North Carolina Wreck & Shark Diving Weekend

I'll be doing info sessions on this trip for the next week to answer your questions and give more details, or feel free to email me at RockTheDiver@gmail.com

Weekend Wreck & Shark Diving with Olympus Dive Center
Morehead City, North Carolina — 2-Tank Deep Wreck Charters
We can do 1 Day, 2 Days, or more. Its what you want to do.

Come Dive the legendary "Graveyard of the Atlantic" with Olympus Dive Center!

Picture descending through clear blue North Carolina water toward the silhouette of a historic shipwreck. As the wreck comes into view, schools of fish sweep across the structure. A massive sand tiger shark glides effortlessly past the bow. You move along the deck, searching the wreck for hidden marine life, artifacts and photographic opportunities — knowing that every dive can reveal something different.

Deep wrecks, sand tiger sharks, historic shipwrecks and incredible marine life, That's North Carolina wreck diving. Two tanks. Two wreck dives. One unforgettable weekend beneath the Atlantic.
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Join us for an unforgettable weekend of two-tank deep wreck diving off Morehead City, North Carolina, where historic shipwrecks, warm Gulf Stream water, incredible marine life, and some of the Atlantic’s most photogenic sharks come together for an experience you won’t soon forget.
This is not a beginner dive trip. These offshore wrecks typically lie in 90–120 feet of water, putting you right in the heart of some of North Carolina’s most exciting advanced recreational diving. Olympus Dive Center’s full-day charter includes two dives at one or two wreck sites, with the exact destinations selected based on weather, sea conditions, and diver preference.

The Wrecks
North Carolina’s coastline is home to an extraordinary collection of historic wrecks, including World War II casualties, military vessels, tankers, freighters, and artificial reefs. On a deep-wreck weekend with Olympus, possible sites include U-352, Papoose, Schurz, Aeolus, Spar, Caribsea, and Atlas.

About the Wrecks:
U-352 — A piece of WWII history
Descend onto the remains of the famous German U-boat U-352, sunk on May 9, 1942, by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Icarus. Discovered by Olympus owner Captain George Purifoy in 1974, the U-352 has become one of North Carolina’s best-known dive sites. At approximately 110 feet, divers can explore the submarine’s pressure hull, conning tower, and other recognizable features while experiencing a genuine piece of WWII maritime history.

Papoose — Where the sharks hang out
If seeing sharks is high on your dive bucket list, the Papoose is a site you won't want to miss. This 412-foot tanker rests upside down in roughly 120 feet of water and is one of Olympus's most popular shark sites. On a typical day, Olympus reports approximately 15–20 sand tiger sharks inhabiting the wreck and surrounding area — and sometimes even more.

Aeolus — Big wreck, big life
The 409-foot Aeolus rests in approximately 110 feet of water. Broken into multiple sections and partially upright, the wreck provides a fascinating multi-level dive and has become a prime location for encounters with sand tiger sharks.

Spar — Sharks, structure and exploration
The 180-foot Coast Guard cutter Spar sits at an angle in approximately 100–110 feet of water. The wreck remains largely intact and offers numerous opportunities for exploration. Sand tiger sharks frequently cruise around the wreck, particularly near the crane, and divers may even find shark teeth resting on the wreck itself.

Schurz — History covered in marine life
The Schurz, originally the German gunboat SMS Geier and later the USS Schurz, rests in approximately 100 feet of water. Its boilers, bow, stern deck guns, anchor and rudder provide plenty to explore, while dense schools of baitfish, grouper, amberjack and sand tiger sharks make this wreck a favorite for photographers and marine-life enthusiasts.

Come for the Wrecks. Stay for the Sharks.
North Carolina is famous for its Atlantic sand tiger sharks, and the offshore wrecks provide an incredible opportunity to observe these impressive animals in their natural environment.
Sand tigers can reach more than eight feet in length and are generally docile despite their intimidating appearance and rows of teeth. Olympus does not chum or feed the sharks; encounters are natural and wild. Depending on the wreck and conditions, divers may encounter anything from a few sharks to dozens. Olympus specifically identifies the Papoose, Aeolus, Spar, Atlas and Caribsea as particularly sharky sites.
And while the sand tigers may steal the show, they aren't the only stars beneath the surface.

Big Critters & Tiny Treasures
The wrecks are artificial reefs teeming with life. Keep your eyes open for large schools of baitfish, amberjack, grouper, spadefish, barracuda, tropical fish and other pelagic visitors. Depending on the site and conditions, divers may also encounter lobsters, hogfish, angelfish, African pompano, cobia, stingrays, sea turtles and other shark species.
Don't forget to slow down and look closely, too. Olympus highlights a surprising amount of macro life living among the wreckage, including nudibranchs, seaweed blennies, sea spiders, hermit crabs and juvenile tropical fish. Bring your camera and a macro lens — there is plenty to photograph beyond the big animals.

