Greetings from NC

[Lulubelle]

Hi Guys, was just surfing around looking for some good reviews on equipment and stumbled across your boards. The posts under "Women's Issues" had me cracking up.

Anyway, I am a new diver with 11 dives logged, perhaps 6 more coming this weekend. I did my cert dives in Cozumel which was fantastic. I had no interest in wreck diving but needed to get back into the water so when I got invited, off I went. That is what we do here. I swim with sharks at work every day, why not in the water? It was great. Some were surprised that I was a new diver, but I am only diving with people with a good deal more experience with me right now.

I'm hooked, who knew I would love it this much!

[rktman26]

Have you been down to Morehead yet?

I've done a few wreck dives off the coast, and always had an awesome time. Swimming with the big sand tigers is awesome.

If you have any questions about diving out of Morehead City, let me know. I haven't hit all the wrecks (yet), but I intend to hit most oif them.

We're doing a night dive this Friday on the Indra. I'm really looking forward to that.

welcome to the board.

[BouzoukiJoe A.K.A. wrecker130 AKA Chuck Norris AKA joeforbroke (banned)]

Welcome.

There has been some sort of upwelling this year so the water offshore at depth is cooler and murkier than normal. I heard this also happened in 2003.

[Lulubelle]

So Rktman26, you are doing a night dive on the Indra this Friday? Who are you diving with? I have not done a night dive yet, but I am looking forward to giving it a try. I understand the Indra is great since it isn't so deep and you get a bit more time.

I haven't had time to do my Nitrox certification yet either. I found an online only course which actually gets you a card, but through an organization I have not heard of before, SDA, Scuba Divers of America. I was thinking of doing it as I may be diving some wrecks next weekend and don't want to hold up my dive buddy who dives Nitrox. Thoughts?

I have been diving once off of Morehead. We dove the Spar and the Papoose. For me, it was great fun to swim with the sharks for the first time. As for visibility, I have nothing to compare it to since all of my other dives have been in tropical waters.

I am down there every week or two now so my wetsuit is living there for now.

Thanks for the note!

L

[xring]

Hi, I havent been diving in about 15 years, too busy raising kids & working etc. Kids almost grown now & I will have a little more time. Checked out my equipment & I'm trying to decide what to have checked out & what to replace, Funny thing is most of the stuff seems OK but the wetsuit and the BC seem to have shrunk some.

xring

[BouzoukiJoe A.K.A. wrecker130 AKA Chuck Norris AKA joeforbroke (banned)]

Originally Posted by Lulubelle

We dove the Spar and the Papoose.

Great dives.

The Spar is a pretty easy dive. It's small, upright, and easy to navigate. At 110 ft to the sand it's a bit deep for a new diver, IMO. The sharks are awesome.

I'm somewhat surprised that they let you dive the "Papoose" with only 11 dives (and presumably no open ocean dives) in your log. Were you with an experienced buddy?

Be careful out there. Conditions can change from benign to dangerous very fast.

[Charles R]

Welcome

[fireflock]

Originally Posted by Lulubelle

I haven't had time to do my Nitrox certification yet either. I found an online only course which actually gets you a card, but through an organization I have not heard of before, SDA, Scuba Divers of America. I was thinking of doing it as I may be diving some wrecks next weekend and don't want to hold up my dive buddy who dives Nitrox. Thoughts?

I'd skip SDA, and do your nitrox class with whoever you're diving with next time you're along the NC coast. I've seen divers going over the classroom portion with their instructor on the trip out (since it's a long ride).

You don't really need dives to get the card anymore, but doing the class at the coast will get you a highly qualified buddy (your Nitrox instructor) as part of the deal.

Another option is to find an evening class closer to home. Mine took 3hrs, and it could have been shorter since everyone in the class actually did the reading before class.

Welcome, and check out ncdivers.com for something with a regional flavor.

Rich

[Lulubelle]

Hi Rich, The challenge in getting the Nitrox done any other way is that I am going diving next weekend and don't want to hold up my much more experienced buddy. I contacted a LDS and their class requires dives before they will give you a card. There is a PADI instructor going out with us next weekend, maybe I'll see if he will do it on the trip, it is indeed quite a long ride! I'm a science nerd, so it should come pretty naturally.

[Lulubelle]

[/quote] I'm somewhat surprised that they let you dive the "Papoose" with only 11 dives (and presumably no open ocean dives) in your log. Were you with an experienced buddy?

Be careful out there. Conditions can change from benign to dangerous very fast.[/quote]

Hi Joe, greetings from downtown Raleigh. Actually, all of my dives have been open ocean dives, the idea of diving in the quarry didn't work for me! 5 in Cancun, 35-50 feet, 4 in Cozumel (wow...that wall), 35-100 feet, and 2 on the wrecks. My buddy on the wrecks is very experienced. There were also a bunch of technical divers along. Agreed that mother atlantic ocean can be testy, and I'm appropriately cautious. Grew up with summers in the Atlantic, was swimming before walking, pulled a kid out of the riptide when I was 10. STILL appropriately cautious. Take care!