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July 2 thru 11, 2010 - This is a larger range of dives than I have normally made
a dive report on and during this period we saw some very dramatic change in both
the surface and diving conditions on the wreck sites. We started out the
July 4th holiday weekend with dives to the Proteus, Dixie
Arrow and the Katherine Monohan. The surface
conditions on the weekend were excellent and very calm, especially on
Sunday. The dive at the DA on Sunday was especially interesting as divers
reported seeing not just the normal Sand Tiger Shark on the bottom, but also
Lemons. On the boat during the surface interval some action was noted at
the tag line buoy and then it was discovered that there were several silky
sharks playing bump the buoy. They did this for several minutes then disappeared
to wherever they had come from and were not seen again. However, we were
treated to a quick drive-by (maybe should be swim-by) view of a good sized Bull
Shark when on the hang line at the end of the next dive. The DA was
certainly very sharky that day but that was not the only sea life to view as the
wreck had a very large number of other fish present as well.
On Tuesday, July 6, we took advantage of the flat calm seas and headed to the Shoals area. The Australia was the chosen site and we had almost no current and vis in the 50+ foot range on the bottom with more in the top water. The divers going down the anchor line were suddenly swarmed by a pod of 10 to 12 Atlantic Spotted dolphins that swam with them as they descended. I had to be content with watching from the bow pulpit. Diver John Ratay had a great dive and speared a large 40 to 50 lbs Cobia and when he was ascending the anchor line back to the boat felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Thinking it was a dive buddy he turned around to see a large dolphin right there beside him, very interested in the big fish he was carrying. The dolphin stayed with him several minutes swimming close by and looking over the fish John had, then just swam off. We then dived the Northeastern and made a brief stop at the Hesperides before heading for the dock. Overall a great day of diving and a cool experience for John! On Wednesday we again went to the shoals area and this time stopped at the Liberator. There the top water was very still, calm and clear but this all changed about 10 feet above the bottom. The vis fell off dramatically to just about 15 feet - very disappointing. However, knowing the wreck well, I was able to swim the site and leapfrog from one section to the other as you could make out the shadow of the next section. There were a lot of fish present and on the high spots of the site the vis was actually not too bad, but overall far from the most pleasing dive I have had at this site. We then moved over to the Australia since it had been so good the day before. We were again treated to decent vis of well over 50 feet. However, today there was a good current from about 40 feet down to the bottom making the dive a bit more of a challenge. It is surprising that two sites so close to each other (about 3.5 miles apart) can have such different conditions. It is really all about the location of the wreck and the surrounding underwater typography and the very changeable nature of the Diamond Shoals area..
One thing the current and blue water will bring is the big African Pompano. Diver John Ratay took advantage of their appearance and got off a good shot on a very big one. These fish are no easy task as they are powerful swimmers and fight long and hard. After some struggle, he was able to rodeo ride it back to the boat and got it on board. There was no diving for us on Friday due to scheduling and the Saturday trip that was to go to the U-701 was scrubbed. We left the inlet in the morning and quickly realized that a run to the 701 was not going to happen and started south towards the Tarpon. It took about 4 miles for me to really get convinced that the only site we should be visiting was the dock, so the boat was turned back and we surfed the 5 to 6 footers back home. The winds did indeed pick up and the cold front moved through as predicted. The next morning we again climbed on board and headed back out into the now dying 5 foot seas. At 15kts the Lion's Paw takes this type of head sea well and we made it to the Tarpon in just about 90 minutes. There was absolutely no current at the Tarpon at all and the water was 84, the vis seemed unlimited. During the descent, there was a water change at about 80 feet and it did get a touch cooler and the vis dropped just slightly, but the wreck was in view by then and the dive was nothing short of spectacular. Lots of big sharks in a herd just hanging out in the sand off the bow, big groupers and lots of cool things to look at on the boat as well to include a really large spotted eel hanging out of his lair right at the very top of the wreck between the bow planes. I could have stayed for hours, but the computer kept beeping and I eventually gave in an headed up to pay the price of staying there too long at the granny line. But the deco was easy without the current and the seas were in fact dying out - plus it was worth it for the dive that had just happened. We headed into the DA for a second dive and the conditions there were just great as well with lots of turtles and rays to dive with as a bonus. It appears that the long awaited clear water is finally here - let's hope that it stays around this time. By the time we motored for the inlet and home, the sea was going flat again and the only wind was from the boat moving along at 20 knots... June 12/13, 2010 - This dive weekend had some great weather with a flat calm sea on Saturday that allowed us to make the long run up to the German U boat, the U-701. Stopping at the Hesperides wreck on the shoals to gauge the current, we found there was none, and that was confirmed again as we passed close by the old Diamond Shoals Tower and the water was again almost dead still. It took two tosses of the anchor to hook into the submarine. Once in the water, the divers found that the top water was very clear and 78, with a distinct layer at around 80 feet that took the temp down to 72 and the viz fell off as well to about 40ft. On the bottom there was some current that was running straight down the wreck from the bow to the stern. This is not very typical for this site as the "normal current" runs directly across the beam of the wreck, but it worked for us as we had anchored the very stern section and this allowed the divers to swim up current to the bow, then drift back to the anchor at the end of the dive. The U-boat is very uncovered this season, more than I have ever seen it before. At the stern the port side prop and gear are now fully exposed and at the bow the sand is scoured out so deeply that a diver can swim under the keel for about 25 feet back from the bow. The torpedo doors and anchor are all visible as well as the port side bow plane. All the divers had a great time and were glad to have had such a good opportunity to dive the boat in calm seas and low current conditions. We then moved back south to the shoals and stopped at the Kassandra Louloudis for a second dive. Top water conditions were very nice, warm and mixed blue water, but at the bottom it was a cold 62! Clear water, but it felt really cold in a 3mm suit. Lots of fish and sand tigers about and tons of wreck junk to explore make this a great dive even if chilly today. Next we went to the Hesperides and did a third dive there with one diver commenting that he could not believe such a fabulous wreck was in such shallow water.
