Moving to NC next month..need info!

[Zoe83]

Hi All, I am making the huge move from Sydney Australia to Wilmington NC next month, and I have been dying to go diving since I got certified last month...Can anyone suggest some good dive companies/sites for new divers?
Also, my husband did not get certified with me here, so can anyone suggest a good dive company for his open water certification?
Thanks! Zoe

 

[Quetzal]

Welcome to the Carolinas!
Try http://www.aquaticsafaris.com/ I like them.
You have / are going to dive before leaving Australian aren't you? Don't get me wrong diving is great here but not near as clear as where you are.

 

[BabyDuck]

we're gonna be glad to have you! i've also heard nice things about aquatic safaris, though i haven't been out with them. give a look to the nc wreck divers' site, too - wreckmaniac.com. wilmington is a pretty nice place according to my brother. he's lived there several years. and we're planning a trip to your current part of the world in the next few years! i'd love to ask you later what to try to see.

 

[herman]

Welcome to my part of the world. There are several shops in Wilmington but as I have not used any of them for training I will have to defer to others. You will find the diving quite different. We tend to have long boat rides in less than smooth water. The dives tend to be deep, in the 100 to 120 ft range. It's mostly wreck diving but they are covered in fish life, many of which are tropical due to the gulf stream.

 

[flounderer]

Zoe,

I think you will enjoy it here in Wilmington. Not only is the diving great but the people and topside activities are great also. I'm affiliated with one of the two local dive shops, Aquatic Safaris, so I can tell you a little about the shop. Instruction will be know problem, there are several classes a week from open water up through DM. We have a dive boat (soon to have 2) that runs anywhere from 3-46 miles to a whole range of dive sites. The popular site here for new divers is the Liberty ship and after a few dives, if your comfortable enough, the Hyde and Markham are great dives with lots of sharks. I could go on for a while but the shops website will tell you more. It has the current instruction schedule, conditions from past dives, dive sites..... I also have a picture page with a lot of Wilmington area wrecks and marine life which might give you a better idea of what it's like.

http://www.aquaticsafaris.com
http://community.webshots.com/user/ilmdiver

Have a safe trip over and hope too see you out diving,
Pat

 

[suthnbelle]

Hi All, I am making the huge move from Sydney Australia to Wilmington NC next month, and I have been dying to go diving since I got certified last month...Can anyone suggest some good dive companies/sites for new divers?
Also, my husband did not get certified with me here, so can anyone suggest a good dive company for his open water certification?
Thanks! Zoe

Zoe, welcome to NC! You're going to love Wilmington. I lived there for about four years and LOVED it. I still have a lot of friends down there and continue to visit so if you need any advice on anything regarding the move, feel free to PM me.

Mel

 

[tainosoldier]

Aquatic safaris are the best! I've been to a couple of shops and decided to join, recently, the aquatic safari dive club, great service, crew, benefits, alot of fun always planned. Hope to go diving with you guys when you arrive. Later!

 

[Zoe83]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I'm sure we will find a suitable dive company based on the info you have given me I have been diving in the great barrier reef here (which got me hooked on diving, it was amazing) as well as an island off queensland (north east australia) where i got certified, but beleive me, the water visibility in wilmington will be 10 times better than that place at the time i went, i couldn't see a thing, including my buddy & instructor, until i crashed into them! it was really miserable, thats why I'm dying to go diving in good conditions