Diving near Murrels Inlet in Myrtle Beach area first week of July/06

Hi.

My family is confirmed coming to vacation in the first week of July, staying at the SeaWatch Inn on 215 Atlantic Av, Garden City Beach, SC. It's the Murrells Inlet area of south Myrtle Beach. Thanks to the suggestions/advise to some of my queries before.

For my diving, Coastal Scuba is 1 hr north, so not worth the drive, even though their rental prices are better. Express Water Sports is a bit south of us, going out at 7am for the dives. It's so early, but guess I won't have a choice.

The dives EW listed for those days are:
Sun July 2 Civil War Wreck (Governor)
Mon July 3 Bill Perry
Tue July 4 11 Mile and 3pm Springs Reef/3 Mile Reef
Wed July 5 Inshore Ledges + 6pm night dive somewhere
Thr July 6 11 Mile + 6pm night dive somewhere
Fri July 7 Bill Perry + 6pm night dive Bill Perry


I probably won't make it to Sun July 2's dive (we get in Sat. night). So that leaves the 5 week days. I'm thinking to do the Wed July 5 Inshore Ledges 3/4 day trip, and then also the night dive. That way I also won't have to pay extra for the rental package ($40).

To go diving another day will be choosing between the 11 Mile and Bill Perry. The 11 Mile is described as 30-45', viz 15-40', and is a student certification site, so probably not too exciting. The Bill Perry is a tugboat + some lnavy landing craft, 50-60', viz 30-60'. So the Bill Perry sounds a little more interesting. Has anyone had experience with the 11 Mile or the Bill Perry?

Is the Governor a very good dive site, worth my trying to get up early on Sun. July 2 to go for? (EW's email response tries to tell me it is a must do of all the dive sites there. But July 2 would be the only possible date for me)

I'd like to wear some skin protection. For early July, would a 3mm full wetsuit be too hot? Or should I use 1mm if they have it?

Steve in another post mentioned the DM doesn't get in the water except to tie the mooring. That doesn't sound too good. So they don't provide a guided dive, but leave to you to find a buddy and do what you like, in not very good viz situations?! Or it is just a matter of asking and a DM will be happy to go down with you?


My kids are 9, 11, 13, not bad swimmers. Wife afraid of water. I'd like to get my kids diving someday, but they are probably too young to really get into it. We won't be diving where we live (Toronto). We don't golf, but I think I'll take them to the Ripley's aquarium one day. Maybe to a boat ride for dolphin adventure another.

I have booked to go diving with Coastal Scuba now. I also confirmed that the DM usually doesn't go down to the water with you. They try to pair or group people up to go down as buddies. So it's not a guided dive. Some DM may choose to go down with you, but if you definitely want one, they it is for hire.

If anyone likes a buddy, the following is what I have booked:

Sun. July 2, Civil War Wreck (Governor)

Wed. July 5 Inshore Ledges; also night dive to 3 miles reef

Fri. July 7 Bill Perry; also night dive to 3 miles reef

I'll talk to my wife and 3 kids to see if they like to try discovery scuba. But that'll be a separate (expensive) undertaking too.

The "Governor" and the Bill Perry are good dives. As well as, Barrcuda Alley, the sunken Barge....In july you should have good Vis, and water temp....
Preston

I'm calling them today to see about doing the Governor dive. I dove with Cape Fear Divers out of Carolina Beach a week ago and the viz was terrible but the water was about 72F. Hopefully being further south (and further from all the rains from the hurricane) will mean better visibility.

Cya there!

Good. I might have a buddy then.

When I called, Joshua on the phone indicated people normally book 3-4 days before the dive. I was booking more than a week ahead, and had no problem getting my name on the list.

I think he said they need min. 6 divers to go out to the Governor. So hope we get enough.

I called to try and book a slot on the boat, and they told me they were full!

Bryan.

gt3073b:

I called to try and book a slot on the boat, and they told me they were full!

Bryan.

Click to expand...

Aw, shucks.