We then moved inshore to the DA and as predicted the winds began to increase. The DA unfortunately had some very poor viz of just 10 to 20 feet on the bottom making the dive there not as rewarding as had been hoped for. The trip back in was made with rising winds and a building following sea pushing us home to the inlet. Overall a great weekend of diving on the Lion's Paw.
Dive Reports for 2009 October 4th, 2009 - It is the fall already and the change of season comes to Hatteras in the form of cold fronts that clear the humidity from the air, but as they pass can bring with them some wind and rain. The one that showed up late Friday was a good example. When it arrived there were thunderstorms all night long, some with Hollywood style light and sound effects that wake you from the deep sleep dreaming about good diving. In the early morning, the T storms had all moved just offshore and the wind having hit 30kt gust overnight was now down to the single digits but the sea was still up and the rainstorms just offshore. So we all went back to bed for a short while and regrouped at the boat after 10am. The front and rainstorms now far offshore, decision was to go out and try a run to the Proteus. The trip out was not the best of boat rides as the SE swell was still fairly big and every now and then one would top 6 feet, but we could hold 16 to 17kts and made the Proteus in reasonable time. At the wreck the seas had calmed and continued to do so through out the day. The ride out was worth the effort as the underwater conditions were the best I have seen at this site all season. There was absolutely no current and the visibility was easily better than 100 feet. The sea life was varied and plentiful and with no current many of the fish just seemed to hang in space around us like life-sized versions of the plastic fish tank variety anchored by a weight and string. Even the ever-present sharks were in the chill out mode and enjoying the clear still waters. During the dive we saw an unusually large number of Morey eels of different sizes hanging out of their hiding holes, all of them different colors and sizes. Back under the stern there were a good number of sharks as well as large groupers. Just a great dive all around and the divers made long dives with the CCR divers running almost two hour total in the water. With the late start and anticipation of another long deep dive tomorrow, we made for the inlet after this dive and found the ride back in with the waves much better than the ride out. The Proteus rarely, if ever, is a disappointing site and today it was far better than it usually is - spectacular is the word that describes it best. September 5, 2009 - Though we have dived many times since the last dive report, I was just too busy with the boat and other things to get out a trip report but today's diving was just too good not to brag about! We left the dock at around 0900 after waiting for some divers who were running late. After the briefing and talking about what the divers wanted to see as well as the weather forecast - which was for 10 to 15 kts NE with a 3-4 foot sea - we decided to head South and try for the Proteus, with a fall back of going to the Dixie Arrow. Once out of the inlet we made a quick and easy ride out and at the DA it was still fairly nice going as the wind sea was on the port quarter and the swell just about on the beam so we continued out to the Proteus. Once there, we found little surface current but the seas had gotten a bit larger. We anchored in just to the port side of the engine and when the divers descended the line I could see them almost until they made it to the bottom. The water was 85 degrees, very clear and deep blue, and the bright sunshine gave us visibility of over 100 feet on the bottom. There were thousands of baitfish schooling on the wreck with scores of jacks and mackerels taking advantage of them in blazingly fast charges through the schooling baitfish. This went on the entire time of my dive and many times I was in the middle of the bait ball with the jacks zooming right past me in pursuit of their lunch. A really cool experience, if you are not a 6 inch long baitfish. Meanwhile, a few of the resident sandtiger sharks patrolled leisurely about the wreck but I did not see as many as has been normal. That changed when I swam to the stern of the wreck and there stacked up in a large school were at least 75 to 100 of the sharks all just fining slowly into the current. When the vis is this good you can really see just how many of these large sandtigers hang out on this wreck site and for some reason today they all seemed to be in one big bunch gathered at the stern. This dive ended all too soon and we pulled the anchor and watched the wreck recede into the haze as we drifted off. Our second dive was at the FW Abrams wreck, which took us about an