Alright, after telling so many other members how much I like WWII wreck diving off of Morehead City/Atlantic Beach NC, I've talked myself into going again this year! Travel is Oct 3 & 7; diving on 4th, 5th, 6th. Need a few more AOW divers to fill up the party...?!
"Diver Down" is a great boat to go with :thumb: equipment deck, dry lounge, sun deck, and a fast trip. Giant strides are done into warm, Gulf Stream waters from midship after one of two onboard DMs helps with fins (safety first all the way) with a line leading to the down line. DM goes down first, comes back to report conditions at depth. Always at least one DM in the water.
And "Fishermen's Inn" is a cute little motel, with Billy and Barbara like family - only nicer. The boat docks right at their place, so there's no morning car trip. Just stumble out of bed, grab :coffee: and board. Okay, so you gotta' wake up enough to test EAN. They even serve a homecooked dinner on the dock Saturday nights. Great food!
But the best time to go is when :gorgeous: Kamala sponsors the group, as she puts together a great package, then follows through well! Check out her site:
For fly-ins like me, just need to be at Raliegh-Durham airport by noon on Friday, and let her know. If you just cannot make it until a little later, I guess we can wait-?!
And this particular weekend is :partyon: Seafood Fest. Not been there for that before, but looking forward to finding out...
Would love to have some goodhearted AOW divers from Scuba Board join in. Send me a question, if I missed anything...?
Cheers! D-Don
Lead_carrier
August 28th, 2003, 12:22 PM
Glad to see Diver Down getting their act together. Your experiences sound a lot better than mine. I may have to give them another try.
grumpygrouper
September 1st, 2003, 08:07 PM
Hi
My wife and I are interested in the trip. We have not dived North Carolina even though we lived in NW North Corlina for 3 years. We are interested in more info. We have checked out the web site.
Happy and Safe Diving
Ron
DandyDon
September 2nd, 2003, 07:27 PM
Well, it's high time you did! The web site tells a lot, or ask me, or email or call Kamala. She's more qualified to answer questions, but you're welcome to my limited opinion. :whoop: I think the festival will be a nice bonus, too! I'm going to try to pace my energy for it.
Ask Kamala for "The Scuba Board Discount." I think she has some leeway and will knock off some. :$$:
Let me know...
D-Don
grumpygrouper
September 3rd, 2003, 08:25 PM
Hi
It sounds interesting. I am now trying to work out the logistics. We have a dive trip planned in the first 2 weeks of November. So work scheduling is tight.
Happy and Safe Diving
Ron
grumpygrouper
September 12th, 2003, 02:51 PM
Hi
My wife and I are on for the trip. We sent our money and are getting airline tickets. See you on October 3.
Thanks for the heads up DandyDon.
Happy and Safe diving
Ron
DandyDon
September 12th, 2003, 04:32 PM
With the trip 3 weeks off, I guess that means that other fly-ins like you and me have but 1 week to book tickets. Any others want to join us, they'd better hurry.
:cheers:
DandyDon
September 15th, 2003, 07:55 PM
Not only is this Friday the 19th the deadline for booking economy tickets, it's also the date that she has to release motel rooms she doesn't need for our group. Since this is Festival Weekend :partyon: the motel has all rooms released already sold to their waiting list.
So, For Drive-In divers, too!! I'd like to see a lot of SB members come with us, but she will need to hear from you ASAP. She is offering a SB discount :$: off of the web site rate, plus :$$: a Drive-In discount.
After that, I guess she'll fill the boat with AOW referrals from the other operators that are turning bookings away. But if it ain't the Norwegian Bikini Team, I'd like to see SB folks.
:cluck: DON
BradfordNC
September 18th, 2003, 01:42 AM
OK Don,
i've called Kamala and i'm booked. and my dive buddy is booked now as well.
i may be norwegian, but i ain't wearing no bikini.
and just to warn everyone in advance, Troy is know from makin fun of grape smugglers and then showin up to dive in a banana hammock. i think he has "german tourist" syndrome.
hopefully the hurricanes will have cleared out and we will have some great seas and visibility.
=-)
DandyDon
September 18th, 2003, 11:23 AM
Yeah, Kamala had told me that you two would be joining us. Super Duper!
Isy is hitting there right now, and I hope the F-Inn doesn't take much damage, but - even if they do, they'll have two weeks to patch up before we get there. The viz will have that long to clear up, and some of the wrecks will have been moved around, making artifact hunting a newly improved possibility!!
Don :zorro:
Diversauras
September 18th, 2003, 11:25 AM
There is going to be a lot of change from earlier this year. This storm is really going to alter the condition of the wrecks.
grumpygrouper
September 19th, 2003, 03:05 PM
HI
Kamala called and said the water temperatures around 80F to the bottom. Warmest water for all summer. I can't hardly wait to get wet.
