Best dive sites in South Carolina?
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nofish
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I went out with costal scuba last week end and had a Great time.
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Whats your dive history like? What type sites do you like? Shipwrecks? Artificial Reefs? Ledges? Junk Piles? Take Photos? Spear Fish? What depth do you prefer? How long of a boat ride is too long? Are you willing to venture up or down the highway a little?
Thanks for the reply. I've logged 100+ dives, and we are flexible on the boat ride, drive and depth. I'm thinking a "naturally sunk" wreck (i.e., one that was NOT intentionally put there) would be nice...anything with historical significance would also be good.
Thanks again for any insight you can offer.
Craig
Thanks again for any insight you can offer.
Craig
Deep South Divers
Contributor
My company - based out of Beaufort, which is about three hours south of Myrtle Beach, is a commercial dive entity... We change props, zincs, and do more boat cleaning than anything else. We also have "more fun" jobs like working on the Georgia Aquarium, working for three local historical foundations, working with the South Carolina Institute of Anthropology and Archaeology, and doing a lot of work for both the water and phone companies and for the local military bases. We don't work with recreational divers - our company is strictly commercial.
However, since we're all divers, naturally our recreational pasttime is exploring local shipwrecks and history. Consequently, we have worked on the Hunley project, have been on the Discovery Channel for our work regarding the Tybee Bomb, and are currently working on two projects with E. Lee Spence himself, author of many books and the original finder of the Hunley submarine.
...So our shipwreck and "historically significant artifact" knowlege - if you include Lee Spence and Gary Gentile (with whom we have open lines of communication and plans to explore the virgin wreck of the City of Savannah) is second to none, and exceeds any information otherwise publicly available.
There are wrecks all over the South Carolina coast, which has seen European history since 1520, and Native American history for thousands of years before that. South Carolina is also well known for it's submerged yet exposed layers of the Hawthorne Formation, a fossil bed dating between 2 and 24 million years old. Aside from human activity, bone, skulls and teeth from various animals - the teeth of the shark C. Megalodon are the most popular and valuable - are findable by the diver willing to put forth the time and effort in high current and low visibility waters. "Meg" teeth can exceed six inches in length (see this thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/underwater-treasures/332987-new-6-92-megalodon-tooth.html ) and be valued from about $40 to many thousands of dollars each. They are rare and sought after... Really, only found in three places in the world - near Peru, South America, at ROV depths in the Pacific Ocean, and between the North/South Carolina border to about Jacksonville, FL on the East Coast of the United States. Check eBay for "Megalodon" for more details.
Regarding shipwrecks (and as commercial divers, our passions run deep regarding shipwrecks), there are more than 2,000 wrecks in or around the Charleston Harbor alone. Long sand bars, shallow, shifting obstructions, hurricane alley, low visibilty waters, and a long maritime history produce conditions which have resulted in more shipwrecks here than anywhere in the United States. Yet, they are rarely dived - inshore waters tend to be an unattractive, low visibility, and many boat rides to access them can be comparatively long, rough, weather-questionable, and expensive. Many local divers simply drive to Florida when they want to dive.
...Which creates a unique opportunity for virgin or near virgin exploration for those divers willing to brave the conditions. In many cases, when we find a new wreck, it'll produce artifacts from multiple eras, perhaps separated by 100 years or more... This is because there are literally wrecks on top of wrecks. The same obstruction or weather phenomena which caused a ship to sink in the early 1700's also may have caused a ship to sink during the Civil War, which was around 1865. You can imagine how difficult it can be to identify two - or even sometimes three - wrecks which have been interlaced for a couple hundred years.
In fact, in some cases the obstruction of the first ship CAUSED the sinking of the second or third ship. More on that another time.
Gary Gentile has put together a fantastic collection of a few, good, diveable wrecks in each State along the East Coast - it's an excellent addition to anyone looking to dive wrecks, both of the "natural" and "artificial" variety. The South Carolina version is called Shipwrecks of South Carolina and Georgia and is a part of the Popular Dive Guide Series. With that, there are many choices that will fascinate and entice you to dive South Carolina's wrecks.
The wreck of the Fred W. Day is one of the more popular wrecks for divers off of Charleston, and dive operators make runs to the 'Day at regular intervals. According to Gary Gentile's Shipwrecks of South Carolina... book:
She currently sits in about 55 feet of water near Charleston. Not much of her hull is left, but her cargo of cement bags is easily distinguishable, and the local sea life has created a thriving community which is a diver's paradise.
We recommend the 'Day to people visiting our wrecks - the water is comparatively clear, the trip not so abusive or pricey, and the wreck's history fascinating and yes - natural.
Let me know if I can be of further assistance or if you'd like a wreck closer to Myrtle Beach.
