Cape Charles Diving

[ChainSaw0069]

Has anyone dove the Cape Charles area? Im looking for info on the conditions. I was told there are concrete ships off the state park. Im thinking of doing a beach dive or taking a boat down to check it out. Would like any info on it I can get before I go.

[adurso]

The concrete ships are part of a breakwater of Kiptopeke State park...I have fished there but never dove, ersonally.

Those who have describe very limited viz. There are some big flounder there to spear if you are into that

[ChainSaw0069]

Cool, Im hoping to make it there in the next week or so to check it out. Will post a report when I do.

[Wil]

My experience diving around Cape Charles: Limited.
I have made dives on the Texeco Wreck off Cape Charles Harbor. Visibility is extremely poor and currents can be very dangerous. I would stongly advise NOT diving around the concrete ships. With many of the breaks and holes around the vessels it would be easy to get siphoned in/out. Then there's all the fishing line and hooks.
Diving off the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay usually brings crappy vis. It always choppy where the Bay meets the Atlantic, no matter the tide or wind conditions. On the Eastern shore side you have a large shoal area (off Fisherman's Island) that stirs the sand and silt. I doubt you'll find even good diving off the beach.

As for Flat Fish: With the warmer water the boats are catching them closer in. Some very large Flounder are taken by the CBBT High Rise section of the span. Boats, Current, poor vis...not recommended either. I know some divers that dove recently on the Tiger (6 miles off Sand Bridge) and bagged their limit of very good size Flounder. You can bet they're all over the other wrecks too. If you've got a boat you can easily hit the Tower Reef area. It's got lots of things to hook into and dive on.

Safe Diving,
Wil

[telemonster]

A friend and myself went to dive that Kiptopeke place. The ships seemed like they would be neat, and I think he had dove them years ago in the past. In addition to us two, a third friend of his came and was paddling around in his kayak (non diver). That was a *GOOD* thing.

The currents were nuts. It was my first time in salt water, but friend had years of experience. We aborted dive rapidly. It was fast and strong. It was not a good day at all. With his friend in the kayak we didn't have to kill ourselves fighting the current. At the end of the day, I got to try out a kayak :-)

I'd say, AVOID it!!!

(I didn't get into the part about current pulling us into the fishing people, and them yelling :-)

[ChainSaw0069]

Thanks for the information.