hour to get to. It is a good thing the the Lions Paw is a well designed sea boat as the seas were now bumping up to an occasional 5 to 6 footer. Descending the 75 feet to the wreck the divers passed through water that was definitely much cooler and a bit greener than out at the Proteus. But at the bottom, the water was actually warmer and clear with about 40 to 50 feet of visibility. The last two tropical storms and the big swells they generated have cleared away a lot of sand from the wreck and many beams, plates and other pieces of structure are now visible that had been covered earlier in the season. Again, lots of baitfish are concentrated on the wreck and their numbers will increase into the fall season bringing more of the predator fish to the sites. Here at the Abrams, it was a school of fairly large Spanish Mackerel that were working the baitfish. I couldn't get a good shot at the large Spanish and settled for a good sized Gag that came my way and provided us a very good diner that night. We made for the inlet as the wind was picking up and the forecast for the next two days of diving beginning to not look so good. During the night the wind continued to increase and in the morning we canceled the diving for both Sunday and Monday and this turned out to be a very good decision. Too bad as the underwater conditions are just perfect. If we could only get to the dive sites without having to travel on the surface.... August 3rd, 2009 - After two days of blowouts over the weekend we finally got to leave the dock and go to sea. We made 16 knots out to the Proteus into the head seas left over from the weekend blow, but the wind was no longer behind them and the seas fell out throughout the day. When we arrived at the Proteus we found very little current and stratified layers in the water column. During the descent you went through a couple of layers of very different colors and visibilities, but at the bottom even though it was several degrees cooler, the water was very clear with a light current. Anchored aft of the engine, we toured around the stern area and made a pass under the transom, past the many sharks hanging out in the deep hole there. This is the place for the "money shot" if you are doing film or video as it makes an impressive picture with the sharks and the large identifiable wreckage to frame it all. During the pass around the stern Ann scored some really nice shells as well. We then moved back to the engine area where big groupers, an octopus and many eels were spotted, while all the time scores of sharks finned slowly into the current overhead. Lots of big fish, sharks and then even the small stuff - the Proteus rarely disappoints us. We then traveled to the Dixie Arrow and even though the vis was significantly less there, the diving was really very good. The DA had scores of smaller rays swarming around the sandy areas just off the stern and thousands of bait fish that were ringing the dinner bell for the jacks plus the required half dozen sandtigers swimming about. A really fun dive to end the day and it all made sitting on the beach waiting out the weather worth it. July 20~23, 2009 - We hosted a group of divers that dive together often, even though they live scattered around the country. They traveled from California and Pennsylvania to experience our brand of East Coast Shipwreck diving and they were not disappointed. On Monday 20th the seas were very calm and winds light. After the briefing and discussion of what the group wanted to see, we headed to the Tarpon. The conditions there were excellent with little to no current and lots and lots and lots of sharks to be seen. The ascent was not boring either with large schools of Amberjack and African Pompano swarming the divers. The second dive was at the Keshena and it had little current as well but less vis but a good amount of sea life at the site.. Tuesday's diving was at the Proteus and again with little current, but the overcast sky lowered the vis to around 60 feet at the bottom. There was a cool thermal layer in mid water and many of the sandtigers were hanging above the layer and this put the sharks just below the boat so as the divers entered the water they were just ten to fifteen feet above the sharks, which they swam past to make the descent to the wreck. On the bottom brass fever almost took hold as they spotted a nice intact porthole, but it remains firmly in place. On the way to the Dixie Arrow for a second dive, a pod of Atlantic Spotted Dolphins showed up and the divers snorkeled with the pod for about 30 minutes before the dolphins got bored and moved off. At the Arrow we dived the bow and had a great show from the large schools of Jacks and False Albacore that were feeding on the bait fish - it doesn't look like fun to be a 6 inch fish in the ocean. On Wednesday, 23rd, when I asked the group