Happy and Safe Diving
Ron
BradfordNC
September 19th, 2003, 03:33 PM
grumpygrouper once bubbled...
HI
Kamala called and said the water temperatures around 80F to the bottom. Warmest water for all summer. I can't hardly wait to get wet.
Happy and Safe Diving
Ron
i hope it holds out. the surface temps have been around 80, but for most of the summer its been in the 60s at depth.
i'd be more than happy to spend the weekend in 80 degree water.
going out tomorrow with Coastal Scuba out of North Myrtle Beach. should be interesting.
Brad
DandyDon
September 19th, 2003, 03:40 PM
I'd just wear my polyskin, but I expect I'll wear it and a 3 mil long, and keep my 3 mile over suit handy just in case!
I imagine the viz will be a little murky tomorrow even as far as Myrtle Beach, but two weeks from now - it ought to be great!
:mean: Don
DandyDon
September 22nd, 2003, 07:07 PM
:wflag: Spoke with KAMALA, and she says the F-Inn and the Diver-Down both made it thru Isy okay, she hasn't turned loose of the last few boat spaces yet, and she thinks she can get rooms. Gawd, being a tour sponsor is probably hard work. :errrr: Anyway, I guess it's too late for cheap plane tickets (unless you know a trick I don't know?) but SB members who live close enough to drive in can still get the SB discount and the drive-in rate.
Looking forward to gettting down on the wrecks now that they've been stirred by the storm!
BradfordNC
September 22nd, 2003, 07:35 PM
Don,
good info. was wondering how they held out. from what we have heard, Atlantic Beach took a massive pounding, and they are only a mile from Moorehead City.
as for the water right now, did the dives out of North Myrtle Beach, SC and the viz was pretty bad. 30 miles out we had about 15-20 foot viz. but the water temps were mid-70s.
in two weeks the viz should be good in NC, hopefully the water stays warm.
Brad
oh yeah, and maaaaaybe we can get VaScubaGirl to join us.
Wreck Wench
September 23rd, 2003, 06:24 PM
Hey....GOOD NEWS.... Diver Down and the Fisherman's Inn took nary a scratch and were out diving just 1.5 days after the storm hit! Unfortunately Discovery Diving lost all thier docks so can't run yet. Olympus had some damage to their docks but got out on Sunday of last weekend.
Here is the REST of the good news...
Temp was 78 & 79 top to bottom!!!!
Vis was compromised but improved 5ft or more each day! (It will be great by Oct 4-6)
And are you sitting down....
The storm turned some of the wrecks...and exposed more metal then has been seen in years. It also opened up a hole on one of the wrecks where silverware...spoons, forks, etc. were found. LOTS of them. A number of brass items were found....including just laying in the sand by the U-352 German U-Boat. Some broken cups and plates were found.....and that was in low vis. WAIT TIL WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE THINGS....
So there are only 4 spots left if anyone is up for finding cool things. I am....so that makes that only 3 spots left!
BradfordNC
September 23rd, 2003, 10:07 PM
Wreck Wench once bubbled...
The storm turned some of the wrecks...and exposed more metal then has been seen in years. It also opened up a hole on one of the wrecks where silverware...spoons, forks, etc. were found. LOTS of them. A number of brass items were found....including just laying in the sand by the U-352 German U-Boat. Some broken cups and plates were found.....and that was in low vis. WAIT TIL WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE THINGS....
oh yeah, toooooo cool.
the viz should be great by next weekend.
gotta love the hurricanes
lol
grumpygrouper
September 24th, 2003, 01:55 PM
Hi
I can hardly wait. Dive gear packed.
Happy and Safe Diving
Ron
Wreck Wench
September 24th, 2003, 07:09 PM
Just heard they had 70ft of vis on the Papoose today....the vis is back!!!! Two more spots just got filled so that leaves only 2 left on the whole boat...
DandyDon
September 24th, 2003, 08:20 PM
I thought all routes required 14 day advance for cheap tickets, but some are open until this Friday.
My bad...
don
grumpygrouper
September 29th, 2003, 09:50 AM
Hi
Whats the latest Water Temperatures and weather.
Happy and Safe Diving
Ron
BradfordNC
September 29th, 2003, 10:31 AM
did a dive out of Morehead City yesterday (28th)
we were supposed to dive the sub and another offshore wreck, but the weather kept us from getting out.
ended up diving inshore on the Indra.
had 2-3 foot swells and temp at depth was 75.
vis on the wreck was about 3 feet
vis above 30 fsw was around 40 feet
offshore the temps should be higher.
Wreck Wench
September 29th, 2003, 04:27 PM
grumpygrouper once bubbled...
Hi
Whats the latest Water Temperatures and weather.
Happy and Safe Diving
Ron
Just getting back but will check what they had last weekend offshore and I'll let you know!
