Trip Report Morehead City with Olympus Dive Center Aug. 9-13, 2015 Trip report

[drrich2]

Sand Tiger Shark at the wreck of the Caribsea
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Thanks be to God for a fine trip diving the wrecks with sand tiger sharks off North Carolina’s coast, the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic,’ and to those who post good info. online to help people like me. This trip took a lot of research. I found several sources with some of what I needed to know, but none with everything. I struggled with how to write this trip report…just a basic report vs. an introductory guide to the area based on my research, others’ online posts & my 5 days diving it? What’s the best way to help others have the good time I did, & decide if it’s the destination for them?

I decided on a hybrid approach. I’ll open with what I cobbled together from other sources about the place and some of the issues involved in diving there. I'll hyperlink to the thread & give you a post # when I directly use someone else's content, for reference & citation (I originally paraphrased to give a smoother read, but switched to more quotes due to fear I'd be accused of plagiarism). Then I’ll lay out my costs & arrangements for the trip, then discuss the trip. If you just want a trip report, cut to that and 'Bam!,’ you’re done! I'll use pics a bit randomly to break up the text.

Wreck of the U-352
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An Introductory Guide to some North Carolina Diving*​

*Disclaimer: I’ve only been once, dove 5 days with one op., & I’m drawing on info. I’ve gleaned from other sources, posting here publicly where overt errors can be corrected by the more knowledgable. User beware & verify elsewhere.

North Carolina.

North Carolina is a famous continental U.S. dive destination known for wreck diving with sand tiger sharks (link to a page on them). The state has an irregular/jagged coastline and offshore a long narrow barrier island chain forms a ‘land wall’ running roughly parallel to the mainland, which has 2 ’sounds’ (inland waterways). Looking at a map, on that island string a bit under halfway down southward from the north border, is Cape Hatteras, a bend in Hatteras Island. Off the coast of N.C. is part of the region known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, where several hundred+ ship wrecks occurred, some via U-Boats in World War II.

Down south a good deal and back on the mainland are Morehead City and Beaufort. Further down south, not all that far from the southern border, is Wilmington.

Atlantic City Beach, near Morehead City
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The Labrador Current (cold) flows out of the north southward, and the Gulf Stream (warm) flows out of the south heading north. They collide roughly 2/3rd of the way up North Carolina, both turning to head out into the Atlantic. So south of that point, the same gulf stream that provides warm water and good+ viz. to Jupiter & West Palm Beach in Florida offers similar benefits to North Carolina divers south of Cape Hatteras. I think this is why you see fewer dive op.s & trip reports from Nags Head and plenty from Hatteras, Morehead City and Wilmington.

Packman (Post #15):

South of CapeHatteras, the majority of our offshore wrecks (20+ nm out) reside in the Gulf Stream. This gives us the same clear water (on average) and tropical critters as in Florida. When you move closer in to shore and out of the Gulf Stream, the average water clarity begins to drop. At Hatteras, the Gulf Stream turns out to sea and north of there, you are in the remnants of the Labrador Current. Here, you will generally find murkier and colder water.

That being said, it is the open ocean so the weather and water conditions are highly variable.

Steve_C (Post #9) noted:

For us the water gets warmer as you go out due to Gulf Stream in the winter. It is the reverse in the summer with the inshore warmer. The iffy part is the weather.

Unlike the tropics water temp.s are not constant; it gets cold in winter & spring (see ‘When Boats Go Out,’ below).

Morehead City:
Pop. 8,661 in 2010 census. Steve_C (Post #9) noted:

The Morehead area has three parts split by bridges. There is Morehead with port and lots of seafood restaurants and charter boats, etc. There is Atlantic Beach which is a barrier island full of beach homes and a nice old fort and there is Beaufort. Beaufort is a historic little town on the intercoastal waterway. Waterfront looks onto an island with wild ponies. B and B s and good food. Sitting at a table on the waterfront, watching the sun set, a cold beer, and looking at wild ponies. Romantic Charm Central.