where they wanted to dive they had one answer - back to the Proteus! Even though the ground swell was slightly bigger the ride to the wreck was fast and smooth and this time the bright sunshine made the vis pop to around 100ft. The sandtigers were still there in big numbers but most were down at the bottom this time. The divers had a bit more current to deal with and by the time we left the site rain clouds were forming on the horizon that followed us to the Monohan wreck. Though the vis on this inshore site was only about 50ft, it was a great dive with octopus and many other reef creatures being seen. When the divers were in the water the rain came and went past, so I was the only one to get rained on and the ride back to the dock was pleasant and mostly sunny. A great way to end a three day dive trip and guarantee some new converts to NC Wreck diving! July 4th, 2009 - The best weather of the July 4th holiday weekend was actually on the 4th itself and that found us heading up to the Diamond Shoals area for the first time this season and we were not disappointed with the conditions. The first dive was on one of the wrecks that is rarely visited, the Liberator, with visibility that allowed you to see most of the wreck site during the anchor line descent. On the bottom there was little current and the divers swam the entire site without any problems -except for the small sandtiger that showed up and tried to take a speared fish! There were several other sandtigers on the site but they stayed inside the hold section of the amidships hull and just seemed to ignore us. We then moved over to the Kassandra Louloudis on the backside of the Diamond, trolling along the way catching some nice Mahi and a King as well. Once at the wreck the divers found the water conditions different with mixed blue/green surface, a cool Labrador in the middle and clear blue water across the bottom with about 65 ft of vis. The Kassandra was loaded with sea life to include several turtles and with the light current we swam the whole wreck easily. We then went over to the Northeastern and had a dive at this tanker wreck before heading for the dock and some much needed 4th of July BBQ. Too bad you missed this great day on the ocean. June 13, 2009 - We took the Lion's Paw out for a great day of diving to the British Splendour and it was so good we stayed there for two dives. The trip to the wreck site was made in a little over an hour as we worked into a fairly good sized swell that died out throughout the day. Once at the site, we anchored into the starboard side of the wreck, just forward of the engine room area. The water was clear blue and 79 on the surface with a slight thermal layer at 65ft that dropped the temp to 76 and the viz to about 80ft. The wreck was covered with life from the numerous sandtiger sharks to large schools of amberjack and spadefish that swarmed around the divers. The wreck also had some large grouper and snappers swimming about and a couple of them made the ride back with us. This wreck has had some changes to it over the winter with more of the engine room hull plates being pealed open and more of the interior exposed. The forward end of the upside down hull has also collapsed more so there is not the large overhang that once existed there. Even with the changes, this is an impressive wreck site that still allows penetration through the engine room where great numbers of fish hide out and artifacts are to be found. Can't wait to go back!
It's the beginning of a new 2007 dive season in Hatteras. We will try and post periodic updates to the dive reports to keep you abreast of the conditions and sea life sightings: Sept 3rd report: The dates surrounding Labor Day saw some rough sea conditions, but no current in the Diamond Shoals area so we were able to dive the Australia Wreck site for the first time this season. The water was slightly cool and just a bit green, but the reward for the journey was diving with a very large Manta Ray for about ten minutes as it circled the wreck checking us out. A Manta encounter is an unbelievable experience, but one that happens in Hatteras this time of year and throughout the rest of the fall diving season. The diving in August has been generally very good with all the trips going to the Southern wrecks, Proteus and British Splendour providing exceptional conditions and sea life. Several dates were lost to unusually windy conditions for August but every time we did go it was worth the effort. The Proteus has remained true to it's reputation as a shark wreck with numerous Sand Tigers being on site during each visit. The inshore wrecks have all held good vis of at least 60 feet on all visits and at all sites the numbers of small bait fish have been growing throughout the month and now the schools are so dense that on occasion they interfere with the visibility.