Wreck Wench
September 30th, 2003, 12:34 PM
Just heard the reports over the weekend...offshore diving like the Papoose, U-352, Schurz, Naeco was excellent. Vis was about 70ft on each one....temps were 80 to 82 top to bottom and conditions were very nice for the most part. One day had some wind chop kicking the seas up to 3-4 with an occassional 5-6 ft. (normal in the area is flat to 1-2 foot seas); one day they had some current on the wrecks however most of that was alleviated by hanging onto the descent and ascent line all the way down and up and then staying behind the wreck to shield you from the current flow. In the case of the latter wreck dove on that day....the current was only running at the surface and ended at about 20-30 ft.
All in all the conditions were very nice for October diving and more goodies are still being found! Although I didn't have time to get a full rundown on what people have found so far.
Wind has been very comfortable keeping some of the heat at bay, however that means you typically need a jacket to keep you warm between surface intervals.
DandyDon
October 1st, 2003, 06:34 PM
Been packed since Monday... :bounce:
For you guys who live up there, I guess this is not a big deal, but to us landlocked desert dwellers - "Wow! I'm going back!!"
I'm arriving RDU on Delta around 11:30am Friday, I think Kamala and others are coming in American at 12 noon, and I believe Ron and Wife are arriving Delta at 12:30pm. Kamala has had an overwhelming schedule since Friday, extending through this week, so she won't be able to communicate much. I told her I'd try to act as comm center. If you need anything, PM, call or email me; see numbers at the bottom here. :yelling:
Starting Friday, I will not be answering my usual numbers. I WILL BE ANSWERING MY TRAVEL PHONE: 806-292-1855, or at least returning Voice Mails more quickly.
Looking forward to meeting you all Friday, and we'll make you Honorary Texans for the weekend. Wear it in pride. Remember that this is Festival weekend :band: so bring energy, clothes, and some :$: for after dive activities. don :cluck:
VaScubaGirl
October 1st, 2003, 08:42 PM
Yippeee!!!! I'm coming on Saturday! Can't wait to meet all you guys! I'll be coming down Friday night...I'll try to make it for dinner if I can but I kind of have to ditch some obligations first. Either way...diving on Saturday! Anybody buddiless? Because I don't have a buddy :( See you guys soon!
BradfordNC
October 1st, 2003, 10:36 PM
VaScubaGirl once bubbled...
Anybody buddiless? Because I don't have a buddy
to quote Nelson from The Simpsons, "HA HA"
:froggy:
lol, look whose showin up without a friend lol
think anyone will talk to ya?? lol,
at least someone will know who you are lol
=-)
my buddy from last weekend is thinkin about doin a one day excursion, you two can swap "evil brad" stories
DandyDon
October 1st, 2003, 10:44 PM
VaScubaGirl once bubbled...
Yippeee!!!! I'm coming on Saturday! Can't wait to meet all you guys! I'll be coming down Friday night...I'll try to make it for dinner if I can but I kind of have to ditch some obligations first. Either way...diving on Saturday! Anybody buddiless? Because I don't have a buddy :( See you guys soon!
You guys?! Never let anything get in the way of Scuba. Call in sick from the boat dock. Jeez! :goofy:
Whatever you need Red :gorgeous: just let me know. I'll share.
G-Dad :oldguy:
PS: Looks like TS Larry is no threat. Hope that H-Kate behaves. The Festival is to celebrate the end of H-season!
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
VaScubaGirl
October 2nd, 2003, 09:53 AM
BradfordNC once bubbled...
lol, look whose showin up without a friend lol
think anyone will talk to ya?? lol,
at least someone will know who you are lol
my buddy from last weekend is thinkin about doin a one day excursion, you two can swap "evil brad" stories
Yes I am showing up "friendless" ;-0 thanks you SO much for pointing that out...you sure know how to make a girl feel welcome :whack:
But don't worry...I am I will be swapping evil brad stories :psst: behind you back, or in front of your back!
G-dad...can I borrow your coat? :D
Anyway, I ditched my obligations for tomorrow night so I'll be down early...are y'all meeting anywhere for dinner? See you tomorrow!
:tails:
BradfordNC
October 2nd, 2003, 10:04 AM
VaScubaGirl once bubbled...
:tails:
lol, they made a custom smilie just for VaScubaGirl.
cause that one is soooooo her on a dive boat lol
Brad
:smash: :goofy:
DandyDon
October 8th, 2003, 04:10 PM
Good weather, great diving in 79 degree F water - all the way down, super friends - new and old, best boat crew on the Emerald Coast, wonderful innkeepers. What more?!
Okay, so I had hot coffee on the way out, milk and cookie between dives, lager beer afterwards. So I indulge myself. Life is for living.
don
grumpygrouper
October 8th, 2003, 10:31 PM
Hi
Home and back at work so soon, same old messes. Life is good when you meet new friends and can dive too.
