Diving North Carolina's Outer Banks

[KimkiD]

OK..here is where I am going to throw out all of my wonderful little issues...we all have them...we aren't proud of them...but sometimes you have to face them for the good of all involved.

I am heading down to the outer banks next week. (Assuming Fay doesn't have a say in that).

My husband and favorite dive buddy wants to dive. I'm a little hesitant. I have limited diving experience. I have logged just shy of 50 dives but most of those dives have been completed in a wonderful quarry full of silt, current is fabulously absent, and there is zero chop. I spend most of my dives at 20 feet or less, cruising around and enjoying the fish. I have jumped in the Caribbean aboard the AquaCat this year and found that I enjoyed calm seas, I loved the diversity of life, and the incredible clear waters. I always bailed on choppy seas. I always bailed on dark water. I spent my time between 30 and 75 feet.

So, now I am faced with North Carolina. I have not heard anything that makes me say...YAY let's jump in. I have heard that the boat rides can be brutal to dive sites. I have heard the visibility is average at best, and the diversity of life is average at best. I'm not a history buff, nor do I have interest in it, so seeing a bunch of wrecks isn't making me say yee haw!

I have heard that there are some places where beach diving is possible, but I don't like playing in the surf normally...so am I going to be miserable battling the surf to get out to a dive site? And what about surf fisherman? I've seen that gear and want no parts of getting tangled up in it.

So, with all my issues out on the table, embarrassingly so, I am asking you to give me advice and recommendations about diving NC. Is there anything there that you have to say, "YOU MUST DO THIS BECAUSE..."

Or based upon my issues would you recommend me say, no thank you. And visit a quarry on the way home for a splash compromise.

Thanks for your advice. I truly appreciate it.

[DivingCRNA]

Originally Posted by KimkiD

OK..here is where I am going to throw out all of my wonderful little issues...we all have them...we aren't proud of them...but sometimes you have to face them for the good of all involved.

I am heading down to the outer banks next week. (Assuming Fay doesn't have a say in that).

My husband and favorite dive buddy wants to dive. I'm a little hesitant. I have limited diving experience. I have logged just shy of 50 dives but most of those dives have been completed in a wonderful quarry full of silt, current is fabulously absent, and there is zero chop. I spend most of my dives at 20 feet or less, cruising around and enjoying the fish. I have jumped in the Caribbean aboard the AquaCat this year and found that I enjoyed calm seas, I loved the diversity of life, and the incredible clear waters. I always bailed on choppy seas. I always bailed on dark water. I spent my time between 30 and 75 feet.

So, now I am faced with North Carolina. I have not heard anything that makes me say...YAY let's jump in. I have heard that the boat rides can be brutal to dive sites. I have heard the visibility is average at best, and the diversity of life is average at best. I'm not a history buff, nor do I have interest in it, so seeing a bunch of wrecks isn't making me say yee haw!

I have heard that there are some places where beach diving is possible, but I don't like playing in the surf normally...so am I going to be miserable battling the surf to get out to a dive site? And what about surf fisherman? I've seen that gear and want no parts of getting tangled up in it.

So, with all my issues out on the table, embarrassingly so, I am asking you to give me advice and recommendations about diving NC. Is there anything there that you have to say, "YOU MUST DO THIS BECAUSE..."

Or based upon my issues would you recommend me say, no thank you. And visit a quarry on the way home for a splash compromise.

Thanks for your advice. I truly appreciate it.

You have 2 choices to have this be a happy outcome.

1. You can suck it up and go with hubby and his buddy and dive, or stay on the boat if you are uncomfortable once you reach the dive site. But DO NOT COMPLAIN if you choose this option.

2. Encourage your husband and his buddy to go dive by themselves diving on the outer banks while you go do something else that you enjoy. Again, DO NOT COMPLAIN if you choose this option.

If you want hard feelings:

3. Go with them and complain the whole time about how stupid it is.

4. Forbid them diving the outer banks because you are not going.

Your husband and his buddy want to dive there because it is the outer banks. I doubt some quarry other than your home quarry is going to satisfy what they are after.

This advice comes from a diver married to a diver for 11 years. My wife got certified when we were dating, and she decided to do it and did it all on her own. My wife does not always (i.e. hardly ever) want to dive where I want to (Mo lakes and quarries and deep and cold). She wants to dive the pretty Caribbean. The solution is that she is not required to dive where I do. If she wants to come, she is welcome, but whining is not allowed.