June 2, 2007 The forecast for the weekend was really looking good until Thursday night when tropical storm Barry was added to the forecast and it came through as predicted on Sunday. The storm left us with just Saturday and we did go out and have a couple of very good dives. We launched from the dock with the members of the NASA Goddard Dive club and had a fairly good ride south to the Dixie Arrow. We chose the DA as the current offshore was reported to be fairly high and the WX for later in the day to build. We anchored into the bow section and just as soon as the divers jumped in they could see the sand 90 ft deep and at the anchor line they could see the wreck. Current was present down the water column and on the bottom it was flowing from the stern quarter across the wreck to the bow, but not too strong to swim against and many of the divers swam to the stern and drifted back with the current, touring the whole wreck site. The viz was spectacular and you could see across the entire beam of the shipwreck and beyond into the blue. A few sandtigers and several large snappers swimming about made the dive complete. The offshore water conditions are as good as they get, so don't miss out this year. No dive reports are available for the 2006 season. Dive Reports from 2005 June 13~17th 2005 "Lions, Sand Tigers but no Bears...." The "Old Canadian Divers" made the long trek south to enjoy some warm water diving for a change. Even though our temps are down a few degrees for this time of year it still beats the 30's they are used to in the Great Lakes. Most of the week the conditions were best on the Southern wreck sites, so that is where we concentrated the efforts. We visited the Proteus a couple of times and were treated to light currents, good viz of about 75' and large numbers of Sand Tiger Sharks. A dive to the nearby Tarpon had even better water clarity with sightings of Lionfish and a good sized Jewfish as well. Lionfish were also seen on the Dixie Arrow which we visited three times during this expedition with all three providing a different diving experience due to the changing water conditions and various sea life present. A dive on the Keshena proved to be very exciting for she held a surprise for one diver that had speared several very large flounders. The small shark that he scared away from his catch came back with it's big brother and the two were last seen with mesh bag in hand (actually in mouth) cruising off into the sand to enjoy their free picnic lunch, just like Yogi and Booboo taking a Picnic Basket from the tourists at Jellystone... A good week of diving fun was had with only one day at the dock due to rough conditions. June 18th, 2005 BFDC Divers had a great dive on the Proteus. The ride to the wreck was smooth and fast with a NE breeze that built throughout the day. On the wreck we hooked just aft of the engine and the light current allowed exploration of any part of the wreck a diver wanted to swim to. There was a great number of Sand Tigers hanging off the bow section in stacks as far as you could see and I counted over 50 in the area around the stern. There were large numbers of Red and Silver Snappers, Groupers and many other schooling fishes on the wreck too. It was a classic Hatteras Blue Water dive with lots of sea life action and great viz. It was hard to leave the site and travel inshore, but the seas were building. The second dive was at the Dixie Arrow with conditions of cooler water and about 50ft of viz. The NE wind picked up during the afternoon and continued all night so we cancelled the diving for Sunday due to rough sea conditions. Below are the few 2004 Dive Reports that we posted. July 4th, 2004 Divers: Tom Darone Group We had some great weather develop for the July 4th holiday weekend and we went out every day on ever calmer waters. The sun was very bright and the water was clear as well, giving some of the best conditions of the season. During this three day trip Tom and his group enjoyed the Arrow, British Splendour, Monohan, Keshena and Proteus. June 26th, 2004 Sea Ventures Dive Shop The weekend dive trip was looked forward too, but the weather for Saturday had plans of it's own. There was a stiff breeze that caused a short chop on top of a SE swell resulting a a very bumpy ocean. The group made a good decision to sit it out for the day and try a bit of fishing in the sound. We drift fished in the inlet, down the ferry channels and even made one trip out to the sea buoy and promptly turned back to sheltered waters. Everyone caught a fish - and everyone threw their monsters back to grow into adult fish! The breeze shifted overnight and we sailed in the morning for the Arrow and had a great dive there. June 19 & 20, 2004 The weekend weather prediction was for 2 foot seas. With great optimism we headed out to find a two foot wind sea on top of a two to three foot swell. By now I should know better than to trust the weatherman when it comes to this, but they often hit it fairly close. A report from a local fishing Captain of over 2kts of current on the shoals came to us by radio, so we headed to the south and dived first at the Monohan. The water was 80 on the surface, with no current present and we found the viz to be superb of at least 80'. The bottom at 109' could be seen immediately upon jumping in. After a great dive on the KM, we went to the Dixie Arrow where conditions were even just a bit better. The water clarity was very good and large schools of spadefish swarmed around the entire dive. Several of the divers reported a large manta ray circling the bow section. But having the camera with us prevented us from seeing it... Early Sunday morning the cold front arrived and the wind blew 25kts from the NE. So