I stopped by Coastal Scuba last Tues. while checking out local dive shops.Before leaving I asked if they rented tanks and was told "Sure,we have most anything you need".When I went by the next day to rent a tank I was told they were out but could have one for me the next day.This added an hour to my drive so I wasn't very pleased.I ended up having to go to Nu Horizons for a tank.Not a very big deal but I find it hard to believe they had a surge in tank rentals on a Tues. night.
Anyone use Coastal scuba of Myrtle beach?
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BCress
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Sometimes if they have a large Charter they take out A lot of tanks. They do 2 tanks per person per charter, plus extras encase of a malfunction that's not reparable. Mabey you just had bad luck or maybe they were too lazy to go get one from the shed, but that seems unlikely given their customer service reputation.
They had 20 or so tanks sitting out back by the pool.The lady went back there to check for a full one.She picked up several to feel the weight and attached a reg to one to check pressure.I couldn't help wondering why they didn't keep full and empty tanks separate.After failing to find a full tank she came back in the store and told me it would be the next day before I could get a tank because they filled their tanks somewhere else.
Whether they had a large charter or keep their tanks at another location makes little difference.They should have known how many tanks they had available when I asked the day before.
Whether they had a large charter or keep their tanks at another location makes little difference.They should have known how many tanks they had available when I asked the day before.
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fwiw, when we dove with Express, the only thing the DM did was set/release the mooring - he didn't dive with us. Seemed like their standard practice as he gave the briefing and let us go. It was almost 5 years ago so things may've changed.
packman
Contributor
That is standard practice among any of the dive ops here in the Carolinas. Unless you hire a DM as a guide, they do not dive with you.
i have dove with all 3 of the operations mentioned here. while all shops are going to have their good and bad said about them our perfered choice is scuba express
coastal scuba
we used to dive with them in the past. cameron is a good guy, and if any of you watch Orange County Choppers on the tv this is the shop mikey did his diving with,but he has his quarks. capt. buddy is a nice boat capt. buddy is a nice guy and has a lot of good stories to tell. the problem we ran across is they were in a rush to get back to the shop every day. not the worst thing in the world, but we like to get in as much diving as we can. now they did use to let us do three dive on the civil war wreck ( the governer as some might call it ) and i am not excatly sure why we stoped using them. now they did have a problem with some crap in the storage bottles one day and divers getting sick, but you could have that happen at any shop anywhere.
nu horizons
we dove with them once and had a blast. the converted a old navy boat into the dive vessel and it was sweet. hot water shower, air fills on board, and VERY FAST. they also had a suction pipe on board to do some digging in the sand if you found some good treasure. last we heard they sold that boat, and i have no idea what they are doing now. but if they are back in business ( with a boat is what i am refering to ) then they would be a good choice.
Scuba Express
jennifer and johnatan have made are recent trips to myrtle beach the best they have been in the last few years. we were one of the first groups to go out on the 46 foot newton when they bought it ( if you are in the shop and look at the big picture on the wall i think we are the group on it ). while sometimes they do get a loot of people on board, you will still have a good trip. they will allways have plenty of staff on baord. Karla will most likely be acting as divemaster and do the anchor while Joe will be teaching students. if not i am sure he would be glad to dive with somebody if they needed it. on our last trip i had an oring go on my 100% 02 bottle and they were happyto give me a new one at no charge. i dont know how many shops will give out a free viton oring. but they are always happy to make our diving the best it can be. if you go down there tell them the guys from Blue Marble Divers said hi.
hope this helps anyone who is having trouble deciding which one to use. i dont want to say one is better then the other, i just know who we will use from now on when we go.
good diving to all
coastal scuba
we used to dive with them in the past. cameron is a good guy, and if any of you watch Orange County Choppers on the tv this is the shop mikey did his diving with,but he has his quarks. capt. buddy is a nice boat capt. buddy is a nice guy and has a lot of good stories to tell. the problem we ran across is they were in a rush to get back to the shop every day. not the worst thing in the world, but we like to get in as much diving as we can. now they did use to let us do three dive on the civil war wreck ( the governer as some might call it ) and i am not excatly sure why we stoped using them. now they did have a problem with some crap in the storage bottles one day and divers getting sick, but you could have that happen at any shop anywhere.
nu horizons
we dove with them once and had a blast. the converted a old navy boat into the dive vessel and it was sweet. hot water shower, air fills on board, and VERY FAST. they also had a suction pipe on board to do some digging in the sand if you found some good treasure. last we heard they sold that boat, and i have no idea what they are doing now. but if they are back in business ( with a boat is what i am refering to ) then they would be a good choice.