However, since we're all divers, naturally our recreational pasttime is exploring local shipwrecks and history. Consequently, we have worked on the Hunley project, have been on the Discovery Channel for our work regarding the Tybee Bomb, and are currently working on two projects with E. Lee Spence himself, author of many books and the original finder of the Hunley submarine.
...So our shipwreck and "historically significant artifact" knowlege - if you include Lee Spence and Gary Gentile (with whom we have open lines of communication and plans to explore the virgin wreck of the City of Savannah) is second to none, and exceeds any information otherwise publicly available.
There are wrecks all over the South Carolina coast, which has seen European history since 1520, and Native American history for thousands of years before that. South Carolina is also well known for it's submerged yet exposed layers of the Hawthorne Formation, a fossil bed dating between 2 and 24 million years old. Aside from human activity, bone, skulls and teeth from various animals - the teeth of the shark C. Megalodon are the most popular and valuable - are findable by the diver willing to put forth the time and effort in high current and low visibility waters. "Meg" teeth can exceed six inches in length (see this thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/underwater-treasures/332987-new-6-92-megalodon-tooth.html ) and be valued from about $40 to many thousands of dollars each. They are rare and sought after... Really, only found in three places in the world - near Peru, South America, at ROV depths in the Pacific Ocean, and between the North/South Carolina border to about Jacksonville, FL on the East Coast of the United States. Check eBay for "Megalodon" for more details.
Regarding shipwrecks (and as commercial divers, our passions run deep regarding shipwrecks), there are more than 2,000 wrecks in or around the Charleston Harbor alone. Long sand bars, shallow, shifting obstructions, hurricane alley, low visibilty waters, and a long maritime history produce conditions which have resulted in more shipwrecks here than anywhere in the United States. Yet, they are rarely dived - inshore waters tend to be an unattractive, low visibility, and many boat rides to access them can be comparatively long, rough, weather-questionable, and expensive. Many local divers simply drive to Florida when they want to dive.
...Which creates a unique opportunity for virgin or near virgin exploration for those divers willing to brave the conditions. In many cases, when we find a new wreck, it'll produce artifacts from multiple eras, perhaps separated by 100 years or more... This is because there are literally wrecks on top of wrecks. The same obstruction or weather phenomena which caused a ship to sink in the early 1700's also may have caused a ship to sink during the Civil War, which was around 1865. You can imagine how difficult it can be to identify two - or even sometimes three - wrecks which have been interlaced for a couple hundred years.
In fact, in some cases the obstruction of the first ship CAUSED the sinking of the second or third ship. More on that another time.
Gary Gentile has put together a fantastic collection of a few, good, diveable wrecks in each State along the East Coast - it's an excellent addition to anyone looking to dive wrecks, both of the "natural" and "artificial" variety. The South Carolina version is called Shipwrecks of South Carolina and Georgia and is a part of the Popular Dive Guide Series. With that, there are many choices that will fascinate and entice you to dive South Carolina's wrecks.
The wreck of the Fred W. Day is one of the more popular wrecks for divers off of Charleston, and dive operators make runs to the 'Day at regular intervals. According to Gary Gentile's Shipwrecks of South Carolina... book:
She currently sits in about 55 feet of water near Charleston. Not much of her hull is left, but her cargo of cement bags is easily distinguishable, and the local sea life has created a thriving community which is a diver's paradise.
We recommend the 'Day to people visiting our wrecks - the water is comparatively clear, the trip not so abusive or pricey, and the wreck's history fascinating and yes - natural.
Let me know if I can be of further assistance or if you'd like a wreck closer to Myrtle Beach.
Last edited:
Deep South Divers
Contributor
Hey, one of my guys just said to me, "Why would you send someone to the 'Day when they're in Myrtle Beach? Why not send him to the General Sherman?"
The truth is that I don't know the dive operators in Myrtle Beach, so I don't know if they hit the Sherman regularly or not... But I can imagine they do.
What I know of the Sherman is that she was a twin-masted sailing ship about 200 feet long, and she sank in 1874. She was equipped with backup steam power which included a then-revolutionary propeller instead of a paddle wheel.
She is often referred to as the General Sherman although according to Gary Gentile, he was unable to find any reference to her being called "General Sherman" - only Sherman. He also mentioned in the book that I referenced above that she was likely built specifically as a blockade runner (a Southern-side Civil War ship designed to break through a Union blockade of ships so that trade could happen between the South and Europe/Caribbean). Gary goes into great detail of her foundering/sinking, and apparently has dived the wreck. His descriptions are fascinating, explaining how much of the wreck is still visible, although much of it has collapsed. Apparently the bow, which is still standing, lists (tilts over) about 60 degrees starboard (to the right) while her stern (back) lists about 30 degrees port (to the left), creating a weird "twist" in the wreck that is sure to fascinate and create an incredible photo opportunity.