we cancelled the diving for the day but it was a hard decision because the "80's" (80 degrees and 80ft viz) are back in Hatteras.. Below are the 2003 dive reports from last year. Dive Report: Aug 29, 30 &31 Divers from Sea Ventures Dive Shop; John Mahoney, John , and Toby The weather has not been better than what these lucky divers ordered up for their weekend at sea. We had light winds and slight seas for all of the days we sailed. The swell from the SE didn't even slow us down as we made our way to the Dive Report: Aug 23&24 Divers: Jim Willis, Tom & Paul Wash, John Mahoney & some guy named Ralph We sailed on Sat into a stiff but falling West breeze that created a 2 foot wind chop on top of the SE swell. Not the best of boat rides, but we slugged it out to the Bow of the DA and hooked in for two dives there. The water was green and clear down to 25', then warmer and clear blue down to 65', then back to green and not so warm on the bottom. In the cooler water on the wreck were large schools of baitfish and jacks, with a large number of Barracudas and a school of African Pompano swarming in the warmer blue water above (photos to come). Occasional eddies of warm water washed over the divers as they explored the bow section. During the SI between dives, that guy named Ralph showed up a few times, but the divers rallied and jumped in for a second look at the DA. The current had increased and the vis dropped to around 25 on the bottom along with the water temps that went down from the 78 of the first dive to around 72! On Sunday, the winds had shifted to the NE and were light, so we went to the shoals area and dived the Liberator. Seas were calm, but the vis was low in the 20' range - when will we get back to normal? Dive Report: Aug 11 thru 15th Divers: Paul Blanchette and the MA divers Paul arranged a week of Hatteras diving for his group of divers and they had some of the best weather conditions we have experienced this season, with the exception of Monday. On Monday, we ventured forth but turned back in short order, choosing to try again another day. This was to be an excellent idea as Tuesday with the winds light and seas almost calm we went to the Dixie and had a very good dive. Wed Am found us headed for the Proteus were conditions were good and the seas again calm, The next day of diving found us at the Tarpon with calm seas, visibility of at least 60 to 80 feet on the bottom - no current either. As the sea conditions were very calm and reports of decent visibility on wreck sites near the shoals, we tried the Liberator for the first dive on Friday. Luck had run it's course and the vis on the Liberator was under 20 feet with a current to boot. We then tried a dive at the Kassandra, but found low vis there as well. A retreat to the Hesperides on the shoals finished the day and the week. Overall, a good week of diving. Dive Report: Aug 9&10 Divers: Herman And his Dive Buds High winds and seas kept us from diving this weekend Dive Report: Aug 2-3 Divers: NASA Goddard Sea Ventures
We really, really wanted this to be a great diving weekend for NASA;
they have listened to us endlessly describe Hatteras diving as warm and clear.
Well, it was a good weekend for other reasons than warm & clear diving. The
colder, green waters (66 degrees) are still here, at least on the bottom layer;
however - soaring between both the deeper water and the warmer (75-78
degree)
We heard on the radio that the divers on the EM Clark had top-to-bottom warm, clear water. The Clark is further offshore and is fairly deep. We can only hope that this water will push its way inward.
The excitement exhausted the NASA divers! -Ann Dive Report July 26-27 Divers: BFDC except P.Hudy We (except P. Hudy) set out for the Shoals this weekend - only the second time this year. We anchored into the Australia. Although the water was warmer (about 75 degrees) it wasn't as clear as we would have liked - but hey - it wasn't green and cold so we're not complaining. This wreck continues to get more sand. At some point, it may join the Veturia unfortunately. The second dive was the Kassandra Louloudis. Sunday, we headed back to the shoals (again without P. Hudy) and visited the Liberator. In my mind, an under-dived wreck. The wreck was clear enough to actually see large pieces of it. The Liberator can be a dirty wreck plagued with high currents which is probably why it isn't dived. At any rate, we saw the biggest jewfish yet in these waters - this Hummer was at least 6 feet long. Next we went to the Northeastern, a wreck in very shallow water. Boy, this wreck is really sanding in - a big portion of the mid-ships is completely sanded over and the stern is almost filled in. At the rate P. Hudy is diving, it will be entirely gone by the time he gets back in the water. -Ann Dive Report: July 19-20 Divers: NASA Goddard Sea Ventures At the beginning of the week, the NWS was calling for 2-3 ft seas on Saturday. After getting blown out the weekend before, this was music to our ears. Of course the predictions and the seas changed by the week's end. Saturday and the forecast was for 3-4 ft seas but what we found once we poked our noses out of Hatteras Inlet was more like 6 ft seas; therefore, we turned back to shore. The day wasn't a total loss for me - I jumped aboard Capt. Bud's boat and trolled the back bay for trout. Amid the waves of torrential downpours, we gaffed and boated a whopper, a 12" trout. Sunday conditions were the total opposite - Lake Hatteras. Gorgeous day, calm
seas. We headed toward the Proteus and anchored into a dark blue ocean. Kind of
