So I was staying up in Duck and last year did a few dives out of Nags Head. While I enjoyed the dives, it was pretty much the same cold green water I can get off NJ. This year I decided to do the hour and forty-five minute drive to Hatteras to hit the warm blue waters of the Gulf stream! This was also my first time to see sharks (besides nurse sharks).
After recommendations on SB and checking a few places, I booked my dives with Outer Banks Diving on the Flying Fish. The folks couldn't have been nicer. Amy in the shop was great and helpful in shuffling things around when Tuesday was blown out. Captain Johnny and Dive Masters Stevie and Stephanie were awesome on the boat. They were extremely helpful and very alert to what was happening on the boat and in the water.
My first day in the water was Wednesday. There was a little wind, but the day was mostly clear. On the schedule were the FW Abrams and the Kenesha. Seas were about 3 feet with a current at the surface. The top layer of water had the current and was in the upper 70's. Dropping below 30 feet, the water was clear blue and warm, just what I was there to dive! I was diving with Cory from Virginia and Jeff from NJ, two insta-buddies I was happy to join. Both wrecks are very broken-up on a sand bottom and sit at about 90 fsw. Very easy to navigate and tons of fish. The Kenesha is a smaller wreck, but there seemed to be more fish there. As we descended on the Kenesha we caught sight of a big Sand Tiger leaving the scene. I got a good number of pictures with my new camera and will hopefully get them processed and posted soon. One of the highlights on the Kenesha was a large school of Cobia.
Second day diving was Thursday and it was a double dip on the Proteus. A bit further out, we arrived at the dive site to flat seas, minimal current and clear blue water! Visibility at the surface had to be 100 feet plus! Today I was diving with just Jeff, Corey wasn't on the boat. We are the first two divers in the water and are greeted by a dozen or so barracuda at about 30 feet. I was a bit preplexed, with the great viz that I couldn't see the Proteus which sits in 125 feet of water. As we approached 70 feet, we realized why; the bottom layer of water was a few degree cooler with viz between 30 and 40 feet at the bottom. As we broke through the murk, we started seeing the shadows circling. SHARKS! Jeff and I didn't make it more than 50 feet from the anchor line, not because of navigation worries, but because we were amazed at all the sharks going this way and that. We just floated there, taking pictures and just watching the sharks. After an unfortunately too short bottom time we slow started ascending. I decided to do a nice extended stop at 15 feet just watching the barracuda and bait fish swim around.
A two hour surface interval and we were back down the lines. The captain made a dive while the divers were off gassing and indicated the stern had even MORE SHARKS than the bottom of the anchor line. I used the new planning mode on my Shearwater to estimate bottom time and run a couple scenarios with a few minutes of deco. So back to the stern we went. It was amazing having the sharks criss-cross and swim all around. One diver counted 24 sharks visible in a couple minute period. Again, too soon the computer was showing NDL=0. I got to use another new feature of my Shearwater Predator, the Plus5. Essentially, the computer computes the amount of decompression obligation and gives you the total Time To Surface if you were to stay at the current depth for 5 more minutes. Based on the earlier planning, the Plus5 setting, we made a nice leisurely return to the anchor line and started up. A couple deep stops on the way up, my computer was clear by the time I hit the 15 foot deco bar. Since I had plenty of air, I did another nice long stay watching the 'cuda and bait fish. It was really enjoyable to just hang out and watch.
Since we were the first in the water, we were also the first out. With calm water and an empty boat, we were able to pack up our gear and start relaxing by the time the other divers started coming back on board.
Nearly everyone was back on board when a Safety Sausage popped out of the water about 150 feet up current from the boat. One dive master immediately grabbed mask, snorkel and fins and hit the water towards the marker. The other dive master got into full gear and headed out soon after. An okay sign from the first DM indicated the divers weren't in distress. After the second DM descended and communicated with the divers, it was determine they had been out on the wreck and weren't able to get back to the anchor line when his computer starting wracking up deco time. At the point they shot the bag (attached to the wreck) and started there ascent, his time to surface was about 45 minutes. The DM's swam the bag and line over to the boat so the divers could get onto the boat's rigging for their stops and then retrieved the line and reel. The DM's and captain did a great job responding quickly and efficiently to the situation, ensuring the divers had sufficient gas and cleared their stops.
Overall it was a great trip with some great dives. I wouldn't hesitate to dive with these folks again. My only complaint was the drive down, I have to convince my friends and family that a location further south in the Outer Banks is the way to go next year.
