NC Dive Reports

[flounderer]

I've never heard the "alive" part. Spiny lobster are covered under 50CFR-640.

John

My bad on the alive part. Usually the dead lobsters that I've seen on the docks have holes in them while a hand caught lobster can survive for hours and hours out of the water and ones brought back to the dock caught legally are usually alive.

Pat

end hijack, back to reports.

 

[NCDivemistress]

FYI: I believe starting in 2006, anyone lobster hunting and spearfishing will have to buy a spearfishing license. A portion of the price will go toward the NC Artificial Reef Program.

 

[fpsndiver]

FYI: I believe starting in 2006, anyone lobster hunting and spearfishing will have to buy a spearfishing license. A portion of the price will go toward the NC Artificial Reef Program.

Yep, $15.00/year for saltwater fishing/spearfishing/lobstering

 

[flounderer]

I just got back from the Hyde and Markham and the good conditions are still here. The seas were about 1-2 feet, a little choppy but a smooth easy ride. Temperature on the surface is still 85 and the temp on the bottom was a nice 82!

Vis on the Hyde was around 50+ft on the deck and about 40 on the sand. The sand tigers have vacated the wreck and moved to the Markham. There was a lot of bait fish all over the wreck. I've never seen so many grouper, there were hundreds of gags all around the ship, it's a little late for spawning time but thats what it looked like, a big spawning aggregation. There was also a little lost hogfish, I've never seen one in this close to shore.

Vis on the Markham was the same, crystal clear to about 50 ft then 50+ from there to about 10 ft from the bottom and a little cloudy on the bottom. All the sand tigers have moved here. I was told there was a dozen on the hull side of the ship but I never made it that far. I concentrated on snapping photos around the deck. All in all a great day of diving.

I made $100 in tips and I'm donating all of it to the Red Cross for the Katrina victims, they need it a little more then I do. I almost felt guilty having fun this morning.

Pat

 

[jdh]

We also had excellent conditions on the 18 Fathom Wreck today. Long ride out, but a really nice dive. Lots of huge pompano, grouper, sand tigers, lion fish, morays including one huge, but dead one. Saw what looked like a juvy french angel, but it was too big to be a juvenile. A 6ft or so stingray. As usual, the wreck was covered with so many baitfish you couldn't even see the structure. Had lots of friendly barracuda hanging out with us on the way up. 84F from surface to 30ft, 79F on the bottom with current.

John

 

[fpsndiver]

City of Houston Saturday September 3rd


EPIC!

Tom

 

[KidK9]

Nice lobster...and nice dog too!!!!

 

[coop1]

Best day of diving on the NC coast ever....

I had two friends down from Jersey Friday and Sat. With diesel prices as high as they were, we decided to do a fish/dive/overnighter to avoid a run back in. We headed east out of MHC and after some debate decided to dive the bow of the Far East Tanker. After a search, we located and grappeled the wreck and I started the decent to secure the hook. Having never dove this section on the FET, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew that it was upside down but that's about it. Viz was unlimited up high. At 120' I started to see the dark shadows of sand tigers moving around. At 130' I started to make out the keel about 25' below me. Here the vertical viz dropped but the horizontal viz stayed about 70'. Usually just the opposite. As luck would have it, we were grappled in about mid way down the hull in a break in the ribs, making for an easy release. I lashed my rope around the hook to secure it and continued to the bottom. 50' viz and 74 deg at 172'. Jeez it was nice. I started to make my way toward the break and was immediatly swarmed by some huge grouper. Safe from my spear as the sharks were also there. At the break, I explored some rubble off the wreck that I can only assume stretched the five miles west to the stern piece. Lots of scattered debris. I made it back to the break and ascended to 160' while making my way up the port side. With bottom time dwindling, I reluctantly made my way to the anchor line and started my ascent, leaving the seldom dove wreck in admiration and wonder. At my 80' stop, I watched pompano continually swim around me, while I sent the ballon to the surface signaling the next diver to begin his decent.

We spent the rest of the afternoon fishing the east side down to the BR and kept a nice wahoo for dinner. Sat am the fishing was so good we decided not to dive an call it an early day. Made it back in time to grill some burgers and drink some cold ones with the rest of the family. This is why in my opinion NC wreck diving is second to none....

coop