Type of Diving:

Mainly boat diving. North - wrecks. South - wrecks and ledges. Long rides out (e.g.: often 2 hour each way). For full day charters (2-tank, offshore) with Olympus Dive Center, arrive at 6 a.m., depart at 7 p.m., return ~ 3 - 4 p.m. A lot of the diving is deep & nitrox commonly used. The preferred diving is ‘offshore’ - farther out with warmer water & better viz., but bad weather or other concerns can redirect you inshore, so bring exposure protection that can handle cooler water.

Steve_C (Post #4) noted:

Actually there are two kinds of diving out of NC. Wrecks and Ledges. Morehead is primarily wreck diving. Wilmington is a mix of wrecks and ledges. Aquatic Safaris does both for 8 months of the year.

Our shore and bottom is generally sand with a silt load close to shore. But we deepen slowly. It is only 100 ft deep 20 miles from shore. As this sandy bottom goes out every now and then it hits a rock ledge. The ledges can run for a mile or more and often have a drop of 10-20 ft. The ledge is usually undercut with lots of cracks and crevices. This is a major attractant for corals, sponges, and all sort of marine life. In other words they are like deep reefs. Going out from wilmington the first of the big ledges is 23 mile ledge. Top is around 85 and bottom around 100. A little further out is Sue's ledge at 26 miles. Top at 90 and bottom at say 105. Dove Sue's last week. Had well over 70 ft of viz. Loads of marine life. Gorgeous dive.

DA Aquamaster (Post #4) noted:

The Indra also sees a great deal of traffic from Olympus, as it's more or less their standard inshore dive when the waves get too large. As an inshore wreck it's labrador current diving and you'll want to plan on 65-70 degree water temps and 20ft visibility on the rough days when it's used as an alternate.

What I recall from my trip was offshore wrecks tended to be around 120 feet (give or take) to the sand, with the wreck structure atop that, but much of the main portion of the dive was roughly in the 90 - 110 foot range.

Lorenzoid of a July 2012 weekend trip (Post #11) noted:

Also, this was my first experience diving with a boat full of people who appeared much more prepared than your average tropical vacation diver. If I recall, everyone had at least a pony bottle, and some had doubles/sidemount, and one rebreather. I didn't see a single jacket-style BC. The crew gave a serious dive briefing--no joking around like I've seen in the Caribbean. Overall, a very interesting and motivational experience.

Note: In my 5 days diving, I saw a mix of BP/W & jacket BCDs, & ponies were in the minority (but present). The only doubles I recall were on one of the guides, but I didn't look for them. I agree it seems like a fairly seasoned customer base.

DVanKirk (Post #2) suggested a dive tourist start with Morehead/Beaufort as they offer the most wrecks with the highest amount of success, whereas Nags Head & Hatteras offer dives that can sometimes be a little harder to get to offshore due to weather & currents.

ShoreDiving.com lists 8 shore dive sites in N.C.

A good thread on considering an August 2013 Morehead trip.

When Boats Go Out:

This is the Atlantic Ocean, not the Caribbean, so sea conditions are not so predictably calm and a planned boat trip is subject to get ‘blown out’ (cancelled due to bad weather). Waves may be larger than Caribbean divers are used to, making rougher boat rides & more difficult ladder exits from dives (neither was an issue on my trip). It is subject to seasonal risk of tropical storms and hurricanes. When possible, schedule enough dive days that one or two cancelled trips won’t ruin your vacation.

Tortuga James (who runs Tortuga Charters, a 6-pack charter boat out of Morehead City) noted for people planning a trip well in advance, late May - August offer the best chances of nice weather; September & October tend to offer the best conditions underwater, but are riskier to plan in advance. He doesn’t accept charters from Dec. - March 31st. Steve_C noted out of Wilmington boats run from early April to late October.