When I booked on Sat. June 24, Joshua on the phone said I was the first one to book the Governor dive for July 2 (and something like the 3rd for July 5 Inshore Ledges and 4th for July 7 Bill Perry). It means many people booked for the Governor dive in these last few days.

Well, you can check back, in case there are cancellations.

Torontonian:

Hi.

I'd like to wear some skin protection. For early July, would a 3mm full wetsuit be too hot? Or should I use 1mm if they have it?
.

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The temp this past weekend off of Charleston was 79 on the surface and 76 at 90ft. I think a 3mil would be perfect.

To bad you won't have the time to come dive in Charleston. Atlantic Coast Dive Center has charters every Saturday on the Dixie Diver. This past saturday, they brought home a load of lobsters.

I hear good things about Coastal Scuba though. Hope you have a nice time.

Thanks. I'll go with the 3mm then. I actually also bought one. It's been shipped to Garden City, so I might get to use it on the second and third dive trips.

It's Express Watersports that I'll be diving with as it's just south of Garden City. Coastal Scuba is 1 hr drive north, too far. Also, the diving costs in Myrtle Beach is high. Must be lack of competition and that the better dives are a bit of a way from shore.

Torontonian:

Aw, shucks.

When I booked on Sat. June 24, Joshua on the phone said I was the first one to book the Governor dive for July 2 (and something like the 3rd for July 5 Inshore Ledges and 4th for July 7 Bill Perry). It means many people booked for the Governor dive in these last few days.

Well, you can check back, in case there are cancellations.

Click to expand...

Don't know what happened there. I got a call from Jennifer on July 1 saying they don't have enough divers for July 2 so the trip to the Governor will be cancelled. They had 5 divers and needed 9.


They also changed the Fri. July 7 dive to Bill Perry to Thr. July 6, and will do the beginner site 11 mile on Fri. July 7. They then said I can go to the Bill Perry with them on Mon. July 3 -- which I did.


When I showed up at 7am as they said, I waited in a line to sign papers. Jennifer was the only person doing the paperwork and taking payments. Some others came after me and also had to wait. After that I went to the back of the store to get BC and reg. The BC looked old and well used. The reg mouse piece had cracks on both sides, so they were also well used. Many of us then just waited and waited outside there. It was almost 8am when they said we can head over to the boat. We left a bit after 8am. It took 2+hr boat ride to ge to the site. For the first time, I got seasick on the boat (I never went on such a long ride before, and maybe because of getting up early, fumes, or...)

It was a full crowded boat with at least 16 divers (I heard I was 16th when I signed up). When the DM went down to tie and came back, he said the viz was bad, maybe 5'. They left it to us to find weight belt and weights, didn't check anyone's equipment, or ask if people need dive buddies. I had to ask to find a dive buddy. I wasn't too impressed with how Express Watersports run the operation.

When I stepped to the platform, I threw up. When I took off my mask to clean, the DM said to jump first and clean in the water. So I did that. I felt better as I got deeper. The viz was not bad at surface, maybe 60-80'. But we hit a thermocline at about 30' (my first time), when the water temp suddenly felt a lot colder. My new 3mm full wetsuit felt good then. But that's where the viz turned bad, maybe 5'. As soon as I got to the bottom of the rope, I lost my buddy. I saw another pair come down with a big high power light, but also quickly lost sight of them as they moved on.

I went to bottom to see it was 60', then tried to move up to the wreck. But with the bad viz, I wasn't sure where I was going. I went back above the thermocline to find the rope and went back down, found another pair trying to find their way... Later I surfaced about 500' from the boat. Swam back. They were finding divers coming up all over. I continued to feel sick at surface. One other person was sick. Two others said the viz was so bad they didn't want to go down for the second tank.


After the dive I went to the drugstore to buy some bonine, for the next dive trip. But unfortunately they also didn't get enough people for the Wed. July 5 advanced dive to Inshore ledges. I didn't want to go to Bill Perry again on Thr. July 6, or the beginner's site 11 miles. So my one dive in Myrtle Beach area was not a good experience. Joshua at the shop said a few weeks ago they went to the Vermillion and the viz was 90-100', but it took 3.5 hrs to get to the site.