We’re headed to North Carolina – one of North America’s healthiest marine environments! You’ll be exposed to multiple types of diving with thrilling wrecks, outstanding wildlife and ancient fossils. Check out our itinerary and pricing below:

DAY 1 3-TANK WRECK DIVING

23-Mile Ledge

This ledge is 23 miles from the Masonboro Inlet and stretches several miles. It is one of the closest ledges from shore where you will see corals, sea fans, and offshore marine-life. The ledge has up to 20′ of relief and lots of overhangs and crevices to explore. Be sure to bring a bright light on this one!

SS. John D. Gill (WWII)

Sunk March 14th, 1942 by U-158, the SS John D. Gill rests in 90 feet of seawater. Not only are there a variety of corals and marine life, but you also get to experience a little history.

The SS John D. Gill was on its second voyage, traveling from Atreco, TX to Philadelphia, PA that a Coast Guard ordered to stop in Charleston, SC, with a cargo of crude oil. Suddenly, 25 miles off the Cape Fear coast, a torpedo from a German sub struck the starboard side on the #7 tank near the area of the main mast, allowing the crude to burst out of the tank and into the sea creating a thick coat around the vessel. Soon after, the ship erupted into flames causing 58 men to fight for their lives. Only 26 of them made it out alive. Later on, it was found that outside the ship, someone had thrown a life preserver into the oil slick. The preserver was equipped with a self-igniting carbide flare, which had burst the fire to life.

Hyde Wreck

The Hyde is a purposely-sunk 215-foot ocean-going hopper dredge that was purposely sunk in 1988 by the NC Division of Marine Fisheries. It sits upright in 85 feet of saltwater. The wreck is easy to navigate and it has a couple of nice swim-throughs. There is also a resident population of sand tigersharks, who are docile, photogenic, and a lot of fun to dive with.

The ship was built in 1945 in Wilmington Delaware with service in the Atlantic and the Pacific. It’s main purpose was to keep waterways open for all of the Naval ship traffic. Because the Hyde was constructed during WWII, it was one of a very few dredges outfitted with guns, armor and a gun crew.

DAY 2 FOSSIL HUNTING

Fossils can be found virtually anywhere in North Carolina and can range from 10,000 to 6 million years ago when the area was covered by a warm shallow sea that was home to corals, jellyfish, and Pteridinium. The ocean environment stayed there for hundreds of thousands of years exposing some of the most ancient creatures to expose themselves through discovered fossils. A reel is required for this dive to hook to the anchor line.

Fossil Ledge 2-Tank Dive

Also called “disneyland” by the locals, this is an exciting dive because you never know what you might see. Our primary purpose will be searching for Megalodon teeth and prehistoric whale bones but there is plenty of marine life and corals to see as well.

Sharktooth Ledge

Similar to the Fossil Ledge but a few miles closer to shore, there is a lot of relief on this site with crevices and overhangs providing for a vibrant ecosystem. In addition to shark’s teeth, many magalodon teeth and prehistoric bones, you will see a lot of marine life here.

DAY 3 FRYING PAN TOWER 3-Tank Dive

The Frying Pan Tower is a decommissioned Coast Guard light tower that sits 34 miles off the coast of Southport, NC at the southeastern edge of the Frying Pan Shoals. It is now a rustic bed and breakfast for adventurous divers and boaters offering a wide variety of marine life beneath.

Frying Pan Ledge

Before hitting the tower, we will hit Frying Pan Ledge, ledge near the tower with a lot of marine life and a relief of 10-15 feet with lots of overhangs, cracks, and crevices.

Greg MicKey Wreck

Our last dive after the tower, will be the Greg MicKey wreck. This is a 185-foot-long purpose-sunk menhaden vessel – also know as AR-400. It serves as a memorial to Greg MicKey who disappeared while diving in June of 2005. The wreck sits upright in approximately 75 feet of saltwater and offers some great swim-throughs and attracts a huge variety of marine life.

ADDITIONAL DAY OF DIVING

If you didn’t get your fix on the first fossil day of diving or with the other two days, take this as an opportunity to revisit Fossil Ledge for another 2-Tank dive!

About the Trip:

This trip is for Advanced divers only. It’s also a great opportunity to get your Advanced and Enriched Air/NITROX Certification. Register for this trip and your NITROX course is only $90 (40% off!). We will also offer a variety of discounts on specialties – including Deep Diver, Wreck, and Peak Performance Buoyancy. We recommend completing these before the trip to brush up on your skills.

Also, we will offer a 20% discount on all rental gear.

Pricing:

Base Package Per Person (Double Occupancy):

Earlybird rate: $949.00; After August 3, 2016: $1,049.00

Base Package Per Person (Single Occupancy):

Earlybird rate: $1,149.00; After August 3, 2016: $1,249.00

Price with Additional Dives and Lodging Sun (Double Occupancy)

Earlybird rate: $1,218.00; After August 3, 2016: $1,250.00

Price with Additional Dives and Lodging Sun (Single Occupancy)

Earlybird rate: $1,278.00; After August 3, 2016:$1,310.00

Price does not include an additional 3% credit card processing fee (unless paid by cash or check). Cancellation policy: If you need to cancel, please cancel as soon as possible. If you cancel 2 weeks in advance, receive 100% refund. If 1 week in advance, receive 50% refund. Refunds do not include your 3% credit card processing fee.