Homeboy, this was too funny, but I'm quite sure it wasn't when you were going through it. You have cured me of any desire to dive north of Cape Lookout. I guess that is why I bought my condo/dive shack in Atlantic beach!
But I am a diver who got into diving for the warm tropical stuff. I only got into the water in NC to keep my skills up, and surprisingly, enjoyed it a LOT. I sure do like the sharks better when i can see them!
I miss not having good beach diving opportunities here. Radio Island doesn't count unless one just needs some skill practice. I have never done a beach dive. I am thinking about doing some when I am in Florida next.
Joe, do you LIKE beach diving compared to our offshore boat diving? It sounds like it is an exercise in frustration just getting in and out of the water! And no, I cannot imagine doing it in NC unless it just happened to be one of those strange days where Mother ocean is very calm.
And Darrin, do check out the NC divers site. Lots of comments about the different ops there. Also, let us know how it goes for you. One of my best friends has a monster house in Hatteras Village, we usually do boating stuff, but I might noodle on diving when I am there too dependant on your feedback.
Dive safely.
L
Quote:
Originally Posted by BouzoukiJoe
I did the Kyzickes at Kill Devil Hills. It's the closest I ever came to drowning. And that during the entry in 4 feet of water, max. I didn't know jack about beach diving at the time. Once I finally made it out to the wreck, I was so winded and stressed that I just held on to the bouoy and rested. During the dive on the wreck my integrated weights fell out of one pocket and I had to flare and pop back to the surface. No more integrated weights for me. It was interesting to experience the surge during the dive. It makes you realize that you are no more than a fly in the soup of the ocean. If this dive had been filmed, it definitely could have been on America's funniest videos.
If you ever do any of these beach dives, make sure to go with someone who knows what they are doing. If you don't, it would be worth every penny to pay a local DM.
When I went, my buddy was an Advanced Nitrox Instructor with a gazillion dives, but no beach dives. He did make it into the water and through the dive without an event, but he got rolled on the way back in and had to crawl out on his hands and knees with his double 80s on his back. It looked like a big shiny turtle coming on shore.
We were going to dive the Gerhardt for the second dive, but both decided we'd had enough. 
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