Looking for DIR divers in the Baltimore / DC area

[O.M.O.H.]

All:

I am originally from NYC area and here is my issue. I was going to be doing my fundamentals training with B. Sherwood this September at the Dutch Springs, but sometimes circumstances are against us or beyond our control. I work in the DoD Airspace industry and sometimes, I have to be on the move to stay employed. About 2 months ago I got a fairly urgent job transfer to Baltimore / DC area (Greenbelt, MD) and so I was forced to scrap the idea of doing the fundies this year... For the last few days I've been searching the internet for DIR-friendly or compliant (or whatever) shops and divers in my new area but with very little luck.

Scubaboard is huge and there's got to be someone on this board that lives in Baltimore / DC area who would know of DIR Shops and DIR divers around here. With that, I am asking the like-minded DIR divers and hard-core HOGs in the Baltimore / DC area to contact me by responding to this post, PMing me or email me. Whatever may be the easiest. All info will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[O.M.O.H.]

Bump..

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Try this shop:

Virginia Scuba :: Virginia's Only Techreational Dive Center!

Largest Halcyon dealership along the eastern seaboard. Definitely not a DIR shop, Mark is a huge stroke. But he recognizes it - the first step... ("My name is Mark, and I'm a stroke"...) He's a great guy, and his wife is even better because she puts up with him. The dog's name is Buster. He generally doesn't bite, but some guys just piss him off...

Mark will have whatever you want to buy, generally in stock - call, or use his online store.

In terms of like-minded divers, you sort of need to find those on your own. There are a few in town, some dive more frequently than others, some are more "DIR-compliant" than others - if you are looking for hardcorps believers you may need to look deeply.

Here is one place to start looking, which shouldn't be too far from you. Ted doesn't let losers on the boat. If you're diving with Ted, its because he suspects you will survive the opportunity:
OC Diver

Ted is probably one of the most competent charter skippers on the eastern seaboard. (Expect to chat with him before signing up for a slot...) While he isn't DIR either, the people on the OC Diver know what they're doing. Start there, and work on meeting others.

Other sixpacks also offer an opportunity to meet other competent divers from the DC area. The downside with sixpacks is that you need to put up a number of deposits at the beginning of the season to get slots, so you can have quite a bit of ching laid out at the start of the season. (Slots go fast.) Then too, expect around a 50% blow-out rate, so you get around 50% of your deposits back by the end of the season, but you won't know which ones until the weather gods are through messing with you. Here are a few to contact:

http://www.discoverydiving.com/

Captain's Lady is the sixpack.

http://www.atlantischarters.net/

http://www.olympusdiving.com/

There are various hotels in the area. One is:
Best Western Buccaneer Inn, 2806 Arendell St. (252) 726-3115

Morehead City offers some serious wreck diving, extending from 40' to 240'. Get experience with the environment, then work your way deeper. Don't overlook the shallow wrecks. Learning to move inside these wrecks is important, and its better to get some experience shallow than find yourself hung up inside something at 190" or so.

In terms of practice dives, here is a great location to practice. Best option is to camp there, however, there is also a hotel close by. Get there early...it gets busy throughout the season:
Lake Rawlings - A Scuba and Camping Park

Hope these offer you a place to begin looking for reliable buddies.

Enjoy the diving - the area has a lot to offer.

Doc

 

[divestoclimb]

In the DC area the most tech-oriented shops that I'm aware of are Splash Dive Center in Alexandria, VA; Adventure SCUBA in Chantilly; and The Dive Shop in Fairfax might be one as well. There's also Virginia SCUBA out in Manassas. None of these shops are DIR but they should be more helpful than the shops catering only to vacation reef divers, and if there are any pure DIR divers in DC they almost certainly use one of those shops. I would call them and ask if they know of any.

 

[TSandM]

PM Cmalinowski on this board. He's GUE C1/T1. I just spent a week cave diving with him and his buddy, and they're great guys and very good divers.

 

[O.M.O.H.]

Thanks to all for all inputs! I will let you know how it goes.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Thanks to all for all inputs! I will let you know how it goes.

OMOH --

Below are some websites that may come in handy for planning your 2009 season. I have used them frequently. On the boat list, "Lady" is Captain's Lady, the sixpack - the other boats are larger. (Indra is a shallow wreck, good for practice dives, etc.)

Hope these help. If you want a copy of the entire newsletter, PM me with an email address and I'll forward it to you.