I'll get some pictures posted at some point. LOTS OF SHARKS.
After recommendations on SB and checking a few places, I booked my dives with Outer Banks Diving on the Flying Fish. The folks couldn't have been nicer. Amy in the shop was great and helpful in shuffling things around when Tuesday was blown out. Captain Johnny and Dive Masters Stevie and Stephanie were awesome on the boat. They were extremely helpful and very alert to what was happening on the boat and in the water.
My first day in the water was Wednesday. There was a little wind, but the day was mostly clear. On the schedule were the FW Abrams and the Kenesha. Seas were about 3 feet with a current at the surface. The top layer of water had the current and was in the upper 70's. Dropping below 30 feet, the water was clear blue and warm, just what I was there to dive! I was diving with Cory from Virginia and Jeff from NJ, two insta-buddies I was happy to join. Both wrecks are very broken-up on a sand bottom and sit at about 90 fsw. Very easy to navigate and tons of fish. The Kenesha is a smaller wreck, but there seemed to be more fish there. As we descended on the Kenesha we caught sight of a big Sand Tiger leaving the scene. I got a good number of pictures with my new camera and will hopefully get them processed and posted soon. One of the highlights on the Kenesha was a large school of Cobia.
Second day diving was Thursday and it was a double dip on the Proteus. A bit further out, we arrived at the dive site to flat seas, minimal current and clear blue water! Visibility at the surface had to be 100 feet plus! Today I was diving with just Jeff, Corey wasn't on the boat. We are the first two divers in the water and are greeted by a dozen or so barracuda at about 30 feet. I was a bit preplexed, with the great viz that I couldn't see the Proteus which sits in 125 feet of water. As we approached 70 feet, we realized why; the bottom layer of water was a few degree cooler with viz between 30 and 40 feet at the bottom. As we broke through the murk, we started seeing the shadows circling. SHARKS! Jeff and I didn't make it more than 50 feet from the anchor line, not because of navigation worries, but because we were amazed at all the sharks going this way and that. We just floated there, taking pictures and just watching the sharks. After an unfortunately too short bottom time we slow started ascending. I decided to do a nice extended stop at 15 feet just watching the barracuda and bait fish swim around.
A two hour surface interval and we were back down the lines. The captain made a dive while the divers were off gassing and indicated the stern had even MORE SHARKS than the bottom of the anchor line. I used the new planning mode on my Shearwater to estimate bottom time and run a couple scenarios with a few minutes of deco. So back to the stern we went. It was amazing having the sharks criss-cross and swim all around. One diver counted 24 sharks visible in a couple minute period. Again, too soon the computer was showing NDL=0. I got to use another new feature of my Shearwater Predator, the Plus5. Essentially, the computer computes the amount of decompression obligation and gives you the total Time To Surface if you were to stay at the current depth for 5 more minutes. Based on the earlier planning, the Plus5 setting, we made a nice leisurely return to the anchor line and started up. A couple deep stops on the way up, my computer was clear by the time I hit the 15 foot deco bar. Since I had plenty of air, I did another nice long stay watching the 'cuda and bait fish. It was really enjoyable to just hang out and watch.
Since we were the first in the water, we were also the first out. With calm water and an empty boat, we were able to pack up our gear and start relaxing by the time the other divers started coming back on board.
Nearly everyone was back on board when a Safety Sausage popped out of the water about 150 feet up current from the boat. One dive master immediately grabbed mask, snorkel and fins and hit the water towards the marker. The other dive master got into full gear and headed out soon after. An okay sign from the first DM indicated the divers weren't in distress. After the second DM descended and communicated with the divers, it was determine they had been out on the wreck and weren't able to get back to the anchor line when his computer starting wracking up deco time. At the point they shot the bag (attached to the wreck) and started there ascent, his time to surface was about 45 minutes. The DM's swam the bag and line over to the boat so the divers could get onto the boat's rigging for their stops and then retrieved the line and reel. The DM's and captain did a great job responding quickly and efficiently to the situation, ensuring the divers had sufficient gas and cleared their stops.
Overall it was a great trip with some great dives. I wouldn't hesitate to dive with these folks again. My only complaint was the drive down, I have to convince my friends and family that a location further south in the Outer Banks is the way to go next year.
I'll get some pictures posted at some point. LOTS OF SHARKS.