Seasonal Patterns:
Tortuga James’ input (Post #12):

Too many variables to predict on any given future day (and that goes for next week as well as next year).

But here are some common patterns.

March.... forget about it. Windiest month of the year.

April... Starting to get nice but water is still in the high 60's. Cold fronts still dominate the weather patterns. Usually one every 7-10 days. As the front approaches the wind howls SW for 24-36 hours the as it crosses the wind goes NW then NE for another 24-36 hours. Following the NE blow the wind shifts south and we have some nice days before the next one.

May- Cold fronts are coming with less frequency, but the same pattern exists but with longer stretches of warm nice days. Water temps are in the low 70's

June- Great month. Water has now reached mid 70's, days are long and the sun is bright. The cold fronts stop coming by the end of the month. Many long stretches of nice weather.

July- The hot air is here. Water temps climb to near 80. The Bermuda High dominates the weather pattern. A steady SW flow blows all month. Some days it is too windy to go out, but most days are just normal rough conditions. Visibility is usually excellent. Diving is great but the boating not so much.

August- The summer doldrums set in. Diving is great and we have many calm, hot days. The biggest weather threats are now tropical storms. By the end of the month we are watching the tropics for approaching hurricanes.

September- Hurricane season is in full force. They say that during the season the weather is great unless there is a hurricane. Very true. Great diving, warm (almost hot) water and generally some of the best visibility of the year unless a storm has just passed. Risky but you could have some of the best dives of your life if you get lucky.

October- Storm season is winding down and the cold fronts are starting. SW winds before the fronts are a little stronger than in the spring, but it is the same process. Nice weather follows after the front is well on its way. Tropical lows and hurricanes can still impact the weather. Still some of the best diving of the year if you catch it right. Water temps are still in the high 70's.

November- Cold fronts control the weather. Locals love this time of year. The water is still warm and the air can be too on a lot of days. Some of my best trips have been Thanksgiving weekend.

December- February- the diving can be good but the water is in the 60's and the air chilly, even on the best of days. Too risky to plan more than a day or 2 out. I don't even accept charters from December through March 31st.

There you have it. If I had to sum it up for those of you trying to plan well in advance, I would say late May through late June and August are your best chances of nice weather. July is good but bumpy. I think September through late October are the best conditions underwater, but a little risky to plan way ahead.

Having said all that, you could get the most perfect 4 day stretch or totally blown out in any month of the year. These are just general weather patterns for reference only. I make no warranties that what I have described is what you will experience when you get here. But get here, it is INCREDIBLE diving.

 

[drrich2]

Dive Op.s:

Tourist diving NC entails getting a hotel room, renting a condo. (e.g.: VRBO.com), etc…, & driving to a dive boat for your trip. I’ve not found any ‘dive resorts’ (e.g.: Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire) or live-aboards serving the area, so you’ll need a vehicle. Olympus Dive Center has a Dive Lodge within 2 blocks, basic (32 bunks spread over 5 rooms, bring your own linens (e.g.: sleeping bag), pillowcase & towel) but cheap for one person (be mindful it’s often not much to add people to a hotel room, so small groups may prefer packing into one). I chose the Hampton Inn (with family in tow; mention you're with Olympus Dive Center for a discount).

I’ll profile Olympus Dive Center since that’s who I dove with, based on a strong positive reputation on ScubaBoard, Trip Advisor and UnderCurrent. ODC is in Morehead City, has a big dive shop, can service equipment, & has 2 big boats (Olympus - 65’, 19 knot, max. 25 passenger, and the Midnight Express - 48’, 19 knot, max. 18 passenger) and 1 6 pack boat (Thomas S - 35’, 20 knot, max. 6). They offer a range of charter trip types (e.g.: full, full shallow, half-day, extended day, technical & night diving). They have gear rental including 80 & 100 cf air & nitrox tanks; I learned from staff they bank EAN 30% and have a few steel 120 cf tanks for rent. To book a charter you pay full price up front, but can reschedule or take a full refund until 30 days prior to the trip, and tanks are rented day-by-day due the risk of bad weather causing cancellations. A guide is $35 for a day (& you may be sharing with others). Buddy diving is required but they can pair you with someone if needed.