Regards,

Doc

23. High Tides

High tides at Radio Island this weekend: (as of 12/3/2008)

Sat Dec 6th, 2008 high tide 1:33pm
Sun Dec 7th, 2008 high tide 2:30pm

Here's a site to check the tides:

North Carolina Tide Tables.

For tide information other days or other places try:

Tides Online

Duke web cam (Beaufort):

Duke University Marine Lab

Weather, Hydrological and Water Quality Data:

http://www.ncsu.edu/wq/RTRM/CMAST/dp12cc.html


24. Recent Conditions Inshore & Offshore: (the further out you go, the warmer and clearer conditions are, due to the flow of the Gulf Stream up the coast of NC...."sand tigers" are sharks, between 6'-12' in length, harmless but toothy!)

Wednesday, November 26

The Schurz had 66 degrees and the visibility was 60 - 70 feet. There were large sand tigers, grouper, lionfish, queen angelfish, blue angelfish, amberjacks, and barracuda. There were sea turtles swimming around the wreck. When you got away from the wreck, the sand tigers were head to tail and side by side on the bottom. It looked like the fleet was in formation. Multiple pods of dolphins were seen during the surface interval and on the way back to the dock.

The Papoose had 68 degrees and the visibility was 70 - 80 feet. There were large sand tigers, rainbow runners, beeliners, grouper, lion paw scallops, stingrays, blue head wrasse, lionfish, queen angelfish, blue angelfish, barracuda, and amberjacks. Sand tigers were seen swimming on and above the wreck. Off of the stern past the rudder, the sand tigers were amassed from the top of the wreck to the sand.


Offshore weather
NWS Marine Offshore Marine Forecasts by Zone

Inshore Forecast
East Marine Text Forecasts by Zone

NOAA Local Forecast --
7-Day Zone Forecast for Carteret County

Doppler Radar Morehead City, NC
NOAA's National Weather Service Forecast Office - Newport/Morehead City, NC

NOAA weather commonly monitored
http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn.pl?file=forecasts/marine/coastal/am/amz158.txt


Water temps via satellite
sstion=capehat - IMCS Marine Remote Sensing

sstion=capehat - IMCS Marine Remote Sensing

The top image will be the most recent. For reference, each box is 30 miles across, and the U-352 submarine is about 32 miles offshore.


Radar Page 1 - Our original Regular Updated LIVE Radar Map Links...
http://www.emergencyemail.org/weatherradarmap.asp

Radar Page 2 - Our New Multi-radar page link...
http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/weatherradar.asp?sit=27

Severe Weather Map Link . . . .
http://www.emergencyemail.org/weathermap.asp

Business Continuity Resources Sponsors
Business Contintuity - Legal Resource Center

Avian Bird Flu Map Link. . . . .
Bird Flu Map - The Emergency Email & Wirless Network .......... www. EmergencyEmail.ORG ........


Caribbean Storm Network (Caribbean Hurricane Network - stormCARIB.com - Local Reports on Tropical Systems threatening the Caribbean Islands) for divers with upcoming Caribbean trips - it gives the latest hurricane updates, and reports from local correspondents on every island.


25. Charter Openings: 3 Charter Boats

These are trips we have scheduled. We will be glad to put a trip together anytime you want to go. If a boat or day is not listed, that means it is completely available. Give us a call.

A more extensive list of charter availability can also be checked at our website at Charter Openings

Trips in the Spring / Fall leave the dock Mon.-Fri at 7:45am, Sat & Sun 7:45am.
(Trips in the Summer leave the dock Mon.-Fri at 7:45am, Sat & Sun 6:45am.

Latest changes made on 12/03/2008

Available
Date Destination Openings Cost Boat (subject to change)

Boats leave the dock Mon.-Fri at 7:45am, Sat & Sun 7:45am.

Dec 13 Regular Day - Inshore full $105.00 SQ II
Dec 14 Spar full $105.00 SQ II



2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009

_______2009 Prices are Subject to Change _____
Jan 1 Spearfishing 5 $105.00 Lady
May 10 3 Tank Dive 7 $135.00 Out V
May 11 3 Tank Dive 7 $135.00 Out V
May 12 3 Tank Dive 7 $135.00 Out V
May 13 3 Tank Dive 7 $135.00 Out V
May 14 3 Tank Dive 7 $135.00 Out V
May 15 3 Tank Dive 7 $135.00 Out V
May 15 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
May 16 Regular Day 8 $105.00 Out V
May 16 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
May 17 Regular Day 8 $105.00 Out V
May 17 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
May 23 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
May 23 Spearfishing - pm full $105.00 Lady
May 24 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
May 30 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
May 30 Regular Day 3 $105.00 Lady
May 31 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
May 31 Regular Day 3 $105.00 Lady

