Wilmington Dive and Weather Conditions

[Clark Fletcher]

This year has been especially bad in that patch of ocean. Olympus dive center (just up the road in Morehead City) has been blown out something like 9 weekends in a row this summer. It's certainly been as frustrating for Olympus as for their customers.

Seems like it's been a common theme throughout the south/southeast. I've had dives cancelled in Key Largo, Venice, and Pensacola from the last weekend in April to the last weekend in July. Doesn't seem to matter where you go.

 

[Steve_C]

If you have any kind of off the shore winds then sometimes the nearer sites are go. Have dove the Hyde several times where even the Gill much less the further out stuff was no go.

 

[tracydr]

I'm waiting to find out too. We are supposed to be going out of Murrells Inlet for The Vermillion. Our first time diving around here too.

 

[Steve_C]

Saturday I will be at the quarry (Fantasy Lake Scuba Park) with boiled shrimp and corn on the cob with Down Under Dive Club. Aint the ocean but wet and calm. Aiming for the coast the following weekend. Aquatic Safaris usually tries to call the dive before 6 pm the night before. Sometimes sooner. Hope you can get out but NE is a bad direction even for the inshore stuff. Showing 4 ft even for the liberty ship and that is only 3 miles or so off the beach at Wrightsville.

 

[tracydr]

Where do I go to see the offshore wind forecast?
We are going with Express Watersports out of Merrills Inlet.
Steve, not sure I'll take you up on that this weekend although it sounds like something I'd love. I've been gone every weekend lately for dog shows so if we cancel I need to stay home and catch up on the garden and other weekend chores.

 

[Steve_C]

The problem is that often the forecasts are for offshore (includes more than 20 miles) and very often off NC and SC that is rougher than within 20 miles for some wind directions. Of the free ones I prefer the National weather service site.
NWS Wilmington, NC
You get a Map and can click in a region. (They are about 20 miles wide). What's more you can pick a specific spot in the region and get a 3 or 4 day forecast. I usually dive two boxes up from Merrils inlet. I know about where the dives are and can find out that at dredge it is 4 but 4-5 at Hyde for example.

For Merrils inlet we have (I think, MI is close to the division between two boxes)
National Weather Service
which shows 2-4 on Saturday and 3-5 on Sunday. (Think i got the right box). So shakey for offshore. Something close in on Sat might be doable. The land curves a bit to the east so a NNE direction has a shorter reach.

 

[tracydr]

Will the dive shop cancel or just change to a different location? I guess I should call there late this afternoon.
Our hotel reservations are non-refundable at this point but they will let us move them to a different weekend at no charge.

 

[Steve_C]

Depends on the dive operation. They should have a policy online. For all dive ops it is captains decision. For example, with AS for far offshore dives if they can move to Hyde/Gill/Markham they will, otherwise they cancel. They try to cancel by 6pm the night before but stuff happens. Also there is point around 4ft where some shops go and some do not. Calling them is best.

 

[RyanT]

I'm a convert to Fishweather. Their forecasts often seem to be better than the NWS.
Click on the "wind observations and forecast" in the left hand tab. Click on buoy nearest you (probably Wilmington buoy) and then click "forecast" in the box that appears for that buoy.

Map Results | Wind, Forecast, Radar, Weather & More

Right now, they are calling for a wave hight of 3 ft, rising to 6 ft in the evening. Those wave heights are averages. So calling for 3' means the seas will be running in the neighborhood of 2-4'.

 

[DiverEGM]

Seems like 3-5' has been the cut-off for the shops I normally book with.

15 of 20 cancelled for me so far this season. It has been a rough one, but maybe late Fall will settle down. Fingers crossed.