Olympus Dive Center - Trip Advisor Page. You can also read trip reports on SB & at Undercurrent. I’ve read Discovery Dive Center is similar & serves the same general niche.

Tortuga Charters (SB member Tortuga James’ operation) is a well-spoken of op. with a 31’ 6 pack boat available to charter. Located at Morehead City. Their website has a lot of info. & is worth your time.

Aquatic Safari (operates out of Wilmington) was very positively spoken of. Atlantis IV - a premium charter boat noted by tbone1004 (Post #2) as the hands-down best charter boat on the coast, if you can get a seat. Per their website 46’ long, 16’ wide, probably the most comfortable dive boat on the east coast. They take some individual bookings to fill existing charters.

Non-Diving Things To Do:

Trip Advisor Listing for Coastal North Carolina

Some items of note.1.) North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores - (One of 3 locations with a North Carolina Aquarium).

Both shots taken at the Fort Fisher location, not Pine Knolls.

2.) Fort Macon State Park - with a 19th century Civil War fort. During summer they do Civil War re-enactments.

3.) History Place - small museum covering local history and coastal culture. Someone said might take an hour to see.

4.) Dragonfly Parasail in Atlantic Beach (close to Morehead).

Online Resources:

1.) NC Divers - has a local forum, an extensive dive shop list, a list of area dive clubs.

2.) BFDC - a club with substantial info. online. Particularly useful is their North Carolina Shipwrecks page with links to individual wreck info. Plenty of detail; some list GPS coordinates.

3.) Alert Diver Article.

4.) Old thread on Morehead vs. Hatteras.

5.) DiveSpots.com - North Carolina.

Using Travel Math to find airports near Morehead City, NC.

International airports near Morehead City, NC

163 miles: Raleigh, NC (RDU / KRDU) Raleigh-Durham International Airport
173 miles: Myrtle Beach, SC (MYR / KMYR) Myrtle Beach International Airport
261 miles: Richmond, VA (RIC / KRIC) Richmond International Airport
276 miles: Charleston, SC (CHS / KCHS) Charleston International Airport
322 miles: Charlotte, NC (CLT / KCLT) Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Domestic airports near Morehead City, NC

33 miles: New Bern, NC (EWN / KEWN) Coastal Carolina Regional Airport
58 miles: Richlands, NC (OAJ / KOAJ) Albert J. Ellis Airport
80 miles: Greenville, NC (PGV / KPGV) Pitt-Greenville Airport
95 miles: Wilmington, NC (ILM / KILM) Wilmington International Airport

Local airports near Morehead City, NC

6 miles: Beaufort, NC (MRH / KMRH) Michael J. Smith Field
19 miles: Havelock, NC (NKT / KNKT) Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point

The 'Shark Room' of the wreck of the Aeolus

Some Safety Notes:

From a post by Roy Horn on Carolina Wreck Divers Facebook Page post 2-16-15.

I saw something very unusual on my last diving trip I want to share to help stress safety when doing a giant stride off a ship. The water was a bit "wavey," ok? A diver did a giant stride but did not jump very far away from the ship and apparently did not immediately swim towards the tie-line buoy. As a result, when he rose from the jump, the ship came down on him, breaking his arm. I guess what I am saying is that if the ship is kind of bouncing up and down due to the waves, jump AWAY from that thing, man!! I don't know if he was counseled to jump away and swim by the crew hand helping divers get in but bad as the result was, it could have been much worse for the guy.

The Olympus dive briefings included a recommendation to keep hold of the anchor line will you can touch the wreck; depending on conditions, not everyone did so literally. The rigging relies on some hanging lead weights than can bob up & down as the boat does; watch above you when close so you don’t get hit! I can’t speak to other dive op.s’ setups.

