Carolina Beach, NC

[Danny D]

Hello I am heading to Carolina Beach NC for a week long vacation with family August 23. However, i want to get under the water so i was wondering if anybody knows where i can shore dive nearby. Also i would like to maybe do some spear fishing same thing from the shore. Any help would be greatly appreciated

[crawford]

Most people will try to discourage you from shore diving in that area. The vis is usually nonexistent (you have to go out a ways to get into the clear water).

There are several civil war wrecks near shore in that area, one I remember in particular is the General Beaureguard (spelling?) which from what I've read is visible from the beach. I've always been interested in trying some of these wrecks out, just for the heck of it, but have yet to shore dive in N.C. (where I'm from originally). If you're still interested, let me know and I'll look up some other sites in one of my books. Finding a buddy may be problematic. With currents, and low vis around a rusty old wreck, I would definitely suggest you don't dive alone (even if you're a trained experienced solo diver).

If you can afford it, there is great diving on the local charters, there are great wrecks in clear water right off the coast from where you're at. You'll be surprised how good the diving is in N.C. if you've never been.

Good luck and be safe.

[diverjed]

Blackbeard's ship was discovered off NC somewhere, wasn't it? In the past decade, in rather shallow waters off shore?

[crawford]

The ship they think is BlackBeard's is being excavated by East Carolina University, do a search and you'll find a really good website about it.

Remember in N.C. shallow doesn't mean a shore dive. You can go a ways out (few miles by boat ride) and still be in 15 fsw. That's why the shore dives aren't popular in the Carolina's, vis is just not there.

There are some decent shore dives farther north around Kitty Hawk, but that's way north of Carolina Beach for our vacationing friend.

[diverjed]

crawford once bubbled...
The ship they think is BlackBeard's is being excavated by East Carolina University, do a search and you'll find a really good website about it.

Remember in N.C. shallow doesn't mean a shore dive. You can go a ways out (few miles by boat ride) and still be in 15 fsw. That's why the shore dives aren't popular in the Carolina's, vis is just not there.

There are some decent shore dives farther north around Kitty Hawk, but that's way north of Carolina Beach for our vacationing friend.

Yeah but 'it' was discovered not too far from shore, correct?

[crawford]

It's actually in Beauford Inlet, not quite out in the Atlantic, but it's a big inlet.

Found some web sites, since you sparked my curiosity on this again:

blackbeard.eastnet.ecu.edu/main.html

and also:

www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/qar/

Try these (I think I got them right, or do a search for "East Carolina Blackbeard" or "Queen Anne's Revenge East Carolina" and that will bring up several sites. They still haven't confirmed it 100% from what I read, but it's looking promising.

You're right, it is close to shore, but still a boat ride.

I'd be willing to do some shore dives if I was in the area and someone wanted to go. There is a wreck at Holden's beach called the "Ranger" that sank during the Civil War. Still full of rifles, and supposedly visible from shore during low tide.

[rickhall]

I'm interested in the Ranger if anyone has dived there or is interested at the end of July I'd be willing to take a look at it. Also has anyone ever done any diving off of topsail island? I just came back from looking for sharks teeth off venice beach in fl and would like to dive at topsail to see if I can find any there.

Rick

[crawford]

I'm interested in the Ranger if anyone has dived there or is interested at the end of July I'd be willing to take a look at it. Also has anyone ever done any diving off of topsail island? I just came back from looking for sharks teeth off venice beach in fl and would like to dive at topsail to see if I can find any there.

Rick

PM me.

[herman]

Not sure if the Ranger is the one I am thinking about but if it is, you DON"T want to dive it. It's in the edge of Lockwood Folly inlet on the Holden Beach side. Between the heavy boat traffic and very stiff currents 6+kts it would be down right dangerous to dive, besides if I have the correct one, it's only in 6-10 ft of water at high tide. The Peterhoff is just off the beach at Ft Fisher, exactly how far I am uncertain but that's the best bet for a shore dive that I am aware of. Even at that, you are going to have to find someone with local knowledge to find any of them. On a good day, the vis 200 yds off shore is less than 20 ft so you are going to have to be dead on to find any of them.

[crawford]

Not sure if the Ranger is the one I am thinking about but if it is, you DON"T want to dive it. It's in the edge of Lockwood Folly inlet on the Holden Beach side. Between the heavy boat traffic and very stiff currents 6+kts it would be down right dangerous to dive, besides if I have the correct one, it's only in 6-10 ft of water at high tide. The Peterhoff is just off the beach at Ft Fisher, exactly how far I am uncertain but that's the best bet for a shore dive that I am aware of. Even at that, you are going to have to find someone with local knowledge to find any of them. On a good day, the vis 200 yds off shore is less than 20 ft so you are going to have to be dead on to find any of them.

I'm going from memory here, but the Ranger is about 50 yards off the pavilion at Holden's beach. I forget the one in the inlet (my books with the info are at home), we used to fish around that one when I was a kid. But the Ranger isn't in the inlet and my main concern would be stabbing myself with rusty iron on descent :11:

The Peterhoff is a ways off the coast, two or three miles I think. That one has cannon on it still, and is in about 40 fsw, and I would like to dive that one if I could find someone with a boat that would take me.....you have a boat don't you Herman?

[wwwes]

Found some old posts about diving the Ranger. I am very familiar with the inlet and have often thought about diving it. Did any of you ever do it?

[ncknightdiver]

Hello I am heading to Carolina Beach NC for a week long vacation with family August 23. However, i want to get under the water so i was wondering if anybody knows where i can shore dive nearby. Also i would like to maybe do some spear fishing same thing from the shore. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Not much shore diving in the area. Spend a few bucks and take a charter with Aquatic Safaris out of Wilmington or Cape Fear Divers out of Carolina Beach. Usually you can buddy up with someone there on the boat.

[mrjoshw]

I agree, Aquatic Safaris is a good charter. They have a few go out during the day so you have a few options as to what wreck you want to dive.

[OCDinNC]

[QUOTE=crawford]

If you can afford it, there is great diving on the local charters, there are great wrecks in clear water right off the coast from where you're at. You'll be surprised how good the diving is in N.C. if you've never been.

QUOTE]
I would recommend Aquatic Safaris in Wrightsville Beach. Went out 3 days with them last June when I took my family there. 2 days of inshore to barely offshore wrecks, but the goody was when we hit the Cassimir and the Normannia. (My choices, I might add.) Gazillions of fish; so many it was hard to see wreckage. The folks at AS were good to deal with, friendly, helpful, reasonable, professional. Can't ask for much more.

[herman]

I bet he has alread made his decision....the post is 3 yrs old :)

[OCDinNC]

I bet he has alread made his decision....the post is 3 yrs old :)

Man, I love to laugh, and I'm no stranger to laughing at myself. DUH!

Kinda funny it was on the list though...

[herman]

I know the feeling, I was about to post to a thread a while back when it seemed like I had responded to a similar thread.......similar nothing, it was a reopened thread I did respond to.....4 or 5 years ago. Just glad I realized it before I hit enter. :)