This has kept the peace about diving for a long time.

[KimkiD]

But I am my husband's buddy. I do understand my choices and I never whine. I just want to know what I am getting into. Thanks for the response.

[KimkiD]

I can see where the confusion lies. My husband is my favorite dive buddy...sorry for the confusion.

[DivingCRNA]

Ah....I thought there was a third person on the trip. You, your husband, and his favorite dive buddy. Unfortunately, my wife is not my favorite dive buddy because we simply have very different diving objectives.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

I do not know what to say, then. If it is just my wife and I, I do not pressure her to dive where she is uncomfortable/does not want to go. I guess you need to find out more about the conditions and, for safeties sake, make a decision before you get there. I could see you getting stressed diving there if the conditions are what you describe. I would hate to see you get hurt.

[Lulubelle]

Hi KimkiD,

I can certainly understand your hesitancy. I am a newer diver having logged only 20 some dives. I too favor pretty tropical diving. As a newer diver who lives in NC however, wreck diving is what we do here in salt water and I decided to try it to build and enhance my skill set. I have done 8 dives or so offshore and up to 128 feet.

I have an aversion to quarries, closed bodies of water, etc. You won't see me in any of them.

Since your hubby is your favorite dive buddy, I'd almost encourage you to try it a time or two before deciding it isn't for you.

Boat rides-yes, they are long, 2 hours or so, and can be brutal. TAKE something for seasickness even if you don't have a history of being seasick. You should be OK then. I also like to have some ginger ale along.

Depths and vis-the operators are pretty good at adapting your dive sites to where the vis is good that day. They all talk to ensure that you have a good dive. To me the wrecks wouldn't be as interesting if they were in great vis, it is kind of cool when they reveal themselves slowly.

History-many if not most are part of the artificial reef program, they were sunk on purpose. I have found that the wildlife seems to be terrific at some of the artificial wrecks.

Wildlife-The operators are pretty good at knowing where the sharks are on a given day. The wildlife is certainly different, and the colors more muted (both from depth and nature), but I find it fascinating, especially the sand tiger sharks.

Currents-this is a challenging aspect. But you have the descent lines which are anchored, which you use, to get past the point where current is a problem and to come back up. The operators aren't likely to take you out if the current is strong on the bottom. I find navigating this issue to be intuitive, but I have been in this ocean for a long time.

You may or may not love it, but maybe you should try it. I was surprised at how much I like it.

L

Where will you be? which operators are you using?

[scubarobin]

I agree, GO and use it as a diving/learning experience. You may love it or you may hate it, but you won't know until you do it once. A friend did three days of NC wreck diving last year and said it was as good as any he has ever done (and he has been everywhere, including Truk lagoon!). He loved all the fishlife, tons of lionfish everywhere and schools of everything in Caribbean and said it was all fantastic and the sharks were AWESOME. He also said that the boat rides were long but he only had rougher ride one day. That day they didn't go as far out because the seas were choppy.

so that's my 2 cents, I would go!
robin

[georoc01]

I did first trip to North Carolina in early July, and its worth the experience. There is plenty of marine life, and the visibility, while not Cozumel level, was still very good (50 ft+). In fact, low vis came on wrecks where you were diving in schools of baitfish all around you.

Yes, the boat rides were 2 hours each way for a 2 tank dive. And the seas can be rough. Definitely take the sea sickness meds. Those that didn't on my trip regretted it.

Water temps are cooler than the Caribbean. And its deeper than you did(100ft) with very flat profiles.

But I thought it was worth checking out. And you will see lots of Lionfish. Far more than we did when we dove in Australia.

[Travelnsj]

North Carolina is the best diving I have done in the Atlantic/Caribbean. For a guy who gets seasick walking in the rain.....I did not have a good time one day. It can be rough waters. I found the diving to be a bit advanced, I was wearing steel 120's. You most likely will have Deco stops on the way up but it is really kewl when you are hanging out and the big Atlantic Barracuda come up close to check you out.

Weather you should go or not....with your experience and you do not feel positive about the diving....I would get a few more dives under your belt....If you feel you can over come your negative outlook on the diving there....Do it...it is the best I have found on the East coast.

[fireflock]

Read this, get excited, and go dive. It's worth it when things work out.

A California diver does North Carolina - lions & tigers, oh my!

What part of NC are you visiting? It's not all the same (the Outer Banks are big).