Scuba Express
jennifer and johnatan have made are recent trips to myrtle beach the best they have been in the last few years. we were one of the first groups to go out on the 46 foot newton when they bought it ( if you are in the shop and look at the big picture on the wall i think we are the group on it ). while sometimes they do get a loot of people on board, you will still have a good trip. they will allways have plenty of staff on baord. Karla will most likely be acting as divemaster and do the anchor while Joe will be teaching students. if not i am sure he would be glad to dive with somebody if they needed it. on our last trip i had an oring go on my 100% 02 bottle and they were happyto give me a new one at no charge. i dont know how many shops will give out a free viton oring. but they are always happy to make our diving the best it can be. if you go down there tell them the guys from Blue Marble Divers said hi.
hope this helps anyone who is having trouble deciding which one to use. i dont want to say one is better then the other, i just know who we will use from now on when we go.
good diving to all
steelsaint
Contributor
If your looking for an upstanding dive operation I have to agree with Davidstealey3. Scuba Express is the best operation. I have been on a couple of dives in SC, but I would have to say my best dives were with Scuba Express. They always have a great attitude and they go out of their way to help whenever and wherever they can to make sure your dive experience is the best. I was just down there at the beginning of October doing dives on the Civil War wreck and they did an excellent job as always.
I have to chime in with the previous posters. Express is a great operation, but be aware of what you want before you board the boat. If you're looking for someone to change you tanks during your SI, go to Cozumel (and check it when they're done). If you want an operation that will go out if the seas are under 6ft, will let you dive your limits and not rush you, Express is your dive op. They run a quality operation, and if you put enough butts in seats, they will work with you to achieve you dive goals (you dictate the site, number of dives, etc). Jonathan and Jennifer couldn't be greater partners to hit the sites they travel to.
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Hello Kyaqua,
Offshore diving varies significantly with the weather. The high swells and choppy water cause the boat to make less time, thus longer rides. As a general rule, the further the boat goes out, the better the viz. The soil within the river water, flowing into the sea, cause the water close to the shore to be brown. A little further out the water is green. Green water is about a 1hr boat ride. Even further out the water turns to blue. Blue water is about a 2hr-3hr boat ride offshore North & South Carolina. When they say inshore dive, they are usually speaking of green water 50-70 feet deep. When they say offshore dive, they are usually speaking of blue water 80-130 feet deep. All the specifics, depth, etc, on each dive site are listed on the websites. The water depth will give you a clue as to how far offshore the site is. It is helpful to ask the shop how long is the boat ride? There are lots of good boat ops on the coast. To name a few:
Olympus in Morehead NC
Discovery in Beaufort NC
Aquatic Safaris in Wilmington NC
Coastal Scuba in North Myrtle Beach SC
Nu Horizons in Myrtle Beach SC
Express Scuba in Murrels Inlet SC
Charleston Scuba in Charleston SC
Inshore dive off a Coastal Scuba boat. Barracuda Alley.
Topside view of the "Scuba Express" dive boat. Approximately 45 feet long. Duel diesel engines. Second story bridge. Lot of railing. Duel ladders (fins off). Rear dive platform. Cooler. Water. Head. Pilot house. Unique tank holders (no bungies). Spear fishing allowed. Bow flat deck for lounging. Helpful dive masters. Excellent operation overall.
Express Water Sports Dive Shop
Offshore diving varies significantly with the weather. The high swells and choppy water cause the boat to make less time, thus longer rides. As a general rule, the further the boat goes out, the better the viz. The soil within the river water, flowing into the sea, cause the water close to the shore to be brown. A little further out the water is green. Green water is about a 1hr boat ride. Even further out the water turns to blue. Blue water is about a 2hr-3hr boat ride offshore North & South Carolina. When they say inshore dive, they are usually speaking of green water 50-70 feet deep. When they say offshore dive, they are usually speaking of blue water 80-130 feet deep. All the specifics, depth, etc, on each dive site are listed on the websites. The water depth will give you a clue as to how far offshore the site is. It is helpful to ask the shop how long is the boat ride? There are lots of good boat ops on the coast. To name a few:
Olympus in Morehead NC
Discovery in Beaufort NC
Aquatic Safaris in Wilmington NC
Coastal Scuba in North Myrtle Beach SC
Nu Horizons in Myrtle Beach SC
Express Scuba in Murrels Inlet SC
Charleston Scuba in Charleston SC
Inshore dive off a Coastal Scuba boat. Barracuda Alley.
Topside view of the "Scuba Express" dive boat. Approximately 45 feet long. Duel diesel engines. Second story bridge. Lot of railing. Duel ladders (fins off). Rear dive platform. Cooler. Water. Head. Pilot house. Unique tank holders (no bungies). Spear fishing allowed. Bow flat deck for lounging. Helpful dive masters. Excellent operation overall.
Express Water Sports Dive Shop
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