Morehead City, NC diving advice

[NJMike]

Getting blown out of the water is not too bad if you're local, and the dive shop doesn't charge you, obviously.

But to drive that distance, pay for a hotel, food, etc and not dive is a pain. I drove to Ocean City, MD twice to dive the USS Blenny and both times it cancelled. Bummer. A drive to NC would be even worse. I think I'd have to plan on 5 days just hoping to get 3!

 

[Tortuga James]

Getting blown out of the water is not too bad if you're local, and the dive shop doesn't charge you, obviously.

But to drive that distance, pay for a hotel, food, etc and not dive is a pain. I drove to Ocean City, MD twice to dive the USS Blenny and both times it cancelled. Bummer. A drive to NC would be even worse. I think I'd have to plan on 5 days just hoping to get 3!

You hit the nail on the head, Mike. Unless you live within a couple of hours, then booking a single day is nothing but a risky crap shoot. But when you book 5 and get 3 days of diving our coast, you will not be disappointed. You only have to pay for 3 and you get a couple of "lay days" on the coast of NC, which is much better than a sharp stick in the eye.

 

[packman]

2 years ago starting in late May, there was an incredible stretch of good weather and the fleet ran 40 straight days.

That was a great summer.


Then we made up for it last summer.

 

[Drewski]

Operator wise, Olympus runs nice trips as does Discovery, but my favorite is Bobby Cox and the Diver Down located on the causeway to Atlantic Beach. He will go out in marginal conditions (nice when you travel a long way and spend $300 on gas and motels whether the boat leaves the dock or not) but plans the destination based on wind and waves so that the boat ride is not as bad as it could be.

THAT, sir, is an UNDERSTATEMENT! RAD, his wife and I went out on a TRUELY memorable day last fall... He gives new meaning to the old rhyme "no sea too rough, no muff too tough, we dive at 5!"

So, in other words, you have not actually done the QAR dive yourself?

So, ahh, I'm thinking you HAVE dived the QAR? BTW, how much do they charge you to dive the QAR and is it one day or two?

Just curious....?

THANKS!

Andy

 

[diveonthefive]

The cost is $550.00. It starts on a Friday night, then continues through the weekend. The QAR dive is on the last day.

 

[Drewski]

Oh, OK. So for $550 you get a course, a LOT of history and the unique chance to be part of something special. COOL!

And one (one?) 30 min dive in low visibility water where you can't actually touch the wreck, artifacts or any other objects on the QAR sight?

Is that about it?

 

[Nevis Diver]

I too, am participating in the QAR experience Aug. 13-14. Other than my first open water dive with no instructor and my first Cozumel dive, I have not been this excited about a dive since I was certified. Of course, it isn't just the dive, but the whole experience. There are many of us that (don't yet) choose to focus on one specialty but would rather gather a well rounded knowledge and experience base through our diving. Historically significant dive experiences, such as the QAR, are part of that growth.

I am expecting to approach the dive with my imagination meter pegged and will attempt to visualize the ship as it was in its glory days instead of a bunch of piles of junk laying in the sand. Considering that soon enough no one will ever be able to dive the QAR again combined with the first class presentations and all else the program has to offer, $550 is quite a bargain.

Just my $.02.

 

[JayJudge]

Hey Drewski!
You were on the Mutiny, not the Diver Down, lol. We were the only boat with a charter that weekend, all the guests were experienced, and no one said anything, so we ran. Geez, I even got 3 dives in that Saturday- not to mention the ones on the deck coming back in...... When the boat has a charter in conditions like that, with a group like that, its hard to make the call- we will get you there, we will get you back on, and we will do our best to get you to have a good time. Whether the trip should have been blown out or not is above my pay grade, but Friday, once we got past the channel it laid down, and we had 50ft of vis on the Titan, so .......
-J

 

[RAD Diver]

I already told him that Jay, but I guess the mind is the 1st thing to go when you get old. LOL
Hey we went & I have no regrets. We did get in about 60 min BT on the Indra & I hadn't been on it for a couple of years so it wasn't so bad.
But that was a crazy day. Me & you were the last ones on the deck, & the Mutiny rode those seas real nice.

 

[Drewski]

Hey Drewski!
You were on the Mutiny, not the Diver Down, lol. We were the only boat with a charter that weekend, all the guests were experienced, and no one said anything, so we ran. Geez, I even got 3 dives in that Saturday- not to mention the ones on the deck coming back in...... When the boat has a charter in conditions like that, with a group like that, its hard to make the call- we will get you there, we will get you back on, and we will do our best to get you to have a good time. Whether the trip should have been blown out or not is above my pay grade, but Friday, once we got past the channel it laid down, and we had 50ft of vis on the Titan, so .......
-J

OH! After that slam I took to the deck, my memory was an issue. Did I say my memory was an issue? LOL!

Actually, I was DAMN glad we went that first day. Anything I can't stand (as RAD can tell you) are Sunday sailors.

BTW, for those reading, it was an EXCELLENT time (from what I can still remember, I think) and I'd go again any chance I get.