I'm a big fan of Down Under Surf and Scuba in Cary. They have plenty of tec divers and very experienced people on staff. They teach lots of classes and have an active club. It's a smaller shop, though, if you're shopping for gear. If you want to go to a big shop with its own pool for diving in, Gypsy Divers in Raleigh is another well-run operation. I think most people pick up tanks and any rental gear at one of those places if they're headed to Fantasy Lake for quarry diving.
For coastal diving, you can usually rent whatever gear you need at the dive shop doing the charter, but do ask about gear when you book a trip. Also, for coastal diving on weekends you usually need to book a couple of weeks in advance. Just be aware that they won't go out if the conditions are too rough, and you may not know until that morning. You also have to be a little flexible with the dive sites; if the conditions are bad at your preferred site, or if you get outvoted, you'll go somewhere else.
Looks like you're a new diver according to your profile, so you should probably start with the beginner wrecks and work your way up to the deeper offshore wrecks. We did the Indra with 20ish dives and AOW, PPB, and Nitrox, and just did our first offshore deep wreck with 40ish dives (several around 90-100 feet) and Rescue under our belts. Both were a little challenging at that point in our dive experience, but not beyond our capabilities. The coastal dive shops can get you onto beginner boats. I think getting back on board with real (not Caribbean) waves is the hardest part. A refresher in Fantasy Lake is a good idea if you're rusty at all. So is a private Divemaster.
We've gone out with Discovery Diving Co. in Beaufort and liked them. Olympus Dive Center and Tortuga (Captain JT) are on our TODO list based on others' reviews.
We usually find our dive buddies and get local advice using the Raleigh Area Divers Facebook group.
By the way, Go Duke! DH and I are Dukies who have lived in the Triangle area on and off since 1995.
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