My Trip Report

Arrangements & Costs:

Airfare: On 2-2-15 I booked airfare out of Nashville, TN via Travelocity for $408.30 apiece (+ ~ $32 booking fee), for a total of $1,665.16. Call it $1,700. I booked to & from New Bern, a small regional airport (I saw 3 gates & 1 baggage carousel) for a short drive to Morehead City (toddler doesn’t like long car rides).

Baggage: $25 1st bag, $35 2nd, each way, & a diver with own gear has 2 bags. $120 round trip cost.

SUV Rental: Say $650 (not including gas). Maybe $750 with gas? Booking direct with rental place cheaper vs. going through Orbitz, but we used Alamo & despite pre-paying when we weren’t there within 2 hours of the pickup time they rented our vehicle out to someone else & had nothing to rent us. The counter lady contacted a shuttle to take us to the Hampton Inn in Morehead City…for $80 + tip. Wife had to take a taxi back the next day to get another rental (they did apply our money toward it; a hot orange Jeep Wrangler, quite new). They got us a discount & we actually paid closer to $590, but consider the aggravation. Note: I needed the luggage capacity traveling with wife, toddler & mother-in-law. You can get a car cheaper.

Hotel: ~ $1,100 for a water-view 2-queen bed (with microwave & mini fridge) room at the Hampton Inn Morehead City for 3 adults & a toddler, free breakfast (starts serving at 6 a.m. so too late if you’ve diving mornings with Olympus Dive Center, but they put out breakfast to-go bags & you can grab a couple free - a muffin, apple, 2 small bars like mini-pop tarts, some candy & a bottle of water).

Diving: 5 Full Day Charters, $130/apiece, $650. (For 10 dives on big boats, roughly 1 1/2 - 2 hour ride out aiming to dive an off-shore wreck, then an off-shore or in-shore wreck; conditions, practical issues & customer preference dictate where they go). The rental gear I used (waiting for Delta to bring our bags!) was a Scuba Pro weight-integrated BCD, Scuba Pro reg. (S 550 when I checked), ScubaPro boots, ScubaPro jet fins & different masks - Scuba Pro Clear Vu Plus, Body Glove Lucent II).

Dive Guide: + $35/day for a guide (note: you may share the guide with others). Guides & boat crew don’t pool tips, so tip separately. $175 (plus tax).

Tank Rental: ~ $20/day per 100 cf AL nitrox, 2/day x 5 days, = $200. EAN 30 & 36 are banked. I paid $38 ($40.57 with tax)/day for Faber HP steel 120’s with EAN 30. For 5 days diving ~ $200. Nitrox consistently very close to target mix; fills varied a bit but fine for me.

Total so Far: $4,600 (for 1 diver, 2 non-divers & a toddler). For me alone, would’ve run ~ $3,350 (or I could’ve stayed at the Olympus Dive Center Dive Lodge way cheaper, but paid a bit more for food). To all that, add groceries, dining out, entrance fees to the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knolls & other regional attractions, plus tips for boat crew, guides & various service people you meet traveling.

My Trip:

1.) Booked 5 days of 2-tank ‘Full Charter’ diving with Olympus Dive Center. They open at 6 a.m., and the boat tends to leave by 7 a.m., so between paying for & analyzing your tanks, hauling them to the boat, etc…, you should get there early. Nice big dive shop. They rent wetsuits, but I don’t think they had shorties. I only had to do the 2 pieces of paper (e.g.: liability waiver) the 1st morning.

2.) I got up at 5:15 a.m. at Hampton Inn in Morehead City, got ready, grabbed 2 breakfast to-go bags, & wife drives me the 3.3 miles & drops me off at the shop. Go in, pay for 2 nitrox tanks (many dive 100 cf tanks; I used their Faber HP 120’s), EAN 30 is the main mix, & the off-shore wreck dives are often NDL limited so plan on nitrox. Analyze your tanks, record info. in the log, haul to boat. If you dive consecutive days, you can often leave gear under your seat, & they put a barrier across in the evening. It won’t dry out well, but it should be safe.