June 4 Extended Day full $130.00 Lady
June 5 Extended Day full $130.00 Lady
June 6 Regular Day 5 $105.00 Out V
June 6 Extended Day full $130.00 Lady
June 7 Regular Day 5 $105.00 Out V
June 7 Extended Day full $130.00 Lady
June 9 Regular Day 5 $105.00 Out V
June 10 Regular Day 5 $105.00 Out V
June 12 Indra - pm full $65.00 Lady
June 13 Regular Day 8 $105.00 Out V
June 13 Regular Day full $105.00 SQ II
June 13 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
June 14 Regular Day 8 $105.00 Out V
June 14 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
June 15 Regular Day 8 $105.00 SQ II
June 15 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
June 16 Regular Day 8 $105.00 SQ II
June 16 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
June 17 Regular Day 8 $105.00 SQ II
June 18 Regular Day 8 $105.00 SQ II
June 27 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
June 27 Spearfishing full $105.00 Lady
June 28 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
June 29 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
June 29 Regular Day full $105.00 SQ II
June 30 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
June 30 Regular Day full $105.00 SQ II

July 1 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 1 Regular Day full $105.00 SQ II
July 2 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 2 Regular Day full $105.00 SQ II
July 6 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 7 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 9 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 10 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 12 Special Day full $135.00 SQ II
July 13 Special Day full $135.00 SQ II
July 14 Special Day full $135.00 SQ II
July 15 Special Day full $135.00 SQ II
July 16 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 16 Special Day full $135.00 SQ II
July 17 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 17 Special Day full $135.00 SQ II
July 18 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 18 Regular Day full $105.00 SQ II
July 18 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
July 19 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 19 Regular Day full $105.00 SQ II
July 19 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
July 20 Regular Day 8 $105.00 Out V
July 21 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 22 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 23 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 24 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 24 Indra - pm full $65.00 Lady
July 25 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 25 Regular Day full $105.00 SQ II
July 25 Spearfishing - pm full $105.00 Lady
July 26 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 26 Regular Day full $105.00 SQ II
July 29 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 30 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 31 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
July 31 Indra - pm full $105.00 Lady

Aug 1 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
Aug 1 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
Aug 2 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
Aug 8 Regular Day full $105.00 SQ II
Aug 8 Regular Day 1 $105.00 Lady
Aug 9 Regular Day 1 $105.00 Lady
Aug 15 Regular Day 8 $105.00 Out V
Aug 15 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
Aug 16 Regular Day 8 $105.00 Out V
Aug 16 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
Aug 17 Regular Day 4 $105.00 Lady
Aug 18 Regular Day 4 $105.00 Lady
Aug 19 Regular Day 4 $105.00 Lady
Aug 20 Regular Day 4 $105.00 Lady
Aug 21 Regular Day 4 $105.00 Lady
Aug 21 Indra - pm full $105.00 Lady
Aug 22 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
Aug 22 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady
Aug 22 Spearfishing - pm full $105.00 Lady
Aug 23 Regular Day full $105.00 Out V
Aug 23 Regular Day full $105.00 Lady


We are ready anytime you want to go!!!!

E-Mail: dive@DiscoveryDiving.com

Discovery Diving Co., Inc. - North Carolina Wreck Diving in the Graveyard of the Atlantic

Hope this info is useful,

Doc

 

[edparris]

The advice about Ted's boat is spot on. You're on your own for a LDS. Bob is a great guy and teacher. IMHO well worth your time to reschedule that class. I'll PM you with some contact info. Piotr, Szymon and Vinny are the other guys we (Chris and I) normally dive with.

Sorry to miss MX Lynne. Heard it was a blast. Next time.

Ed

 

[TSandM]

Yes, we had a wonderful time! Chris and Piotr were great company. You need to join us next time.

 

[MrPersonallity]

Hey Doc, You sound kind of GUEy to me, name calling and all. We always called it Hogarthian, same basic configuration as DIR just no Kool-aid.... Now I got to go dig out my "STROKE" shirt. What did that stand for again? Society of Technical Risk- Optimizing Karst Explorers???
Any way, We are still teaching tec through mix ccr on a regular basis..
How's it going out on the "Left Coast"? You miss us yet? The new web store should launch before the Holidays ( shut down for rework), and we have a new look on the web site. Make sure you stop in next time through town Buster misses your leg! ha ha.