Considering relocating to NC...lots of questions

[Leejnd]

Hello North Carolina divers! I'm seriously considering moving to NC, and I have a number of questions. Basically, my situation is as follows: I work from home (remote by computer), and I'm looking to start a new life (without getting into details...blah blah divorce yadda yadda) so I'm currently evaluating where I want to land. I can pretty much go anywhere in the country, but diving is a huge part of the equation. I've spent the past 32 years in Southern California, and I'm an active, experienced diver - 300+ dives, most of them in SoCal (boat dives in Channel Islands, shore dives in Malibu) as well as vacation dives all over the world. I'm also very much into (amateur) underwater photography. My research indicates that NC has some of the best diving in the country. So...I'm exploring communities, and dive options.

So far I've been focusing on the New Bern area potentially to live, and diving out of Beaufort...but I'm open to any and all suggestions. (Someone recommended New Bern to me, and my preliminary research looks good in terms of property, lifestyle, cost of living etc.) What I know so far about NC diving is that it's heavy on the wrecks, which I don't have a whole lot of experience with, other than a couple dives at the Oriskany in Pensacola and a few local SoCal wrecks. I'm AOW and have done GUE Fundies (I'm NOT Hogarthian or rabidly DIR, although I do use a BP/wing/long hose rig, because I like it) but no tech training...in other words, not trained in overhead environments...would that be an impediment? I understand that with NC boat diving you are expected to be independent, which is exactly how it is on SoCal dive boats - no DM-led dives, the DMs don't even get in the water in SoCal, you are expected to bring your own buddy, plan your dive, dive your plan and make it back to the boat on your own. That's the way I prefer it...although I will be solo so will be hoping to connect up with a dive club or group to find buddies.

So...what can all you experienced NC divers tell me about the place? Am I focusing on the best area for diving? I'm open to anything...the criteria being, the diving has to be GREAT, reasonably accessible, something I can do at least a couple weekends a month (season and conditions permitting), and within a reasonable distance of a decent place for a single lady to live.

And if anyone wants to offer suggestions on where to live, my criteria is pretty wide open...not concerned with schools (my kids are grown and on their own) but I do want to be somewhere that has natural beauty, nature, culture, NOT in a city, small towns fine as long as it's within reasonable driving distance of a cultural center and things to do, historic small towns even better...near the water would be a bonus but not required...I make a good living so can afford a nice location but I'm not super-wealthy either...

There you have it. Thanks for any and all feedback!

 

[jkyle]

Love the new bern area! Spent my summer there as a kid and young adult. Would be happy to tell you more about that area via phone if you want to PM me. Never been diving in the area but Olympus Diving is less than a hour away and was voted one of the best dive operators in North America. Worth checking out.

 

[Lee Taylor]

I have heard a lot of positive comments about Topsail Beach NC. Wilmington NC has some excellent diving also. The old section of Morehead City NC is a romantic as it gets. Classic. Excellent.

 

[Steve_C]

Both Wilmington and New Bern/Morehead are nice areas. Wilmington with a university and all probably has a bit more culture and night life if that interests you.

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.

Water is warmer. Been having a strong thermocline lately. Top water in the 80s. Bottom low 70s.

Some photos from Sue's over at NC Dviing August 2013

---------- Post added August 18th, 2013 at 09:25 PM ----------

Our DMs do get in the water often to set the hook and come back with information for the dive briefing. Dives are not led unless you hire a DM to dive with. There are usually solo divers on the boat to pair up with. Most folks dive Nitrox and have their own tanks. HP100s are popular but you see others also.

 

[hroark2112]

I live in Raleigh, love diving out of Beaufort and Wilmington. Talk to Discovery Diving in Beaufort and Aquatic Safaris in Wilmington. There's also a bunch of smaller operations with 6-pack boats.

I've lived all over, and absolutely love living in NC.

 

[3D diver]

I'm a SoCal boy who spent a couple of years in North Carolina going to school and diving. It's a beautiful state, the folks were nice, and the diving wonderful. The diving is seasonal, though, and you won't have the shore diving opportunities you may be used to. (To the best of my, dated, knowledge.) I'd have stayed if I could have.

