Myrtle beach or The Oriskany in Sep.

[RDRINK25]

Looking to go dive or labor day weekend. Was originally thinking Myrtle beach to do the Hebe and hopefully see some sharks. Now I am torn with the O. My wife and I are not tech divers and figured Myrtle has more to see. I was told the in Sept the O can have some strong currents coupled with a 2hr ride out does not sit well. Any thoughts?

 

[00wabbit]

Morehead City!

Sorry - I'm here now.

 

[hroark2112]

Don't listen to us North Carolina divers. 2 hour boat rides are short for us! Anything less than 2 hours and I don't get a nap, then I'm cranky!!

 

[RDRINK25]

Sorry meant to add that we have to drive as all I have off is that Sun-Mon. Living in ATL that limits us to where we can go.

 

[Hetland]

There is no way to predict currents in our part of the Gulf of Mexico. I've been to sites that were screaming, and less than a mile away, nothing. They change with depth, and time, and I couldn't say one month was better or worse than the next. I've found three separate currents on single sites, all going in their own direction, and with their own, differing strengths.

Generally, the overall weather is best between May and November, meaning a more comfortable boat ride, and a lesser chance of a trip being cancelled. Of course, that's also hurricane season ;-)

The ride out is usually closer to 1.5 hours than to 2.

-h

 

[drrich2]

Looking to go dive or labor day weekend. Was originally thinking Myrtle beach to do the Hebe and hopefully see some sharks. Now I am torn with the O. My wife and I are not tech divers and figured Myrtle has more to see. I was told the in Sept the O can have some strong currents coupled with a 2hr ride out does not sit well. Any thoughts?

Interesting choice. I haven't dove either. Got a few questions that might help. Having done a quick Google search to find out about diving the Hebe, and at this site found this blurb:

The Hebe and St. Cathan:
Also known as the Twin Cities Wreck, the Hebe, a Dutch merchant vessel, and the British sub chaser St. Cathan collided during blackout conditions in 1942. Now two of South Carolina’s most popular shipwrecks for advanced divers, they now rest 1/4 mile apart in 90-110 feet of water. This site is known for artifacts, tropical and game fish, as well as Sand Tiger sharks in the spring and fall. (Full day trip $130)

Considering this in light of your personal situation, location and how much of the Oriskany you'd find accessible, I'd compare:

1.) How do the round trip drives compare?

2.) How do the round trip boat trips compare, and does that make a difference? What about roughness of seas during boat rides?

3.) Let's say you dive the Hebe, and don't see any sharks. Will that ruin it for you? Regret the trip? If so, shoot an e-mail to a dive op. & ask your odds of seeing some that time of year.

4.) If you dive the Hebe, will you also get another dive on that trip elsewhere? Will an Oriskany dive be a double dip on that same wreck, vs. something different? Have you a preference?

5.) I was born in Pensacola, and would like to do the O. someday for nostalgia's sake (like you, I'm not a tech. diver and it'd be a long trip out & back for a fairly shore dive with limited structural access/exploration). In the discussions of it I've read, I don't get the sense people count on regularly seeing numbers of sharks. Let's say you don't see any, or maybe a couple of reef sharks or a bull shark in the distance. Are you going to wish you'd done the Hebe instead?

6.) While we have some idea what attracted you to diving the Hebe, I don't see where you explained what drew you to consider the Oriskany. It's hard to compare prospective dive sites without knowing the criteria to judge.

Richard.

 

[Hetland]

I don't know anything about the other location, but perhaps I can clear up some confusion on Oriskany diving:

How do the round trip boat trips compare, and does that make a difference? What about roughness of seas during boat rides?

The O trip is about 24 miles out of Pensacola. The six-pack boats are faster in and out, but the most comfortable ride will be on the H2O Below. It's also the boat that does the most O trips.

Will an Oriskany dive be a double dip on that same wreck, vs. something different?

Typically it is. Sometimes an operator will run the second dive on the Avocet, or one of the rig jackets nearby. These are typically deeper dives as well (90-130ft)

(like you, I'm not a tech. diver and it'd be a long trip out & back for a fairly shore dive with limited structural access/exploration).

I am a tech diver, but I'm never disappointed shallower than 120ft. In fact, I've done several dives where I've never broke 110ft. There's plenty to see and explore if you take your time. The parts that are accessible to recreational divers are larger than most wrecks in our area.

In the discussions of it I've read, I don't get the sense people count on regularly seeing numbers of sharks.

For the last few years, I've almost always seen at least one shark, usually two, and usually sandbars, with bulls being regulars as well. I've seen a whale shark, and a few weeks ago, reliable sources said they saw a 15ft tiger. You'll usually see them in the 30-70ft range making wide circles above the tower, but, I wouldn't recommend this as a "shark site", because they keep their distance.

 

[RDRINK25]

Well decision has been made... ended up having a companion txt from Delta. So I was to get a free txt to WPB and found a flight out the next morning at 7AM to go straight to work. That time of year the Goliath's are there and hoping to encounter them.

 

[Just_Me]

Moorehead City and Wilmington are addictive. Sharks, wrecks, vis, depths are varied...

End of June, July, and August trips this year hint to my addiction.

 

[Rekcals83]

I dove the Oriskany 2-3 weekends ago, it was a blast. I am relatively new to diving and it was my first deep dive, but everything went fairly smoothly. You would be above 130 feet, so you would just be able to explore the island (the structure that rises above the flight deck) a bit, but there is plenty to check out there. Even some areas you can swim inside and check out.

It's a 2 tank trip, so you hit it once, do your surface interval and then hit it again.

The downside is it's a pretty long boat ride, I got fairly seasick, but that didn't ruin it for me.