Hyde/Markham Dives

[rgee9]

Hello all,

My wife and I are heading to Wilmington, North Carolina to dive the Hyde/Markham. Can someone provide a general dive briefing on what to expect on each of these sites?

Thanks,
Rob Gee

 

[DivingGal]

Two nice "little" wrecks. The two wrecks were ocean going hopper dredges sunk as part of the artifical program. The Hyde is 215 feet long, the Markham 320, and both ar still intact. Each wreck can be explored in one dive and the marine life is varied.

On my dives back in May I saw jacks, barracuda, a turtle, and a number of Sand Bar sharks.

The wrecks are very close to each other, so the boat ride between is practically non-existant as you can see the mooring for the other wreck when you're on one. I think the boat ride out wasn't that long.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[J-Howell]

Hey,

I recently went on a dive to the Hyde and the Markham. It was the best dives i have ever partaken in. On the Hyde, the visibility was outstanding. We counted 20+ Sand Tiger sharks. There was also a number a Barracuda. I enjoyed this dive throughouly and woudl reccomend it to anyone who wants to expirence a great dive. I also dove the Markham, i wasn't too happy about this dive primarily because of the current we were expeirencing. we had to hold on for dear life to stay down. Other than that the dive waas great. The ship is in very good condition and the sealife was outstanding. We saw a couple of amberjacks, Barracudas, and a few Sand Tigers while we were down. I hope you have a good time on your trip and I wish you the best of luck.

- Jon Howell

 

[rgee9]

Thanks for the info! It looks as though sharks are on the list. At what depth is the deck and bottom? Is there any superstructure left on the wreck?

Thanks again on the reef!
Rob

 

[Bottom Time NC]

Both wrecks sit in about 80 feet of water. The Hyde is upright while the Markham is laying on its side. The Hydes deck starts at about 55 feet. The Markhams top side is at about 50 ft.