He also mentions that much of the innards of the ship - including the ship's boilers, the steam engine and it's shaft and propeller - are still very visible, promising an exciting wreck dive.
Gary goes into great detail about the ship's history, which includes a name change (she was originally christened the Princess Royal), an account of various international adventures that includes running guns and ammunition to Cuba in support of insurrectionists against the Spanish rule, and a bone-chilling account of her sinking that'll leave you with a deep respect for this shipwreck. He also talks about where to find artifacts on the Sherman, such as lead shot, glass, chinaware, medicine bottles, belt buckles and more.
Because of the number of artifacts on the wreck (which is, at your request, "natural"), dive operators may or may not be willing to take you to the wreck and/or allow you to remove and/or keep artifacts. In order to do so legally, you will at least need a license to remove artifacts - contact Ashley Deming at the South Carolina Institute of Anthropology and Archaelogy at 843-762-6105 and inquire about the Sport Diver Hobby License (akin to a fishing license). Tell her SeaJay said hello.
The truth is that I don't know the dive operators in Myrtle Beach, so I don't know if they hit the Sherman regularly or not... But I can imagine they do.
What I know of the Sherman is that she was a twin-masted sailing ship about 200 feet long, and she sank in 1874. She was equipped with backup steam power which included a then-revolutionary propeller instead of a paddle wheel.
She is often referred to as the General Sherman although according to Gary Gentile, he was unable to find any reference to her being called "General Sherman" - only Sherman. He also mentioned in the book that I referenced above that she was likely built specifically as a blockade runner (a Southern-side Civil War ship designed to break through a Union blockade of ships so that trade could happen between the South and Europe/Caribbean). Gary goes into great detail of her foundering/sinking, and apparently has dived the wreck. His descriptions are fascinating, explaining how much of the wreck is still visible, although much of it has collapsed. Apparently the bow, which is still standing, lists (tilts over) about 60 degrees starboard (to the right) while her stern (back) lists about 30 degrees port (to the left), creating a weird "twist" in the wreck that is sure to fascinate and create an incredible photo opportunity.
He also mentions that much of the innards of the ship - including the ship's boilers, the steam engine and it's shaft and propeller - are still very visible, promising an exciting wreck dive.
Gary goes into great detail about the ship's history, which includes a name change (she was originally christened the Princess Royal), an account of various international adventures that includes running guns and ammunition to Cuba in support of insurrectionists against the Spanish rule, and a bone-chilling account of her sinking that'll leave you with a deep respect for this shipwreck. He also talks about where to find artifacts on the Sherman, such as lead shot, glass, chinaware, medicine bottles, belt buckles and more.
Because of the number of artifacts on the wreck (which is, at your request, "natural"), dive operators may or may not be willing to take you to the wreck and/or allow you to remove and/or keep artifacts. In order to do so legally, you will at least need a license to remove artifacts - contact Ashley Deming at the South Carolina Institute of Anthropology and Archaelogy at 843-762-6105 and inquire about the Sport Diver Hobby License (akin to a fishing license). Tell her SeaJay said hello.
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An option if you're south of town is Express Watersports. They're in Murrells Inlet and do a lot of the same wrecks as Coastal. They have videos of a lot of their divesites on their website. Also a 46' Newton dive boat. Express Water Sports - Myrtle Beach Scuba, Parasail, Kayak & dolphin watch & Ocean Sightseeing, Banana Boat And jet skis in Myrtle Beach South Carolina - Home
Both dives we did depth exceeded visibility. I think that's pretty typical in that area, it's pretty flat/sandy. We did the Perry wreck/landing craft/shrimp boat dive - at least one of them was a swimthrough IIRC. There was also mention of some subway cars sunk nearby but we didn't get to them. There was also a deeper wreck nearby IIRC.
See if they're doing the Hebe/St. Cathan the day you can dive. It's a deeper, farther set of wrecks but they didn't have enough divers to schedule it the days we could go. The two wrecks are from WWII - they hit each other at night - one's a freighter, the other a british sub-chaser.
Both dives we did depth exceeded visibility. I think that's pretty typical in that area, it's pretty flat/sandy. We did the Perry wreck/landing craft/shrimp boat dive - at least one of them was a swimthrough IIRC. There was also mention of some subway cars sunk nearby but we didn't get to them. There was also a deeper wreck nearby IIRC.
See if they're doing the Hebe/St. Cathan the day you can dive. It's a deeper, farther set of wrecks but they didn't have enough divers to schedule it the days we could go. The two wrecks are from WWII - they hit each other at night - one's a freighter, the other a british sub-chaser.
Express Water Sports in Murrells Inlet is an excellent dive op in the area and is only about 30 minutes from Myrtle Beach in summer traffic.
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