3.) You get a ‘boarding pass’ # to be used at roll calls. They get underway soon (get your BCD & reg. on your 1st tank before the boat moves), & the mate asks if anyone’s new with them, if anyone rented computers from them & if so do you know how to use it or need guidance, & explains the routine.

4.) There’s a front deck (limited to 8 people at a time) with a cooler (you can bring your own) for food; they offer water & between dives may offer fruit (e.g.: pine apple), but these trips are long, & you bring your own lunch. I recommend a foot long sub from Walmart & a couple of sodas.

5.) That 1 1/2 - 2 hour ride out is long, and can be a bit rough (one of my five days was quite rough). Even if you’re not usually prone to get sea sick, consider taking a preventive - especially if you show up sleep deprived from travel (for me, getting up at 5:15 EST = 4:15 CST, my home time) & wore down from travel.

6.) You get a 15 minute warning before arrival, but they anchor to the wreck (no mooring balls) and it’s not a ‘hot drop,’ so no big hurry. A mate or the Captain shows a sketch of the wreck, gives depth, estimated viz. & current direction, some tips about how best to dive this wreck (e.g.: which parts to aim for or ignore; a good turn pressure), etc… A mate sets the anchor line, checks conditions to report, & lays a bright wreck reel line you can follow if you don’t want to navigate. Some wrecks are in pieces that aren’t aligned right…you can get disoriented. I was impressed by the quality of the dive briefs, the availability/personableness of crew, and the attention to detail. This is not valet diving (nobody sets up your gear!), but they try to keep people mindful of the essentials.

7.) Over 5 days I did 9 dives (skipped 1 dive due to illness; it would’ve been the Indra, which I did hit later). I was on the smaller big boat Midnight Express the 1st day, the Olympus the other 4. In order, the sites were Caribbsea, Indra (I skipped), U-352 (German U-boat submarine), Spar, Aeolus, Suloide, Papoose, U-352, Aeolus & Indra. Dive times ran from ~ 30 minutes to 45 minutes (an inshore wreck, the Indra); ~ 35 minutes was the typical time, dictated by NDL more so than gas, & the need to get back to the anchor line with plenty of gas, stick with the guide & do a 3 - 5 minute safety stop. Seasoned divers could stretch it out a little, but I’ve seen my NDL #’s in the single digits, & I’m not used to that.

8.) This ain’t the Caribbean. Every dive, giant stride off either side of the boat, drop down & grab a horizontal line, meet up with the guide, & proceed to the front, & on down to the wreck. Often hit a thermocline, but never got too cold for a shorty (or no wetsuit; I’m chubby). Current negligible to mild; got a bit difficult to kick against & time or two, but not bad overall. Was never in danger of getting blown off the wrecks on my dives (your mileage may vary). Viz. varied from 15’ - 50 or 60’, mostly 25 - 40’ off-shore with the lower viz. inshore. Wrecks had some growth on them but not a coral reef destination. At times huge, dense swarms of baitfish (e.g.: pin fish), some schools of Atlantic spade fish, some barracuda (nearly always under the boat, & big!), occasional amberjack, a hodge podge of other things & sand tiger sharks (the only kind I saw) varied wreck to wreck from none to a bunch.