weird for July diving; it was dark and cold, The second dive was the Keshena. Weird flashback: am I in Hatteras or Ocean City, MD diving the Washingtonian?? Cold green water with milky white floating stuff and low visibility (10 ft). Ick. for unknown reasons Hatteras has been on and off this season with the viz and water inshore. At least we do not suffer alone, Morehead dive boats report the same issue. -Ann Dive Report: July 12-13 Divers: BFDC High winds and seas kept us from diving this weekend. Dive Report: July 4,5 & 6th, 2003 Divers: Lee Whaler, Ed White, Rob Tarkington, Mac, Tomasz, John Mahoney The Fourth of July weekend weather was predicted to be a bit windy in the wake of ex-tropical storm Bill that had come up from the Gulf of Mexico. The storm had lashed NC with a great deal of rain in the days prior, but was now well to the north. What Bill left behind was a strong Bermuda high and a steady SW wind flow which influenced the diving for the entire weekend. On the 4th we set out for and made it to the Proteus. We found the water blue, but a current that exceeded 1.5kts. After several attempts to hook the wreck, the group decided to go back into the Dixie Arrow and there we found the water not so blue, but no current. Two dives were made on the Bow section and numerous sharks and turtles were seen along with a large octopus in the 50 to 60ft vis. On Saturday, the 5th, the destination was the British Splendour. We motored into a stiff head sea for over half the distance to the BS, but upon crossing into the blue water the seas became more robust and the decision was made to turn again towards the Dixie Arrow. We had about 75 to 90 feet of visibility while diving the stern section. A large amount of sea life inhabits the wreck, to include numerous sand tigers. We went to the F.W. Abrams for a second dive and the vis was around 35 to 45 feet with no current. The 5 foot following seas made for a smooth ride back to the inlet. We chose to bag it on Sunday morning as the winds had been blowing a steady 20kts most of the night and the sea was still fairly rough. The drive home proved vexing for some due to the holiday traffic. Hopefully the memories of the great diving they had just done made it easier to deal with the frustration of the traffic. -Dave Dive Report June 28 & 29, 2003 Divers: Tom Darrone Group
Second dive was the Abrams; sorry to say, we have not hit the wreck yet on a good day this season. The water was 71 degrees on the bottom, cool and green plus 15-20 feet of visibility.
I snorkeled while the divers were in the water. Again, the first 5-10 feet were greenish/brown and then completely opened up to very warm, blue water. I could see all the divers below me at 90 feet down. After Dave and I jumped in the pool (I mean ocean), a sea turtle glided gracefully by and stayed in the area for bit so that we could swim next to her. Plenty of We also saw what (according to Dave Bader) was possibly a scorpion fish sitting on the top of the engine. I photographed it but it blends too well with the wreck. Anyway, as an added bonus, the seas calmed to the point that we could have been on Lake Hatteras and not the Atlantic ocean. Best two days of diving so far this year IMHO. -Ann Dive Report June 26 & 27, 2003 Regional SCUBA of New York -Dave
Divers: Lee, Ron, Dori, Rich Conditions: sunny, 5-10 knots, waves 2 feet We dived the Dixie Arrow, which was still cold and green. Lots of marine life including this large octopus we found scurrying along the port side hull. Good sea conditions for a change. Second dive was the Abrams; still cold and green. We saw some cobia and lots of amberjacks.
Payback day for all the bumpy, rainy, cold weekends we have endured. Sunday was sunny and calm. When we pulled up to the wreck site (Dixie); something was very different - the water was blue (as can be seen from the picture at right) and Capt Dave confirmed that it was warm (80). Was this the same place we had just been not 24 hours earlier?? Schools of spade fish were visible from the surface and you could see the wreck: TOP-TO-BOTTOM-VIS! Finally things are back to normal. Loads of schooling fish blanket this wreck. Each diver lengthened their dive by spending time hovering over the wreck Beautiful day, beautiful diving. -Ann Dive Report: June 14, 2003 Divers: BFDC Wrecks: Dixie Arrow and Keshena Conditions: water: 5 ft seas, 71 degrees bottom, 75 degrees top; slight current, breezy, gusty 15-20kts Our group set out amid sunny skies (for once) but choppy seas. Once past the sea buoy, we headed south toward the DA; it was a long and bumpy trip. At the Arrow, we easily anchored to the wreck and started throwing divers in. The DA had about 50 ft visibility – it’s still cool and green on the bottom and milky on the top layer. There was an abundance of sea life with several large sharks swimming around the stern section. We also saw plenty of juvenile life; notably small toadfish and sea cucumbers. One diver reported a large sea turtle. Keshena was also cool and green. No sharks. The huge
anemone residing in the boilers seems to have vacated. Lots of juvenile fish of
many species schooling there today. This is a good shell wreck so I found some
goodies. Cliff bagged his first keeper of the season. Sunday was a wash for us; June seems to be May II this year. -Ann Date: June 7&8, 2003 Dive Club: NASA Goddard
Space Center Conditions: Wrecks: Son of Tug Boat The Goddard Sea Ventures Dive Club clamored aboard
and the dive crew was briefed and we set off for the Dixie Arrow.
The inlet was rough as usual for a falling tide and the bow dipped
into several waves that almost swept the deck, but smoother water lay
beyond the sea buoy. Shortly after the boat cleared the rough water of the
inlet we picked up speed. The
bright warm sun and the throbbing, melodic beat of the diesels soon had
everyone nodding off into pre-dive naps.
