Hey From NC, relatively new to diving, always looking for info

[Murphy in NC]

Hey all,

Glad to have this site.

My son and I are new to diving, all our saltwater dives have taken place in the keys.

Diving has been a great way to bond with my son and he thinks its VERY cool as no one else does it.

So we are planning on a trip to the Bahamas however open to suggestions.

First we were looking at Bonair and Belize however the Dengue Fever steered me away.

Bahamas is cool as I can drive from Charlotte, NC to Ft lauderdale, Fl and ferry over to Bahamas.

Looking for any info in regards to beginner diver sites or alternate trips.

Thanks !

 

[RyanT]

Not to discourage Bahamas diving; it can be awesome. But also, why not dive in your own state? There is really some extraordinary diving off Morehead City and Wilmington. Check out Olympus Dive center, really an awesome shop!

 

[ram04769]

Hello Murphy and welcome to ScubaBoard. Northern Maine here. I hope that you and your son enjoy many safe and exciting dives together.

 

[drrich2]

For when you guys are ready, here's my trip report from diving out of Morehead City, NC. I pulled in a lot of info. from other people about the area diving scene in researching for my trip, hoping to make the planning easier for someone else.

Richard.

 

[WinfieldNC]

Welcome! Definitely look into NC diving. Richard's report has lots of good info. There are also a few dive sites off Wrightsville Beach/Wilmington that are 60 feet or less that you might want to check out as newly certified divers. Aquatic Safaris's charter list is pretty informative.

 

[RyanT]

Wow, I was going to offer some additional information on diving the Morehead City area, but Richard's report is far more comprehensive that what I was going to offer. To the OP, I'd be happy to make some additional recommendations regarding accommodations, but otherwise, Richard's report really provides some great info.

 

[IBjones]

Don't overlook the golden opportunity right here in your own state. We weren't rated as the #1 wreck diving location in North America for nothing. Both Discovery Diving and Olympus run charters out of Morehead all during the year. There's a lot of inshore wrecks to be had in 60 feet or less of water, plus there's the Radio Island and Shackleford and Cape Lookout rock jetties to dive if you don't mind the less than Caribbean visibility. At Radio Island you can park in the parking lot and walk down the beach to the jetty and do a shore entry.

You gotta dive the Aeolus and visit the shark lounge!

 

[herman]

Instead of the Bahamas , I would suggest the Key Largo. Better diving IMO, no need to deal with customs/immigration (you will need passports for the Bahamas). Fly from the nearest airport to FL Lauderdale and drive down, about a 2 hr drive.

 

[Murphy in NC]

Thanks everyone.

We are definitely open to suggestions.
We have done the majority of our diving in the keys and after talking to some folks they have stated that the Bahamas arent great from a safety standpoint.

We are back to the drawing board as far as vacation planning.
The original plan was Belize or Bonair however Dengue Fever has scared us off.

So any ideas are welcome.
Dr Rich thanks for the info on NC, greatly appreciated.

 

[RyanT]

Seriously, consider Morehead City. Fantastic diving and close by for you. Really the only downside is that the Atlantic can be fickle and it's not unusual to have some days blown out due to weather. The summer months typically see clear, warm water. I would recommend planning to go down for a week or so and just give yourself a few days leeway for weather blow outs.