 

[Leejnd]

Thanks! Some good info here...areas to research. The ledge diving sounds great! I have no problem with deep...I dive Nitrox in a steel 100. The water temps sound idyllic to me! If you've ever dived SoCal, you know that it's c-c-c-COLD water diving. I'm quite used to diving in 52 degree water, and it feels downright balmy when we get up into the mid 60s. I'm okay giving up the shore diving...I don't do so much of that these days anyway, I've gotten kinda spoiled lately and have only been doing boat diving.

I'm hearing great things about NC overall. Lots more research to do.

 

[3D diver]

They called me a Gorilla diver once when I agreed to dive in 68F water.

 

[Steve_C]

I have a few CA dives: La Jolla, La Jolla Shores, and some dives out of Vancouver (all wet)at 49 degrees and all shore dives. Were fun, but I like boats or short swims and less neoprene.

There are a few trips that go out in the winter mostly offshore. 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. Out of Wilmington the boats run from early April to late October although I have done a few nice early Nov dives. Actually with Aquatics you can pick a day and a dive site and they will list the dive. You get 6 folks and the (smaller) boat goes. You get 12 and the bigger boat goes.

If you miss your cold water during the winter there is some diving in Fantasy Lake Scuba Park outside of Raleigh which stays open year around. Gets down to high 40s but usually low 50s during the winter. We usually have a new years day dive there.

Seriously though, an unmentioned attraction is the closeness to the Florida Keys and tropical reef diving. I live in Raleigh. A 2 hour plane flight puts me in Miami. A one hour car rental drive puts me at mile marker 100 in Key Largo at the Marina. There are a number of boats running out to the reefs (7 miles) twice a day. I have left Raleigh at 8 am and been on a dive boat heading out to the reef at 1 and drifting over a coral reef by 1:45. There is also very nice drift diving a little north of Miami in the west palm to Jupiter region. I have done some of the fly down Friday morning and fly back on Monday long weekend. You could pack in 11 dives if you wanted to. 2-5-4 including a dive sat night. The Ft. Lauderdale airport is also very close to the Keys and the drift diving.

If you are into caves, lots of NC divers drive down to north florida.

There is a local board ncdivers.com which while not that active at the moment has lots of lurkers and long time members. You can see dive reports etc there.

NC has lots of divers and dive shops. The Raleigh area alone has 4 major shops (Down Under, Air Hogs, Gypsy, Carolina Dive Center). Aquatics runs one in Wilmington. Know there are others around.

An added cost if you dive wet will be the need for more than one wet suit. I dive a 7 during spring and Fall and a 4/3 in the summer. Many dive a 3 in the summer and in August you will see some diving in swim suits but I like the protection and we do get thermals in the summer sometimes that make a 3 nice. Fall and Spring you will see 5s or 7s and a few dry suits.

---------- Post added August 19th, 2013 at 07:39 AM ----------

One final note. 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.

 

[mstuart71]

i moved here a year ago, Wilmington, and i love it. the traffic can be a bit much for a town of it's size, but i've learned to deal with it. property is super affordable, especially having moved here from Portland,ME. i work on Camp Lejuene and could've lived north, New Bern, or south, Wilmington. i checked them both out and where i find north to be a little prettier and more like growing up on Galveston Island, i chose south in Wilmington due to the amount of things to do. it has a pretty good music, restaurant, bar and arts scene and you can get to wrightsville beach or carolina beach within 20 minutes from just about everywhere. there are two dive shops, i have dove with scuba now which i had a great time and it has an immaculate safety record and there is aquatic safaris which i have only heard good things about also. Wilmington also has the only real airport in the area. the diving is great, i was amazed having dove the south pacific, carib, florida keys and the flower gardens in the gulf of mexico. the amount of life is incredible from the smallest invertebrates to huge cudas and sand tigers. this weekend i am headed out to megladon ledge to look for fossil shark teeth and whale bones, not many places you can do that. with the low cost of living and the amazing diving you can't go wrong with either of those places in NC. if you have any questions you can pm me. good luck and enjoy.