Tech Diving Locations

[kensuf]

I love using Hudson Grotto for AN/DP and the deep dive in Advanced. You can hit 132' in the open water in Hudson Grotto if you know where to look. Rumor has it you can hit 145' too, but I haven't found that spot yet.

While it's definitely a stretch, I have heard of one trimix instructor that taught a normoxic course there more than once...

 

[Makhno]

Several others have already mentioned North Carolina for wrecks. i haven't been there in more than a decade, but I remember doing some fantastic wreck dives (and that was before I started doing technical diving; with reasonably long bottom times those wrecks must be so much better).

Philippines, as already mentioned, is cheap and has lots of good wrecks in Subic Bay and also in Coron. Coron is probably second only to Truk for the number of Japanese World War Two shipwrecks in one place. They're mostly shallow, so you can enjoy long dives without needing to do deco stops except for a few of the deeper ones, and even those you can dive with air for backgas and not be very narced. The liveaboard Rags Two is designed for tec diving and can include a couple of sea caves in trip to the Coron wrecks.

i just started cave diving within the past couple years but already have been to north central Florida twice and hope to get back there this winter. Those caves have a special kind of beauty that relatively few people have ever seen.

i guess it isn't anywhere near the SE United States, but I just had one of the best diving trips of my life earlier this month: the wreck of the HMS Hermes, off the coast of Sri Lanka. The first ship ever planned and built as an aircraft carrier; sunk about 4 months after Pearl Harbor if I recall correctly. Rarely dived because of the civil war; new that Sri Lanka is at peace, the Hermes is one of the most interesting and historically important wrecks that can be dived. That was without question one of the best weeks of diving I've ever enjoyed.

closer to your home, though, North Carolina for wrecks and north central Florida for caves.

 

[Centrals]

www.scubafroggy.com
Couple of times a year, MV Empress will explore the WWII wrecks in Java Sea(Indonesia). Not cheap though.

 

[Kevrumbo]

www.scubafroggy.com
Couple of times a year, MV Empress will explore the WWII wrecks in Java Sea(Indonesia). Not cheap though.

Great to see M/V Empress doing charters again! My first ever Tech Liveaboard was on her to the WWII British Battlecruiser/Battleship Wrecks HMS Repulse & HMS Prince of Wales in 2006.

Hi guys, I am at the beginning of going down the tech path and am curious about how many tech diving opportunities there are around the east coast (primarily SE) and Caribbean. Not cave/cavern, more deep wreck. What awesome sites do tech divers like to visit (besides Andrea Doria)?

I'll have more questions for sure, but figured this is as good as any to start with. Thanks in advance.

Since the OP stated in another thread that residence is in the DC area, I'm going to recommend again checking out organized dive trips both local and foreign/overseas as arranged through Maryland scuba diving classes and dive shop serving MD, VA, DC at Submerged - Submerged Scuba Shop in Maryland

 

[Makhno]

Not cheap, indeed. And that price doesn't include helium, airfare, etc.

Do you know if Vidar is actively involved, or is he just letting others use the MV Empress? I'd heard he had retired, and just a couple weeks ago when I was diving the Hermes, the topic came up and Sam from Tech Asia also seemed to think that Vidar wasn't diving wrecks these days.

I've never met Vidar, but he's a bit of a legend, and I'd like to dive one of his charters just to hear him tell some tales of what it was like back in the day.

 

[Makhno]

To the OP: I moved away from DC long ago, so I don't know the local dive shop Kevrumbo suggested, but I do recall that from DC it's about a 7 and 1/2 hours drive south to Beaufort or Morehead City, North Carolina if you can leave just before rush hour. Those are the two towns in NC where you're most likely to find a dive shop that will take you to the wrecks. Get there around 1 am and wake up early for the U-352, the U-85, the Papoose, and many other great wrecks. Dive shops open and go out of business off and on further north along the Outer Banks (Kitty Hawk etc are closer to the U-85), but Beaufort and Morehead City are probably your best bets.

Closer to home are Virginia and Maryland, but for those wrecks you'll need some more thermal protection. I only did a handful of dives out of Virginia Beach, and all were somewhat disappointing. Wish I'd had a drysuit back then, because there are divers doing some cool wreck dives in Virginia and Maryland.

 

[Centrals]

Not cheap, indeed. And that price doesn't include helium, airfare, etc.

Do you know if Vidar is actively involved, or is he just letting others use the MV Empress? I'd heard he had retired, and just a couple weeks ago when I was diving the Hermes, the topic came up and Sam from Tech Asia also seemed to think that Vidar wasn't diving wrecks these days.

I've never met Vidar, but he's a bit of a legend, and I'd like to dive one of his charters just to hear him tell some tales of what it was like back in the day.

I hope this post won't get the boot because it is off topic!
I also believe Vidar has packed up and enjoying his retiring life in Lombok. Not sure how he can survive on land and not missing Empress!!!!! Perhaps he is still running the show occasionally.
Got to dick up his e-mail address from somewhere.
I had done three trips on Empress and never a boring moment.