First time in salt water

[wetman]

How would we get to partake in a lobster hunt (assuming NC is a place to do such things)? (maybe not this trip but whenever)


That sounds like fun (til i lose a finger i'm sure).

steve

 

[Padipro]

Actually I was asking FLL Diver if he was going out for mini season. FLL is the 3 letter airport code for Ft. Lauderdale so I know where lives, which isn't to far from me.

As for the lobsters... First you need to come down to FLL the last Wednesday and Thursday of July. This is a special "Mini Season" for sport divers only, no commercial divers, the regular season starts August 6th. You get a fishing license with a lobster stamp and you're set. Don't worry about loosing a finger though because the lobster down here are warm water lobster and don't have the big claws you're thinking of. These lobster have sharp spines all over their bodys which makes them quite painfull to pick up with out heavy gloves.

Scott

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

Originally posted by Padipro
Are you going out for mini season next week? Lots of bugs around this year, should be a good season.

Scott

I am. I was invited to go with a bunch of folks who have chartered the Safari Diver for half a day.

I should be interesting. I remember reading all about it last year in the paper and wondering what was the attraction that brought swarms of divers out, a few capsized boats, a couple of rescues and one (only?) drowning.

Guess I'll find out.

I see by your name and sig line that you're an instructor. What shop are you out of?

 

[Padipro]

I'm not currently teaching, I'm on what PADI calls "Non-Teaching Status". I pay my dues every year but I don't have the insurance that's required to teach. I work a full time job of 10 hour shifts, nights and weekends so it's really tough to teach working that schedual. I used to teach for Lauderdale Diver about a year or so ago but found it was just to hard to teach for 5 hours and then go to work for another 10. I sure do miss it though. I had a lot of fun when I was teaching.

From your last post I take it this is your first year diving? Mini Season is a blast. It's a lot harder to catch those little buggers that you would think. Have fun and let me know things went.

Scott

 

[wetman]

OK, so here it is in short form.

Hated the taste of the saltwater as it splashed in my face. Yacked before 1st dive, felt great afterwards. Seems every boat trip had a few hugging the edge for the whole dive. I cant imagine spending close to 100 bux US to sit there and yack from 6:30 am to some time in the afternoon while riding a rocking boat. Felt sorry for them as they watched us all enjoy a nice day of diving. Never felt 100% myself, but once below forgot the nasty feeling til i got back on. Dive 3 was worth the whole trip for me.

Use Olympus in Morehead and Aquatic Safaris in Wilmington. Both recommended.

At Morehead:
1st dive: Hutton: boring, didnt see much life except the dolphin off the starboard side of the boat was interesting (and that was above water). apparently there was a bull shark near by but we didn't get to that end of the ship to see it.
2nd dive: Indra. great. travelled through wreck. more life to see. absolutely enjoyable dive

At wilmington
3rd: Hyde. SHARKS. excellent.
4th: marham. more SHARKS!!! a giant sea turtle, rays and too many other species to mention.

Oh and these were my sister's 1st two dives post class. Couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the sport - you should have seen her eyes open in excitement when you kept seeing something new and fantastic literally every time you turned around. I was quite the same.

5: 8 mile reef - vis horrible and not worth the drive. Had a very curious barracuda escort us from the hang bar to the safety line. Mouth was opening more and more as we got closer to the line/ladder and the fish as he didn't seem to want to move. Bit nervous at that point.
6: some wreck at 3 miles off shore. didn't care which one. same comments as number 5. vis was about 10 feet.

steve

 

[voidware]

Sorry guys, no shore diving in NC. Well, not anything interesting. The real fun is the offshore wrecks. That's where the 80-100' vis is.

Yeah, wetman, there are always atleast three sand tigers around hyde/markham. Those two are my favorite dives. If you're going to wilmington, I also recommend Aquatic Safaris. Hyde, Markham, John D. Gill, and Alton-Lennon are really nice wrecks. If you get the chance, try Scuba South out of Southport and do the Rosin Wreck and the City of Houston. Both are really great and full of artifacts and marine life.

Just a hint--the further offshore the better the vis. It improves as you get into the Gulf Stream

brandon

 

[O-ring]

Aquatic Safaris in Wilmington. Both recommended. At wilmington 3rd: Hyde. SHARKS. excellenta

I dove with Aquatic Safaris last weekend...on Sat. we did the Cassimir and on Sunday we did 28 Mile Ledge and the Hyde. Also saw 2 sharks. Were you on the afternoon dive?

 

[wetman]

we did the hyde and markham on friday and just a quick afternoon jaunt on saturday to 8 mile reef (more of a slight crack in the ocean really) and that closer to shore wreck (dont remember the name).

o-ring, are you in NC often? i got a speeding ticket going through virginia on our way down. must avoid that little area next time!

steve

 

[O-ring]

I will be diving out of Carolina Beach weekend after next and out of Morehead the weekend after labor day.

Agreed about VA...the cops suck and they give tickets for everything.

 

[Spectre]

Originally posted by wetman

Use Olympus in Morehead and Aquatic Safaris in Wilmington. Both recommended.

I dove with Olympus about a month ago... loved 'em, and had a great time with the dive masters over at Raps in the evenings. 3 days of diving, 2 days of blow-outs. Two dives on the bow of the Atlas on the first day, U-352 and the Aelous day two, wednesday was the stern of the Atlas and the Caribsea. the Aeolus was definately my favorite.

Sharks Sharks and more Sharks! They didn't really phase me except the one that was coming straight at me before she veered away. I guess there was one shark issue on the first day, where Mike had an issue with a shark going after the lift bag that was in his catch bag [thinking it was a fish probably], but he gave it a knock on the nose and they sent Sean down with a crowbar to see if the shark needed to be put in his place with the mafia method. The bigger sharks weren't a problem... the little pups were the ones that had a tendancy to get a little 'friendly'.

It was actually the barracudas that freaked me out a little more, as they just hovered there and watched you. I know barracudas vision is kinda crappy, and basically anything shiny they think is fish... not doing a good 'shine check' before I entered, my first hang was a little nerve-racking with the 'cuda eying me the whole time.