Getting to NC dive sites from Newark Airport

[sytech]

i never realized that the water temps are as warm as they are ofF the N.C. coast in the summer. I am anxious to take an "Intro. to Wreck Diving" course also.

I was recently at the "Beneath the Sea" Show in New Jersey and there was a dive shop from Morehead City , N.C. that had a booth at the show.

The fella I was talking with said that taking a flight from Newark to one of the larger cities (I think he said Raleigh-Durham) would also involve about a 3 hour car ride which I want no part of. He also mentioned that if I fly into a smaller airport I'd be within about 45 minutes of the "Wreck Coast". I forget the name of the airport he suggested.

I also took a look at the Amtrak route and all the stops seem to be well inland probably requiring several hours of driving also.

Can anyone advise me on a way to go from Newark Airport (or Amtrak for that matter) , get to a decent dive area on the coast without having to drive there for 3 hours?

Hotel & Dive shop recommendations will be appreciated also.

Thanks,


Sy

 

[fireflock]

Check this out for the Morehead/Beaufort area:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/4254546-post56.html

Wilmington, NC (ILM) is the only place I know of in NC where you can fly in on a major airline and by less that 20 minutes from the dock. www.aquaticsafaris.com is a good op in that area.

There is some good info here too:
NC Diving F.A.Q. | GoDiveNC

Good luck with you trip. The diving is worth the effort.

 

[sytech]

Thanks for the info..


I assume then that there is pretty good wreck diving near Wilmington?

Sy

Check this out for the Morehead/Beaufort area:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/4254546-post56.html

Wilmington, NC (ILM) is the only place I know of in NC where you can fly in on a major airline and by less that 20 minutes from the dock. www.aquaticsafaris.com is a good op in that area.

There is some good info here too:
NC Diving F.A.Q. | GoDiveNC

Good luck with you trip. The diving is worth the effort.

 

[Lee Taylor]

I know from past experiences that Olympus and Discovery Diving are the two premire offshore NC wreck diving operations. I am sure there are others. Willmington NC is of course further south and the primary offshore attraction is Megalodon sharks teeth. Willmington may hold some excellent offshore shipwrecks. I personally have not explored Willmington. Next up is Myrtle Beach SC, then Charleston SC. Civil war shipwrecks, artificial reefs, storm wreckage, ledges and reefs. Seldom visited is Gray's Reef National Sanctuary (Right Whales), offshore Georgia. If you decide you want warm water, Jupiter FL is where you will first encounter the Gulf Stream. For warm water, work down the coast from there.

 

[fireflock]

Wilmington has a nice mix of wrecks, ledges, and live bottom. You can see more at Wilmington North Carolina Diving

The Morehead/Beaufort area is the part of NC that is typically covered by national dive mags. That area has the most dive boats and the highest diversity of historic wrecks. Wilmington is kind of a hidden secret on the national level (but not with local divers). Wilmington has wrecks that will rival those in Morehead (and boats from each place visit some of the same wrecks), but I'd say that Morehead has a better density of good stuff (plus visiting divers really like U-352).

Hope that helps-

Rich

 

[Zieg]

Look at Albert J Ellis Airport in Jacksonville, NC (OAJ). The drive is about 1-1.5 hours to downtown Morehead City. You'll even get the privilege of driving through the picturesque little town of Swansboro, the HOME of the Mullet Festival.

 

[Tortuga James]

Your closest and easiest regional airport is in New Bern, about 40 minutes away from Downtown MHC.

 

[RAD Diver]

That was Olumpus dive shop at BTS, I was there & don't overlook Wilmington, I dive from Va. Beach down the coast of NC, Nags Head (1 1/2 hour drive), Cape Hatteras(2 1/2 hour drive), Morehead City (3 1/2 hour drive), & Wilmington & it would probably be my top choice if it wasn't a 5 hour trip each way.
By the way I came up to Brielle, NJ & dove a couple of weeks ago.

 

[diveonthefive]

The airport in New Bern is called Coastal Carolina Regional Airport. It is served by Delta and US Air.

 

[sytech]

What would you guesstimate water temps in the Wilmington area would be in June-August?

Thanks

Wilmington has a nice mix of wrecks, ledges, and live bottom. You can see more at Wilmington North Carolina Diving

The Morehead/Beaufort area is the part of NC that is typically covered by national dive mags. That area has the most dive boats and the highest diversity of historic wrecks. Wilmington is kind of a hidden secret on the national level (but not with local divers). Wilmington has wrecks that will rival those in Morehead (and boats from each place visit some of the same wrecks), but I'd say that Morehead has a better density of good stuff (plus visiting divers really like U-352).

Hope that helps-

Rich