Everyone except Ross, who had chosen to ride on the bridge deck for
a better view. A few miles
later something caught Ross’s eye and he directed the boat to where both
dolphins and manta rays were leaping from the water… What, you want to
know the truth? Ok, here it
is… The gentle Hatteras trade winds kicked up a four-foot
sea in the morning that was right on the bow with much more predicted for
the immediate future. It was
also raining periodically and just plain nasty with not much hope of
getting better so we changed plans mid-ocean.
The DA was replaced with the closest available site, the tug
wrecks, which are just 5 miles out. Even
that short distance took over ˝ hour – a very long one if you ask
Steve. The rough seas made hooking the wreck a two-attempt
affair, but once anchored in all hands rallied for the dive.
The wreck was the smaller of the two tugs – Son of Tugboat – at
81 feet to the deepest spot and the vis was green hazy 25’ sorta like an
OC MD dive but with warmer water and sharks you could actually see.
Everyone got to see several Sand Tigers fairly close along with
schools of spadefish and triggers. Overall,
not a bad dive, just not up to the Hatteras standards. The wind blew
stiffly into the evening with more rain and left the ocean too rough for
diving on Sunday.
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We ran south for the dives the next day and stopped at the DA and what a
change in conditions since our last visit on Sunday. The water was 82 and
very, very blue. At 25 feet down the current was around 1/2 knot running
from the stern towards the bow, but the surface almost dead still. The
sand on the bottom was clearly visible as soon as you jumped into the water and
lots of sea life of all description swimming about. From the bottom I
could look up and see the boat - the great summer conditions had finally
arrived! .
On
Sunday we went south due to the weather forecast of building winds and seas from
the SW. We dived the Proteus and had really clear top water. At 44ft
I could look down and see the big sharks and tops of the boilers they were
swimming over. However, the last 20 feet to the bottom the cool green
water was present and the temp dropped to 72 and the viz down to 40ft.
Still a great dive, just not as clear as expected. Dive boat mate Cliff
shot himself a very nice Pompano on his dive.
We have been diving and the conditions are excellent. Most of the diving has
all been on the Southern wreck sites with very good viz and lots of sea
life. The sandtigers have been present on all offshore sites and the
swarms of baitfish are now beginning to appear along with larger schools of
those that feed upon them. The August dog days are here and the seas are
finally flattening out a bit. The Gulf Stream has pushed in fairly strong
and large masses of Sargasso grass are everywhere and last Sunday we encountered
a large sea turtle floating in one big patch. At first we thought it to be dead,
but when the boat stopped alongside to investigate it looked up lazily and then
just totally ignored us as we took photos. Later that same day Rich
speared a 51 pound Cubera Snapper on the Keshena wreck, which is one big
fish! I have been too busy (or lazy) to update the
dive reports much. Sorry about that - I will try harder for the rest of
the season.. 
upper layer of water were a pair of manta rays. Saturday, we dived the
bow of the Dixie and were treated to 2 magnificent mantas circling the divers.
Each manta had a cadre of cobias, shark suckers, and amberjacks following them -
a very memorable dive.
Sunday,
given the heavy seas, we ventured back to the Dixie - again, the same conditions
but this time we dived the stern section. All the sharks that normally hang out
in the stern, like us, were cruising in the warmer layer to stay warm. It was a
great dive just hanging out on the anchor line (to keep your point of reference)
and watch the sharks swim by. 
69 degrees on the bottom. Though the water was fairly clear with apx 80 ft viz,
the lack of bright sunshine left it dark looking. I saw a lionfish with a
white fin arrays (maybe frostbite!). Dave pointed out a nice size jewfish - 3 ft
long and wide. The wreck was blanketed by large schools of bait fish trying to
dodge succeeding layers of the food chain. Despite the numerous sharks
patrolling the bottom, at least two free-diver groups were working the Proteus
on Sunday - I wouldn't be surprised if they had a good day.
We
headed to the British Splendor and were treated to a splendid dive. After
the first 5-10 feet of cool, greenish water, the water turned blue and warm and
I could see the wreck below. I was fortunate to see a few very large rays - all
of which were followed by cobia. I also saw a healthy size yellow/black spotted
moray eel toward the end of the dive. This wreck really attracts the marine
life.
Because
of these conditions, on Sunday, we dived the Dixie Arrow twice and were not disappointed.
sharkage on the Dixie for Sunday's dive. At one point, we must have counted a
good dozen or so. They were nice size, too. I couldn't help but to feel like I
was really diving in the Baltimore Aquarium. The water was clear and the sharks
just swam in their endless circles around the stern wreckage. 
Dive
Report June 21, 2003
Dive
Report June 22, 2003