard Cutter "ICARUS". This vessel is possibly the most intact and unique wreck in this area. This is the signature dive in the Morehead City area. The maximum depth of the dive is 110 ft.
The PAPOOSE
An American Tanker 412 ft. in length was torpedoed & sunk on march 3, 1942 by the German Submarine U-124 Vessel is intact & upside down with the hull rising approx. 30 ft. off the bottom. This wreck is a breeding ground for Atlantic Sand Tiger Sharks. Depth of dive is approx. 125 ft.
The SHURTZ
A WW1 German Cruiser 225 ft. in length was captured & repatriated by the U.S. at the outbreak off the war On June 21, 1918 it sunk after colliding with the S.S. FLORIDA. Time has taken a heavy toll on this vessel. The deck cannons, boilers,& engines are the remaining structures visible making this an excellent dive. Many artifacts are still being recovered. This one of the prettiest dives South of Cape Lookout !! Depth of dive is approx. 110 ft.
The AEOLUS
An American Cable Layer 439 ft long was sunk as an "Artificial Reef" & is broken into three major sections. The bow is resting on its port side, the midsection is askew, and the stern section is sitting upright. Some sections have a relief that come within 55ft of the surface. Depth of dive is approx. 120 ft.
The ATLAS
An American Oil Tanker 430 ft. long was torpedoed & sunk by the German Sub U-552 on April 9, 1942. The vessel is upright & semi-intact as it is broken into 3 pcs. with the upper pcs. of structure rising to within 90 ft. of the surface. This wreck host a large group of Atlantic Sand Tiger sharks, but visibility may be less than what is found on the southside wrecks. Depth of dive is approx. 125 ft.
The CARIBE SEA
An American Freighter251 ft. long was torpedoed & sunk by the German Sub U-158. The wreck is upright but attack by depth charges during the war years has leveled most of the wreck except for the Bow section. This is one of the best dives in the area with a small contingent of Atlantic Sand Tiger sharks that seem to have made this wreck their home!! Captain Bobby Cox recovered a porthole swing plate off of this wreck. Artifacts are still being recovered off this wreck. The depth of dive is approx. 80 ft.
|
