Dive the Graveyard of the Atlantic w/Discovery Diving

52. On that perfect day, when the sun is shining, the seas are calm, and the warm, clear water of the Gulf Stream provides almost unlimited visibility, North Carolina diving is as good as it gets anywhere in the world.

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This is a brief presentation on the World Class Warm Water Wreck Diving we have to offer. We opened our retail store in 1976 and our charter operation several years before that, so we have been teaching and running charters for over 35 years. North Carolina diving can be as good as it gets anywhere in the world.
We are located right on the coast of North Carolina, about ½ way between the Virginia and South Carolina boarders.
North Carolina is unique in that it has a system of outer banks that have formed 3 shoal areas that extend miles out to sea, Cape Lookout is the middle one, which is where we are. We’re also about three hours South/East of Raleigh the capital and closest International airport.
U-352 Some of the best warm water wreck diving in the world is off our coast. We have great visibility, warm water, a wide variety of marine life and a huge number of shipwrecks.
Aeolus We have shipwrecks dated from as early as the Civil War. Some of the ships sunk as a result of bad weather, some were purposely sunk to be artificial reefs. The vast majority of the wrecks off of our coast are the result combat actions during WWII.
There are approximately 30 Shipwrecks that we explore on a regular basis.
U-352 Easily the most famous wreck is the U-352. The U-352 was sunk in 1942 in 112 feet of water, about 30 miles from the coast.
Our offshore wrecks are in the 85 – 140 foot range, while our inshore wrecks are in the 65 – 70 foot range.
Indra The inshore visibility averages 30 feet but can be as good as 60 feet.
Chris O’Riley & Karen Doody’s U-352 The offshore visibility averages 60 – 70 feet, but can be as good as 100 +.
Because the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream meet off of our coast, we have a combination of marine life that you won’t find anywhere else.
This is a Satellite shot showing the convergence of the two streams the red is the warm water of the gulf stream coming north, the blue is the cold water of the Labrador current coming south.
This is a satellite shot from June 26 of last year. It again shows the convergence of the two currents and that during the summer the water temperature is in the 80’s top to bottom.
Fingers or offshoots of the Gulf Stream bring in the warm, clear water from the Caribbean that carries with it tropical fish, such as butterflyfish, lionfish, Queen, French, and Blue angelfish.
And even spiny lobsters can be found hiding in 120 feet or more of water.
Pelagic fish like these African Pompanos' don’t remain in a set area, but are continually migrating to new parts of the ocean. The Labrador current brings cold water fish down from the north and the Gulfstream brings warm water fish up from the south giving us a variety of fish you won’t find anywhere else.
For this reason, you don’t know what new and exciting creatures you may see on your dive. You will see anything from anemones to dolphin and even manta rays, sunfish, and whale sharks have been seen on our wrecks.
One of the main draws to North Carolina is the resident Sand Tiger Shark population. They can be seen in their natural environment. We don’t need to bait them and you don’t need to be in a shark cage.
You can easily interact with these docile creatures. To them, you are just a strange looking fish. The Spar is a Coast Guard buoy tender that was sunk as an artificial reef in June of 2004 and is a popular wreck to see Sand Tigers.
There are many other fish living on the Spar as well, you’ll also see baitfish, amberjacks, and tropical fish.
Another wreck that is popular for Sand Tigers is the Caribsea. It was sunk on March 10, 1942 by the U-158 in 85 feet of water about ten miles east of Cape Lookout Shoals. The visibility during the summer is generally about 40 feet but can range from 80 to 100 feet.
Like all of our other wrecks, there are many other fish living on the Caribsea including grouper, sea bass, and damselfish.
Even though wrecks are our main draw, North Carolina also has rock ledges off of the coast. This live bottom only rises a few feet above the ocean floor, but offers divers a different experience. You can see various tropical fish, anemones, and plant life that aren’t found on the wrecks.
Discovery Diving has 3 charter boats that run year round. This is the Outrageous V, one of our 2 crew boats. We generally hold the crew boats to a max of 16 divers.
This is the Outrageous V’s pilot house and passenger areas
This is the Sea Quest II our other crew boat. Once again the boats usually carry 16 max but only need 8 to run.
This is the passenger area and pilot house on the Sea Quest II.
Our six passenger boat, the Captains Lady is great for those smaller groups and only needs 4 to run. The Captains Lady runs to all the same wrecks the Crew Boats do.
All of our boats have oxygen onboard and have experienced, caring crews. Our boats have cabins to get out of the elements, are heated for the winter dives, and have heads onboard.
All of the charter boats are docked conveniently right out the door of the shop.
Our Regular Day Charters are $115.00 and we do offer group rates to shops and clubs.
Spar A Regular Day is 2 dives, one of the dives in the 85 – 130 foot range and the second dive is on a shallower site on the way back to the dock.
Caribsea windlass Our Half Day Charters are 1 dive inshore in the 60 – 70 foot range and the cost is $65.00 per diver.
Papoose We also offer charters that are more than 40 miles offshore, night dives and extended day charters. We will be glad to quote prices for these upon request.
Aeolus For groups of six or more, we offer a weekday special, which includes 4 days of diving and 5 nights of lodging. Some groups choose Wednesday as their day on shore to take in the local sites, but the 4 days of diving can be done consecutively.
As so many people bring their own equipment please note that our charter rates don’t include tanks, weights, or any other rentals. We do rent everything you might need to make your dives more enjoyable except for cameras and dive lights.
Our compressor system allows us to do Air fills and 30% Nitrox fills and we have both 80 and 100 cubic foot tanks available for rent.
Discovery Diving Co. has 2 Lodges, within easy walking distance and are available for groups. The West Lodge is 3 stories and has beds for 30 people.
The East Lodge is 1 story and has beds for 15 people. For groups of 6 or more, the rate is $20.00 per person, per night.
The Beaufort Harbour Suites will be opening in the fall of 2010 and will have 16 efficiency rooms. It is located next to one of our lodges and again is easy walking distance from the shop.
The dive shop is located a short walking distance from restaurants, bars, quaint shops, and the Maritime Museum all located along Beaufort’s Historic waterfront.
We have a variety of local restaurants offering great menus from local seafood to 5 star gourmet cuisine.
This is a great shot, showing how close we are to the inlet and the open ocean.
Shackelford Horses We are also within kayaking distance of the Rachel Carson Estuaries Sanctuary and the most southern outer bank of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, Shackelford banks.
Aquarium sub tank For the non-divers in the group, the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores gives visitors insight into the diverse amount of marine life living in North Carolina and along our shores.
Blackbeard picture The Maritime Museum & Watercraft Center has exhibits that showcase the rich maritime history of North Carolina. It has an exhibit on Blackbeard, North Carolina's most infamous pirate. The Blackbeard exhibit has artifacts that were recovered from the Queen Anne’s Revenge site located in Beaufort Inlet.
Fort Macon Fort Macon on Atlantic Beach is a restored Civil War Fort that was used up until World War II, this state park also offers beach access.
Picture of light house There are ferries available to take you to Cape Lookout to see the Light House and to Shackelford Banks to see the wild horses. There’s also the History Place museum in Morehead City that is dedicated to the history & culture of the people of Carteret County,
Diving off the Crystal Coast will offer you a new and exciting experience, we offer a diversity of wreck diving not found anywhere else. You are sure to leave with a memorable diving adventure.
Thank you for your time. We look forward to seeing you and your divers in the future.
Please call or email if we can answer any questions?

Dive the Graveyard of the Atlantic w/Discovery Diving

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