What You Need to Join this trip:
This is an advanced offshore dive experience, and Olympus Dive Center has specific minimum requirements for its Full Day Deep Wreck trips.
Divers must have:

• Advanced Open Water certification is preferred, although experienced Open Water divers may be accepted if they meet the other requirements. (call Rock if you are an experienced Open Water diver and are interested in going
• At least 25 logged dives.
• At least two logged ocean dives to 70 feet or deeper.
• At least two logged boat ocean dives.
• At least two Open Water dives within the past 12 months. Pool, aquarium and hot-tub dives do not count.
• Be at least 15 years old.
• A dive computer is required; rental computers are available.
• Nitrox certification is highly recommended, and Olympus strongly recommends Enriched Air Nitrox for its offshore wrecks because of the additional no-decompression time it can provide.

For the deeper offshore environment, Olympus also recommends being properly equipped with a DSMB and reel/spool, primary and backup dive lights, and a well-stocked save-a-dive kit.
Important: Wreck penetration is a separate consideration. Some wrecks offer limited penetration opportunities, but Olympus recommends penetration of the Papoose specifically for certified wreck divers, and divers should never penetrate beyond their training and experience.
Wrecks and marine life are subject to weather, sea conditions, site selection and availability. Shark encounters are never guaranteed.

Costs:
Cost is $186 per day. Let me know if you want to dive Sat, Sun, or more.
This includes the boat for 2 dives and weights.
Tanks and lodging are extra.
We will talk about what size tank you will need and whether you need nitrox or air.
I will reach out to you to discuss how many days you want to dive and the type of lodging you want. I'll then send you an invoice. Payment in full will reserve your spot.

Lodging:
I am working on a group rate at a hotel. You also have the ability to stay at the lodge run by Olympus Dive Center for $45 per night plus taxes.

Trip Schedule:
You will want to drive down on Friday sometimes because we have to get to the dive shop/boat at 6:00 AM. on Saturday and Sunday (if you are diving on Sunday). If you get there before 7:00, we will fill out any paperwork and load our tanks on the boat.

Check-in time for Full Day Dive Trip is 6 a.m. in the Dive Shop.
6:00am – Checking In at the Dive Shop**:
· Waivers (Once a Year) are filled out, Certification Cards and logbooks are checked. Don’t forget your Nitrox C-card if you are planning on diving Nitrox.
· Tank rentals and equipment rentals take place, if needed. Divers analyze their tanks. All rental equipment and tanks are sanitized by our staff members.
· Please have all your dive gear (excluding tanks) inside a gear bag or bin upon boarding the dive boat. We ask that each diver fully assemble their equipment so that we ensure that nothing is left behind.
· A note about nitrox, with depths ranging from 90-120 feet, we bank 30% nitrox. Divers are more than welcome to dive either air or nitrox, depending on their certification.
· If you would like to drop by the shop the night before to fill out waivers and load your tanks (no dive gear) - please feel free.
· We encourage everyone to bring their own reusable water bottle.
· Please remember to bring a towel, snacks and/or lunch.
After Departure – Briefing**:
· Safety briefing takes place while underway. Although we have tried and tried, we cannot control the weather, currents, or visibility. We do not pre-determine our dive sites.
· The sites are chosen on the day of the dive trip based on what conditions allow. We can NOT guarantee a dive on the U-352 or a wreck with sharks. Expect about a 2-hour ride to our planned dive sites.
· Marine Head – Please remember that no paper towel products or wipes are to be placed in the toilet. There is a trash can in the bathroom for those products. Toilet Paper ONLY in the marine head.
· Please do not spit in your mask or on the deck of the boat. If you do not have defog solution, we have spray bottles on board. There will be NO communal mask rinse bucket. We have jugs of water to splash into your dive masks if needed.
· Upon arrival at the dive site, a detailed site briefing is given by the captain.
· After the first dive, we will do a 1 ½ - 2-hour surface interval. Divers change tanks and relax.
· We will either change sites or stay on the same site, depending on the day.
· The captain will give a detailed site briefing for dive 2.
· After the dive, we begin the 1 ½ - 2-hour return trip to the dock.
2:00/3:00pm - Upon Returning to the Dock**:
· ALL dive equipment and tanks must be removed from the boat to allow the crew to properly sanitize and disinfect the boat for the next dive trip.
· We recommend that each diver bring a personal Rubbermaid/bin/tub to store their dive equipment overnight in their car or hotel room.
· Divers are given the opportunity to pay for tank fills if they brought their own tanks or pay for tank rentals for the following day. Please return rental tanks or your personal tanks to be filled to the appropriate Fill Box (White for Air and Green for Nitrox).
· Only Scuba Tanks will be allowed to be loaded on the boat for the following day after the boat has been scrubbed and disinfected.
· We will have rinse bins set up for rinsing and disinfecting dive gear. All divers should sanitize their dive equipment, especially masks, snorkels, whistles, orally inflated SMB’s, BCD oral inflators, and second stages of regulators.
· All Olympus Dive Center rental dive equipment is disinfected immediately upon return.