Outer Banks Diving report

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Thats very interesting to hear. I have never been on a dive operation like that either. Knowing this ahead of time will help me tremendously. I would have had the same reaction as you did. Now however, I think that I would like it. Just don't let me fiend for myself like a man, the turn around and belittle me like a child.
 
Hate to hear that you didn't have a good time. Sounds like a typical NC dive trip to me. There's not very many resort or dive spa type charters in NC. I've been diving for almost thirty years and this is more the norm for the Charters I tend to go with.

What this board does is to help divers match charters and expectations. There's been plenty of past threads about NC diving and that NC is not normally a Spa or resort type diving destination.

If you want to be pampered in NC you need to go with someone who doesn't mind pampering divers like Ken @ tortuga dive charters and let them know you want pampering, otherwise they'll leave you alone. He's top notch and caters to small groups expecting something different. I'm not sure if he normally slices chilled pineapple for you on the SI. But I am sure he'll do it you you ask him ahead of time, like enough warning for him to swing by the grocery and get the pineapple and make sure the fillet knife gets a good cleaning.:wink:

Long SI's in NC are the norm because of the depths of the dives and that a lot of the experienced divers tend to flirt with deco profiles if and when they can. Even if no one hits deco they're usually at the ragged edge of the NDL with another deep dive coming up. So most chartes build in a long SI.

NC diving is fantastic and a wonderful experience. Next time if you want to be pampered or spoiled give Ken a shout or ask other NC divers to recommend charters that tend to pamper divers. Then let the charter know you want or expect some pampering, otherwise they'll leave you alone.
 
Sounds similar to my one experience diving in the Outer Banks. I think it was Outer Banks Dive Center, in Nags Head, although the boat left from a marina in Wanchese, several miles south. Kind of a long haul from the dive shop It was somewhat annoying lugging my rental tanks/gear from the dive shop to the boat. (this was before I had my own gear, so EVERYTHING was rented). Actually, I think I had to pickup everthing the day before the dive, take it home, then take it to the boat the next day. Certainly not like diving in the Caribbean, or here in FL for that matter.

However, I'll say that the divemaster was professional and friendly, but left you on your own. Think his name was Harold... nice guy, I'd dive with him again. The boat I remember was an ancient diesel with a steel deck. NOT too nice on bare feet in the middle of July!
 
Diveral, Like I have said I did not want or expect resort/spa style diving. My favorite dive destination is Bonaire where no one other than myself lays a finger on any of my gear all week, I am a big girl and can handle things on my own---that was not my issue with them. And as I explained what seems to be the reason for a 2 hr SI had far more to do with salvaging parts from the wreck, than deco. They were neither professional nor courteous-it was a bad experience. I would never dive with them again. The diving in NC was fabulous. .
 
Never been diving with that particular outfit before but I have seen reputable NC dive ops that I know or have dove with slammed on this and other boards because they don't provide a resort or spa like dive experience when the diver is unwarrantedly expecting it. Not that there's anything wrong with that kind of diving I sometimes enjoy that, love the sliced pineapple after a dive, and it's nice not to have to lug my gear around at times. As far as the artifact hunting, I don't think holding up paying customers while it's going on is the proper time and place for that activity.

So I'm sorry if I misunderstood your comment. Don't mean to be mean:D Next time you're in NC give Ken @ tortuga a call. I think you'll really, really like him and he'll lug your gear from your car to his boat. Not that that's a big sacrifice for him, his boat is like 30 feet from the parking lot and he's bigger than I am and I'm by no means a small fellow. :wink:

AL
 
As others have said...that's NC diving for you. I have NEVER been on a boat out there where I wasn't expected to handle all of my own gear - and in fact I prefer it that way. I do not want anyone touching my set up but me. I also have always had to transport my own tanks. I've been diving with OBD a lot and I have a strong fondness for Amy and Johnny. I've really enjoyed those long surface intervals because they gave me time to play in the water and bake in the sun a little. Salvaging or not, two hours is pretty standard with them. The porthole was probably less a "reason" for it and more "something to do" while they had the usual SI. But the great fun of it is bringing things they can grill and making it an all day boating experience.

I'm assuming Capt. Stevie gave the briefing? If he seemed condescending, I assure you it was not intentionaly so. He's completely harmless and a really genuinely sweet guy. I've ragged on him a little for not giving more complete briefings, so maybe I'm in part to blame hahaha. There are certain precautionary reminders I know he'll add in now that are a direct result of incidents and careless or frankly, stupid things they've seen people do (Jumping in the water and not descending on the line, causing them to have to send someone after him; or the guy who ran out of air looking for his gf under water, when the whole time she had been back on the boat).

I'm sorry to hear you didn't have fun with them. They've always had great customer service in my previous experiences.
 
Last edited:
It seems that in locations with alot of dive shops/dive charter boats, the customer service increases. You'll get snacks/drinks and fruit after your dives. You may have your gear set up or your tank swapped, if you like. My theory is that with more competition, dive operators must do more to attract and retain mainstream dive customers.

On the flip side, if you're the only game in town, then your customer base doesn't have many other options for who they dive with. North Carolina, while there are several dive charters, pales in comparison to the Caribbean or even South Florida, in terms of number of dive shops/dive charters.
 
All charters I've been on have been very helpful. At the very least they offer assistance. They will double check your gear for you just for safety, which I don't mind. Long surface intervals might be just their M.O. as a safety precaution, but not so the dive master can go treasure hunting. Good heads up, thanks!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom