Family Trip - Only 1/2 Day Diving - Where to Stay?

[Tahoeatx16]

Hello NC board,

We're considering a friend w/ kids reunion this summer in the Carolinas. When I heard this, my mind immediately jumped to SCUBA! Sadly, I'm the only person in the group that dives. So when we have a vacation spot that gives me the chance at 4-6 hours to get away and get in two dives, I savor it.

I live in Austin, TX, so I'm pretty much land locked and the only thing I can dive in locally is a mud hole. So I'm not picky, just looking to get in some fun dives.

More importantly, is a fun beach location for the families and little kids (oldest 4, youngest a few months)... but within a short drive for me to sneak out for a dive. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Jared

 

[tattooedjeeper]

My family has gone for years to Morehead City to do family vacations. It's a pretty small and cozy little area with nice beaches and a few really good places to eat and hangout. Ft. Macon is always fun to visit as is Beaufort. There are several locations there in Morehead city to dive as well. You can also check out places in Wilmington, Several nice beaches there as well plus you can camp out on Kure beach. Either way you can't go wrong...Me personally, I'd hit Morehead city.

 

[Tortuga James]

The Crystal Coast-Beaufort and Morehead City are towns, Bogue Banks has Atlantic Beach on the east end and Emerald Isle on the west. There is 19 miles of beaches between them with tons of weekly rentals from bungalows to multi million dollar beach front homes that sleep a small village. It is a great area, scenic and historic.

Our offshore diving is 25-40 miles offshore. It is a full day experience. All the boats leave early in the am and get back to the dock around 3pm. It is not a 4-6 hour thing. Olympus and Discovery Diving run an afternoon trip inshore to the Indra nearly every day in the summer. They leave around 4pm and get back around 8pm. It is their 2nd trip of the day.

If you can spare the time, jump on one of the offshore charters. It is worth it.

 

[herman]

It would be helpful if we knew more what you have in mind. Are you planning on spending a few days on the coast or is your intent to drive down for the day? While is can be done, driving down for the day, esp with small childern will take some planning. There are few resort like places where your family can get out of the sun if they are hot/tired/sun burnt. Then like James says, our dives are not the typical Fla type dives where you get on the boat at 8am, do a couple of dives and be back for lunch. It's more like getting on the boat at 6am and be back at 3 or 4. Also, most of our weekend charters fill up months in advance so planning it on the fly is not a good option, week day trips are a little easier to work in. Looking at the June calander for one of the Wilmington ops, they are already about half booked.
Give us a better idea of what you have in mind and we can do a better job of pointing you in the right direction.

 

[alewar]

Is it worth the effort for just one dive?

 

[diversteve]

If "the Carolinas" includes South Carolina, you might look at Myrtle Beach. Or 20mins. farther south in the Litchfield Beach/Pawley's Island area. Lots of nice beaches. We rented a large condo on vrbo.com in the Litchfield Beach resort area - there's quite a few larger buildings but ours was a golf course property nearby and we didn't even see them. However we did get use of all their facilities, about a dozen pools etc. If you stay in a property that fronts one of many lagoons, there are alligators in them so keeep an eye on the little ones.

Express Watersports is in Murrell's Inlet a few minutes drive away. They do several trips that get back around noon, I've been on them. Not the best of the area dives - typically small wrecks or ledges but it doesn't take all day. Express Water Sports - Myrtle Beach Scuba, Parasail, Kayak & Dolphin watch & Ocean Sightseeing, Banana Boat And jet skis rentals There's some good restaurants waterfront in the Murrell's Inlet area also. We had a good meal at one, don't remember the name but it was a dark brown building and looked out on the water.

Besides the beaches and a lot of mini-golf courses for the kids. Myrtle Beach also has Broadway at the Beach - a family entertainment complex. Ripley's Aquarium there advertises it's the #1 tourist attraction in SC. but I doubt it. Decent aquarium though they've got a people mover that goes thru 300' their shark tank. If you decide to stay in one of the big high-rises on Myrtle Beach instead, know that it's really crowded and traffic can be really bad. Coastal Scuba is another option in North Myrtle Beach.

 

[jamiep3]

Is it worth the effort for just one dive?

I've seen days with close to 100' vis, (50-75 is probably more common in summer), great wrecks, Sharks, Turtles, etc. I live about 8 hours from Morehead City, and head down there 3-5 times a year. Atlantic Beach is just across the bridge, and there are a couple of boats that leave from the sound side of the island as well. From Atlantic Beach there are at least five dive operations within 20 minutes.

 

[Tortuga James]

All of the offshore trips (on every boat) are 2 dives with a 90-120 surface interval, with the exception of a few 3 tank charters. Most times we move between dives, but some days it is so pretty on the 1st wreck it makes more sense to stay for a 2nd there. There is also ALWAYS the possibility that once we leave the inlet that the only option is an inshore site due to sea conditions. The same possibility exists that you get to the dock and the Captain has to call off the trip due to weather.

Usually the afternoon inshore trips to the Indra are one long dive (45-60 minutes) or 2 30 minute dives with no surface interval. Max depth at the Indra is 65 feet with a lot of relief, so the NDL on air is 55 minutes. It is usually worth the effort, it is a good dive for inshore. There is always the possibility that visibility drops off both offshore and inshore.

 

[Steve_C]

Good suggestions above

I like the Morehead beach area better as a beach area.

I am not a fan of 20 min dives.

Out of Wrightsville Aquatic Safaris has some of the long charters but there are some spots such as stone, dredge, hyde, markham, perhaps the Gill that are a bit shallower and somewhat less total time for the dives. You can leave the dock at 7:30 or 8:00 and be back by lunch or a bit after. These sites are 14-18 miles out and 60 to 90 ft deep. For some they run two trips a day.