Virgina Beach Diving

[Dive Ranger]

Hello All, I'm looking for Dive Charter & Dive site recommendations for Virgina Beach Va. I've been there a few times on vacation but never to dive.- I live in Pa and plan to go this summer for a long weekend. We have a family friend that lives in NC who may join us. She will be completeing her open water check dives for her basic cert. so any dive sites will have to be suited for a novice- I'm not sure how much experience she'll get between now and then.

Thanks

 

[RickyF]

I lived in Virginia Beach for 18 years before moving to Hawaii. I would suggest that you drive to Moorehead city to dive. While V.B. has some fairly decent diving, the viz is not good and the best wreck dives are 1 1/2 hr boat ride and in 100' of water. Moorehead has good viz and some shallow dives good for novices. I recommend Olympus Dive Center.

 

[Dive Ranger]

Thank you, that sound like good advice- I'll have to check Olympus Dive Center out. you have been helpful
Thanks again

Dennis

 

[hotelconucc93]

I like VA Beach out of Lynnhaven. LDC decent people and boat.

 

[Dive Ranger]

thanks for the recommendation

 

[Randy g]

Here's LDC's boat schedule. We dive with them each season. Nice folks and good dive op.

Boat Schedule | LDC

 

[RAD Diver]

Diving in VB is sometimes a challenge but usually worth it, but you don't have to drive all the way to Morehead City, Cape Hatteras is less than 3 hours away, I have woke up, drove to Hatteras, dove 2 wrecks & drove home by 7PM which includes a sit down dinner in Nags Head.
Try DiveHatteras.com - NC shipwreck diving at it's best!
or Capt JT's Wreck Diving Site both are 6 pack charters with good Captains,
No matter where you dive down here you are looking at that 1 1/2 hour boat ride.

 

[Randy g]

VB diving rocks! As long as you are happy with a reg set in your mouth, it's all good! Expect cold, expect poor vis and if it ends up being warm and/or decent vis it's a pure winner. Some of the wrecks here are great, others so so. The farther away from shore you get the better conditions get. The longer the boat rides! Pretty much like the entire Mid Atlantic.

For a novice it is going to be limited to inshore at all dive sights. It will be crappy vis and a little warmer than the deeper sights. I would head to HI or MHC if your relatives are in NC.

Drive a few hours and really enjoy the blue warm stuff in HI or MHC. Both are spectacular and both have great wrecks.

OT.....Bobby how did your first run go??

 

[RAD Diver]

Hi there Randy, back from Fla. ?
Run went great boat was kicking 16 knots, so fast the head pump lost prime.LOL
Sea conditions were great, even with a N/NE wind (only 5-10) we had almost flat conditions.
Went to the Santori, hooked it had some lunch & suited up. Now I know with the wind & sea state that we have been having all last week the vis wasn't going to be great, but I was shocked by it nonetheless.
I would like to give it a less than 0 grade, at 40 ft the lights went out, not to bad with my new 1000 lumens hand held I had just bought at BTS & was itching to try out anyway.
But when I hit the bottom it was all stirred up, could barely see my hand in front of my face using my light. Needless to say I never let go of the line & while trying to feel my way around to tie in I decided F this & surfaced to see how bad JT wanted to dive, since this was to be a checkout/workup dive to the 250fsw deep unknown wreck we are to try for this weekend. He said to pull it so I dropped down & did so.
Felt good to finally be diving again, albeit in a drysuit. (OK I'm a spoiled boy).

 

[Randy g]

Nice! 16 is movin that big boat!!!! That should make the trip south a little faster.

We are really looking forward to Andy's weekend with you guys. It's been to long since we've been able to get out with you guys in Hatteras. Hopefully this season will be better than last for us.

Florida was a working trip for us. We only got to dive 3 days on the east side before heading to work on the west side. That turned into a fun (not) trip.