Recommendations for Savannah?

[Dunlaing]

The wife and I will be in Hilton Head next week (12-19 July) and want to get some diving in. I've heard that Gray's Reef is the place to go, but I haven't gotten any recommendations as far as a charter or equipment rental.

My wife and I are both Open Water certified, but haven't been diving since before our 6-year olds were born*, and would prefer diving with a professional since we're out of practice. Does anyone have a recommendation for us?



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* I am convinced that the pressure is what caused the egg to split into two eggs.

 

[diversteve]

Check with Mike Russo, he runs a scuba/fishing boat out of there. View Profile: marusso - ScubaBoard - Scuba Diving Forum - Diving Social Network No personal experience with him.

Probably have to find rentals in Savannah though. Maybe Fantasia Scuba. Fantasia Scuba - Savannah's #1 Divestore

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

Try this,

http://graysreef.noaa.gov/visit/diving/pdfs/dive_list_09_2013.pdf

 

[Dunlaing]

I saw that pdf, but didn't find it that helpful. I don't know Georgia, so have no idea which of those places is reasonably close to Savannah except for the ones that are actually in Savannah. And I didn't find any of their websites saying that they do charters. It was all classes and equipment sales. I was hoping someone here would have a recommendation so I don't just book blindly.

 

[diversteve]

Basically none of them except the Savannah listings. Except for the ones around Atlanta or Macon, most of those shops are near Jacksonville or near St. Mary's south - farther than I'd want to drive to dive from Hilton Head. It's kind of flat and kind of sandy off Hilton Head which makes for nice beaches but not great diving. The only shop on HH closed at least 10+ years ago. It's my impression that shops in that area do trips at either Crystal River, FL or Jacksonville or farther south. West Palm Beach isn't really more than 1/2 days drive from Savannah.

 

[00wabbit]

I was just there for a month and a half. I stopped i the local shop and they gave me some numbers for locals that go out to the reef. I didnt really follow up with any of them. There isnt any real charters out to the reef. You just have to see if someone will take you.

Alternatively you cna drive up to charleston to dive the cooper river or do some off shore wreck diving. Or you can go south to the florida springs.

 

[kwinter]

I'm heading to Charleston and Savannah at the end of August and was thinking about doing a little easy diving. There are a few wrecks listed on the Dive Savannah site Dive Sites - DiveSavannah.com, but nothing about how to get there. I was going to check out Mako Dive Charters. They have a FB page https://www.facebook.com/pages/MAKO-DIVE-CHARTER/326063930606, but I don't know anything about them.

It just doesn't look like either Savannah or Charleston are great dive destinations, but it might be worth getting wet.

 

[diversteve]

I never thought about SC. Charleston seems a little far (2hrs?) but there's Sea Island Divers in Port Royal, just south of Beaufort SC. https://www.facebook.com/SeaIslandDivers/info - you just drive back to 170 and over the bridge. IDK where they dive either though. Not too bad a drive we occasionally went farther to Beaufort for dinner from HH. I'd guess it's about 1/2 hr+.

 

[diversteve]

I'm heading to Charleston

There's Charleston Scuba just south of town or Lowcountry in Mt. Pleasant. We were going to dive with Charleston but weather prevented it. Seemed like a good operation and their boat is 1/2 mile from the shop.

Sites & Rates - Charleston Scuba - Full Service PADI 5-Star IDC
Trips and Charters - Lowcountry Scuba Online

 

[Tango Diver]

Hope this helps...
I highly recommend Fantasia Scuba. It is in Savannah proper, so it's about 35-60 minutes from HH depending on traffic and what part you are coming from. Eddie Cox and his son Mike are great folks, they will do whatever they can to help. They don't run a charter, to my knowledge no one does here, but if it's equipment related they should be able to help. I would call them and ask them if they know of anyone willing to take passengers. Sorry it's not much, I wish our diving scene was more active!


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