Ocracoke/ outer banks diving

[kkbook1]

Hi. I recently finished my OW certification and will get my AOW in 3 weeks in Key Largo (Yeah!!!). Next summer we are going to go to the Outer Banks for vacation on Ocracoke. We are from NC but have not tried to dive off the coast yet. We will have minimum of 25 dives by the time we go (over half on the open water). Is there any where to dive in Ocracoke? I see a few charters off Hatteras but they are scaring me a bit with the lack of help they seem to be on the actual dive. They all seem to be wreck dives and that is ok but we aren't married to being on a wreck dive. We prefer seeing the sea creatures and fish. We won't have a ton of experience with deep or wreck dives at that point and don't want to get in over our heads. As most trips leave really early in am and we would have to take a ferry. Would prefer something in Ocracoke or Hatteras. Thanks for any help that can be offered.

 

[tomfcrist]

The outer banks has some very unforgiving diving if you don't have your stuff together. I would get with Dave on the Lions Paw. JT has the best 6pk in NC, but his weekends get booked up about a year in advance. There is always a chance to get on his boat during the week though. The other option is roanoke island outfitters, which is about an hour north of Hatteras.



Oh by the way, in NC wrecks= massive amounts of marine life...ledges(reefs) are meh.



As far as lack of "help" on the dives...that is standard up here. The idea is that if you aren't capable of doing the dive independently, you don't belong on the dive. I don't disagree with that philosophy.