Dive Stat.s (rounded)

Dive 1. Caribsea. Max. depth 85', average depth 50', 45:30 time. Viz. ~ 25-30'.
Dive 2. U-352. Max. depth 108', average depth 70', 30:30 time.Viz. ~ 25'.
Dive 3. Spar. Max. depth 105', average depth 65', 32:30 time. Viz. ~ 30'.
Dive 4. Aeolus. Max. depth 99', average depth 70', 35:30 time. Viz. ~ 30-40'.
Dive 5. Suloide. Max. depth 62', average depth 47', 43:00 time. Viz. ~ 15'.
Dive 6. Papoose. Max. depth 113', average depth 74', 33:00 time.Viz. ~ 60'.
Dive 7. U-352. Max. depth 105', average depth 67', 32:30 time. Viz. ~ 50'.
Dive 8. Aeolus. Max. depth 110', average depth 73', 36:30 time. Viz. ~ 40'.
Dive 9. Indra. Max. depth 65', average depth 43', 61:30 time. Viz. ~ 25'.

Comments: Caribsea had a bunch of sand tigers, mainly seen from above or the side by me. U-352 looks cool with good viz., the shell is only intact over part of it, & it's long but not as big around as I'd have thought. On the Aeolus there's a 'shark room' you can drop into & sit on your knees (bottom's abrasive) & let sharks circle around you; they get close enough to touch (I didn't). Very cool. Enjoyed all the dives, but a shark room dive when it's not too crowded is magic!

Richard.

 

[stuartv]

Nice report!

Were you on the Midnight Express on the 9th? I was on that boat! We did the Caribsea and then the Indra. Was that the day you skipped the second dive?

 

[drrich2]

Yes. We'd gotten in around 9 p.m. Saturday the 8'th to the airport, our bags didn't, the rental I'd prepaid had been rented out to somebody else since we weren't there within 2 hours of the time, and so the morning of the 9'th I was sleep-deprived, didn't have my 'just in case' Bonine dosr, had no caffeine all day despite being a diet soda guzzler and that boat trip was the roughest of my 5 days. After the Caribsea dive, I was wiped out. Thankfully, the last dive of the trip was the Indra again (I was on the Olympus the other 4 days), so I didn't actually miss any of the wrecks offered.

I didn't have my own gear yet (Delta eventually got it to us), and was one of the few (? only?) diving that day without a wetsuit (which I didn't need). Except for scraping my legs a bit on the ladder's abrasive steps.

Wish I'd known who you were. There was at least one more Scuba Board member on some of the trips I did.

Richard.

 

[stuartv]

I didn't have my own gear yet (Delta eventually got it to us), and was one of the few (? only?) diving that day without a wetsuit (which I didn't need). Except for scraping my legs a bit on the ladder's abrasive steps.

Wish I'd known who you were. There was at least one more Scuba Board member on some of the trips I did.

Richard.

Likewise! I remember you - because you were diving without a wetsuit. I thought you were just one Tuff Sumbich. I wore a 3/2 and think I would have been a bit chilly without *something*. Below the thermocline, even in the 3/2, I could feel a little chill, even though I never actually got chilly.

 

[DiverDownD3]

Nice report. I just finished my open water certification on Sunday with Olympus, diving the Indra. Granted I have nothing to compare it to, but I was very impressed with the instruction and how professional their operation was. Lived in Carteret County my entire life and it took 30 years to do this. Kicking myself for it. Didn't get to see too much wildlife, but still had a blast. Can't wait to get back under

 

[rlskill1]

I should have read your post here first

 

[Zieg]

Nice report. I just finished my open water certification on Sunday with Olympus, diving the Indra. Granted I have nothing to compare it to, but I was very impressed with the instruction and how professional their operation was. Lived in Carteret County my entire life and it took 30 years to do this. Kicking myself for it. Didn't get to see too much wildlife, but still had a blast. Can't wait to get back under

But you live in a great place. Take advantage of everything that is offered.

 

[wedivebc]

Nice report. Thanks for posting.
I dived with Olympus about 10 years ago and had a great time. George was still alive then and solo diving was permitted with proper certification. I'm sorry to hear it isn't any longer.

 

[drrich2]

I don't know whether they allow solo or not. I'm solo certified, but the area and workflow were new to me so I didn't pursue it.